Disease management in fish is difficult for an aquarium owner. Despite the advice given from your favorite pet stores, most diseases cannot be diagnosed simply by looking at the animal. It certainly doesn't work for any other animal or for humans, so why should it work for fish? True disease diagnosis will require a veterinarian and some diagnostic tests. A good diagnosis is needed to come up with the best treatment.

Because of the low cost of fish compared to the high cost of a visit to the veterinarian, and the expertise in fish medicine is rare to none among veterinarians, this leaves you with the pet store, or consulting a reference guide trying to diagnose your fish's problem by sight.

Listed below and following pages are some of the most common ailments:

Ammonia Poisoning:
Common in all new aquariums, especially when immediately stocked to full capacity. The level of ammonia should be zero, although trace amounts are generally harmless, but they can still lead to problems over period of time. Understanding the nitrogen cycle is essential for the keeping of any aquatic life. In essence, try to maintain your aquarium with no traceable ammonia present. The amount of ammonia present is usually accompanied by a rise in pH. As ammonia is a strong base, it is stabilized by alkaline water. It can cause damage to the gills at a level as small as 0.25 mg/l.