Guppy w/ tail rot, losing scales - good pics inside

[Agentnolt]

This is my boss's fish, it's been kept in a 5 gallon, well maintained tank in her office with two other male guppies. The fish started getting a growth on his tail, so my boss treated with a round of Triple Sulfa. There didn't seem to be much effect, and the growth turned into a white bubble.

I mentioned ICH can cause lumps, and suggested she QT the fish. She said sure, so I brought in my own 5 gallon tank and transferred the fish into it. I threw in gravel from my well established display tank AND dumped in some Safestart to make sure the tank cycled quickly, and I'm also using r/o water treated with Replenish and Neutral Regulator in the tank.

I'm treating with Pimafix and Melafix, Paraguard, and Stress Guard. I'm half-dosing because I don't want to over medicate such a tiny tank.

Through all of this, the fish seems perfectly fine. It swims normally, eats, all of that. The tail rot keeps getting worse however, and I'm concerned about the scale loss.

Water is 76 F, 50% water change done weekly
Ammonia and Nitrite are 0, Nitrates are at maybe 10 (tough to tell)
PH is 7

https://www.flickr.com/photos/agentbolt/16007641984/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/agentbolt/16422505007/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/agentbolt/16629781165/

Any ideas what this could be?

 

[Agentnolt]

Sorry to bump folks, but any ideas here? I feel like I might lose this fish unless I do something soon.

 

[Matt68005]

I have had guppies like that before......no idea what it is, but meds will not work. Is there anything metal in the tank? When I had problems with this, I had made a DIY tank divider, and used some plastic pole to make the frame, but the pole had metal on the inside of the plastic, even tho the guy at Home depot told me there was no metal in it...it rusted and a couple males looked like this.......just an idea.

 

[SandyCheeks]

I also have fish with lumps. Some fish just have lumps. Eating and being active are good signs that he is still pretty healthy.

It doesn't look like tail rot where the tail looks ragged with frayed edges. His tail looks like it still has a round shape. Just a side note, when I have treated fin rot on guppies, Triple Sulpha did nothing to help but Furan-2 worked very well.
It doesn't look like ich either because the lumps would look like grains of salt.

I would continue to dose with Parguard following the intstructions on the bottle to complete the course. There is a possibility it might help. But I would stop using melefix and pimafix. For now, I would even stop using Safe Guard to reduce the chemicals in the tank. How often do you do water changes using the RO water?

Has he been flashing, rubbing his body on the bottom gravel or decor?

How many scales has he lost and on what areas of his body? Could you get a photo using the flash?

Does the 5 gallon tank have an air bubbler, filter, heater?

 

[SandyCheeks]

Has his tail always had the round shape, or did he used to have a long fan tail that has rotted to a round shape?
I have guppies with all tail shapes so thought I had better ask.

 

[Agentnolt]

Thanks for responding!

His tail has always been that shape, it hasn't changed. He has been flashing against the decor from time to time. That's why I was dosing with Paraguard (and because I thought maybe it was ich.)

Should I also dose with Furan 2? Or just stick with the Paraguard?

I don't have a flash camera available, but it'd reflect off the glass anyway, so that wouldn't work well. Are you clicking the picture? It zooms in a LOT and it's very easy to see where he's missing scales. It's more extensive on his left.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/agentbolt/16629781165/

The large patches of missing scales are located where the first set of lumps appeared. They burst and the scales slowly fell off. The new lumps are much farther back on the tail than the first set was.

 

[Matt68005]

Deleted

 

[Matt68005]

Should I also dose with Furan 2? Or just stick with the Paraguard?

Neither
Don't waste money and meds on a guppy like this. I know a lot about guppies and their ailments, this particular condition is more like a tumor, not a disease or parasite.