Cure Ich

Ich sometimes also referred to as "White spot" is arguably the most common disease that tropical fish are subject to, and is believed to be responsible for causing more fatalities than any other disease. Most if not all aquarists will encounter ich at least once or twice during the course of their career/hobby.

Ich is highly contagious and progresses very fast. 100% mortality is to be expected unless something is done about it.

Prevention is obviously the best cure:

* Make sure you only ever buy healthy fish from a reputable, clean breeder
* Inspect the tank from which your fish originate: does it look to be in clean condition? Are the plants healthy and flourishing? Is the gravel clean of sediment and dust? Is the water warm and well-conditioned?
* Check the fish, too not just the ones you are buying, but all the fish in the tank. Watch out for ones that are hiding (under rocks and behind ornaments) since this is a classic symptom of an infected fish. Make sure none are displaying those tell-tale white spots
* Thoroughly clean any gravel or ornaments you purchase before placing them in the tank, to make sure any cysts are dislodged
* Quarantine new plants and fish for one week before adding them to your tank
* Never overstock your tank, since it will stress the fish (which is a major contributor to outbreaks of Ich, as well as dictating in part the severity of the outbreak)
* Check your fish regularly for white spots. The earlier you detect it, the less impact the disease will have on your tank.

If you've already got an outbreak in your own tank, relax it may be a serious illness, but at least its easy to cure!

The most common, and user-friendly, method of curing condition is through the use of aquarium salts.

Parasites are less tolerant of salt than fish, so adding extra salt kills off all the Ich organisms with no adverse effects to the fish themselves. Make sure you follow the instructions on the package (aquarium salts should always come with clear instructions), and make sure before using it that you don't have any salt-intolerant fish in the tank like Neons, Cardinals, Glow-Lights, or scale-less Catfish, which are easily burned by salt.

Recommended Reading

For a complete source of information on all the problems that tropical fish are subject to, take a look at Katy's Tropical Fish A Complete Guide. You'll learn how to keep your fish happy, healthy, and beautiful, how to keep your aquarium to professional standards, how to troubleshoot health problems as soon as they occur, and learn valuable insider tips and tricks for keeping your aquarium looking spectacular.

To check out Katy's Tropical Fish, just click on the link below:
Katy's Tropical Fish