ICK! Disease infiltrates aquarium

As often happens among newly established aquariums, an outbreak of ick has turned our community aquarium into a hospice for ailing fish. Among the most critically injured is Toby the catfish, who at this hour is resting comfortably in the Quarantine Zone. His hospital room is filled with enough medication to treat the entire aquarium.

Such a radical treatment is really the only hope for Toby, who has already lost his whiskers to the dread infestation. Ick are tiny white parasites. They most commonly occur among fish who are under stress, such as fish that have recently moved to a new environment. Our aquarium was pre-treated with an ick preventative, but such measures are obviously far from fool-proof.

"I'm deeply concerned," said one fish-watcher who prefers to remain anonymous. "Toby is near death, and all of our fish have been exposed. We could lose everyone over this. They could all be dead tomorrow."