Aquarium Fish Disease
Poor water quality is responsible for many fish disease such as Aquarium Fish Disease which can kill your fish if left unchecked.
You can keep many disease in check with frequent water changes, but some do take special medication. The list below might help you determine what disease your fish has.
If you think your fish have Aquarium Fish Disease, look also for little white dots This common parasite is called Ich which is short for Ichthyophthirius This disease can be caused by poor water and is easily contracted by fish whose immune system is weak. If caught in time, it can be treated with medication that you buy in the pet store.
If you don’t clean your tank regularly, you may find Grayish cottony patches on skin or gills - This is probably a fungus caused by large amounts of decaying matter (fish waste and food) in the tank. It should be easy to clear up with treatments if it has not progressed too far. You can buy treatments online and, of course, clean the tank more often to prevent this from happening.
Diseases don’t keep to themselves so the Aquarium Fish Disease is sometimes found with fish that have rotting fins. This tropical fish disease is probably caused by bacteria attacking the fins and is likely to happen where there is poor water quality and / or the fish are stressed. If only a few fish are affected, you can isolate them to prevent spread of the bacteria. This can be treated with medicine purchased at the pet store specifically for this type of disease. You should check your fish daily to insure their fins are in good condition as this requires immediate treatment.
If you notice your fish scraping against the bottom then he may have flukes. Flukes are a parasite that attach the gills and skin of the fish – once again poor water quality can be to blame. This disease is difficult to get rid of and the tank should be treated at the first sign of outbreak.
If you notice that your finned friends seem to be fish gasping for air - Your tank may be overcrowded and not have enough oxygen. Try a pump with an airstone to add some oxygen to the tank.
When trying to clear your tank of Aquarium Fish Disease, never overmedicate. Prevention is the best route to a healthy tank, and since most of these disease are caused by poor water quality, your best bet for healthy fish is to perform periodic water changes and clean the tank regularly.