Black spots on girls?

[iSaveBettas]

I just noticed some spots on some of the girls in my 10 gallon cycled female tank.
The spots are black. I have found some information online about black spot disease but haven't found anything really conclusive.

One of the girls has them all over her belly and back. One of the girls also has them all over her belly and back, but she also has one very swelled up gill. Then I have a couple other girls that have one or just a few random spots - including on one of their dorsal fins.

They are in a cycled 10 gallon tank with loads of live plants.
I currently have anti-fluke treatment in the tank as I firstly thought it was gill and/or body flukes. But after doing more research I'm not sure.

Anybody have any suggestions for me on what to try?
Could the gills and black spots be the same thing? Parasites?

 

[FishEnthusiast]

Is it possible for you to take some pictures of the spots? That will help out a lot.

When was the last time you did a water change? What is your feeding and cleaning routine?

I wish I could tell you more, but without pictures it is hard sometimes.

Oh and by the way, Welcome to the board, I hope you find the help you are looking for.

 

[iSaveBettas]

Is it possible for you to take some pictures of the spots? That will help out a lot.

When was the last time you did a water change? What is your feeding and cleaning routine?

I wish I could tell you more, but without pictures it is hard sometimes.

Oh and by the way, Welcome to the board, I hope you find the help you are looking for.

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I don't have pics - I'm at work right now but they look like someone took a black fine point marker and sort of drew a little short line on them (in the neighborhood of 1 - 2 mm, maybe?). I looked at them this morning and the blue girl with a grey belly has no more black spots - she was the worst one. Which makes me think flukes - as they disappeared after I started that treatment. But the other girls still have the random one here or there - theirs haven't gone away.

I just did about a 30% water change last Thursday evening (today's tuesday) with a thorough gravel vacuum. I change out about 25% of their water every week and a half or so and vacuum about every 2 and a half weeks. They get fed pellets in the morning and in the evening - then once a week or so they also get frozen bloodworms. And NO food ever falls to the bottom, and if it does they scavenge for hours to find anything lost down there.

 

[WILDER]

Not the writer of this information.




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.