Spirulina based foods causing black spots?

[cambrew]

I have done a bit of research and have found that spirulina may be the cause but was wondering if anyone else has this problem? All my fish have a staple diet of Hikari bio gold with treats on the side of massivore, bloodworm, mealworms and crickets.

 

[I C Mud]

I had the same issue with my yellow tail acei when I fed spirulina flakes. Takes the spots forever to go away, but they eventually do.

 

[CANAMONSTER]

Man he is a beauty!!!!!!! I never heard of black spots but I am no expert. Where exactly is your fish getting enough spirulina to affect it? You growing it from spores?
Cause there sure ain't any good amount in Hikari Lol.

 

[cambrew]

Spirulina is the 5th ingredient on the ingredients list for Hikari cichlid bio gold so must have a bit in their wouldn't it? Is there anything else which could be causing this? also all of its siblings had exactly the same issue but never any other fish in the tank only the carpintis.

 

[duanes]

80% of the diet I feed my fish is a spirulina based pellet, I believe spirulina as the 1st ingredient on its list (HBH Super Soft Spirulina pellet).
I have never seen those spots, and been using it as food for over 10 years.

 

[cambrew]

What else do you think it could be then?

 

[RD.]

I first read about spirulina causing black spots over 15 years ago - and this hobbyist based theory has never been proven to be true.

Pigment changes in the cells of a fish can be caused by numerous factors, hard to say exactly what caused it in your carpintis but it doesn't appear to be diet related.

 

[cambrew]

It seems perfectly healthy and has great color and growth rate. So there is nothing I can do and nothing to worry about do you think?

 

[RD.]

I wouldn't worry about it, unless you see it spreading among tank mates, or increasing in numbers. Then you might want to consider this. http://www.fish-disease.net/diseases/black_spot.php

Not much you can do about that, either, other than keep the fish as stress free as possible, and the tank snail free.

 

[duanes]

I was thinking along the same lines as RD, if there are snails in the tank, this could be the cause. The flukes that parasitize the snails are not dangerous to the fish (albeit aesthetically unappealing), and can only complete the life cycle, and proliferate when the fish is eaten by a bird. Without completion, they remain on the fish in a sort of suspended limbo.