Blood Red Parrot Cichlid: Treating Black Patches and White Spots

Q1: My blood parrot cichlid has black patches and spots. I tried using “Ocean-free Super Fish Guard” but that didn’t help.

I’ve never used Ocean-free Super Fish Guard before, but according to my understanding it is used to remove chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals, buffer PH and reduces stress, stimulate protective slime, protect mucus and gills; which isn’t meant to treat patches and spot.

As to the patches and spots on your blood parrot cichlid, it could be pigmentation which you can’t do anything about it. However, if they look raised with ulcerated or irregular borders, there may be a bacterial infection or one secondary to a tumor growth. Treat the infection with anti-bacterial medication. As for tumors, you might want to check with your vet to see if it is  into the possibility of excising away the growth.

Q2: My red parrot fish has white spots, and has not eaten for two weeks. The shop recommended raising the water temperature to 30°C, but there was no improvement. I used an anti-ich medication for five days, but it turned the whole tank blue and my red fish pink.

Your fish most likely has ich. You’ve done the right thing by raising the water temperature. This speeds up the life cycle of the protozoan parasites to reach the free swimming stage, when they will be more receptive to the medication.

Your medication cycle of five days is too short. Try a 12-day cycle. Give the tank one more course of medication even if you find no more spots on your fish. The anti-rich medication inevitably turns the tank blue, giving you the illusion of pink fish. However, everything will return to normal once the disease has been eradicated and water changes are performed.

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