Tetra with unidentified malady

[dberger]

Folks - I'm hoping someone out there can help me identify a mystery malady that's hit one of my lamp eye tetras over the past few days.

The fish looks to have a whitish/pinkish fuzzy tumor on one side of it's snout - it's losing color, and when viewed from the side has a dark patch between gills and tail. It's still swimming and eating.

I' suspect I'll lose the fish - but I'm trying to figure out how I should handle the rest of the fish in the tank who've been exposed to this one.

I've taken a few pictures (when the little bugger would hold still long enough) - here, here, and here.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Menagerie]

[center:b9030548dd] Welcome to AA, dberger! [/center:b9030548dd]

If it is a tumor, it probably won't spread to other fish. It may also be caused by a parasite, which could spread.

Try looking through these sites:
http://www.aquatronicsonline.com/hobbyist/hobbyist3.htm
http://www.aqualink.com/disease/sdisease.html#ich
http://fish.mongabay.com/diseases.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/fishdisho.htm
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/health.htm

Answer these Qs (I know it's a lot of info, but it could point to the problem):
~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp)?
~ How large is the tank?
~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are there current sizes?
~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?
~How long have you had the fish?
~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlor, new substrate, etc.?

Is the bump definitely fuzzy, as though bacteria or fungus was growing on it?

 

[nodoubt471]

ive seen a lot of cases of mouth fungus (i work at a pet store) and that sure looks like one of them, from what i can make out from those pictures.

i would reccomend either primafix (melafix's anti-fungal cousin) or mardel's maracyn, the liquid kind with the biospheres. i have seen great results in my fishy charges using both (not in conjunction of course!)

of course this was probably brough on by some environmental stressor- check your parameters and keep up on your water changes

best of luck!!