BASIC HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS (cont)
If fish are procured from reliable vendors, parasites and diseases are not generally a major problem. Some common diseases of fish are caused by Icthyophthirius sp. ("Ick") - a protozoan, Mycobacterium sp. - a bacterium and Saproligniaceae - a group of fungi. These diseases are usually related to poor water quality.
"Ick" manifests itself as white spots on the cutaneous surface and on the gill. Ick has a characteristic large C shaped macronucleus observed in some host infected cells. Fungal spores can be seen on a prepared slide and diagnosed by the type of hyphal elements.
Slide showing "Ick" infected cell