If you have invested considerable time and money into your fish aquarium, it can be distressing if your fish fall ill, noticeably suffering from an ailment. Fish tanks are closed environments, and water chemistry, water temperature, and other variables can fluctuate widely if you don’t take proper care to maintain healthy tank conditions. Be sure to closely observe your fish on a daily basis to ensure that they remain healthy.

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One common ailment that can affect any fish is gill inflammation, or branchiitis. You will notice that your fish’s gills are inflamed and swollen; you may also notice uncharacteristic white patches on the fish’s body, and a general listlessness in behavior. Gill inflammation is generally caused by lack of accessible oxygen in the water, which slowly asphyxiates your fish; the gills are being overworked and they thus become inflamed. Fish that are being asphyxiated in this way may be observed gasping for air at the surface of the water, or hovering near an air stone or filter outtake, where oxygen concentrations will be highest.

You can transfer fish with gill inflammation to a hospital tank, with the water level reduced to 6 inches, and aerate the tank thoroughly. Feed your fish small quantities of live food. The condition should clear up after ten days.

Then take a look at oxygen transfer in your main tank. Be sure that your tank water is being agitated sufficiently, especially at the surface; it is here that oxygen transfer takes place. The simplest solution is to place an air stone inside your tank; this works as a pump, sending bubbles to the water surface and breaking water tension. However, some tank owners don’t like the “artificial” appearance of an air stone. Many kinds of filters naturally break the water surface by reintroducing filtered water back into your tank. If this is insufficient, you should place one or more powerheads inside your tank. These small machines create water currents inside your tank, helping circulate oxygenated water throughout the tank. For many different reasons, powerheads or some other means of creating underwater currents are a necessary component of any aquarium.

If this doesn’t seem to help, your water temperature may be too high. At higher temperatures, it is more difficult for gasses to dissolve in water; at any particular temperature, there is a maximum concentration of dissolved oxygen that your tank water can hold. Increasing gas exchange and water circulation does not help if your tank water is already saturated with oxygen. So try lowering the temperature.

Gill inflammation can also be caused by water toxicity, namely nitrite poisoning. You will notice the gills turn a brown or tan color; your fish will be listless and may hover near the water surface, or near water outlets. Nitrites occur in your tank water naturally, as part of the biological filtration process. If your biological filter is working properly, your tank will contain colonies of beneficial bacteria; these bacteria convert ammonia, excreted by fish through the gills as a waste product, into nitrites. These nitrites themselves are toxic to fish, and must be further converted to nitrates by additional bacterial colonies; nitrates are harmless to your fish.

Nitrite poisoning most often occurs in newly established tanks; in new tanks, bacterial colonies may not yet be fully established, leaving fish exposed to toxicity in the meantime. In many cases, the fish’s blood may turn brown from increased levels of methemoglobin, a variety of hemoglobin that is incapable of carrying oxygen. Increased levels of methemoglobin eventually will lead to liver damage and further damage to the gills and blood cells.

To treat nitrite poisoning, change the water in your tank. In a marine tank, you can also increase salinity, preferably with chlorine salt, by adding an additional half an ounce per gallon of water, to prevent build-up of methemoglobin. And increase the aeration of your tank to provide ample oxygen saturation. Monitor your water chemistry carefully, and don’t add any new fish until ammonia and nitrite levels are back to zero. Above all, ensure that your biological filtration system is working properly.

Also, feed your fish sparingly, and remove any uneaten food from your tank after five minutes. Be vigilant in removing dead plants and other debris, as these can increase water toxicity.

If you monitor your tank’s chemistry and other variables on a regular basis, hopefully you can restore your tank environment back to normal in short time, and watch your fish return to good health.