white spots on orandas head

Question
QUESTION: hi, my oranda has white spots growing on its head. i found it in two or three places. could you help me with diagnosing this  please and finding the right treatment..i would be most grateful..thnx

ANSWER: Hello Sudhir:  The white spots could be any number of disease or conditions.  I would treat him with a fungal medication and see if that helps.  Could be ICH, fungus, a wound, etc.  I think at this point the fungal medication is the best option unless something else develops that is more specific.  dave

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QUESTION: thnx dave..ill try that..btw if you could help me with a few things i would be grateful..
1) is it necessary to buy a test kit for treating the water?
2)do i need plants in my aquarium and do u think that would help keeping the water quality stable? i have so many times tried keeping my goldfishes till full size bt they ended up with some disease and died. i have a preference for orandas and lionheads.. what kind of food do i need to give them so that they grow well, i mean the head and their tail etc.. for the time being i give only pellets and flakes..is there any food specific for lionheads? thank u for replying so promptly to my previous msg... sudhir.

Answer
Hi Sudhir:  It is not necessary to buy a test kit for your tank because most aquariums will test your water for free.  They are however, very convenient to have at home especially for smaller tanks.  

2) It is not necessary to keep live plant with your fish.  Goldfish do however like to eat a plant called anachoris and you can supply that on occasion as a treat.  Fish like to have a variety in their diets.  I feed mine a high quality flake food and then treat them with either brine shrimp (frozen or live) or blood worms as well as the occasional algae wafer.  Most of the flake foods today are very well balanced but fish like treats.  I am sure there are specific foods for lionheads and oranda depending on what your goal is.  Some foods have growth hormones or color enhansment hormones but what you should consider is that a varied diet will do the same thing and promote a healthier fish.  dave