[Frank_Farmakis]

This question is actually for a friend of mine....he resently bought a naso tang (month ago) but now its got black spots all over the gray part of its body???any ideas what this is?

[Poseidon]

Hi Frank, I am moving this to the marine health forum for you, I am sure you will get a better answer there.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Frank_Farmakis

This question is actually for a friend of mine....he resently bought a naso tang (month ago) but now its got black spots all over the gray part of its body???any ideas what this is?

It could be turbellarian flatworms. If so, the recommended treatment is a freshwater dip. They usually fall off after about five minutes, so a 10-minute bath should be more than sufficient.

Here is a picture of a yellow tang with black turbellarian worms:


The freshwater should be the same temperature as the water the fish is in right now. The pH of the freshwater should also be the same (use regular baking soda to raise the pH). Some people like to add Methylene Blue to the bath (approx. 2-3 drops Methylene Blue 2.0% solution per liter of freshwater).

Some people recommend a formalin bath following the freshwater dip but Robert Fenner claims that the freshwater dip alone is enough.

Good luck!



P.S. -- Lee has a sticky post on freshwater dips.