I got fish!

[Pareeeee]

Originally Posted by Corey209

I've never seen anyone use meds before and we kept fish for over 10 years with the majority dying of old age and we had at least 60 fish. What kind of sicknesses do they get and how do you tell?

You've had a very unusual experience with fish then. I've been member on fish chats and forums for years, and even veteran fishkeepers and breeders have disease outbreaks from time to time. Back in the day, I was often the one people would ask for disease advice, and it helped me learn a lot about treatments, causes, etc.
Larger tanks usually see fewer problems, smaller tanks are more difficult to maintain. Other variables apply, age of fish, fish species (fish like rainbowfish are very hardy, others, like discus, are prone to health issues if not properly maintained), number of fish, type of filtration, tap-water quality, pH, and so on. It's smart to always have meds on hand. After buying new fish is when sickness most commonly occurs. If at all possible, a person should have a quarantine tank for new and sick fish. I've treated worms, ich (easy to eradicate), bacterial infections, etc. The most common maladies are ich and tuberculosis. Tuberculosis, unfortunately, is almost impossible to cure, and very contagious (even transmissible to humans), therefore the fish in question should be destroyed.

I try to have these on hand: aquarium salt (multiple uses), parasite medication, Maracyn-Two (for bacterial infections), malachite green solution (for ich or velvet), Melafix and Pimafix. Read the instructions carefully, some meds kill catfish and crustaceans.

If your tank is well-cycled, you should not have many problems, except when introducing new fish. I've also found that live plants help a lot, for several reasons.

How big was your tank? If it was large, that could have been one of the reasons your fish were disease-free. For a person like me, with a relatively small tank (33 gallon) it takes a bit more effort, especially with tap-water which is not ideal... I also overstock a little, so it would be irresponsible for me to overstock and not have meds on hand.

Edit: I've learned over the years that adding a small amount of salt to the aquarium after each water-change helps a great deal in preventing disease. When fish are stressed they lose their slime-coat, which makes them vulnerable to disease. Salt aids in the production of this slime coat. (I put one teaspoon in my 33 gallon after each water change)