my black moor, comet

Question
my black moor, comet, has little white spots all over him. what should i do? please please help!!!!

Answer
Hi Molly,

Your Black Moor and comet Goldfish are suffering from Ich. It is important that you take action immediately. Ich is a protozoan parasite, and is characterized by small, salt-grain sized white spots (Looks like your fish is sprinkled with salt). It is probably one of the most common aquarium fish diseases.

Buy a medication from your local fish store that treats Ich (Ick). Brands and products include Ick Clear/Ick Guard (by Jungle Labs), Quick Cure, and various other products.

After you buy the medication, change 30% of the tank's water, and remove any carbon from the filter in your tank. Add the medication according to the instructions. it is also useful to raise the temperature (with a heater, if you have one). A temperature of 73F would be good (no more, as Goldfish cannot stand higher temps). The temperature speeds up the Ich life cycle so that the medication can kill it quicker, and also activates the immune system of the fish. If you are going to raise the temperature, make sure you add an extra airstone because higher temperatures result in less oxygen. If you medicate properly, the fish should recover within 1-2 weeks.

Good Luck, and I hope your fish recovers!