BlueRam/Tumor?

[Cathy G]

Hi all,
One of my mature blue ram males has developed a bump on his side. It looks just like a bump or wart, has no 'head' like a pimple or anything. I'm assuming tumor and unless there is some mild recommended medicine for tumors there isn't much I can do, right? He is eating and swimming normally. The tank is very well maintained... lot of water changes, etc.

Cathy

Oops, Mod's how about putting this in the Health forum? I goofed up...

 

[Noddy65]

Hi Cathy
This could also be tuberculosis. The clinical signs of this disease are amazingly variable but any bump/lump in an apisto/dwarf cichlid/rainbow should have TB at the top of the list. My understanding is that it is endemic in south american dwarfs and most Aus/Pacific Rainbows.
Unfortunatley there isnt anything you can do about it if it is TB and it is 100% fatal (as far as Im aware....Andrew?).
My wife recently returned from an aquatic animal pathology course in the US and the general consensus is still to cull/destock/strip the tank and start again. There is no known treatment that will cure the fish.
Im not sure how common genuine cancers/tumours are in fish.
Andrew do you know?
Ill ask the wife when she gets back from work tonight....

Mike

 

[Noddy65]

Ok...chatted to the wife tonight about it...cancers certainly do occur in fish, fibromas being the most common.
Her feeling though was that TB (mycoplasma) must be at the top of the list because:
1. Location, Its unusual for a tumour to occur on the fishes side (but it does happen) and its a classic spot for TB lesions to occur.
2. Species: dwarfs cichlids are very commonly infected with TB, its the number one differential for a lump on a dwarf cichlid.

Hope that helps

Mike

 

[fishgeek]

mike means mycobacteria not mycoplasma

what colour is the lump?
some encysted parasites can cause swellings over area's of musculature without beng a big issue to the fish

TB is suggested as being as high as 30% incidence in aquatic hobby
so for all of use with more than 3 fish were likely to have one!!!

for that reason i sont advocate cull and restock

andrew

 

[Noddy65]

Oops...yep I meant mycobacteria.

Mike

 

[Cathy G]

for that reason i sont advocate cull and restock

Thanks - I assume you meant that you don't advocate cull and restock?

The bump is the same color as her skin. It doesn't seem to have scales at the very tip now. She is still eating and getting ready to spawn again... chasing the other fish around, etc.

If this is TB, I assume all of the other fish in that tank have been exposed and might be potential carriers, etc? (Yuck, my favorite pair of Bolivians is in that tank...)

Cathy

 

[Mike Wise]

As Andrew wrote, about 30% of all aquarium fish have been infected with TB. As long as they are in a healthy tank, well fed, and not subjected to excessive stress, their natural immune system will keep the disease at bay. I think one of the reasons I keep my breeding stock living longer than most is that I separate my females from the males after 2 or 3 spawns, just to give them a rest.

 

[fishgeek]

yep cathy i dont think there is any point trying eradicate it when chnaces are the restocking will reintroduce it

 

[Cathy G]

Tumor Picture

Hey,
Here is a picture of my tumor gal. Today I saw her sink down into the gravel and swim in place in an 'S' motion so I think that it might be beginning to effect her nervous system. Since I'm going on vacation next week, I'll probably have to put her to sleep the beginning of next week if not before.

Anyway, I thought you all might be interested in seeing this thing and any comments, suggestions, prognosis... would be appreciated. (Including sympathy! She was one of my first home grown rams...)

Cathy

 

[Eric C.]

Sorry for your fishes illness. She is a real beauty.

 

[beleg]

Sorry to hear. Nice looking Ram

 

[fishgeek]

if tb , it often affects the liver and spleen

electrolyte imbalances may be making here weak
in the photo she looks qute thin and irrespective f what s the cause of the swelling i dont feel this is going to have a positive outcome

andrew