white cloud question

[Traci]

I have 7 white clouds. 2 of them seem to have something on their lower lip. At first I thought each was holding a small air bubble in their mouth, or possibly a bit of flake food, but looking closer it never seemed to be eaten or released. They are fine in all other ways, swimming and eating, good color, etc. Just that they have these little balls or bubbles or whatever on the tip of their bottom jaw. All the other fish are fine, I've looked at them all closely to make sure there are no signs of infection or parasites.

Has anyone else every encountered this or have any idea what this could be?

[chipstahoy]

first of all, this pry definitely is not just a white cloud thing. if it's anything, it's pry some kind of bacteria or infection that they got somehow. you pry wanna keep close tabs on it to see if it spreads to any other fish or spreads on the two that are "infected". it could end up being nothing, or it could end up being a problem...

-chip

[Cearbhaill]

Could be columnaris- i.e. mouth fungus, mouth rot.
Does it sound like this? (http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/columnaris.htm)

[Traci]

That's kind of the reason for my perplexity (is that even a word)? I've been to a ton of fish disease sites (fishdoc, sickfishpage, aquasite, etc.) and this doesn't even remotely resemble a fungus. I've seen ich, and I don't think this is it either. It looks for all the world as if these two fish are holding little bubbles of air in their mouths, but I first noticed it a little over a week ago, and it's still like that. None of the other inhabitants (white clouds, paradise fish, leopard danios, rainbow, crayfish, mystery snail) are acting odd in any way, and I have had these particular fish for several months already without any problems. The males have been displaying recently in courting behavior, but the two that have this are female, so I don't think it's connected.

I'll try to take a picture and post it, maybe that way we can all get a better look at it with zoom focus.


ETA: the two white clouds aren't acting wierd at all, perfectly normal behavior in the tank all around. Nitrates at 20, nitrites at .25, everything else within the good parameters.

[Alex]

Tumors?

Alex

[Traci]

I'm not sure what I'd be looking at for tumors. I'd say that they look more like blisters than tumors? Not puss filled or anything. They are transparent and pretty small. Like airbubbles. Whatever it is, it's not affecting eating or swimming and they are displaying very vivid colors, so not washed out. Also, no excess mucus, and all fins and gills look clean.

[Cearbhaill]

I'd say that they look more like blisters than tumors? Not puss filled or anything. They are transparent and pretty small. Like airbubbles.
There is something called Gas Bubble Disease (http://www.thekrib.com/Diseases/gas-bubble.html).

[Traci]

Okay, read the link and did a search. We may have hit on it.

From fish-disease.com"

blisters that are clearly visible beneath the skin, particularly in the head area,

Cause is oxygen oversaturation. I keep three airstones in my tank because the crayfish like a lot of oxygen, so maybe this is what it is.

The treatment is:

Perform an immediate water change to restore the proper gas balance. Clean away Algae and reduce the amount of live plants. Use an anti-algae chemical if necessary, such as Algae Destroyer. Reduce lighting to reduce oxygen production by the plants.

I don't have much algae, and no plants, again as a result of the crayfish. I did a 25% water change last night, and I will take out 1 or 2 of the airstones today. I'll still take and post a pic though, just to rule out anything else that other posters might recognize.


ETA: Thanks everybody, so much!:)

[tomm10]

I'm having exactly the same problem with one of my zebra danios! The female has a little, bluish bubble on her lower lip but shows not signs of illness otherwise.

Unilke you though, I have a lot of plants in my tank.

I'd be very interested to know how your situation turns out!

Tom

[Traci]

I've taken a zillion pics and they zip around too fast to catch on film. They still have them and they are still thriving otherwise. Nitrates have spiked a tiny bit, but only to 30, otherwise parameters are all okay.

I did take out an airstone, but that's it.