Guppy Trouble

[Grant R]

Am having a bit of a nightmare with my guppies recently. Last night while carrying out a water change, I noticed that one of my three guppies, from the top of his head and about a CM down the top of him was black, almost like something had scraped his colour away ??

Is this a loss of scales, hence the blackness ??
I can't think what else and books offer no matching disease.

Help ..... !!

 

[Grant R]

C'mon ... !!!

 

[Somethingfishy]

Here is a possible diagnosis, probably not what you want to hear but:

D). The skin of the fish turns deep black in closely adjacent areas. These areas thicken and the scales stand out.

The fish is affected with Melanosarcoma, a malignant growth

No suitable treatment known. Sacrafice the fish humanely.

What other observations do you have? Bloated? Not eating? Has it changed - covered the whole body?

Let us know?

 

[Grant R]

No, it hasn't been affected anywhere else and behaviour and eating habits are normal. It is very unusual, I won't get rid of it until it dies on me, I'll make it pull through !

 

[robertmarda]

If you still have your old tank, I would at least isolate the fish so that if it is something that can spread it doesn't effect your other guppies or other fish.

 

[Somethingfishy]

Good call robert...

 

[Grant R]

The 11.1 gallon will hopefully be up & running by Sunday and it's going to be a guppy breeding tank for a while anyway, so that would be perfect.

 

[Somethingfishy]

How is your guppy doing?

 

[Grant R]

Still the same unfortunately and the other guppy appears to have it also, but I found this very interesting link .. what do you reckon ?

http://community-2.webtv.net/CustomSigns/Blackhead/

 

[Somethingfishy]

Does it look the same? Does the guppy look sick in a anyway? Sluggish swimming, is the appetite still up? What does the other one look like?

 

[Grant R]

I got a few more at the weekend, the ones that have developed the black heads don't appear to be affected in any way and eating seems normal.
Going to start the breeding in the new year I think - 11 gallon is now in the cycling stage as we speak and has been for 3 days.