Common Fish Diseases, Symptoms and Treatments
Fishes are mostly healthy when provided with suitable living conditions. However it is more likely for fish owners to experience loss of fish due to common diseases at some point or the other despite the best efforts. ICH is a fish disease where the infected fish gets white spots all over its body. When a fish is sick it is important to check for those white spots of the size and shape of the grains of salt over its skin. This disease is caused by Ichthyophthirius in freshwater tanks and in saltwater tanks it is caused by Cryptocaryon irritants. Sometimes in addition to the body of the fish, the ICH may attack even the eyes and interiors of the mouth and even gills. If the fish exhibit behaviors and symptoms such as gasping for air near the surface of the aquarium or rubbing against objects, it may be due to ICH. Loss of appetite is another symptom associated with the above mentioned ones. The fishes seldom can fight ICH by themselves. They have to be provided copper sulfur medication to cure them. Antibiotic medication should be provided after the parasites are gone, in order to prevent them from recurring. Another common parasite is Velvet which shows symptoms similar to ICH but with tinier and dusty spots on the fish’s body. Sometimes the spots may be gray or gold in color. And since the spots are smaller they are tougher to be recognized and should be observed quite carefully. As with ICH, the fishes infested with Velvet also rubs against objects and gasps for air near the surface of the tank and shows difficulty in breathing if the gills are affected. Copper medication treatment is recommended for Velvet as with ICH by most of the veterinarians. A fungal infection may also develop quite commonly in fishes which appear in gray or white color over the body of the fish. They usually appear in the fins or the mouth of the fish as well. An injury to the fish induced by another fish may also be the cause of this disease. Open wounds are highly prone to fungal infections. An appropriate medication for fungal diseases can be availed from a nearby pet shop or from an online pet supplier. Fishes are prone to bacterial infection as well. If you notice orange or red spot on the scales of the fishes they are most probably bacterial infection. Dropsy is one of the most common bacterial infections. When the infected fish usually sticks out its scales and appear bloated it is an indication that the infection had moved interior and is fatal. The fish exhibits loss of appetite and is lethargic. Medications such as penicillin, naladixic acid and tetracycline are most commonly used to cure bacterial infections. Prevention saves the fishes from getting prone to diseases and prevents the hassles in treating them. The better way to provide a healthy environment for the fishes is to keep the aquarium clean. Check for aggressive fishes that attack weak fishes and keep them separate. The size of the fish tank should be checked for the fish types and also checking for the quality of water. Despite the efforts if they are infected get them treated at the earliest to avoid the disease getting transmitted to other fishes. More Articles on Aquarium Fish Care: | 