1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the best of your ability
One Zebra Danio, more aggressive of the "pair". He has had a lump on his belly since I first received him, but it has not affected his appetite or activities. The swelling has gradually increased, and the rear of the lump now looks like it it beginning to redden. There is a smaller lump on top of the lump on his left side. Several people who do not keep fish have asked me if the fish is pregnant, but it does not look like a healthy belly to me.
Suspected causes: parasites or tumor
BTW, I think the healthy danio is female, I am not sure of the gender of the affected fish.
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values.
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 4ish
ppm
Temp 73 F
pH 7.6 (Yeah, I know it's too high. Last time I tried to correct my pH I overdid it though, so I'm sitting on my thumbs this time.)
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?
75 gallons
Setup for little over 2 months, fish have been together for at least 7 months. Previous conditions were overcrowded.
4~What type of filtration are you using?
Biological: Planted aquarium, all biological filtration is provided by the plants, and the bacteria on their surface.
Chemical: None
Mechanical: A small sponge filter removes small particles that otherwise would cloud the water.
Circulation: 4' bubble wall.
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?
Oh gosh, I was given all these guys, you wouldn't believe it, and I havn't identified them all. Lots of tetra varieties, an angel, a goldfish, the "pair" of danios. It seems they were all bought in "pairs" although behavior suggests there is only one actual mated pair in the tank. There are around 16 fish, averaging 2" long. The angel and the goldfish are both 3" long.
6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?
I do this weekly, removing 6-9 gallons (depending on how strong I'm feeling that day.) I have sand, but it is vaccumable if careful, and I do so. (I did neglect to wash the sand, having read too many saltwater boards recently, and there is an overly fine particle type that I am happy to remove with vaccuming.)
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?
Many of these questions are rather moot, since the fish came from horrible conditions, and this fish came with this problem, but I'll humor you:
I have had these fish since mid-August. Thier previous owner had medical problems that prevented her from taking care of her aquarium. She transfered them all from her 55 gallon to a 20 gallon.
I brought the fish home in two half-full 5 gallon buckets, and "drip" acclimated them for a couple hours. (Water ran faster than a drip, to pour out 5 gallons in 2 hours.)
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?
Old problem, I do not know when it first began, so I can not tell if there was any co-inciding change. It is likely that this fish has been exposed to high levels of ammonia. The entire tank is new to him.
9A~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?
Flake & brine. I experiment with the occasional piece of vegtable, but this is not a regular a part of thier diet.
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