Scientific Name: Ichthyophthiriasis Cryptocaryon irritans Common Names: Ich or Ick White Spot

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in freshwater tanks and Cryptocaryon irritans in marine systems. Both are small ciliate protozoans, which maybe accompanied by other skin and gill parasites.

Small white pimples/bumps/cysts on the fins, body and/or gills Clamped fins The fish will try to scratch itself on any surface inside the tank as if itching Infected fish may stay away from other fish as they feel weak or exhausted Fish may also hover/hang near the surface or other warm areas of your tank Problems breathing Increased gill movements loss of appetite Excessive slime Respiratory distress Breathing hard

Ich appears as small white bumps on your fish's body and/or fins resembling grains of sand. Unless you have all white fish, Ich is easy to spot. It is one of the most common and widespread diseases in home aquariums. Many say that Ich is caused by rapid water temperature fluctuations, rapid changes in water conditions, adding new fish or poor water quality. The fact is these events can all cause stress in the fish, which in turn weakens the fish's immune system making the fish more susceptible to the disease. Ich is often dormant in the tank unnoticed until a fish comes under enough stress to be affected by the disease. If caught in time the disease can be easily cured. If not it can become lethal. The protozoans that cause Ich have a three phase life cycle. It is this life cycle that makes Ich so contagious. Adult/Mature Phase - Mature parasites are embedded in the skin or gills of the fish, causing irritation and the appearance of small white bumps. As the parasite grows it feeds on the red blood cells and skin cells of the fish. After a few days it bores itself out of the fish and falls to the bottom of the aquarium. This leaves a lesion on the fish which also makes it vulnerable to secondary bacterial infections. Cyst phase - After the adult parasite falls to the bottom of the aquarium, it forms a gelatinous capsule around itself or cyst which allows rapid cell division to occur. This produces hundreds of young parasites or 'swarmers'. Free swimming phase - after the cyst phase, about 1000 free swimming young swim upwards looking for a host. If a host is not found within a short time, the parasite dies. Once a host is found the whole cycle starts over. The time taken for the life cycle to turn full circle varies with the water temperature, being a lot faster in tropical than in temperate conditions. In Ichthyophthirius, the complete cycle can take about 3-4 days at 21°C(70°F). At lower temperatures (10°C/50°F) this period can extend out to at least 5 weeks. At even lower temperatures the parasite can lie dormant for some time. Cryptocaryon is more dependent on high temperatures and rarely causes problems below 20°C (68°F).

Treatment