My Goldfish Has A Growth

[cabbage]

This is my 1st time on here so I'm not sure what I am doing. I am trying to find some help for my goldfish. I have had him 5 years and he is in a large tank with 1 other goldfish who is fine. My fish has a growth on his side. It is cream coloured and looks hard and quite smooth. He has had this for as long as I can remember but it is definately getting bigger, it looks like it is bursting out of his side. It looks nasty but he eats fine and seems happy enough.
Any advice would be appreciated,

 

[Truck]

This is my 1st time on here so I'm not sure what I am doing. I am trying to find some help for my goldfish. I have had him 5 years and he is in a large tank with 1 other goldfish who is fine. My fish has a growth on his side. It is cream coloured and looks hard and quite smooth. He has had this for as long as I can remember but it is definately getting bigger, it looks like it is bursting out of his side. It looks nasty but he eats fine and seems happy enough.
Any advice would be appreciated,

how big is your tank?

and sometimes IMO goldfish can get tumerous growths on their heads, i dont think there treatable but if the fish ever becomes unhappy then it may be for the best to euthanize him

 

[cabbage]

Don't know how big in terms of litres to be honest but it measure approx 40cms wide and the same deep and approx 48 cms tall. Does that help?

This is my 1st time on here so I'm not sure what I am doing. I am trying to find some help for my goldfish. I have had him 5 years and he is in a large tank with 1 other goldfish who is fine. My fish has a growth on his side. It is cream coloured and looks hard and quite smooth. He has had this for as long as I can remember but it is definately getting bigger, it looks like it is bursting out of his side. It looks nasty but he eats fine and seems happy enough.
Any advice would be appreciated,

how big is your tank?

and sometimes IMO goldfish can get tumerous growths on their heads, i dont think there treatable but if the fish ever becomes unhappy then it may be for the best to euthanize him

 

[Truck]

about 80 litres, a bit on the pokey side for a goldfish

 

[Imber]

What is your water change schedule like? I've read about growths that sound similar to your fish's that are causes by waterborne viruses so sadly they aren't curable, but they can be controlled with salt and large water changes. A uv sterilizer might help too if it is a viral thing. Otherwise it could just be a tumor that you can't really do anything about other than make the fish comfortable.

 

[cabbage]

I do change the water regularly. When you say 'salt' do you mean I should try adding some salt to the tank? I will try the sterilizer too.

What is your water change schedule like? I've read about growths that sound similar to your fish's that are causes by waterborne viruses so sadly they aren't curable, but they can be controlled with salt and large water changes. A uv sterilizer might help too if it is a viral thing. Otherwise it could just be a tumor that you can't really do anything about other than make the fish comfortable.

 

[Imber]

I'd do a couple of big water changes(like 80%) and add salt at a dose of 1 tsp/gallon. You can use sea salt, kosher salt, canning salt or aquarium salt. Just make sure that the only ingredient is salt. Table salts contain an anti-caking agent which is potentially harmful to fish. Personally I use canning/pickling salt because it's cheap and has finer granules that make it easier to dissolve. Just mix the salt with a little bit of tank water until it's dissolved and then add it. You don't have to remove your carbon or anything just add back the amount you remove during water changes. To get your salinity at .3% you just add the 1tsp/gallon dose 3 times with a period of 12 hours between each dose. This way your fish will be eased into it gently. Salt is a very gentle treatment and is great for healing and knocking off some types of parasites, but rarely goldfish can be sensitive so just watch and make sure their behavior stays the same after each dose. Personally I salt every fish that I get as part of my quarantine process. I'd run it for a couple of weeks and hopefully you'll see some improvement over that time. Good luck with your little guy I hope you see some improvement

 

[cabbage]

I will try the salt treatment and see if it makes any difference. I'm really grateful for your advice, thank you





