Even pet fish can fall sick, folks.
At one time or another, your pet fish may become sick – even your dear Angelfish, who you thought could simply reel in some divine intervention. The fact that fish are so little and delicate can easily make you feel like you’re swimming with sharks. But don’t worry – there are actually a number of ways you can treat your ailing aquarium fish so he’ll be his old bubbly self, in no time.
While most of the treatments out there are based upon a specific ailment, it’s a gilly good idea to buy another aquarium you can use as a ‘quarantine tank’. Another tank also comes in handy when you’re adding new fish to the one you already have. By separating the sick Spotted Groupers from the get-up-and-go Guppies, you can actually speed up the healing process, while reducing the risk of spreading the illness to the other aquarium fish. (Hey, I don’t want to catch that, man.)
Fish illnesses can be caused by a variety of different things, the most common being fungus, bacteria and parasites. But you don’t have to let these buggers off the hook – all of the treatments are readily available at pet fish stores. Gloop, gloop!
Read on for a list of fishy conditions, and what you can do about them.
| Disease / Problem | Symptoms | Treatment |
| Ammonia poisoning | Red or inflamed gills. Fish are gasping for air at the surface. New tank set-up or a tank with too many fish. |
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| White spot or ick (or ich) | Small white spots showing, looks like your fish has salt sprinkled all over it. |
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| Fin rot | Rotting fins, loss of appetite, bullying from other fish. Most often, it is due to poor water quality. |
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| Fish fungus | Cotton-like growths on the body that may appear white or grey in colour. |
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