Black Spot?

[seafan]

My goldfish has been eating well, ammonia is undetectable, nitrite <0.15, nitrate is about .25. He developed a black, and it just looks like dirt. My question is, can it be some freshwater disease or is it just shmutz(yiddish for dirt). Also although I don't think that this has to do with anything, he is a voracious detrivore. What do you think?

 

[seafan]

BTW this is what will be my QT for my saltwater tank, which is why it has PVC fittings, I will get them a nice three gallon eclipse soon.

 

[Menagerie]

What are you feeding it?

 

[seafan]

TetraMin tropical flakes. I bought it just to keep my water clear (before I realized the cloudiness was caused by the hardness of my tap water).

 

[Menagerie]

Has this coloration come on all at once or has it been gradual?

 

[seafan]

All at once.

 

[Meredith]

is hard water more susceptible to cloudiness? I have hard water and I notice my water is a bit cloudy right when I do a water change but it clears up after a bit.

 

[Menagerie]

I'm not sure what to say about your goldie. Let me try to find someone to help.

 

[Luke Anderson]

Black marks on goldfish usually mean one of two things, either natural color change which is perfectly ok, or ammonia burns. Ammonia burns that show as black or dark brown on goldfish is a sign of healing, and the fish could have been exposed to ammonia as long as 3 weeks previously before the marks show up. Extra clean water, and good food usually is enough for the fish if they otherwise look and act normally. In severe cases, feeding antibacterial food for two weeks can help prevent secondary infections, which are very common as well.

 

[seafan]

He is acting normal and goes around the tank. My belief it is his natural coloring, because the spots did not grow bigger, get smaller, or move. I did some research and I heard this was normal. I did a ten percent water change every other day after the spots showed up just to keep ammonia down, however he seems to be getting more active every day. The only strange behavior he displays is that he hides when I turn on the light, however by the time I come home he usually is out and about.