Steps To Overcoming Aquarium Problems
conditions eventually lead to bacterial infections that may appear to be due to external organisms. You must not overlook the initial cause of the problem. Even if you medicate for the bacterial infection, if you do not determine that the environmental conditions were the initial cause, it will happen again. I guess my main point here is to try and assess what the most logical cause of the problem is. This will allow you to move on to the next step - making a plan for cure.
Now let's assume that you have decided the most probable cause of the problems in your aquarium. I will start with poor aquarium environmental conditions. Since poor nutrition has similar symptoms as poor environmental conditions, I will group these two together in this discussion. Typically bacterial infections are the first indication that there are poor environmental/nutrition conditions in the aquarium. This is due to the stress that these subject fish to, making them more susceptible to infection. In this case, the water should be tested to determine the salinity (if saltwater), pH, temperature, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels to confirm the water quality. The levels should be evaluated so that you know what, in particular, is the cause of poor water quality. If nutrition is the problem, it is best to consult a local fish store representative to see how you can supplement the current diet that you are giving to your aquarium inhabitants. It is a good idea to determine the extent of infiltration of the bacterial infection into the aquarium. At this point you should make a visit to the local fish store and inquire about the proper treatment for the infection. Depending on the number of effected inhabitants, you may need to use a separate treatment tank for the infected fish. Luckily, if caught early, such problems may be easily fixed, and water/nutritional problems are rather simply to avoid in the future. Remember, early treatment is a major help.
Probably more devastating, and common, are external organism infiltration into your aquarium. Most commonly this is in the form of parasites that lead to what is known as "white spot" or ick. The truth is that often fish you purchase in the fish store are infected with such organisms. If you are unlucky enough to have a case of ick in your aquarium, your best bet is to act quickly. This
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