It is rarely fatal and will usually clear up on its own if optimum water quality is maintained. There is no effective treatment for this disease. A short freshwater dip may help. Maintain optimum water quality and symptoms should improve with time. If a secondary bacterial infection should occur, move the animal to a hospital tank and treat with antibiotics.
Stress breaks down the protective mucous coating on a fish and allows the virus to gain a foothold.
Additionally, any new fishes should be given a short freshwater bath and kept in a quarantine tank for two to three weeks before being introduced into the main aquarium. This disease is usually associated with stress, sometimes brought on by poor water quality. This is not a very common disease and treatment is very difficult. The fungus is usually introduced into the tank when adding new animals. Treatment for this disease is difficult.