Gold dust disease (Piscinoodinium) is the freshwater version of velvet. Fine gold/yellow dust appearance on fish body. Very fast-spreading - kills entire tanks if untreated.
Piscinoodinium parasite. Spreads via free-swimming dinospores. Stress + low immunity = outbreak.
Always treat in a separate quarantine tank. Most medications are toxic to coral, invertebrates, and live rock biology.
Quarantine new fish 14-21 days. Maintain stable parameters.
Browse the full disease database for 45 aquarium conditions with treatment protocols, or check the care library for prevention-focused husbandry guides. Use our symptom matcher to rank likely diseases from observed signs, the water parameter checker to diagnose related water-quality issues, or the QT timeline calculator to plan a treatment schedule.