Tropical Fish Disease
Owning a fish tank may mean battling Tropical Fish Disease that can affect fish in an aquarium. Some are readily treatable and others are not. Watch your tank closely to see if your fish exhibit symptoms of disease.If your fish have Tropical Fish Disease, look also for little white dots - This is probably Ich (Ichthyophthirius), a parasite which is rather common. Caused mainly by poor water quality it can be easily treated with store bought medications if caught in time.
If you see that your fish have Grayish cottony patches on their skin or gills, this is probably a fungus caused by decaying matter in the tank. If you haven’t cleaned your tank in a while and there is lots of food and fish waste on the bottom this may be the cause. Easily cured if caught in time, you can buy a remedy for this at the local store or online – and of course you should clean out your tank!
The Tropical Fish Disease could also show up with fish that have fin rot. This is another problem that can happen because of poor water quality. It can be treated with a medicine made for this problem. You may want to consider isolating any fish that have rotted fins to keep the disease from spreading.
If your fish have cloudy skin or you see them scraping themselves along the bottom, it’s quite possible they have flukes – a parasite that attacks the skin and gills. This disease can be hard to control, so you must treat the tank at the first sign of outbreak.
Fish need oxygen and if it looks like they are 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 medicating your tank for Tropical Fish Disease, always be sure to follow the directions on the medication and use the proper medication for the problem. Good water quality through diligent aquarium maintenance can help to keep your fish healthy and ward off tropical fish disease.