Sick Blackmore

Question
Hi,
My Blackmore is in a 20 litre tank on his own. He resently has started flicking on the stones and has a small white spot. We have changed the water and now treating with 'Melafix' antibacterial remedy. He is now quite still on the bottom of the tank but does eat, then goes back to being still agian. We ahve had the ph checked and its slightly high. Should we continue changing the water?

Answer
Hi Jane,

A white spot is not a sign of a bacterial infection. It's most likely Ich, or another kind of parasite. Scratching is the fish's natural instinct to be rid of them, but it does not help.

Does the spot(s) look like a grain of salt?

If it looks like a grain of salt, the disease is Ich, a parasitical/protozoan disease, which can be treated with an anti-parasitical medication such as Jungle Lab's Ich Clear, or Quick cure.

If he does not recover or gets worse in 3 days, I'd treat with a different type of medication, like the ones mentioned above. Before you put in a different medication, change 30% of the water.

Just a quick note: You will need a larger tank for your Black moor. Like all goldfish, Black Moors will grow to about 10 inches or larger. They need at least a 20 gallon tank. A smaller tank may make them stressed, and more prone to disease.

See this link for disease diagnosis:
http://www.fishlore.com/Disease.htm

Good Luck, and I hope your fish recovers!