bizarre growths only on black scales question.

[KaptainZ]

history: i have a 37g live planted tank in it i have a young dwarf pleco, 7ish mollies, dwarf pleco, and 3 other sucker fish(i think they are panda gorys). my mental health took a turn for the worst and i neglected all tank care.(im better now and im fixing problems around my life, house, and fish tank)

After a few generations of mollies i started to notice ONLY where they have black scales they had lumps and protruding scales, almost like an overgrowth of black scales. i must also note that they seem to live happily, eating swimming and pooping just fine. The pet store guy said he thinks its a result of inbreeding, just wondering what others think. ill add pictures as soon as i can.

 

[emeraldking]

That's melanoma. That happens when there's a too high concentration present of melanophores (dark color cells). When that happens, growth will appear which are basically tumors. If you're lucky it will be stagnant. But most of the times, it will become bigger. There's no cure for that. If it's only in the scale, you can get rid of that scale(s). But you'll leave a translucent spot on the skin. A new scale can grow but won't get the original color anymore. But if I were you, I would wait and see if it remains growing or not. If it doesn't, leave it, I'd say... The fish itself won't die from it.

 

[KaptainZ]

ok thank you for the information, its good to know that it is unlikely to be lethal and that there is little i need to do in response.