| As soon as you introduce the fish to your tank, you | | | | The first symptom of fin rot is when the fin starts |
| should be vigilant straight away to prevent any | | | | to turn frayed or seem as if it is decaying. |
| sicknesses. You will likely be admiring your new | | | | Occasionally, you may find small holes in the fins |
| aquarium; however, you should make sure that your | | | | beginning to form. Moreover, the base of the fin will |
| fish are not facing any problems. If you are | | | | commonly become red and this will very much |
| maintaining an aquarium of tropical fish at your home, | | | | irritating the fish. The most effective way to aid the |
| you must know how to taking care of tropical fish. | | | | fin-rot-affected fish is to improve the quality of the |
| The knowledge of common diseases that attack | | | | aquarium water, or completely change the water if |
| tropical fish is essential for all aquarists. The tips given | | | | required. You should disinfect all the items and gravel |
| below about how to taking care of tropical fish would | | | | that are present in your aquarium. Some antibiotics |
| be very informative and useful to all the aquarium | | | | are also helpful in getting rid of fin rot. |
| caregivers. Obviously, many diseases such as bacterial | | | | The growth of some fish parasites in your aquarium |
| infections, dropsy, fin rot, loss of appetite, marine ich, | | | | causes marine ich. The commonest signs of marine |
| new tank syndrome, velvet disease, and whitespot | | | | ich are cloudy eyes, cysts developing on the surface |
| are easily affect the tropical aquarium fish. | | | | of the fish, pale-colored skin, and a loss of appetite. |
| Experts advise the aquarists to maintain a quarantine | | | | There is a copper-based solution available in pet store |
| tank. There are two important reasons to maintain a | | | | to prevent the fish from parasitic attack. Changing |
| quarantine tank: (1) to observe whether the newly | | | | the aquarium water and disinfecting the items in the |
| acquired fish have any diseases and (2) to isolate the | | | | aquarium will give better results. |
| diseased fish already present in your aquarium. | | | | The skin of the velvet-disease-infected fish will look |
| Bacterial infections (red inflamed areas) are quite | | | | like it has had some dark talcum powder dispersed |
| common in tropical fish. They spread rapidly to other | | | | over it. Actually, these spots are small parasites. The |
| fish in your aquarium and they are fatal particularly if | | | | scales are the target organ of this disease. The |
| left untreated. These infections infect the body of | | | | velvet-disease-affected fish will probably seem |
| the fish first and then spread rapidly to the fins and | | | | lethargic and will show less movement than they |
| other appendages, which leads to deterioration of | | | | usually do. You can also observe that the fish are |
| the extremities. The major cause of bacterial | | | | having breathing troubles. If you observe the fish |
| infections in the tropical fish is the poor water quality. | | | | rubbing against the objects in your aquarium, it |
| The best way to maintain good water quality is to | | | | means they have velvet disease. This disease |
| change water periodically and test a water sample | | | | spreads very rapidly. |
| with the veterinarian or the local pet shop. | | | | |