by Jaimela King

Created on: October 28, 2008   Last Updated: March 15, 2010

The first time I noticed unexplained white spots on my fish, I was very alarmed. They have always been fairly healthy and resilient so I naturally feared the worse. It had only been a week after I had enthusiastically ventured into the idyllic world of the novice aquarist and now, this scourge on my helpless pets. What had I done wrong? Many years and dozens of varieties of fish later, in diverse locales, I became very familiar with that thing called ICK or ICH.

Ichthyophthirius is the scientific name for what is commonly called ICK or ICH. It describes a disease that is by no means rare among freshwater fish and is identified by small white spots that progress in size and coverage if untreated. Even though the disease is fairly simple to cure once identified, doing nothing can be lethal to the fish.

ICK is quite contagious and operates in three stages. The parasite develops on the skin in the form of a cyst, the cyst falls to the bottom of the aquarium and divides into pear shaped zoospores, which invade the tank in search of victims. At this stage, these spores are now highly contagious as they seek out other fish as hosts.

The disease can be accompanied by another symptom called the Shimmies. Fish with this condition remain in one spot shaking, with the dorsal fin pointed down. This can usually be corrected by increasing the water temperature. Prevention is perhaps the key to ensure that your freshwater fish do not contract ICK. If ICK is contracted, there are several treatments on the market that can successfully deal with this disease.

Causes of ICK

One cause of ICK could be stress related. Believe it or not, fish do get stressed and this can be brought on by the addition of new fish, the removal of fish, or transferring from pond to aquarium and visa versa. Another cause of ICK is a high build up of ammonia or nitrates. This can place undue trauma to the fish . If your water is cloudy or dirty, it presents the ideal environment for ICK to spread.

Prevention

Prevention primarily entails maintaining a clean aquarium, changing and adding water regularly and maintaining the temperature at the optimal level for your fish. You can help to keep your tank healthy by always keeping aquarium salt on hand and adding some occasionally to the tank. If you choose to use table salt, ensure that it is non-iodized since iodine can cause harm to your fish. Yes, even in a freshwater tank, salt has wonderful healing properties.

Treatment

If you notice some fish with symptoms

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