Ick

Ick is a disease that causes your fish to get small, grain-like spots on their body. Ick is
also known as White Spot Disease or Ich. The fish may try to rub itself against the décor
or the hard surfaces in the aquarium, giving an impression of scratching an itch. In
freshwater, this disease is caused by protozoa named Ichthyophthirius Multifilis and is
very contagious. The parasite spends a part of its life within the skin of the fish, where
they form the white spots. These are the cysts. Once the cysts mature they fall down to
the substrate and give rise to thousands of new free-swimming parasites that are free to
prey upon other fish. An outbreak of Ick is very difficult to control if not noticed in the
earlier stages. Since the parasite is released into the aquarium, the entire aquarium has to
be treated. One of the effective ways to treat it is by adding salt to the water. The salt
should be added gradually, slowly building upto5-8 tsp per gallon / 4L. Different fish
have different tolerance level for salt. In the case of more sensitive fish, it is better to
keep the level at 5 tsp. per gallon / 4L. Using medications based on Malachite green and
formalin is also a way to control this parasite, but Malachite Green may be harmful to
scaleless fish.Killing the parasite can be done only when the cysts have fallen down and the parasites
are released into the water. Increasing the water temperature speeds up the life cycle of
the protozoa. Keep in mind that increased water temperature may deplete the oxygen in
the aquarium.