Fish care in an emergency or disaster more often fails because owners tend to be overcome with panic. Don't! Some of the common emergency fish situations are easy to diagnose and treat. If you find your fish swimming irregularly or gulping for air, try to get hold of yourself and follow some of the following quick steps in fish care in an emergency or disaster.

First, it's best to always have a first aid kit handy for fish care in an emergency or disaster. Contents of this kit often include pH, nitrate, and ammonia tests; declorinator, and non-iodized salt. I hope you don't - but if in the worst case you do find some dead fish, remove them immediately as they may contaminate your tank water and further harm the remaining fish. Observe the remaining fish for any abnormal behavior, as well as the water. Take note of obvious signs of disease, such as ulcers, ragged fins, peeling skin, or sunken eyes.

Do some quick tests in fish care in an emergency or disaster. Test the water for oxygen, ammonia, nitrates, and pH levels. Normal water levels should indicate zero ammonia and nitrate content, and pH ranging from 6.8 to 8.0.

Also, remove plants inside your tank, and do as much as a 50 percent water change. Don't forget to declorinate (if you are using tap water) and perform a salt treatment. Salt treatment should be done to promote the natural, protective slime later in fish, and help coat fish gills to facilitate easy breathing. Recommended dosage for salt treatment is usually 3 pounds of salt (mineral free, non-iodized) per 100 gallons of water.

If you're a relatively new fish keeper, you should be aware of the various diseases symptoms for effective fish care in an emergency or disaster. If your fish has ulcers, sores, or red mouth, then most probably, your pets have bacterial infection. Another sign of bacterial infection is when your fish's head is hanging. Antibiotic injections or food will alleviate the problem. If they have peeling skin, maybe there was a sudden change in pH, so it's best to adjust the pH accordingly and stabilize it. If they are gulping for air, then they probably either have parasite gill infestation of there is not aeration. In these situations, it's best to adjust your tank's aeration and check your fish's gills.

These are just some of the common methods for diagnosis and treatment of fish in cases of emergency, there are lots more out there. As a responsible fish keeper, you should so your homework. They may seem a little overwhelming at first, but with enough practice, fish care in an emergency or disaster won't be such a panicky situation.