black dots on yellow tang

13 posts • Page 1 of 2

Discuss all topics related to saltwater / reef tanks.


jeff
 
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:16 pm

black dots on yellow tang

by jeff

hey everyone. Its been a while since my last post. Can anyone tell what the black dots on my yellow tang coud be. Everything in my 55 gal seems to be going great and I feed it flakes.pellets and dark greens (spinich).
Can anyone help


puffedupseagull
 
Posts: 623
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:38 am

by puffedupseagull

at a guess, the white spots are common ahole white spot, or ich ick. and the black spots are black spot, mainly common on tangs, but a lot easier and less debilitating then whitespot. pics would be helpful to determine exactly.


jeff
 
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:16 pm

by jeff

i will try to get a pic. These dots are exstremly small. At some times i have a lot of debrie blowing around the tank. I'm wondering if some got stuck to him


saltwaterpimp
 
Posts: 1307
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:22 am

by saltwaterpimp

they are brown spots, and they are a bacteria/parisite, is this tang new to the tank ? I would do like you said feed him a veriaty, they will go away..


jeff
 
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:16 pm

by jeff

yes the tang is new by 2 weeks. Does anyone know anything about a freshwater dip. if so ,how long is a dip. Could the black dots get to other fish. can a cleaner wrasese help it


saltwaterpimp
 
Posts: 1307
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:22 am

by saltwaterpimp

google search and make sure its not velvet..i turn up nothing , sorry.. but all my new tangs get the small brown spots, then they go away. You could try to feed with garlic also..


jeff
 
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:16 pm

by jeff

I did some reaserch and everything leads to flat worm parasite. They also recomend a freshwater dip for about 3 to4 mins. Any comments on that pimp


saltwaterpimp
 
Posts: 1307
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:22 am

by saltwaterpimp

i have never seen flatworms on fish, and i have flatworms.. ? do these spots move or grow also how big are they ?


jeff
 
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:16 pm

by jeff

smaller than a grain of sand. Today there seems to be less but yes they are in different spots. He is acting normal and eating very well. His digestive system is working a little to well(lol) I typed in on yahoo(black dots on yellow tang ) and I hit many websites that helped


puffedupseagull
 
Posts: 623
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:38 am

by puffedupseagull

It is something to worry about, sorry to say.

Yellow Tangs are notorious for getting what is known as "Black Ich." Black Ich isn't caused by a single organism, but any number from a group of flat worms that burrow into the skin of the fish. You can't see the organism on the fish.

The black dots you see are actually a skin reaction called hypermelanisation to the worms' affect.

These worms fall off the fish and complete their cycle in the aquarium, hatching more eggs to find more hosts. Although Yellow Tangs seem to be the most prone, many different kinds of fishes can get it (and carry it into your tank).

This is one of the organisms that can, in small numbers, be gotten rid of by doing a freshwater dip on newly acquired fishes, then holding them in quarantine, so that such worms don't make it into your display tank. It's one of the reasons I recommend a freshwater dip on all newly acquired marine fish, followed by quarantine:
Freshwater Dip for Marine Fishes

Although there are two primary treatments (multiple freshwater dips and multiple formalin dips) I recommend using formalin when you are at the stage you see.

It is best to 'punch' those worms out with a tough treatment. The fish will be fine through this.

Move the fish to a hospital tank. This is important so that the fish will be easy to catch. What you have to do is multiple dips in formalin. For the formalin dip procedure, read and follow this advice:
http://www.marineaquariumadvice.com/...nd_or_foe.html

The longer you leave that fish in the tank, the more worms you'll be letting reproduce. I'd suggest moving quickly on the removal of the fish.

black dots on yellow tang

13 posts • Page 1 of 2

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