Sick Rainbow, Can't Diagnose

[Scrotius]

[reposted from the "Cyprinids, Characins and Atherinids" by recommendation]

Hi all, I'm a bit worried about one of my Neon rainbows but can't work out what might be wrong with her.
She's in a 100L planted tank with 6 (2 male 4 female) others + 1 red rainbow and 4 tiger green barbs.
She's got a lump on one side of her that's been there more than a month - first I thought it was an injury from fighting though she doesnt get hassled often.
The only other symptom is, she is always breathing heavily, gills flared out, other than that, she is swimming and feeding fine.
None of the other fish in the tank are suffering from either of the symptoms.
I don't even know if the two symptoms are connected :\ they did appear around the same time.
Has anyone got any idea what this is? Should I be quarantining her?
Thanks!

 

[GAB99]

she looks really battered IMO, it woudnt hurt to isolate to avoid dosing the whole tank, unless wilder says not to, shell be able to help you.

 

[WILDER]

What are your water stats in ammonia, nitrate, and ph.

The lump did it just suddenly appear.
Is the lump hard looking, or soft like filled with fluid.
Any redness to the lump.
Is the lump beneath the skin, it looks more on top in the pic.

The gills do they look red and inflamed. As they don't look like it in the pic.
Or do they look pale with excess slime.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.

 

[Scrotius]

HI Wilder, not sure about ammonia and nitrate, but I did a nitrite test and it read <0.3mg/l
pH is 7ish

The lump did appear suddenly, no reddness, looks hard to me, and it's definitely beneath the scales.

The gills are not red atall, just constantly wide open, can't see any slime

No signs of flicking or rubbing at all.

Thanks for the quick response

 

[WILDER]

If it hard looking it could be a tumour.
All I can really advise is issolating the sick fish and try a bacterial med.
Lumps that suddenly appear are usually bacterial.

If she's breathing heavily the med could finish her off.

 

[Scrotius]

wow I really didn't realise that's what it could be but ofcourse fish can get tumours
I have isolated her and given her the anti bactericidal, I've aerated the water loads so hopefully she isn't in danger of suffocating

If it's a tumour then should the gills clear up but the lump remain?
if it's a tumour then it won't be contagious and i can put her back in with her buddies after her breathing clears up right?

thanks for your help

 

[WILDER]

I think her gills are sticking out because of the heavy breathing. Anti internal bacterial med treats bacterial gill rot.
The interpet med in my opinion is only good on mild bacteria infections.

 

[Scrotius]

but would the heavy breathing be a symptom of the turmour?
none of the other fish are breathing heavily in the tank

 

[WILDER]

Yes it can be the tumour.
Fish can heavy breath for lots or reasons, toxins, bad water quality, parasites, bacterial, etc.

 

[Scrotius]

OK well, I'll leave her in quarantine for a week with the treatment, then put her back in the tank, whether her breathing is back to normal or not.
Thanks for your help

 

[WILDER]

Good Luck.
Let me know how she gets on if you don't mind.

 

[Scrotius]

Hi Wilder,
Unfortunately I woke up today to find her dead, she kept going for 10 days - looked like she wasn't improving or degenerating
the lump does not seem to have burst, so sounds like you were right about the tumour

 

[WILDER]

Bless Her.
R.I.P.

Thanks for the update.
Just do some water change for the next few days on main tank.