[uote name='Imber' date='Dec 10 2008, 05:53 PM' post='2210277']
I'd do a couple of big water changes(like 80%) and add salt at a dose of 1 tsp/gallon. You can use sea salt, kosher salt, canning salt or aquarium salt. Just make sure that the only ingredient is salt. Table salts contain an anti-caking agent which is potentially harmful to fish. Personally I use canning/pickling salt because it's cheap and has finer granules that make it easier to dissolve. Just mix the salt with a little bit of tank water until it's dissolved and then add it. You don't have to remove your carbon or anything just add back the amount you remove during water changes. To get your salinity at .3% you just add the 1tsp/gallon dose 3 times with a period of 12 hours between each dose. This way your fish will be eased into it gently. Salt is a very gentle treatment and is great for healing and knocking off some types of parasites, but rarely goldfish can be sensitive so just watch and make sure their behavior stays the same after each dose. Personally I salt every fish that I get as part of my quarantine process. I'd run it for a couple of weeks and hopefully you'll see some improvement over that time. Good luck with your little guy I hope you see some improvement
[/quote]

 

[black angel]

sounds like koi pox ...does it look like hardened wax?

tumours yes could be, but no need to destroy a fish because of it. just watch it and see if it grows bigger

 

[Regena]

Hi "Cabbage",

I realise that you posted this mail over a month ago but I just came across this forum today.

You mention about a growth on your fish. I am not a fish expert but I think of three causes:

1) non-malignant growth
2) bacterial infection
3) cancerous growth

Do you have a vet nearby that treats fish? I recommend that you have your fish examined by a professional.

I am fortunate to have a vet not too far from where I live, who treats fish, because it seems that many small animal vets in the UK do not treat fish.

My fish had a little white spot on his lower jaw. Over time it developed into a pinhead. Then it began to expand and start to look like a cauliflower shape. I could see tiny bloodvessels wrapped around the tumour, feeding it. The development from a spot to a lumpy growth took a long time, I think a couple of years. Finally I thought that the lump might start to bother my fish when he is eating, so I called the vet that I mentioned above. The vet anaesthesized the fish and cut away the growth. This was over a year ago. The vet assured me that the growth was non-malignant but he also warned me that it might come back. Thankfully, so far it hasn't.

Just to let you know there may be a treatment out there for your fish; I think your first call is to find a qualified vet.

Best wishes

Regena

 

[lheide]

HELP my goldie has lived with me for 5 years in a 29 gallon tank. he is fed every day seems happy eats swims and all but has this white lump on his side. it is gross even though it does not seem to bother him but every once in a while it starts bleeding PLEASE HELP ME!!!

 

[the biffster]

i think this is one for
wilder to take a look at

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Two of my goldfish have "growths" - one has a growth on it's head; however it isn't effecting the fish in the slightest and he's eating perfectly well (it has however stunted his growth).

My other goldfish is a young one; and I had a chinese algae eater (do NOT mix them) who attacked the fish when it went near it's 'home' so it pulled a few of the scales off (the chinese algae eaters went unfortunately); and where the scales were pulled off a little "lump" has grown.

Neither are a problem for the fish; if it isn't a problem for your fish I would just keep a close eye on it and if you can see it affecting the fish in a negative way then sort it out then....

EDIT: A photo would really help.

 

[lheide]

Two of my goldfish have "growths" - one has a growth on it's head; however it isn't effecting the fish in the slightest and he's eating perfectly well (it has however stunted his growth).

My other goldfish is a young one; and I had a chinese algae eater (do NOT mix them) who attacked the fish when it went near it's 'home' so it pulled a few of the scales off (the chinese algae eaters went unfortunately); and where the scales were pulled off a little "lump" has grown.

Neither are a problem for the fish; if it isn't a problem for your fish I would just keep a close eye on it and if you can see it affecting the fish in a negative way then sort it out then....

EDIT: A photo would really help.

Ok thanks a lot!!

 

[Bubbles O_0]

Hi,
I’m most curious about a growth on my long-bodied goldfish; something quite unusual:

• It is a “raspberry-like” growth at the top of the fish’s body, just behind the head (behind the gills). The growth does not cause any obstruction to the gills.
• It appears to be a soft growth, softening the scales in the affected area, and almost appears to be filled with fluid.
• The growth is about the size of a small peanut, and has stopped growing any larger.
• The growth appeared in about the last 6 months.

The fish doesn’t seem affected by this growth, and feeds and behaves quite normally. Please let me know if you have ANY idea, or experience of this, or what might have caused it.

_