Parrott Cichlid in Freshwater Tank

Question
My 2 year old has a red spot on the side of her head.It doesn't appear to be raised.Treated with "ich" and partial water change.Whats up?

Answer
Hi Darlene. First of all you should never treat a fish for a parasite or disease it does not have. Ich medication can be very stressful on your fish and what you are seeing is clearly not ich due to the fact that ich looks like small grains of salt sprinkled all over the fins and skin of the fish. Ich is also a parasite. What you are seeing is most likely either an injury or some kind or a bacterial infection. In either case you may want to either wait and see if the fish's immune system takes over and it clears up on its own or treat with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Make sure you follow the treatment instructions exactly as the manufacturer advises. Stopping a course of any antibiotics before the recommended amount of time may lead to the bacteria building a resistance to the medication thus making it less effective. Make sure your water quality is in check and also make sure it is not being bullied or picked on by any other members of your tank.  If the fish is still acting normal and eating good you may to use an antibacterial fish food instead of treating the whole tank. You can find either of these at any of your local fish stores.