Strange Lump

[Waterloo Kid]

My M. Ramirezi developed a large growth on the underside of its mouth. There has been a slight lump with blood streaks in it for a few weeks but I just put it down to an injury sustained during on of its many 'I'm a cichlid' moments it has with the other rams. It suddenly enlarged a couple of days ago and the fish has just hung out at the bottom of the tank doing nothing since. I'm not even sure if he's going to be alive when I get home.

Any ideas what the problem could be?

WK

 

[Waterloo Kid]

Well, he's still alive but not in good shape. His colour is all wrong and he just stits at the bottom of the tank doing nothing. I've added a picture here.

Anyone recognise it?

WK

 

[Juggernaut22988]

tumor?

 

[MAM]

it might take some reading but try this:
http/www.aquaworldnet.com/awmag/diseases.htm#lip
http/www.aquaworldnet.com/awmag/diseases.htm

 

[commanderdoom21]

Tumor=kill it before sufferage

 

[KimmyFishy89]

Possible tumor. But never terminate a fish until you are 100% sure it WILL be fatal and will result in the fish suffering immensly before death.

 

[Waterloo Kid]

Unfortunately he died. Problem now is that one of the other rams is looking very stressed. He's off colour and his fins look tattered. I haven't seen him being bullied or anything but he looks awful. Any ideas as to why this should now be happening?

WK

 

[semper fi]

what are the water parameters of your tank? could be a sign of high ph

 

[rsz]

if the fins are tattered, it could be fin rot, and he could look off colour cos of that

 

[semper fi]

fin rot is usually also accompanied by a redness at the base of the fins. shredded or tattered fins are sometimes a sign of high ph.

the off color coudl also be due to the fish becoming stressed due to the ph. color loss is often a sign of stress.

 

[Waterloo Kid]

I have been medicating the tank recently due to an outbreak of white spot. Could that have altered the pH??? I will check all parameters this evening before the water change. When you say high, what would you class as high?

WK

 

[Waterloo Kid]

Well, I'm not a happy person. I have lost all three rams in the space of a couple of weeks. The two remaining rams both showed the same symptoms. They were very lethargic, lost colour and had a cloudy film over their bodies(I'm assuming that was excess mucus production, it was not velvet). They both had cloudy eyes and did not eat. They would both show signs of fitting (fast short bursts of shuddering throughout the body).

Can anyone help me with this? They were about a year old so it could have been old age as they are short lived but for the two to die on the same day is a bit of a coincidence don't you think.

By the way, the pH was up a bit at 7.6-7.8. It's usually down at 7.2-7.4.

Time to regroup and look for some more fish I suppose!

WK