Ick Symptoms

Ick is a parasite that is always present in one's tank and fish. There are three life cycles of Ick: The trophont phase is when one is physically able to see the white spots on fish. These white spots drop off during the tomont phase, then hatch in the theront phase, releasing the offspring, which are called theronts, to find a new host.

  1. Causes

    • Fish always have Ick present and when they are healthy they are able to control the amount of the parasite in their habitat. Changes in the fish's environment such as the introduction of a new fish, changing aquariums, changes in temperature, or Ph, can cause the fish to become stressed and the parasite will be able to infiltrate the fish's skin beginning the trophont phase. With each egg that drops off, up to a thousand theronts hatch to begin this process again, worsening with each life cycle.

    Symptoms

    • Ick is commonly referred to as white spot disease because that is one of the most easily spotted symptoms of Ick. Though once the parasite moves into the second stage of life you are unable to see the white spots which have fallen off, but will return if the parasite goes through a full life cycle. However, the fish will usually display some changes in behavior such as floating listlessly on the bottom, and scraping along objects to ease their irritation.

    Prevention

    • Fish owners can take measures to prevent Ick from becoming a nuisance. When, introducing any new plant or fish to the environment always check for any indication of Ick and allow for a quarantine period before placing in aquarium. Adding aquarium salt to the environment could help but precaution should be used, never pour the salt in the water, it is best to dissolve it first.

    Treatment

    • The treatment of Ick is fairly easy but may take some time because the only period of time that Ick is susceptible to medication is during the theront phase. To speed up the life cycle, one can gradually raise the temperature of the aquarium. To treat the problem there many off the shelf products that contain chelated copper sulfate that can be poured directly into the water, or the use of aquarium salt may also work as a treatment. It is advised that the water conditions are watched during this period, to assure the treatment is working.

    Warning

    • When not diagnosed right away the probability of death is much higher. When a fish is diagnosed with Ick it should always be treated with an antibiotic also. Ick damages the immune system, and even if the environment is properly treated for Ick, the fish may die due to another bacteria picked up while the fish's immune system was down.