![\"What](\"https:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/What-Is-Ich-and-What-Does-It-Look-Like_.jpg\")
Ich is one of the most pervasive diseases in aquarium maintenance<\/span><\/a>, but lucky for novice fishkeepers, it can be easily identified even by people who aren\u2019t familiar with tropical fish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Here are some of the other symptoms you can expect to run into with an Ich outbreak:<\/b><\/p>\n
- \n
- Gasping behavior or quick breathing<\/span><\/li>\n
- \u201cFlashing\u201d \u2013 quickly scraping the sides of the body against rocks, aquarium d\u00e9cor, or the substrate on the tank\u2019s bottom<\/span><\/li>\n
- Hiding<\/span><\/li>\n
- Lack of appetite<\/span><\/li>\n
- Lethargy<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The worst part about Ich is that it is highly contagious<\/b>, so if you have a fish that has visible symptoms of ich, the rest of your fish have been exposed and are at significant risk for coming down with the disease as well. The biggest problem with ich is that the lesions it causes leave fish very vulnerable to secondary infections, especially if the tank\u2019s water conditions are dirty.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Once one fish has Ich, the whole tank must be treated for it if the sick fish was in a community tank<\/b>. This is one of the reasons it is emphasized that fish should remain in quarantine for at least two weeks before being added to an established tank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Ich Is Caused by Overcrowded Environments<\/b><\/h3>\n
Ich is present in most aquariums, but it is especially prevalent in the water systems of people who hold large amounts of fish together in tanks at once in overcrowded conditions, such as wholesale breeders or retail stores that sell aquarium fish.<\/span><\/p>\n
With the large numbers of fish crammed into small areas and the stress that is induced in the fish by that kind of unnatural environment, <\/span>Ich is primed to jump to a weakened fish and then spread through the tank through close contact.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Chances are at some point or another you\u2019ve had Ich in your tank, but under most circumstances, fish are healthy enough to fight off the infection. However, once a fish develops physical symptoms of the disease, it becomes highly contagious and can jump to healthier fish, weakening the entire tank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Ich is common enough to be considered a nuisance by most fish keepers, and <\/span>it is the most deadly fish disease encountered by a majority of people who keep fish<\/b>. Therefore, it\u2019s crucial to be able to identify the causes of Ich and prevent it before it becomes a problem. Once Ich has broken out in a tank, it can be much more difficult to eradicate than preventing the conditions that cause it in the first place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-to-Prevent-Ich-Outbreaks.jpg\")
