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Ich is a prevalent disease in fish that requires immediate medical treatment. So, how can you cure your goldfish ich? Let us discuss this below: Ich is a disease caused by an external parasite that leads to white spots in your goldfish body and gills. You can provide chemical and salt water treatment to treat ich in your fish. Consider isolating new plants and fish for at least three weeks to prevent ich in your goldfish. Let us dive into the article to know how to cure ich in your goldfish. In addition, we will also discuss how to prevent ich in your goldfish. What is ich? Ich is one of the most common parasites found in your goldfish aquarium. It is a disease that leaves white spots in your fish's body caused by the ciliated protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Ich has three stages of the life cycle. A parasitic trophont A reproductive tomont An infective theront A parasitic trophont develops in your fish's host body and damages the tissues of your fish, eventually leading to significant health issues in your goldfish. The host fish provides food to the parasitic trophont required for their growth and development. Once the parasitic trophont develops, it detaches from the host fish body and gets attached to the tank's side and bottom. The developed trophont then creates a cyst wall to become a reproductive trophont. Every tomont then gets divided from one cell to another, and by this way, a single cyst wall produces approx one thousand infective theront. Once the infective theront gets created, it leaves the cyst and flows in the water to cause damage to your goldfish. As they locate your fish, they start feeding on the tissues of your goldfish and become trophont. Then, they feed on their host tissue until they get fully developed. How can you discover ich in your goldfish? Goldfish show various signs that can help you discover ich in your fish. Some of the signs indicated by your goldfish are as follows:| It means ich in your fish if you find small white spots in your goldfish body. Goldfish gulping for air also indicates ich in your fish. If you discover your goldfish rubbing themselves with aquarium rocks or other objects in the aquarium, it indicates ich in your fish. If you discover your goldfish overdriving, their gills as they try to breathe indicate ich in your fish. It is because ich makes your goldfish distressed, making it harder for them to get enough oxygen in the tank. A sudden flashing behavior of your goldfish indicates ich in your goldfish. These were some signs of white spot disease in your goldfish. What are the causes of ich? There are many causes behind ich in your goldfish. Some of them are as follows: Adding a new batch of goldfish without quarantining them in a separate tank for at least ten days can lead to ich in your goldfish. We want you to know that separating the new goldfish in an independent tank will help detect if they suffer from parasites. Quarantining the new batch of fish in a separate tank is essential as the parasites are not visible in the early stage. Once you discover that the fish are not suffering from parasites, you can shift them to your goldfish tank. Any infected decor items in your goldfish tank can lead to white spot disease in your goldfish. Therefore, washing the things properly before adding them to your tank will be advisable. Adding infected water to your goldfish tank can lead to a white spot disease in your goldfish. These were some causes of white spot diseases in your goldfish. How to treat ich in your goldfish? Before starting the treatment, you must be sure about the disease, as people often get mistaken for identifying the white spot disease. Other than ich, many other health issues can lead to a white spot in your goldfish that requires a different treatment. Therefore, it would be advisable to consult your marine vet for proper medication and speedy recovery of your goldfish. Always maintain adequate water temperature as it helps eliminate the parasite from the system. You should place your goldfish in a separate tank if they suffer from ich and run the treatment per the vet's recommendation. You can treat ich in your goldfish by running the following treatment. Chemical Treatment Salt and water treatment Chemical treatment You should perform chemical treatment when the infective theront and the reproductive tomont are in the water instead of your goldfish body. We want you to know that there are varieties of anti ich chemical available in the market that contains a combination of malachite green and formaldehyde or malachite green and copper sulfate. Always place your infected goldfish in a separate tank to avoid treating a healthy fish. We will advise you to visit your marine vet to know the proper dose of anti ich chemical required to treat your goldfish. Chemical treatment is not easy for your goldfish with a parasite in its gills and body. We recommend using the API super ick cure as it will help treat your betta from ich disease. You can buy this product at amazon: API super ich cure. Overdose of anti ich chemicals can lead to severe health issues for your goldfish. So, always consult a vet before such treatment. Salt and Water treatment You can eliminate your goldfish ich within seven days by adding one tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water in your goldfish tank. We recommend using the API freshwater aquarium salt to help your betta fish recover quickly. You can buy this product at amazon: API FRESHWATER AQUARIUM SALT. You can cure ich in your goldfish by changing your tank's water or temperature. We want you to know that the lifespan of parasitic trophonts decreases as the water temperature of your goldfish tank increases. Increase the water temperature of your goldfish tank to 80°F and then bring it back to the average temperature once the problem of ich is solved. Always do this treatment after consulting your marine vet, as sometimes increasing the temperature at once can lead to stress in your goldfish and several other health issues if not performed correctly. So, always do such treatment under your marine vet's guidance. How to prevent goldfish from ich? Here are the ways to prevent ich in your goldfish. Always quarantine the new batch of fish in a separate tank before adding them directly to your goldfish tank. It would be best to quarantine all the aquatic plants for two weeks before adding them to your goldfish tank. Separating the plants will help eliminate the parasite as they will not find any host to feed. Provide a healthy diet to your goldfish. Always ensure regular water changes as it helps to keep the water clean. Maintaining adequate water temperature in your goldfish tank helps prevent ich in your goldfish. These are some ways to prevent ich in your goldfish. Conclusion: Ich is the white spot disease in your goldfish body caused by the ciliated protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Goldfish show many signs like overdriving their gills that help to detect ich in your goldfish. Chemical treatment and salt and water treatment help cure ich in your goldfish. You can prevent ich in goldfish by separating the new batch of fish for at least ten days before adding them to your goldfish tank. It would be advisable to wash all decor items properly before adding them to your goldfish tank. Reference: NCBI

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