Tropical fish enthusiasts often have massive tanks in their house filled with beautiful fish. But when one of these beautiful marine creatures gets sick, and can be frightening. It's hard to diagnose and treat a fish, and if the disease is contagious you may lose all of your animals. Veterinarians do not normally deal with tropical fish, since it is difficult to diagnose and save delicate creatures. Still, some vets have done research on diseases that your fish can contract, and have made a list of ways that you can save your fish. Normally, fresh water or some special water drops will keep your fish from meeting his or her fate. Also, there is a common disease that almost every fish enthusiast will encounter at one point: Ichtyophthirius multifilis. This is also known as white spot disease, or "ich," for short.
If your fish has small white bumps on its body, then it may have ich. Ich medications can normally get rid of the problem, but you should also transfer your aquatic friend to a new tank as soon as possible. If your fish shares a home with others, you will want to treat all of the marine animals in that tank, since ich can spread. It may also be wise to quarantine the fish with the disease until it is treated. Consult a tropical fish expert or a veterinarian about this choice, since moving the fish could lead to further stress and push the fish into a fatal state of shock. Change the water in the quarantine tank every day to keep the parasite from returning. Also, to rid the tank of ich, heat the water to 86 degrees. You will need to do this gradually, because a normal fish tank rests at 60 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Some fish species are better at recovering from the heated water than others, so pay attention to how your tropical friends are responding as you try to heighten the temperature.
After the tank is heated, add salt. This won't have any effect on the parasite, but it can help your fish's gill functions and aid the fish's osmotic function to replace electrolytes that were lost during stress. Make sure to use the specific dosage instructed on the aquarium salt box, and do not add this element if you have scaleless marine life (eels, catfish, etc.) in your tank. Next, remove all the charcoal filters in the tank, and replace them with new ones. Sterilize everything that came in contact with the tank, to make sure that there are no parasites hidden on the objects. For example, tank decorations, nets, and all filters should be run under hot water. Remove and replace any plants in your tank.
After all of these preliminary steps, you can add some whitespot/ich treatment to the tank. Follow the directions on the medication closely. You will probably need to add medication to the tank daily, but make sure not to overdose. The spots should disappear by four days after the last treatment. If they do not, then you should try to repeat the process and see if it works. This commercial medication is available at many pet stores or tropical fish vendors. Make sure to treat both the tank that your fish was in formerly and the container that he or she is in now.
Once your fish is fully cured and all the white spots are gone, you can probably put it back in with its friends if it was isolated. Continue using the medication until 6 days after your fish are all acting normal again. Ich parasites have a short lifecycle and reproduce quickly, so if you don't continue the medication, a new batch of parasites may invade your fish within the next few days. Scrutinize your fish when they are recovering from their parasites, and make sure to take the actions above if you see any more of those little white spots. To help prevent ich, feed your fish a vitamin enriched diet.