White spot on fish

The most common fish disease is white spot. It is caused by the ichthyophthirius parasite. As the resistance of the fish decreases, these parasites can develop on the skin of the fish. The parasites lodge on the mucous membrane of the fish, causing clearly visible white spots. The disease is sometimes confused with Oodinium. In this case, white spots also appear on the skin of the fish. Unlike the white spot, Oodinium is caused by the Oodinium pillularis parasite. It is much smaller than the ichthyophthirius parasite.

Treating and preventing white spot

The disease can be treated well with fast acting drugs against these parasites. It is wise to quarantine the sick fish outside the pond to prevent an infestation. Better, of course, is to prevent white spot disease. It is then important to feed the fish with a good quality food during the summer months. A feed in which all the important nutrients, vitamins and minerals are present in ample quantities. This ensures that the fish have sufficient resistance after the winter. Another cause can be poor water quality, or possibly too many fish in the pond. Guideline is 50 cm fish length per 1,000 liters of water. A good filter, equipped with activated carbon offers a solution because this carbon can purify all kinds of micro-fine dust particles from the water. It also filters out various pathogens.