How to Tell if Your Tropical Fish Is Sick

If your fish appears sick, examine the water quality, diet and social structure of fish in the aquarium. It helps to know what's normal in order to determine what's not.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Inspect your fish's scales for wounds, discoloration and growths. Missing scales could be a sign of fighting.

2. Observe the fish's respiratory rate - if it's slower or faster than normal, that could indicate problems.

3. Check the clarity of its eyes. There should be no blood or cloudiness.

4. Look for abnormal behavior, such as sluggishness or an unusual swimming pattern.

5. Consult a veterinarian.

Tips & Warnings

• Monitor the condition of your fish regularly.
• Bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections arise from poor water-quality control.

[Babylucks]

on 11/12/2008 One of my white mollies looked pretty sick this morning. It moved pretty slow and kept to the bottom of the tank. There were a few times I took it for a goner but it seemed to just kick back, move a short distance and settle down again. And it also gave out shudders a couple of times- it almost looked like it was sneezing. What does this mean? Will my fish have kicked the bucket when I get back home this evening?

[Richie53]

on 10/19/2008 What should i do if my angelfish has bloody eyes and swims iraticle

on 11/22/2005 I usually find that if my fish gets sick, it will just slow down until it eventually stops. If all your other fish are still normal, you know that the fish is sick. Try feeding your fish. If all the other fish race to the food and that one either has no interest and doesn't move, or stays fairly close to the bottom and moves slowly, it's not a good sign.