Marine Fish Diseases

Saltwater fish and freshwater fish are both susceptible to several diseases when kept in a tank.



There are many marine fish diseases which can cause your pet fish to get extremely sick. In worst cases, a marine fish disease may prove fatal. Proper marine fish care needs to be taken in order to make sure that the fish remain healthy. Marine fish diseases are considerably different from those of the freshwater fishes.



This is because the genetic build up of marine fishes is very different from that of fresh water fishes. Some of the most commonly occurring fish diseases in salt water aquariums are discussed below, along with possible treatment options.

• Marine Velvet: Marine velvet is a common disease caused by a parasite only found in salt water. This parasite typically attaches itself to the gills of a fish, and by doing this, infects the entire skin of the fish.
  
  
  
  It is difficult to see the changes in the fish’s skin without looking very closely. You can switch of the lights of the aquarium and the room and then using a powerful flashlight look at the gills of the fish. If the gills and the sides of the fish appear velvet or have a golden glimmer in them it is because of the parasite. The treatment includes medicated solutions that have to be poured into the fish tank. The medicated solutions can get rid of the parasite from the tank.
• Marine White Spot: Also commonly known as Ich, marine white spot is a disease that is caused due to a protozoa strain. The salt water parasite cryptocaryon can keep attacking the fish until their immunity becomes low. Once the fish get infected with these protozoa, they become extremely sluggish and white spots begin to appear on the skin of the fish. These white spots are very visible and can be easily identified on the fish while they are swimming.
  
• Clownfish Disease: This disease is caused to a salt water parasite that can cause the fish to become extremely slow and sluggish. The fish can be seen throwing out food from its mouth. The parasite colonizes the gills of the fish, causing breathing problems. The skin also begins to appear faded. If the skin has lost its color and sheen, this means that the disease has spread very fast through the entire body of the fish and that it is in the advanced stage.
  
• Uronema Marinum: This is a marine fish disease caused by a salt water parasite of the same name. This parasite begins to grow in the water if there is a large amount of organic matter and if the water quality is poor. It needs large amounts of nitrate and phosphate to grow. The disease causes lesions on the skin of the fish. The fish can be seen gasping for air and may scrub itself against rough surfaces in the aquarium.