One common fish disease is ICH. It 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. Such a affliction is caused by Ichthyophthirius in tanks containing freshwater and Cryptocaryon antigens in the saltwater tanks. 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. The spots will be tinier and so they are more difficult to spot and attention should be paid to this aspect. 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. As with ICH, vets would generally advocate the use of copper medication as a form of treatment for Velvet.

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. Another reason for such a disease is when fishes are are harmed by other fishes. 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 is better than cure, and it will save you and your fishes a whole lot of trouble from treating them. The best way to provide a healthy environment for the fishes is to keep the aquarium clean. Do keep a look out for fishes that threaten or assault other fishes and keep such combative fishes apart. The quality of the water, the size and space for the fishes and the species of the fishes should be monitored regularly.

Despite all your preventive efforts, your fish might still be infected with diseases at some point of time. When that happens, it is vital that you seek or give treatment as soon as possible to avoid the disease getting transmitted to other fishes.