Freshwater dip? Yes or no?

[dory36]

I noticed that my yellow tang had black spots on him yesterday when I got home from work. I went to my lfs and they gave me some freshwater and told me to dip him for 3 days for 15 minutes.
It was a royal pain in the neck to catch him, but we finally did and gave him his first dip last night. Today he has no spots on him whatsoever. Should I dip him even though he seems clear? Catching him really stressed him (and me!) out. I really don't want to put him through that again unless it's absolutely necessary. Thanks!

 

[lefty]

If the black spots are Black Ich, freshwater dips won't help. Here's a post by Terry B:
"The life cycle is 10 days at 76F. The parasite can infect other fish directly fish to fish (unlike ich). It has a somewhat similar cycle to ich in that it falls off of the fish to reproduce and then reinfect the fish. Another significant difference between black ich and ich is that this parasite can be killed while attached to the fish.
If people follow my recommended treatment then reinfection is uncommon. You simply break the life cycle by killing the parasite while attached to the fish. This means that you do not need to leave the tank fallow to get rid of it. The only problem is that it is hard to detect on fish with dark coloration, so you could leave one fish untreated and see the problem come back. It has been reported on tangs, butterflies, angelfish, gobies and I think cowfish and puffers.
My recommended treatment is a series of three formalin dips. One treatment every third day should clear things up."
The Formalin bath procedure is listed in the FAQs thread at the top of this page.
-lefty

 

[dory36]

So, since all the spots are gone, is it a possibility that he didn't have black ich to begin with? OR, is it a possibility that it may come back since the life cycle is 10 days? :notsure:

 

[lefty]

Like with regular ich, freshwater dips are not a cure. However, it's hard to say whether your tang actually had black ich or not (a picture would be really nice). Were the black dots everywhere on the tang?
-lefty

 

[dory36]

No, they were mostly on his side. I doubt a picture would have picked them up---you really had to look hard to see them.

 

[lefty]

I'd like to apologize for the incorrect information I have given above. Black ich (which isn't a parasite at all--it's a type of flatworm) CAN be cured with freshwater dips if it is caught early enough. If not, you will have to try the Formalin baths. Keep a close eye on your tang, and if the spots reappear, you may want to try the Formalin.
Here is information I found in another post from an unknown website:
"Also referred to as Black Ich, this saltwater fish disease is caused by a small parasitic turbellarian flatworm in the genus Paravortex that takes up residence in the aquarium substrate. The adult worm attaches to a host for about six days, falls off into the substrate, then in about five days the adult body ruptures releasing a new population of young worms and the cycle begins again. It normally does not show up in the larger numbers as with other forms of Ich (Whitespot Disease and Coral Fish Disease) and is not nearly as dangerous. It is a disease that is fairly common with Yellow Tangs and Angelfishes, but can effect other fish species as well.
Symptoms
Black Spot Disease appears on the fins and body of fish as tiny black dots, less than the size of a pinhead. The fish will scratch up against objects in the aquarium and the disease may be associated with reddened skin, lethargy, color loss and rapid breathing. It is easily seen on light colored fish, but is less obvious and sometimes overlooked on dark colored fish."
Hope this helps. :joy:
-lefty

 

[dory36]

Thanks for all your help, Lefty! I decided not to dip him last night and I'm keeping an eye on him for more spots. Here's a picture of him this morning...he seems free of spots to me.

 

[plumbjohn]

I also had black spots on my yellow(named sunny) I caught him and dipped him in some yellow stuff that the lfs gave me. It looked like I was trying to dye him yellow again After the treatment the spots went away and didn't come back. She is now a happy little swimmer. Especially after the damsel catching episode. :happyfish