new one for me, is this a tumor?

[billberet]

hey,
i have an ID shark that developed this white 'bubble' on it's back.
this bubble developed in 24 hrs. very quick.

it's not fuzzy, so i don't believe it is ick. any ideas?
i'm thinking a tumor. or maybe bacteria.

what should i do for treatment.
i added stress coat and my UV is running 24/7

ammonia=0
nitrite=0
nitrate=20
tmp=82f

i am sorry for the blurry pic, but you know how hard it is to keep an ID shark from swimming !!!!!!

 

[jlk]

Hi! Maybe he injured himself on something? Tumors do not grow overnight- they take months or even years to develop. I really can not tell what I am looking at in the pic- it just looks like a white spot. Its too large to be ich but its possible it may be an infection. I would just observe it for now and see if it heals on its own. If it doesnt, treatment will be difficult without an id of the issue and a qt tank.

 

[billberet]

thanks,
i was thinking as much, maybe he hit himself on rocks.
i will observe.

 

[billberet]

shark got a few more white circles but only one is producing a small ball then popping in 2-3 days. it's done this 2 times already.

it's hard to describe, it's not fuzzy like a cotton ball, it would be more like 'micro fiber' if it is small fuzz, it's really small fuzz.... there is a bit of a hump where the infection is located as you can see in the 3rd picture.

i have not medicated yet till i see fuzz. if it's a virus it just has to run it's course. none of the other fish are affected.

small white ball, then POP.
the pics below are after the POP of the ball that developes every 2-3 days.
it's as clear as i can get with an ID shark that loves to swim.

he eats everything and does not seem bothered or stressed, as you can see he's plump and all fins look good.

 

[jlk]

Very odd. I actually have no personal experience with what you are dealing with but I found references to the strange blisters being caused by either a virus or a ciliated parasite called trichodinid. Theres a brief mention of the trichodinid class in the link below with a mention of them causing bubbles/blisters. Hopefully, some other members may have some ideas!

Merck Veterinary Manual

 

[billberet]

good find, i'll explore the trichodinids.
i was thinking more of the virus cause i think the fish would try to scratch the area if it was a parasite.


Lymphocystis is a good canidate.
"The Lymphocystis virus causes small white swellings on fins and bodies of infected fish. There is no cure for this disease but most fish recover from the disease by themselves."

 

[billberet]

i put fish in QT tank and medicated with PimaFix and MelaFix
That seemed to do the trick, no more white bubbles forming and it looks as if the circular sore is starting to close up. it could have been a virus that just ran it's course, or the medication is working, we'll never know.

i'll medicate for a week and see how he looks, if all is well, it's back into the DT to be with his friends, lol

 

[billberet]

well while in the QT he was looking like he was getting better.
put him back in the DT and now he's covered in white sores again.
just like the pics above, but now it's on his side, tail, nose.
their is actually a big hole in his nose now, i'm amazed that he is showing NO signs of stress.

he is eating like a pig, has great black color and loves to swim.

1) no scratching on items in tank, so i don't think it's a parasite.
2) it's too big of a sore to be ich.
3) there is no fuzz so i don't think it's fungus.

i am back to my origional diagnosis of a virus, and i have to let it run it's course. i have been adding melafix every day for over a week now, the oils should coat him so there is no secondary infections. there are 21 other fish in the tank and they are all fine.

I am keeping UV on 24hrs to kill anything floating.

anyone have .02 to give?

 

[jlk]

Its very strange case here. All I can suggest is to continue on the course your on for now & watch him closely. You may want to consider qt'ing him again & treating with kanamycin at some point especially if the sores are not healing well. Whatever the issue is, it seems to be an internal/systemic one but without a microscope, its impossible to say whether its bacterial or viral. Good luck!

 

[billberet]

it's been over 2 weeks since putting him back in the DT.
some of the sores have cleared up while other are still white craters.
Still medicating the tank daily, no other fish are sick.

the ID shark is eating well and has a nice silky black color.
i'm sticking with virus still. i'll keep on doing what i'm doing.
see what happens in a few weeks.

 

[billberet]

**update**
it's been several weeks.
i stopped medicating the tank.

i am happy to say it was a virus that ran it's course.
all the sores healed up, no one else is infected.
all is well with the world again!

 

[jlk]

Glad to hear this!