The best prevention against parasites is to keep your fish healthy in a stress-free environment. Healthy fish rarely get sick even if exposed to infected fish unknowingly introduced into the aquarium. Proper aquarium setup and water parameters, routine maintenance, quality nutrition, and minimizing aggression among inhabitants are easy ways to improve fish health and reduce infection.
Common aquarium parasites
Despite our best efforts, most aquarists will need to deal with parasitic infection. The most common parasite in both fresh and saltwater aquariums is "Ich" or white spot disease. Other common fish parasites include anchor worms, black spot, costia, gill flukes, hexamita, fish lice, and velvet. All can pose a serious threat to the health of your fish. Because of their size, the presence of parasites is often diagnosed initially through abnormal fish behavior. Once the parasites are well established, physical damage can be observed on the infected fish.
Parasite Symptoms and Treatments
If you observe the behaviors described below, you may need to take corrective action*:
| Disease |
Signs |
Recommended Treatment* |
Anchor Worm
 |
Whitish red worm-like threads approximately 1/4" in length, found anywhere on the body, fish may scratch on fixed objects |
Treat with Clout or other anti-parasitic medication; or treat aquarium with
PimaFix to quickly clear external and internal parasites from tropical fish |
Black Spot
 |
Black spots about 2 mm in diameter, found anywhere on the body |
Remove all snails; Use
CopperSafe |
Costia
 |
Grayish-white film or excess mucous over entire body; reddening under the mouth and pectoral area; scratching on fixed objects; listlessness |
Use
Malachite Green or
CopperSafe, treat all fish and aquarium |
Gill Flukes
 |
Gills become covered with parasites, red and inflamed; fish may gasp for air at surface; listlessness |
Use
Clout, or
ParaGuard |
Freshwater: Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)
Marine: Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans)
 |
Labored breathing; dwelling near the surface, filters, or aeration devices; white spots; scratching on fixed objects |
Freshwater and Scaleless: Use
Rid-Ich+ or
Ich-Attack
Marine**: Use
Cupramine as recommended. Use
Garlic Xtreme as a preventive. |
Hexamita (Hole-in-the-Head)
 |
Small holes may appear over the entire body, but most frequently on the head; mucous string from lesions; loss of appetite; faded color |
Use
Parasite Guard or
Metro+ Hole-in-head/Lateral Line Treatment; also feed a high quality food and vitamins |
Fish Lice
 |
Visible parasite attached to fish, approximately 3/16" long and semi-transparent |
Use
Cupramine |
Freshwater: Velvet
Marine: Amyloodinium ocellatum
 |
Loss of normal color, scratching against fixed objects, labored breathing, golden "velvety" growth on skin |
Freshwater: Use
Parasite Clear or
CopperSafe
Marine**: Use
Probiotic Marine Formula or
Cupramine |
|
*Please note: Activated carbon will remove all medications from the aquarium. When using medication, activated carbon must be removed from the filtration unit.
- Perform a 25% water change before and after treatment period.
- In addition to treatment, be sure to determine and correct aquarium conditions that contributed to fish stress and susceptibility to disease. |
**We recommend that treatment of marine fish be done in a separate quarantine aquarium.
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