disease!

[kevinf]

Hi, I have a black tetra (black widow tetra). It has some "growth" on its face above its eye. There are these two tiny bumps normally on the tetras' nose area; on one of the tetras one of the tiny bumps is very swollen and seems to have a white long "thing" visable in it. It actally looks like a small white worm perhaps...Anyone know what this is and what I should do?

Thanks

 

[Lateral Line]

The thing, is it actually a worm? Can you see it moving for example, or is it just a filament of something that wafts about when the fish moves?

I have seen in marine fish, parasitic worms living in spiracles and head pores, but not in a tetra. I am more inclined to think that the head pore of the fish is infected with hexamita or a similar protozoan, which although not common, does happen.

Presumably the other fish in your tank are happy and normal, and that your water parameters are fine. Most infctions of this type clear up themselves if it hasn't gone too far if the fish is in good water conditions. Depending on the cause, something like Octozin may help, but you'll need to be more sure about what it is before treating. Treating with the wrong stuff can cause more stress, lower the immune response and make matters worse.

 

[kevinf]

The thing, is it actually a worm? Can you see it moving for example, or is it just a filament of something that wafts about when the fish moves?

I have seen in marine fish, parasitic worms living in spiracles and head pores, but not in a tetra. I am more inclined to think that the head pore of the fish is infected with hexamita or a similar protozoan, which although not common, does happen.

Presumably the other fish in your tank are happy and normal, and that your water parameters are fine. Most infctions of this type clear up themselves if it hasn't gone too far if the fish is in good water conditions. Depending on the cause, something like Octozin may help, but you'll need to be more sure about what it is before treating. Treating with the wrong stuff can cause more stress, lower the immune response and make matters worse.

Hi ‘Lateral Line’, thanks for the help. I am a rookie with aquariums….4 months

The “worm” does not look like a worm, I should have chosen different words; it looks like very thick puss extruding from above his eye (not from his eye socket at all, but above it where there is usually a small “bump” above each eye-I don’t know what this is called) encased or surrounded in a transparent “coating”. The coating is a round, clear, piece of skin, that is a circular bulge.

I have good water conditions: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, undetectable on my tests. That is about < 0.1-0.3 PPM or mg/L. I do a 15% water change once a week with “hovering” when necessary. I have my water chem. results confirmed a few times at my local fish store. I have had no sick fish in this tank for the last 2 months of the 4 month I have had the tank (the tank was purchased 5 years used from an “experienced user”). This sick fish, (“black widow tetra”) did go through “cycling” in my first tank 4 months ago (I would fishless cycle now add as few fish at a time as possible after the first “small” cycle.) However my five other B.W. Tetras are fine and so are my other fish in a 29g.

Thanks for anyone’s comments,
Kev

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Is the tetra going very pale in appearance?
Does it look anything like this;

http/www.fishpalace.org/ntd_qianhu.jpg

http/www.fishpalace.org/ntdmaybe_monaholmstrom.jpg

 

[Lateral Line]

Have you the possibility to isolate the fish for treatment? Always much easier to treat a fish in a small tank then treating a whole tank.

Without seeing it, I cannot be sure, but it still sounds like hexamita to me. This can, and does occur in many grouprs of fish, not just cichlids, which are the most common group displaying the problem. I'd be tempted to treat the fish in isolation with Octozin, using the recommended dosage for the tank size. It is not a particulaly toxic preparation, so if it is wrong, is not going to cause big problems.

A simple salt bath, say 25g of aquarium grade salt per liter for 20-30 minutes might help as well, although the "pus" will likely prevent the salt from reaching the causative agents inside the spiracle. Keep your eye on the fish and remove it early if it shows obvious distress. Tetras usually are okay with short salt baths, although not long term salt exposure, (wrecks the kidney).

Bear in mind, salt as a treatment in isolation can be a good thing. It is wrong to routinely add salt to freshwater tanks, it is a pollutant. Also bear in mind, that certain types of fish, particulaly scaleless fish are very sensitive to salt and will quickly die in a salt bath.

BTW, I edited your post, it was showing up in big characters.

 

[kevinf]

UPDATE:
He is not going pale and still eating and acting almost normal (a bit slower than usual). He seems to be recovering because the "tumor" is getting smaller. I can send pics via email, but there seems to be no picture attachment option here....The tumor is now half the size it was but more "red and sore" looking , thus this might not be a recovery. It does look a bit like the first picture Tokis-Phoenix posted a link too.....I do not have an isolation tank but will soon, do you think 5g is big enough for a isolation tank considering that I have a 21g , 29g and want a 75g soon....? I do have aquarium salts, how about giving a salt bath for 20-30 mins in a ziplock bag within the tank? This should keep the temperature consistent....but anyone know about any significant toxic leaching that could occur from a ziplock bag?- is this a crazy idea considering I dont have an isolation tank?

 

[Lateral Line]

A salt bath is often done in a plastic sandwich box with just a liter of water, you don't really need to worry much about the temperature for a short period unless you live in an igloo.

Normally, things like hexamita do recover by themselves if the process has not gone too far, and in good water conditions. It is a fact that experienced fishkeepers who know how to maintain their stock rarely have any "common" diseases, the fish are able to take care of themselves in good water, low stress environments.

I am not totally sure what a ziplock bag is, if it is something suitable for food use, then I would be happy using it. if you feel the need.