White lump on goldfish head - any suggestions?

[Bullster]

I'm new to this site and would really value the opinions of more experienced fish keepers.

My goldfish has developed a white lump on his head which is now raised about 2mm and about 2mm long. He is in good health in all other ways, eating and swimming around normally and my water is good quality when tested.

Sadly, my other goldfish died a few weeks ago who always seemed perfectly healthy and I do not know why. After that I did a partial water change and treated the water with a Health Guard treatment which is supposed to get rid of parasites etc.

I tried sending some pictures to my vet and they said goldfish can get growths which can be non problematic and to keep an eye on my fish. I'm unwilling to get another fish though until I have some further opinions but my children are keen to get a new companion for him.

Any advice or suggestions gratefully received.

 

[Kuddos 2 U]

I think that it is a fungus of some sort or it could be a tumor.

 

[FFEMT58]

I think that it is a fungus of some sort or it could be a tumor.

im thinking a tumor also. but the white thing sticking out out is throwing me off.


Sorry that post was for a diffrent thread. Mod can you please delete this post as i am not able to. thanks

 

[Bullster]

Any suggestions on treatments to try for a fungus? I don't suppose there is much you can do about a tumour.

QUOTE=Kuddos 2 U;2476837]I think that it is a fungus of some sort or it could be a tumor.[/QUOTE]

 

[jlk]

How do your parameters look? What size is this tank? What kind of wc schedule do you have (%/#wk)? What do you normally feed?

The vet's comments are likely correct. Goldfish are subject to a variety of growths and tumors. Most of them are viral such as lymphocystis or carp pox. They generally are non-lethal issues as long as they do not affect a fish's ability to swim, eat or breath. They are, however, unsightly. There is no treatment other than pristine water (lots and lots of wcs) and a very healthy, nutritious diet that helps to support immune function. If the growths become very large, they can be surgically removed but will generally grow back. I would not recommend purchasing another fish at this point in time.

 

[Bullster]

Thanks for your post. I have a 35 litre tank and I take out approx 30% every 2 weeks.

I feed fish flakes and bloodworms in the main. i did try some veg such as spinach and peas but they were not very keen and a pea that I didn't see they had left under an ornament made the water smell which took a few water changes to get rid of, which has put me off trying similar fresh foods. Any suggestions on a more varied diet welcome!

My fish seems quite happy and unaffected by the lump at the moment but did want to see if there was anything I could/should be doing.

 

[jlk]

Thank you for the info! Ok, bad news first. Your tank is only 9g. This honestly is too small for any goldfish, especially a comet. Comets easily grow to 12+ inches and have quite lengthy lifespans with adequate water and care. They are really better suited to pond environments.

The first thing I would invest in is a proper liquid test kit such as the API fw master test kit and a bottle of Prime. You need to up your water change schedule by quite a bit until you can either invest in a much larger tank for him or rehome him to a happy pond and stock with appropriate fish for this size tank. You should be changing 50% of the water minimum every two days, three days max. A quality sinking pellet and daily veggies are a must as well. Please ask if you have questions!

 

[Bullster]

Thanks for your post. I'm quite disappointed in the pet shop we bought from as they advised us in tank and suitable fish. No wonder our other fish died! I'll up the water changes and vary his diet more until we can sort better tank. Thanks for advice.

 

[Kuddos 2 U]

I never listen to any of the people when they tell me the housing for the fish I buy them at my lfs. For instance, in relation to your situation, is that I bought a large comet goldfish ( I think)and they told me that leaving it in a 5-10g aquarium would be fine. I obviously knew that this wouldn't work because goldfish grow to a pretty big size. It is because of those reasons that I joined this forum in fish keeping and they have done so much for helping me.