Black Dot On Head? Hole In The Head?

[Ajwlive]

Hi There

I have done some researching and reading but didnt want to self diagnose my fish

One of my tetras has a black dot/lump on their head, between the eyes pretty much, looks like a kind of spot.

Could this be black hole in the head or something else?

Seems to be swimming ok but have not seen any eating disorders.

Thanks in advance Aj

 

[Mayu]

Hole-in-head disease usually hits fish like larger cichlids and saltwater fish. (most common in Oscars)

they also tend to look like holes in the head (see pic here Hole in the Head disease )

the skin is indented like it's sinking in... it's not a lump. and it's usually not just one spot. It's also pretty rare, even rarer in fish other than the above mentioned large Cichlid and saltwater types.

It could be Black spot, but again, there's usually more than one... and they do a lot of scratching against any surface they can find.

A picture and your water conditions would be very helpful. (Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia levels). If you have a master test kit... giving the water conditions would be helpful. Many illnesses can come from poor water conditions. (high nitrates/ammonias for example)

Double check and make sure there are no more spots on the body. How long have you had the fish, and how new is the spot? Did it appear overnight?

 

[loraxchick]

what kind of tetra is it? just a mis-colored scale perhaps?
do you know your ammonia reading-balck spots can me ammnia burns.
tetras tend to be pretty nippy-black spots can also be from nips.
hole in the head generally has a white stringy threadlike center comming out of the blakc spot.
bacterial infections can also be black spots.
do a waterchange and keep a close eye out for bullying, more spots change in texture, becoming skinny or bloated or refusing food.
try to take note of the fish's poo. any white stringy mucousy poo would point to internal parasites (which *may* cause hole in the head)
for now id say it most likley is something a little more readily seen.
im glad you are doing your research. i hope i have pointed you in a few directions for some follow up. you see the fish everyday and you will make the best diagnosis. dont ever medicate if you dont know what youre treating for. just keep track of the symptoms and collectively we can narrow it down.
a picture says a thousand words too. if you could get one up, maybe would be easier to say this or that.
all the best
cheers

 

[Ajwlive]

Hi all

Many thanks for all the responses your help is much appreciated!

Did some water tests:

Ph was around 7.5 to 8

Nitrate and Ammonia were very good it was around 0 to <0.3 which is great news...

Its a neon tetra, did see two kind of fighting yesterday but looked nothing serious, and the suffering black dot tetra hasnt lost his appetite at all?
No other fish are suffering either?

Any ideas?
Unfortunatley no pictures as they dont stay in good shot

 

[Ajwlive]

bump ^^^

 

[WILDER]

Does the neon red stripe area still look vibrant red.
Does the spot look like it's filled with fluid.
Any redness to the spot.
has the neon been kept with snails.
Any blackness on the body of the fish, or eyes.
Does the neon look skinny.
Is the spine bending.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing, or erratic behavour.
Does the neon swim in an odd manor.

 

[Ajwlive]

Does the neon red stripe area still look vibrant red.
Does the spot look like it's filled with fluid.
Any redness to the spot.
has the neon been kept with snails.
Any blackness on the body of the fish, or eyes.
Does the neon look skinny.
Is the spine bending.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing, or erratic behavour.
Does the neon swim in an odd manor.

Many thanks for helping wilder!

It doesnt have any redness, doesnt look like any sort of fluid inside but im sure there probably is if it was squeezed or something...
Two zebra snails have been added to the thank in the last week, and the spot has only arisen since then, im guessing this is the root cause?
no blackness anywhere and the spine seems ok, no erratic behaviour that I can tell of and doesnt swim badly

 

[WILDER]

it could be the snails then. You will have to issolate the snails.

Get you some info on black spot.

Black Spot



Symptoms:

Your fish will have small black spots measuring about 2 millimeters in diameter. These can be found anywhere on the fish�s body and fins. Cysts may be found in the internal organs. It is typical for African Cichlids, however, to constantly have little black spots, especially around their mouths. These black spots should not be mistaken for "Black Spot." These are scabs, which have resulted from digging in the gravel or from fighting.



Cause:

Larvae of parasitic digenetic flukes, Cercaria and Metacercaria. The spots seen contain larval stages of digenetic flukes. The life cycle of these parasitic flukes begins when fish-eating birds and other animals ingest fish infected with the parasites. Once ingested the parasites mature in the intestines of the host animal where they produce eggs. The eggs are then deposited into the water where they hatch and infect the livers of aquatic snails. The parasites then develop into a second and then third larval stage before leaving the snail to seek out a fish host. This type of parasitic infestation is most common in wild caught fish and pond fish.



Treatment:

Remove all snails from the aquarium or pond to end the cycle of infection. Treatment is rarely necessary and can be difficult if not impossible. Minor infestations may clear without treatment as the larvae will eventually die and be absorbed by the host's immune responses. Copper Sulfate may be helpful in severe cases.

 

[Ajwlive]

Thanks for that Wilder,

at the moment I dont have a seperate tank or anything, just a resonable large bucket, if i put the snails in the bucket with a heater would they be ok for now?
Will they be able to be put back into the tank after the black spot has cleared up?

 

[WILDER]

If you add the snails to the bucket you will have to put a net over, to make sure they don't crawl out.
As for placing them back in the tank after. Not sure if i'm honest.