HELP: Bumps on GBR head!

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AquaC19

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jan 14, 2015
Messages
23
Location
Florida
Hey everyone I need some help identifying the problem effecting my german blue ram. He has white bumps (not ich) on his head. These bumps have slowly multiplied and have begun to grow. The main one in the center of his head seems to have opened. When he was in the 30 gallon he was hiding in the back (he was housed with rummynose tetra and khuli loaches). In the quarantine tank he acts normal but the spots are getting worse. I have treated with melafix and quick cure. I did a large water change, 40%, yesterday and today he seems worse. I have pictures from three days ago and today.

I have had him for about 9 months. Bought him from a great LFS, not a chain. I have moved him from his 30 gallon planted home to the 20 gallon planted quarantine tank. I do weekly 20-30% water changes on all my tanks. Both tanks read 0 nitrite 0 ammonia and about 5-10 nitrate. PH is 7.0. The temperature stays about 82f.

ImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1421283723.394862.jpgImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1421283739.061613.jpgImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1421283754.559742.jpg

The last picture is from three days ago before the spots seem to break skin.

Please help!


75 gallon, 30 gallon, 20 gallon
 
Stress.. I've seen this exact thing before, symmetrical markings. . What are you testing with?

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I have always tested with API master kit.


75 gallon, 30 gallon, 20 gallon
 
I did a major rescape and noticed my male developed these similar markings.. he died... you'd be best to treat with api Gen cure, i think..

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That makes sense I did do that large water change yesterday and out seems worse. Ok I will pick the api general cure asap. Thank you for your help and quick replies.


75 gallon, 30 gallon, 20 gallon
 
Water changes shouldn't hurt, if your nitrates are high and you knock them down it can hurt. Treat asap. If I had a definitive answer is give it. This seems to be one of the many gbr mystery malities.

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its HITH (hole in the head disease) I just lost my ram to the disease. Best treated with Metro

I hate to say it but your ram is looking pretty rough. it would be hard to come back from it at this stage. is he / she still eating? lethargic?

The pores are sensory pores that are going to erupt and leave a hole with gets bigger and bigger.

Hexamita: Fish Hole in the Head Disease
 
Pretty sure that hlle, or lateral line erosion can only be treated with pristine water and high quality food. Either way that ram needs better conditions last week. You'll need to act fast if you want to save him..

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After I moved him to the quarantine tank he seemed to perk up (personality wise) but the spots got worse. Before he was hiding in the back of the tank and acting skittish. Now, he is eating normal and swimming to the front of the tank begging for food, etc. He doesn't act lethargic. Other than the bumps on his head, he is normal and very handsome :) I am treating with API General Cure. Hope it can save him.


75 gallon, 30 gallon, 20 gallon
 
qt cycled right??

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That's exactly what mine did when I moved him to the hospital tank. I think it's just glass surfing like all fish do when you put them in a new home. From the time I put them in the hospital tank he lived about another month before the disease fully took over. It's really painful to watch. You need to be treating with Metro API general cure the metro amount in the is too low. Its best if you get the medicated powder version so you can mix with food. Also make sure you add it to the entire water column as a bath

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Qt has been cycled for two years. I moved all the fish that were in it (neons, cherry barbs, and khulis) into my 30 cause I barely had my 30 stocked and had room. He has been in the qt for about two weeks now and his personality is still improving. I was treating with the wrong meds during these last two weeks (poor thing). Ok I will look for Metro at the LSF during my lunch and treat when I get home. Thanks!


75 gallon, 30 gallon, 20 gallon
 
That's exactly what mine did when I moved him to the hospital tank. I think it's just glass surfing like all fish do when you put them in a new home. From the time I put them in the hospital tank he lived about another month before the disease fully took over. It's really painful to watch. You need to be treating with Metro API general cure the metro amount in the is too low. Its best if you get the medicated powder version so you can mix with food. Also make sure you add it to the entire water column as a bath

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Your ram died?


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Yeah. After he went back into the main tank and then he had the incident where he got freaked out from my dog and jumped out of the tank giving himself a concussion. He was able to recover from the concussion over the new few days but the follow week his healthy went downhill fast and the hith took over. A day after the main hole showed up he died.

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Good luck. Keep in mind hith takes months and months to fully heal. The heximita, I think that spelling is right, takes a while to kill off too.

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Do you know if this is contagious? Could it have or be effecting the other fish that were in his pervious tank? They all seem great.


75 gallon, 30 gallon, 20 gallon
 
Hith is mostly a cichlid thing. It can spread once those pores erupt. But in rare cases other species like gouramis have got hith.

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There is still a lot of unknown with hith. Read as much as you can though. Big fish like Oscars have an easier time fighting it off but are more prone to it.

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It's really directly related to poor water quality, Google;)
Phillip- sorry to hear about Joe

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It can actually be brought on due to poor diet, high stress, and poor water quality. With a change to the environment the fish will undergo some form of stress RAM seem to be a lot more acceptable to this, that's their immunity system is not as strong and they get sick. With passages always in the water the main focus is to keep our fish stress free fed well at water quality as good as we can get it.

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