# "Black Ich/Black Spot"



## dancexonxwater (Jan 10, 2009)

My sunburst platy has small black dots in and around his mouth ONLY. He hides a lot (but to be honest, he's always hid a lot it's not that unusual for him). What does make me uneasy is that he tends to flinch a lot recently, which he never used to do. I got him last december. What I have at home right now it "Prevent*Ich" it's for "ich, fungus, protozoans, and dinoflagellates." Will that help with the black spots? Or is there a better medication out there? Is there another issue, other than temperature and the water change that could have caused this change in my fish?

It's a 10 gallon freshwater tank that has been set up for about 8 months. There are three adult platies, one baby platy. One of my adult platys died this past sunday from Fin Clamp. There are no live plants. Water temperature used to be 73, but i'm slowly raising it to 78 today (that's what the fish store told me was probably the issue). I feed them flakes. pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all normal. I did a complete water change on sunday after my fish died from fin clamp (i know, i know..not hte greatest move, but i wanted to get rid of the antibiotic that i put in, my mom put in the wrong one =x)


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## Kudomeya (Dec 5, 2009)

I hope this helps:

1) In fact the first one isn't a goldfish illness at all, it is the *sign of healing* from injury caused by ammonia, rough handling, low pH, skin flakes or fish ick and can appear on the skin or fins.

It is important to note that the black spots will not appear until the problem is removed and the skin begins to heal. This type of black spot usually disappears within 7 days.

The second type of black spot is a *parasitic **fish illness*. Pond fish and those living in aquariums with snails are more at risk. Small black or brown spots about 2mm in diameter appear anywhere on the goldfish, including the mouth. They contain the larvae of parasitic flukes. Consult a pet shop or vet on the best anti-parasitic medicine for this goldfish illness if it becomes a problem.

Even after the tank and fish are free from the parasite, this type of black spot can remain on the goldfish as a scar.


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