Re-Occuring Problem

[star4]

Basic background.
 
I rescued some fish approx 3 years ago now. 2 uaru, a chocolate cichlid and a jurupari from a 2ft tank (yes all of them in a 2ft tank)
 
It took me a while to get them sorted out, worming, changed diet etc the one Uaru (Eric) is fine, a now lovely 11" chap no problems at all. The jurupari cured of HITH, wormed and has been fine since.
 
Bogie the Chocolate cichlid and Bill the second Uaru have the same re-occuring problem. They are in different tanks.
 
Near enough every 10-12 weeks both of these fish develop a swollen anus, within days of each other. The swelling is like a segmented blister in appearance, if you can imagine an tiny peeled orange that has had all the orange removed and just the translucent skin, that is what the swelling looks like. It appears to be filled with clear fluid??!!!
 
Bill will hang in the water nose down and Eric will bite at his anus as if he is trying to help Bill, which aggrovates the swelling then it bursts and is no longer visible. Bogie the Chocolate will go off his food for a couple of days, and then the swelling will start to go down after a week or so. While the swelling is visible I just to extra water changes and turn on the UV. The stats on both tanks are ammonia 0, nitrite o nitrate barely showing.
 
It is not worms they have been wormed regularly since I rescued them because this is what I thought was the reason for the swelling. It is not constipation because the pass motions easily with this swelling and their diets have been changed and both get more veg, peas etc. They are both male but its not the papilia swollen. They dont flick or rub.
 
Bill is approx 8-9" smaller than he should be so stunting is an issue the same with Bogie the chocolate, strange that these two got stunted but Eric didnt. Bogie is approx 10" so both are not really tiny stunted, just not as big as they could be.
 
The only other thing is Bogie cannot tollerate nitrates over 20, he starts gasping at the surface - which I have never known a fish do this before.
 
In general both fish have good body condition, although Bill is a little slimmer than Eric. I have changed their diets over the last 3 years but I just do not seem to be able to stop this happening. I have even left on the UV but this makes no difference either.

 

[WILDER]

Does the swelling cover the anus?
Just check there no lumps beneath the skin around that area.
It sounds bacterial to me if it keeps going and coming back.
Is there anything in the fluid when it bursts? Like worms.

 

[WILDER]

Star just read this to make sure.
 

Myxosporidiosis

 

 

Symptoms:

Fish exhibit numerous white cysts on the skin and gills. Cysts can become very large causing the skin overlying the gills to swell, which will prevent the fish from getting enough oxygen. Because this disease affects the gills, fish may be seen at the surface, acting like they can't get enough air. In severe infestations, the fish may bloat up, with tumor-like protrusions and eventually die.
 


 

Cause: 

The myxosporidean parasite Henneguya.
 


 

Treatment: 

This disease is fairly difficult to treat. Increased aeration in combination with merbromin baths is the only current method for treatment.

 


 

 

[WILDER]

I know your fish don't have the blisters on the gills but just needed to rule it out.

 

[star4]

No it does not cover the anus at all. There is no lumps under the skin, just blister like. I have not seen anything come out when it bursts it just leaves flappy skin for a couple of days which drops off leaving no visible marks at all. 
 
That is what bogie (choccy cichlid) appeared to have to start with, he kept getting white lumps on his body, but *touch wood* he hasnt had any for 2 years now. They were not on his gills but usually sticking out of his body like a big zit, which I treated for flukes just in case but they were not flukes, whatever that was went away after a year here.
 
What ever it is only affects these two fish, which are in separate tanks, and does not affect any of the other fish they are housed with. its had me baffled for ages now. The heaters have guards so I know its not a burn.
 
Bacterial problem you say? which has made me think of the filters, this usually appears before the filters are due a clean. I am going to try for a few months cleaning the filters earlier see what happens. Just in case because of their past history they are affected by some bacteria build up in dirty filters or something silly like that.
 
Thanks Wilder

 

[WILDER]

I checked blister disease and that what it fetched..Myxosporidiosis  
See how it goes as it can also be bacterial.
Keep doing water changes as once they curst they can infect the tank.

 

[star4]

Water changes are done on the same days every week until these blisters appear then I do daily until they are gone. I think you are right it must be something bacterial. its always hard with a fish with a poor history sometimes

 

[WILDER]

Let us know how you get on if you don't mind.
 
Good Luck.