New Pumpkinseed has black spots

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Burbotman

Burbotman

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2006
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Canada
If anyone has experiance with this please share....
I just aquired a beatifull little pumkinseed, currently his in the 5 gal qt tank.
Problem is he has several "black spot" cysts on him. The lake he came from often has fish that appearred peppered by black spots.
I have looked on the web and found lots of references on this being a worm like parisite that encrusts itself on the fish.
Problem is there is no remedy listed.

Figuring it was like Ick, I have been treating with various ick treatments with no success. I will not integrate him in the main tank until this is cleared.

Anyone have ideas???
Thanks
 
I believe the lack of info on fish keeping sites is do to the fact that this is more of a "wild" parasite than an aquarium trade one.
 
salt.

never had the problem so i dont know the exact remedy. but id add 2TBS of salt per 5gal. and do water change every other day. keep the salt level up. most likely the parasite wont be able to stand it, but the pumpkin seed will easily handle it. you could even up the dose 1tbs ifyou feel comfortable. but if you do, keep and eye on him for about 4-6hrs after, if he starts actin funny, change the water and go back to less salt.
 
so after doin a quick google search on this. they're a parasite, but need birds and snails to complete their life cycle. if there are none, they die and dont reproduce.

id still add a bit of salt just for the fish. but dont worry about it, they'll die and be gone in a few weeks.
 
As far as i am aware the blackspot parasite is a type of fluke, and so an anti external parasite med like Parasite Clear by Junglewill get rid of the parasites (it will kill the flukes within 3 treatments, i used the med with success myself), and will be less stressful on the fish than salt. For other anti-parasitic med options, see;

http://www.fishforums.net/lofiversion/index.php/t123440.html

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.
 
I don't treat fish with black-spot.

It's not directly contagious (as others have already mentioned) and no real worries other than it can be unsightly.

I have to admit that I usually don't take fish with black-spot since it's a bit ugly but if I really want the fish, I never worry about the little spots.
 
Several of my natives, specifically sunfish, have had this when we first got them.

On all of them it has disappeared eventually and I've never treated for anything, so I wouldn't worry about it unless it gets extremely bad. Watch him and it may clear up on its own.
 
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