black spots on loaches

Question
Hi..I don't know if you can help me or not as this is a bit of an odd one!..I have a 4ft tank 30gal with a variety of fish with two fillers, undergravel and fuval 4+, 2 bucket water change every week, running for two years. I have a clown loach and 2 yoyo loaches. My clown loach and 1 of the yoyos have what looks like black mould on their heads. It is much larger then pin head size. The yoyo has one spot of it on the top of his head and is over his markings and doesn't appear to be under his skin but slightly raised. The clown loach has several spots of it around his mouth and nose area and they do look like they are under the skin, he also has 4 other spots of it on his middle body area. It does not seem to be bothering them..just bothering me. Any ideas would be appeciated.
Thank you
Fiona

Answer
Hello,

Ah, you are right! This is an unusual problem. But I think I can try and shed some light on this situation!

My first thought was tumours, but that would only affect one fish. So we have ruled out one problem!

A second thing that it could be is ulcerations. This may also come with the symptoms of reddended fins, frayed fins, no more eating and listlessness. It may not have any other symtoms though. If you do see any of these additional symptoms, then this may be your culprit!

Now, just in case this is not ulcers, I wanted to get a second opinion. So I checked the best fish book I have ever owned! It is called 'A Practical Guide to Keeping Healthy Fish in a Stable Enivornment' by Lance Jepson, if you are interested in a good read and great resource! It diagnosed black spots as trematodes (flatworms). It did say however, that this only affects wild caught fish. Since we don't know the history of your fish prior to the pet store, we can not be sure if they are wild caught or bred in captivity. If this is the problem though, then it shouldn't be a bother to your fish.

In either case you should treat with an antibacterial. The anti bacterial should clear up the ulcers or prevent infection/discomfort if it is flatworms. I always recommend Melafix, because it is natural and works well.

I hope this helps! If neither of these solutions work for you, feel free to contact me again!

Good-luck,
From Stephanie