Loaches Online Forum

One of my rainbows has had black smudges on her body, off and on, since we got her. They are smallish; I thought that they were bruises, as she has always been rather the scapegoat of the group. Lately, though, they've seemed to multiply, she has a few of them on either side of her body. One in particular is different now; it seems to be a sore now. It's not red, but the middle of the smudge looks open, like a sore, or a bite....
I can't get a good enough picture to show you; and I can't find anything similar to this (I thought maybe black spot, but the description is not similar at all). No other fish have the symptoms.
I am going to move her to a small breeding trap in the tank; if it's bruising, I assume it will clear up at that point, and then I'll rehome her. If it's not...any ideas?
She's still eating, and *trying* to spawn, but none of the males want her. Otherwise healthy.
Thanks for any advice!

The behavior suggests it is bruising. Fish can ram into each other, causing bruising and occasionally internal injuries. Rarely breaks the skin.

Trapped her today; she's in a breeding trap with some nice plant cover in the main tank; we'll see I guess if she gets better when outside of range of the other fish. She's looking very poorly though; I hope she makes it.