| One of the things that you would encounter when | | | | everyday is crucial in this kind of disease. Make |
| it comes to tropical fish keeping is knowing how | | | | use of a gravel washer and do a 50% water |
| to deal with diseases. One of the most common | | | | change. This will remove a large number of |
| diseases among tropical fish is ich. Ich is actually | | | | trophozoites and tomites from the fish tank. |
| short for Ichthyophthirius that belongs to the | | | | Tropical fish keeping and dealing with ich is fairly |
| ciliated protozoan group. It is present in the | | | | easy. Stick with the basics and make sure you |
| aquarium all the time in small numbers but when a | | | | target the root cause of the disease to cure your |
| fish suffers from too much stress from sudden | | | | fish completely. |
| changes in it's environment, it's resistance | | | | If your fish has inflamed gills and it is gasping for |
| decreases and it becomes more susceptible in | | | | air at the surface, most probably, it is affected |
| developing a disease. | | | | with ammonia stress or poisoning. The truth is, |
| Ich also occurs usually after the introduction of a | | | | this disease can be easily prevented but if you're |
| new fish to an established aquarium. Ich will be | | | | pretty much new to this hobby, your tropical fish |
| free-swimming until it sticks to the fish's skin and | | | | keeping skills may not be well-developed yet and |
| then it forms a cyst, it will feed on the fish's | | | | you have to read and learn more. Do not add |
| bodily fluids. How will you know that your fish is | | | | expensive and less hardy tropical fish and the |
| infected with ich? Look for small white spots that | | | | aquarium had fully cycled. You also have to make |
| are showing mainly on the fins and body. It kinda' | | | | sure that your aquarium is not too crowded. |
| looks like the fish is sprinkled with salt all over. | | | | Perform frequent water changes to bring down |
| If you don't like using harsh chemicals or any sort | | | | the ammonia level. Another disease that you can |
| of medications, you can treat ich naturally by | | | | prevent by keeping the water clean is fish fungus. |
| bringing the water temperature up to 85-88 | | | | These are cotton-like growths on the body that |
| degrees. Ich don't like warm water so warm | | | | appear whitish or grayish. A medication like Jungle |
| water will help kill them. You also have to increase | | | | Labs Binox Crystal is enough to treat fungus |
| aeration by adding air stones. Changing the water | | | | problems. |