black dots on clown

[roverT]

Hi A friend of mine has 1/16" black dots all over her clownfish. I recently donated a LTA to her and the clowns were playing in it. My question is could the LTA be stinging the clown or what else could it be? Oh yeah the dots are on no other fish except the big clown and is now a couple on the little clown, both clowns are new.

[MitchM]

Sounds like black ich.

Mitch

[Delphinus]

1/16" though? That sounds gargantuanly large for black ick? I thought black ick looked like a light dusting of fine pepper grounds?

If it is the same thing I'm thinking of, a freshwater dip works quite well since it's an external parasite. I had a yellow tang get this, several several years ago, shortly after I purchased him. I made up some FW, matched the temp to that of the tank, and he sat in there for maybe 4 minutes. The spots literally fell right off when I put him back in the tank and they never re-appeared.

But I don't know if I'm thinking of the right thing. It's not the normal ick, a FW dip doesn't cure that one. :neutral:

Sorry can't be better assistance. I would have thought "black ick" from the get-go but it's the size of the dots that's thrown me off...

[Chad]

I made up some FW, matched the temp to that of the tank, and he sat in there for maybe 4 minutes. The spots literally fell right off when I put him back in the tank and they never re-appeared.


Do you not have to match the PH as well?

[Delphinus]

Some say you should, but I did not... I used water straight from the tap.

[apepper]

It does sound a bit like Black Ich, "Black Spot Disease appears on the fins and body of fish as tiny black dots, less than the size of a pinhead". It is caused by a parasitic worm of the genus Paravortex. According to the article "Black Spot Disease" (see attached link) it has a similar life cycle as Cryptocaryon irritans (saltwater ich) and the treatments are similar as well.


http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/compldiagnodisease/a/aa041701.htm

[roverT]

Hi, it does not look like black ick (not like pepper) at all, the spots are much bigger (slightly larger than the lead of a pencil) LFS said that the LTA was stinging the clown but I really don't believe that. But as I said it is on the two clowns but no other fish.

[apepper]

There are several threads on Reef Central that describe large black spots on clownfish. It seems that this can be caused by a skin irritation from an zoanthids, anemone or possibly other corals as you suspected.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=67167

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=179513

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=42345

[roverT]

Thanx apepper that is exactly what it looks like, funny I've never heard of clowns being "stung" by an LTA

[Delphinus]

I had an ocellaris that did that. At the time, nobody was able to tell me what it was. Not having read the text of those three links I don't know what people are saying, but in my case I am fairly certain it was NOT a case of the fish being suddenly stung by the anemone.

In my case though ... it could, however, have had something to do with the fact that it was a male turning into a female. One day the spots disappeared, basically. Took a few months but they did eventually just disappear. Also eventually my two clowns became a mated pair. With the "ex spotted" one being the egglayer (thus female). But previously she had been the "he" in a different clownfish pairing.

So I don't know if it had anything to do with that. Maybe. I can't be certain.

[MitchM]

I can say for certain that I would have black spots all over me if I tried to turn into a female...

Mitch :confused: