Black Spot?

[rrdrummer5]

Hey everyone two of my bala's are showing signs of Black Spot but im not sure as I dont have any experience with this disease.

If your familiar with a bala sharks coloring youll notice the black spots on the inner tail fin and the couple just below the dorsal. I know its a bad picture sorry.

Im pretty sure its black spot but i just wanted to make sure. If it is how do i treat it? Would Melafix work? Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

Black Spot
Small black or brown spots up to 2mm in size on the body or fins caused by a worm. It affects coldwater fish including Carp, Goldfish and Tench

 

[WILDER]

Uvulifer ambloplitis (Black spot disease)



A. Digenetic fluke; metacercaria infect fish.



B. Herons and kingfishers are the definitive host, snails are the first intermediate host. Fish are the second intermediate host.



C. Clinically the fish have numerous black to brown spots up to 1 mm (dia) over the skin, gills and eyes. The spots contain a metacercaria surrounded by heavily pigmented fibrous connective tissue.

 

[WILDER]

These are two real nasties which should be treated as soon as possible. Argulus is up to 10 mm across and is often overlooked because at a glance it appears to be just a small black mark. However, if your fish are 'examined' regularly these lice should be easily spotted and if watched for a few moments these black' spots will be seen to move. If Argulus is suspected, a close examination in a shallow bowl will quickly settle any doubts. The first sign of Lernaea is what appears to be fleshy pieces of cotton, up to 20 mm long, attached to the skin or fins of the fish. Closer examination shows the body of the anchor worm, with its head buried into the flesh of the fish, with a trailing body and two egg sacs at its tail end.

 

[rrdrummer5]

ok thanks but how do i treat it? i have a whole bottle of melafix, would that work?

 

[WILDER]

Coppersafe
Manufacturer: Mardel
Chelated copper treatment recommended for the treatment of ick, flukes, anchor worms, velvet, protozoan diseases and other external parasites.

 

[WILDER]

Clout
Manufacturer: Aquarium Products
A very strong and effective medication for parasitic and protozoan infestations. Treats: Ich, Hydra, leeches, Planaria, Epistylis, Trichodina, Hexamita,Tetrahy-mena, body fungus, digenetic flukes, parasitic copepods, monogenetic flukes and anchor worms.

 

[rrdrummer5]

got this off aquarium pharmiceuticals website

Black Spot

Caused by: larval stages of digenetic fluke parasites, such as Clinostomum, Posthodiplostomum, and Diplostomum.

Symptoms: small black cysts appear on the skin – they contain the larval parasite.

Occurrences: This disease occurs in newly imported fish and occasionally in pond fish. The parasite is most often transmitted to fish by larvae leaving an infected aquatic snail.

Treatment/Control: treatment is rarely necessary, and in most cases, low-level infestations of black spot will disappear over time.

What do ya think?

 

[WILDER]

You could give it a try with not medicating, see how it goes, good luck.

 

[rrdrummer5]

anyone else have any experience with black spot? thanks