Even if you perform maintenance and inspect your fish regularly, situations can still arise in your aquarium which demand your immediate attention. To safeguard your aquatic life, you need to test your water parameters often and look daily for the warning signs of trouble. Because illness or the trauma of injury can worsen rapidly, it's best to have the right medications on hand to deal with the situation immediately.

Warning signs

Trouble can begin in your fish, or in the water in which they live.

Symptoms and behaviors to watch for in your fish:

Symptoms

• Color loss
• Unusual markings or growths
• Wounds
• Holes
• Missing scales
• Black or white spots
• Cottony growth

• Rapid breathing
• Irregular movements
• Failure to eat
• Continual scraping against objects

• Poor expansion in corals and invertebrates
• Poor growth or death of plants
• Cloudy water
• Water with a strong smell
• Increased algae growth

 It is usually best to treat sick or injured fish in isolation. A hospital aquarium (think of it as an ER for your fish) is a dedicated smaller aquarium used to quarantine new fish before acclimating them to the main display, as well as to medicate ill fish. A small aquarium ranging in size from 5 gallons up to 15, is an excellent option. Your hospital aquarium should be equipped with a heater, thermometer, air stone and a hang on back filter and some form of shelter for reducing stress. Also its temperature and water parameters should be kept nearly identical to the display aquarium.

If any of the fish in your primary aquarium show signs of disease, it is important to transfer and acclimate them to your hospital aquarium. When fish are sick or injured, there is no time to waste. Having a first aid kit stocked with a broad range of treatments on hand will help save valuable time in combating the illness or healing the injury. Cuppermine, HydroPlex, MelaFix, PrimaFix, Prazio-Pro are all great products for a hospital tank or quarantine tank.

First aid kits

Based on the most common and often serious occurrences in freshwater and marine aquariums, we recommend first aid kits be stocked with the following:

Freshwater Medications

• Freshwater Aquarium Salt stress reducer to reduce electrolyte loss and promote healthy gill function. Though not a true medication, the therapeutic qualities and ability to ward off parasites make it a necessity.
• An anti-bacterial to treat infections such as red ulcers, fin and tail rot, cloudy eyes, mouth fungus and others. This medication will also help heal and promote tissue regeneration around open wounds, ulcers, abrasions, and damaged fins.
• An internal parasite control. Jungle's Medicated Fish Foods, for example, can be substituted for your regular food for a number of days to cleanse your fish of internal parasites.
• An external parasite control for ich and other infections. Kich Ich is reef safe and is one of the top products sold.
• Vitamins to ensure your fish have the proper nutrition for good health.
• A combination stress reducer/de-chlorinator to neutralize chlorine and heavy metals in freshwater aquariums. This product will help restore the natural slime coating of your fish to relieve stress, and to calm and protect against abrasions.

• An anti-bacterial to treat infections such as red ulcers, fin and tail rot, cloudy eyes, mouth fungus and others. This medication will also help heal and promote tissue regeneration around open wounds, ulcers, abrasions, and damaged fins.
• An external parasite control: Rx-P Marine, for example, includes natural plant extracts and pepper to rid saltwater parasites without copper or carcinogenic dyes. MelaFix is also a great product.
• Vitamins for optimum health. They also promote fin regeneration and help prevent lateral line disease. EcoSystems has a great product.
• A combination stress reducer/dechlorinator to neutralize chlorine and heavy metals and restores the natural slime coat of fish. In addition to relieving stress and protecting against abrasions, it can be used when acclimatizing fish to new surroundings, or when preparing tap water, making water changes, adding new fish, handling fish, transporting fish, or when fish are wounded.
• A good supply of your standard marine salt.