Fishes, contrary to popular belief, have a longer life span than most people would believe. It is the oversight of owners that cause a high percentage of fish loss. Conducive habitats are important to fishes well-being and stability in numbers.

Maintaining a low incidence of common fish diseases would increase their rates of survival. One common fish disease is ICH. It is a fish disease where the infected fish gets white spots all over its body. When a fish is sick it is important to check for those white spots of the size and shape of the grains of salt over its skin. Such a affliction is caused by Ichthyophthirius in tanks containing freshwater and Cryptocaryon antigens in the saltwater tanks.

Sometimes in addition to the body of the fish, the ICH may attack even the eyes and interiors of the mouth and even gills. If the fish exhibit behaviors and symptoms such as gasping for air near the surface of the aquarium or rubbing against objects, it may be due to ICH. Loss of appetite is another symptom associated with the above mentioned ones. Fishes have low chances of combating ICH on their own. Copper sulfur medication needs to be administered in order that they can be cured. Antibiotic medication should be provided after the parasites are gone, in order to prevent them from recurring.

Another common parasite is Velvet which shows symptoms similar to ICH but with tinier and dusty spots on the fish's body. Sometimes the spots may be gray or gold in color. The spots will be tinier and so they are more difficult to spot and attention should be paid to this aspect. As with ICH, the fishes infested with Velvet also rubs against objects and gasps for air near the surface of the tank and shows difficulty in breathing if the gills are affected.

Copper medication treatment is recommended for Velvet as with ICH by most of the veterinarians. A fungal infection may also develop quite commonly in fishes which appear in gray or white color over the body of the fish. This will be sighted in the fins or the mouths of the fish.

Another reason for such a disease is when fishes are are harmed by other fishes. Open wounds are highly prone to fungal infections. An appropriate medication for fungal diseases can be availed from a nearby pet shop or from an online pet supplier.

Fishes are prone to bacterial infection as well. If you notice orange or red spot on the scales of the fishes, they are most probably bacterial infection. Dropsy is one of the most common bacterial infections. If the fish looks distended or has scales that bulge out, it is a sign that the infection is attacking the insides of the fish and it is. The fish exhibits loss of appetite and is lethargic. Medications such as penicillin, naladixic acid and tetracycline are most commonly used to cure bacterial infections.

Proper prevention measures can save your fishes from getting prone to diseases and the hassles in treating them. The best way to provide a healthy environment for the fishes is to keep the aquarium clean. You should check for aggressive fishes that attack weak fishes and try to keep them separate. The size of the fish tank, fish types and quality of the water should be checked constantly too.

Dear in mind that the fishes can still fall prey to infections and afflictions at some juncture despite your best efforts. When that happens, it is vital that you seek or give treatment as soon as possible to avoid the disease getting transmitted to other fishes.

Moses Wright is a an experience aquarium fish owner. He created this web site to help fellow fish owners with their aquarium fish care issues and other pet problems.