Black "pimples" On Silver Dollars

[Iron Man]

I was contemplating silver dollars for the 55 gallon so I went to the store today to see what they had. They had would looked like very healthy happy specimens......yet these had something on them I'd never seen on a fish before.....little black "pimples" all over their scales and fins. Some had more than others.....but most all of them had at least a couple. I was like.....is this some kind of "black ich"? I got home and looked it up on the internet to find there is a "black ich" but it only occurs in saltwater and even then mainly on the all too vulnerable blue powder tang and other tangs. So I did some more searching and found two explainations to this "dot". Its either this;

http/www.aqualink.com/disease/sdisease.html#blackspot

Black Spot
Symptoms: Small black specks on the body.
Treatment: Black spot is generally easy to cure. There are a number of commercially available treatments and preventatives.
Information: Black Spot, or diplopstomiasis, often follows the addition of new aquarium fish. All fish are susceptible, especially the Silver Dollar and Piranha. It is fairly easy to diagnose and treat.
Or this;

http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...?article_id=383

It is common for these fish to be imported with what looks like black spot disease. These black spots are scattered over body and fins and are smaller than a pinhead. This is also common in wild-caught Angels and geophagines. Although unsightly, these aren't really a problem - they are probably just "glochidia" - a larval stage of a freshwater mollusc.

What happens is that free-swimming larvae attach themselves to a host (the fish) and wait until it is swallowed whole by a particular bird. The mollusc larva then travel through the bird's digestive system, which triggers metamorphosis, before finally being excreted in the bird's faeces back to the river bed...

So you don't have to worry about clams appearing in your tank! As the fish grow, these spots will become less as layers of skin tissue flake off. So don't let this problem get in the way of your enjoying this fish - unless you have a kingfisher or fish eagle in your living room.

The most common explanation I can find on the internet is the mollusk infestation one.....which would be nothing to worry about. However....this 'black spot' thing sits out like a soar thumb.....and I really can't find anymore info on it other than what I've posted.

What gives? Does anyone have any info on this or can someone point me in a better more reliable direction as to what this would be? I'm very interested in this fish and can't find it just anywhere!

Thanks!

 

[Anthony!]

Chill iron man, chill.... there is a specific species of Silver Dollar fish with black, perfectly round spots on their body. Chill lol In fact,.. I was going to go pick two up this weekend. They look great, having half and half, half spotted and half plain SDs.... shoot, now I want a whole tankful of them

Oh yeah, If I come across a pic of one on the internet, I'll post it for you

ok, found a great pic of one!

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34593

 

[Iron Man]

LOL

Thanks....but....those aren't the type of spots I'm talking about. These are like black raised pimples on the scales and fins, and they're the size of a pinhead, maybe smaller. Looks just like black ich.

 

[Anthony!]

Oh... Sorry then. never had problems with black ich. Sorry I acted like I knew exactly what was up I feel like a jerk now . That's the last time I act like I know something about fish lol

 

[Iron Man]

Its ok....from what I've come up with doing research its nothing to be worried about at all. Its most likely a pretty much harmless parasite that can't reproduce past that stage (unless a bird eats the fish, don't ask). It occurs most commonly in ponds where this type parasite is (its actually a snail), which is where many SDs are raised and SDs are the most suceptable.

Good luck on the getting the kind of SDs you want.

 

[kubora666]

my brother has 3 of the spotted variety, smaller than a 50 p coin
i got some in last november about 50 p sized, now they are all the size of my hand
they grow quik,