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What is wrong with my fish2007-11-24 23:41:55

My black Fancy goldfish has something attached to it! When I first saw it I thought it was ick but wasn't sure as it only had one spot near its gill. When I looked a couple of days later, the white spot had moved! It has moved to near its eye and I swear it looks like it has lots of little legs all around it that are rippling!

It is a new fish that I bought a week ago and I thought the stress of the 'move' may have caused ick.

I have searched on Yahoo and I can't figure out what it might be! I have isolated the fish in it's own bowl as I am worried my other fish will get it too. They seem ok at the moment.

Can anyone shed some light please?

Answers:

It sounds like a fish louse, a type of freshwater crustacean (unlike true lice, which are insects). These are relatively common ectoparasites of goldfish and other pond fish.

If you catch the fish, the parasite can be removed manually and it can be disposed of. Once removed, dab some good antibiotic like Maracyn Plus on the site where the louse was attached. This will prevent bacterial infection of the wound. It would also be a good idea to treat the tank with the antibiotic, just to further prevent infection.

If more lice appear, the tank will need to be treated with medicine that kills invertebrates. Ich meds that contain copper, malachite green, or methylene blue will generally suffice. When treating the tank with any medication, the carbon will need to be removed from the filter, because activated carbon absorbs chemicals like medications.