Ick
| Common Names: | Ick Ich White Spot |
| Salinity: | Freshwater |
| Description: | Tiny white spots that resemble a grain of salt are seen on the fishes' body and fins. The severity of the infection can vary greatly - sometimes only one or two spots appear, while other times the fish may appear to be completely covered in spots. The white spots are actually wounds from the protozoan parasite burrowing into the skin. |
| Symptoms: | Spots Spots |
| Treatment: | Common medications containing copper, malachite green, or methylene blue are usually very effective. For scaleless, small-scaled, or sensitive fish (such as loaches, catfish, tetras, and Mormyrids), use the medication at half-strength to prevent harm to the fish. Most ich medications are toxic to (desired) invertebrates and plants, so it is recommended that these be removed prior to treatment of the tank. The treatments work by killing the parasite during the free-swimming stage in the parasite's life cycle. To speed up the life cycle of the parasite to kill it quicker, raise the temperature of the tank to about 85 degrees during the treatment period (except for very temperature-sensitive species). |
| Comments: | One of the most common fish diseases. It is also one of the easiest to treat. Fish are most susceptible to ich when they are stressed out by factors such as bullying from other tankmates, sudden changes in temperature or water chemistry, and being transported from one location to another. |
| Image Credit: | © FishProfiles.com |
| Submitted By: | weird22person |
| Contributors: | weird22person, Natalie |
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