Red lump under scales!

P

paperdragon

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Mar 7, 2008
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This lump just started showing slightly 2 days ago, yesterday it was pushing the scales out a bit, today it's a big red mass with scales poking out. I did searches all day yesterday trying to figure out what it was, but couldn't find anything definitive. It's all either tumors, parasites, viruses, or bacterial infections. I'm just kinda hoping maybe someone could narrow it down a bit.

Parameters: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate, pH 7.2 (test kit is API liquid)
The only addition to the tank in the last few months was water lettuce from an outdoor container (no fish, just plants) about 2 weeks ago which was rinsed several times before adding it and there.

Edit: He has been sitting on the bottom of the tank now and then for about a week. It wasn't much until the last couple days. He's still eating good, but he tilts a bit to the side of the lump when he swims.

goldielump1.jpg goldielump2.jpg goldielump3.jpg
 
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It looks either ulcer or tumor to me. It is hard to point out which one this would be but since the bump has been growing gradually into a red mass to the point that the scales are being pushed and raised, this is likely ulcer and could be developed by aeromonas/pseudomonas bacteria, most likely Aeromonas hydrophila. Looking back into the history of your tank is useful in determining the likeliest cause.

Have you treated your goldfish for flukes before? Considering flukes are quite a common pestilence with goldfish, it is recommended that the goldfish be treated with praziquantel by Droncit or Prazipro to eliminate the flukes that may be responsible for the secondary health issues.

Is this fish already isolated? Please do this so you can treat your fish without involving others into the treatment. Try looking for medicated foods such as Medigold and MediKoi. If either are not an option, make some homemade gel foods and reserve a small portion to be mixed with kanamycin if you can find this one. Ingestion of antibiotics is your best bet for this one. Your other option recommended is doing Neocide 3 bath.
 
Lupin said:
It looks either ulcer or tumor to me. It is hard to point out which one this would be but since the bump has been growing gradually into a red mass to the point that the scales are being pushed and raised, this is likely ulcer and could be developed by aeromonas/pseudomonas bacteria, most likely Aeromonas hydrophila. Looking back into the history of your tank is useful in determining the likeliest cause.

Have you treated your goldfish for flukes before? Considering flukes are quite a common pestilence with goldfish, it is recommended that the goldfish be treated with praziquantel by Droncit or Prazipro to eliminate the flukes that may be responsible for the secondary health issues.

Is this fish already isolated? Please do this so you can treat your fish without involving others into the treatment. Try looking for medicated foods such as Medigold and MediKoi. If either are not an option, make some homemade gel foods and reserve a small portion to be mixed with kanamycin if you can find this one. Ingestion of antibiotics is your best bet for this one. Your other option recommended is doing Neocide 3 bath.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what all I need to look at for history. I haven't had any diseases in the tank, the only fish I've ever lost in it was my little leucistic fantail due to severe deformities (missing fins, deformed mouth, etc.)
I usually do a prazi treatment for new fish during QT if I don't trust the source, I might've skipped it on my calico, but I don't recall now. It was early this spring that I added him.

I don't have the sick one isolated yet since I just got a shipment of 63 guppies (it was supposed to be 20) and haven't figured out who goes where yet, but I can finish shuffling tank inhabitants around tomorrow and get him in the QT.
Is there any way Maracyn or Maracyn 2 would work? That's all I have on hand, and I don't have the cash to get anything else at the moment.
 
It's worth a try. If you're doing gel foods, you could mix a half teaspoon of both in the gel food reserves and keep him fed with it.

Edit: I just realized this may work out for a very small portion of food only. To make measurement much more accurate, stick to 250mg of minocycline per 100g of food. Just to add with Kanamycin, it's 50:50 ratio with the amount of food.
 
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Little update: Still doing the treatment. As soon as that ulcer started to heal another appeared on the other side. Now the first is gone, but the second started bleeding a bit today. Been doing 75% water changes at least once a day to keep up with ammonia. I didn't realize how quickly the meds kill a cycle - I'm using 2 established filters (one was used for 60+ guppies) with a total rating of 180gph on the 10g QT and I'm waking up to 0.25-0.5ppm ammonia in the mornings.
Good news is he's still swimming around and eating.
 
Well, it's been 4 months. He had 2 rounds of meds and then lots of time to heal naturally. There's still a little bit of a lump, but no other symptoms. I suspect it may just be scar tissue from the severe infection, it hasn't changed a bit in over a month now. Is it safe to put him back in the tank?
 
Yes, it can be returned if you suspect nothing serious that could be deterimental to other fish although I suspect none from tumors since they're almost always intact with the affected fish.
 
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