Lymphocystis on O. Clown?

[Kurt_Nelson]

Yeah... I read those recommendations in the "saltwater disease treatment" thread. But manually removing the cyst on a 3/4" to 1" long clown that is right underneath it's eye?!! I'm good with my hands, but not that good!

The thing that's weird is that it looked very healthy at the store, and I'd been watching it for a couple weeks. Then two days after it comes home it gets this growth. I'm guessing it must've gotten a scrape while being netted at the LFS or when I transferred it into my QT and that somehow manifested itself into this growth. Since the QT was fresh with nothing in it prior, the water couldn't have been infected with anything.

Being my first fish destined for a brand new tank, the idea of not starting out with something that might endanger the whole tank is forefront in my mind. I have to admit the idea of putting this fish out of it's misery and "starting over" has crossed my mind a couple times. But it's apparently not in any "misery" and seems to be a pretty happy camper so that option is not really an option.

[roka64]

Hopefully it is only a scrape. I would keep a low salinity and soak food in garlic extreme to promote a strong immune system.

[Fluff]

It's really hard to tell from the photo but it may be just bacterial and some time in pristine water may be all it needs. Adding a bit of melafix to the water will not hurt anything and may help speed the healing. Generally bacterial infections caused by scrapes or irritations will clear up on their own if the fish's living conditions are excellent (water, food, stress free enviroment, etc.) Otherwise, you will have to make a choice rather to treat for Lympho to see if that helps as already suggested or make the decision to humanely euthenize the fish. Hopefully it won't come to that and it's just bacterial that will clear up in time. As long as the fish is eating and acting fine, it's worth it to keep trying. To early to give up just yet.

[Kurt_Nelson]

OK... just to update and put an ending to this thread...

It wasn't lympho, but I'm 99.9% sure it was a bacterial infection, and that it was sick when I brought it home. Being a newbie, I just didn't realize it at the time.

Right after my last post, the white spot really started getting bigger, the fish stopped eating, and it really started acting agitated and basically pretty weird. Nitrates were at 5, Ammonia/Nitrites were at 0, pH was 8.4 or so and salinity was 1.024, so water parameters weren't the issue. I finally had to put it out of it's misery as it seemed like that's the way it was going pretty quick. In doing a little post mortem exam, the "growth" looked more like a infection deep under the tissue and almost looked like it'd moved up into his eye socket. Interestingly enough, I bought this one because of it's "unique" coloring around that one eye. Almost looked like it had a black eye. Towards the end, the "unique" coloring I thought was part of his normal coloration, went away! Pretty sure he was sick from day one and the "unique" coloration was a tell tale sign.

Also, only after I got his replacement in my QT tank did I realize how a clown REALLY acts when they're happy! What funny fish! Sooo... again, I'm pretty sure he was damaged goods from the beginning, and it was just a nasty bacterial thing.

The second O.Clown just made it out of my QT and into my main tank upstairs. He's having fun exploring the currents as I type and seems to really like the move from the 10 gallon downstairs to the 46 gallon upstairs where he can actually watch us!

[roka64]

Man, what a bummer! Congrats on your new family member!

[mmarges]

Hey there.
I had the same problem. Treat him with Formalin.

My baby clown developed same white stuff under his eye on cheeks and also some on his fin and under his mouth right where the gill meets.

He's been in a small quaranteen tank for about 6 weeks now. Couldn't figure out what his illness was.

Anyway I treated with Erythramycin for 1 week, no results, Then hyposalynity (thinking might have been ick) for 3 weeks, no improvements. Then Mardel coppersafe for 2 weeks, no improvement.

Fish store recommended I treat him with Formalin 3, by Kordon, so I did. Whatever he had it's improved by 80% within first 24hours. It's day 3 now and it's almost all gone. I'll give him a few more days and then return him to my main tank.

Good Luck

[Kurt_Nelson]

I finally had to put it out of it's misery as it seemed like that's the way it was going pretty quick.

Plus... this post was more than a year old.

But thanks for the advice!