How to Tell If Your Fish Are Sick

One of the things us Aquarists always worry about is the health of our fish. With a dog or a cat you can quickly tell if they are sick, but with a fish it is more difficult. But how can you tell if your fish are sick?

Diseases

There are many different types of fish diseases that your fish can develop. The diseases can come from bacterial, fungal or parasitic diseases.

Your fish can even develop illnesses from physical ailments, too. These usually develop from the poor quality of their environment requiring them to gasp for air Aggressive tank mates can cause illnesses by nipping fins of other fish.

Spotting Sick Fish

If your fish develops a sickness you want to treat them right away to prevent them from getting sicker and even dying. There are many remedies in your local pet store that will cure your fish if they are sick if you spot if quickly.

There are a few ways you can quickly identify if your fish are sick.

First if you are an Aquarist, you need to know the fish in your aquarium. You should know their personalities and their habits to be able to quickly identify sickness. By knowing this, you will be able to understand when your fish are telling you they are sick.

If your fish is sick, their whole routine will change because they know there is something wrong with them. A sick fish will stop eating and even lose weight. If your fish has vibrant colors and becomes sick or even stressed, their colors will become dull.

Some diseases will cause your fish to not swim as rapidly as they did before, some of your fish may even swim near the surface and upside down. Yet other diseases, such as Flukes, will cause your fish to swim rapidly.

Another sign that your fish is sick is if you notice it rubbing against the substrate or other objects in your aquarium. This is common for fish that contract a parasite such as Ick.

You may notice other things wrong with your sick fish, such as their fins rotting away or a change in color. You may even notice spots of a variety colors on your sick fish.