by Amanda Haynes

Created on: April 01, 2008   Last Updated: April 10, 2010

No one wants something to go wrong in their tank. In fact every aquarist spends time and money trying to make sure nothing goes wrong. But sometime things do go wrong, sometime fish get sick. One of the most common aliments is ich. So what is it, and how do you know if your fish have it? Why do fish even get infected with ich, how do you prevent it, and how do you treat it?

Saltwater ich, pronounced "ick" also called white spot disease is actually a parasite called Cryptocaryon. This is one of the most common diseases that effects marine fish in a captive environment (LiveAquaria). So how do you know when your fish is infected?

"General signs of a parasite infestation include:
1) Visible spots or threads, usually whitish, that make the fish appear as if it has been salted or covered with powdered sugar.
2) Rapid or heavy breathing. Some parasites will attack the gills before any can be seen on the fins or body, and the fish may die from suffocation.
3) Scratching. If a fish constantly rubs against object in the tank and looks like it is trying to dislodge something, it may have parasites." (Fenner 159)

Ich will appear on a fish as white spots that, like stated above, resemble grains salt which will reach the size of .3 - .5 mm (Paletta 135).

To better understand what this parasite is and how it needs to be treated in order to effectively get rid of it you need to understand the life cycle of the Cryptocaryon parasite.

"These parasites embed themselves in the fish's skin and gills, causing great irritation. The parasites feed and grow for a few days, then drop off the fish in preparation for reproducing. They lie on the tank bottom in an encysted state for several days or weeks and mature. Each cyst then ruptures, releasing dozens to hundreds of new parasites to begin the cycle once again. In nature or in very [un-crowded] aquariums, very few or these parasites are successful in finding a host, and their population is kept in check. In a more typical aquarium situation, however, the number of parasites multiplies tenfold or more with each cycle, and the fish are soon overcome." (Kostich)

The Cryptocaryon parasite infects fish because it is always around. Ich is to fish as the cold is to humans. It is "commonly found in nature, and we can safely assume that many normal, healthy fish are carrying a few of these parasites when they are collected" (Kostich). When fish are around low levels of ich they are able to fight it off. However when put under stressful situations

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