If you are afraid that one of your salt water fish species might be sick, one of the first things you should do is quarantine that fish to avoid risking infection to the rest of the group. But how do you tell if your salt water fish are sick? Well, there are a few tell-tale signs of sickness, which can also be helpful when looking at salt water fish for sale. All it takes is one sick fish, and the whole gang can easily get infected and possibly die.
One of the first signs of sickness in salt water fish species is white spots sprinkled on the fish, which is probably Ich (Ichthyophthirius). This is a common parasite in salt water fish caused by poor water quality or stressed out fish. It can be treated easily with medications, but you don't want to buy any salt water fish on sale that are already infected and you don't want to let it go untreated if it occurs in one of your fish.
Another sign of sickness among salt water fish species is grayish cottony patches on skin or gills, which is probably a fungus caused by decaying matter that could have been avoided by cleaning the tank more often. Salt water fish with rotting fins are often a sign of bacteria, which is also caused by poor water quality or stress. Of course, these salt water fish ailments can be treated by medications, but it's best to avoid the problems by keeping a clean and calm fish environment.
If you ever see salt water fish for sale that are scraping themselves against the bottom, or that have cloudy skin, they should surely be avoided. These are symptoms of Flukes, which are a parasite that attacks skin and gills caused by poor water quality. Medications can save the salt water fish, but only if applied at the first sign of itching. A final sign of sickness, which is definitely caused by user error, is when the fish are gasping for air. This is caused by overcrowding.
