Black Ghost Knife - Swollen And Side Now Ruptured

[sven_sol]

Hi All,

A couple of days ago, our black ghost knife fish began to look a bit swolen around his belly area. Last night, his side developed a small pea sized (actually - about half the size of a sweetcorn) bump.

I've come home from work to see that the bump has split and what looks like a little bit of fluff is coming out.

I dont know i thats fungus or his flesh!!!



HELP!! What could it be!?

I changed some of the filter media in the tank at the weekend, however the tests come back clear - no ammonia/nitrite/minimal nitrate - so can't be bad conditions...

I found a baby guppy in a tank that I'm shutting down and I brought that into my main tank, that can't be to blame though could it!?

Thanks!

Sven

 

[WILDER]

Any internal organs coming out of the split.
If organs swell they can rupture through the fish skin.
Or does it look like a tumour that has ruptured.
Does he look in pain.

 

[sven_sol]

Any internal organs coming out of the split.
If organs swell they can rupture through the fish skin.
Or does it look like a tumour that has ruptured.
Does he look in pain.

Hi Wilder!

No, no organs - but a bit fluffy. I'll see if I can take a picture later.

It it's a tumour, then would that account for the main digestive area swelling up?

No, not in pain - not that I can tell. He is hovering a lot more in near a couple of plants, but come feeding time he's just as active as before.

 

[minxfishy]

Sounds nasty, could he had cut himself and got an infection in it, before it burst to release the gunk?

How old is he?

Its hard what to advise to use with a BGKF, they are so sensitive to meds, I would suggest daily water changes to try and help heal it up.

 

[sven_sol]

He's about 2 years old - about 7 or 8 inches long (hard to get a tape measure near him

Here's one of the best images I've managed to take. you can see it behind his fin on the top.

 

[WILDER]

All you can do is issolate the fish and try a bacterial med, even if you have to half dose.
If the tumour pressing hard on organs yes they can swell up.

 

[sven_sol]

All you can do is issolate the fish and try a bacterial med, even if you have to half dose.
If the tumour pressing hard on organs yes they can swell up.

Half dose, is that because he's scale less?

Would I need to treat the entire tank?

 

[minxfishy]

If not other fish are showing any symptoms, then you dont have to and it saves the other fish being medicated when they dont need it, but if you have nowhere else to treat him, then dont worry.

Half dose because hes scaleless and because of the sensitivity to meds.

How is it looking this morning?

 

[sven_sol]

If not other fish are showing any symptoms, then you dont have to and it saves the other fish being medicated when they dont need it, but if you have nowhere else to treat him, then dont worry.

Nothing else at the moment - so had to do it in the big tank.

Half dose because hes scaleless and because of the sensitivity to meds.

12(ish)ml added to the tank, as per instructed -

How is it looking this morning?

The same really. I caught him and took a couple of pictures.

 

[minxfishy]

From that angle you can really see the swelling, bless him. What med are you using?

 

[sven_sol]

I'm using Interpet No. 9 - Anti Internal Bacteria medication.

Hmmm... one of our Moonlight Gorami has got pop-eye.. The medication will take care of the too.

think I must have contracted something during the water change - I hope so... that way I know what it is as opposed to a tumour.

 

[minxfishy]

Good med, hope it works, I also hope you havent contracted something during the water change, why do you think that?

 

[sven_sol]

just a bit of a coincidence: sick bgkf, pop-eye moonlight, and a silver-tip tetra with slightly redder gills. Could be normal, not looked at him that close.

All in a week...

With the stats reading ok, I think it must be something that I introduced at the weekend. hope its not the filter!!

 

[minxfishy]

Ah ok, I read it that YOU personally had contracted something during the water change!

What did you add recently? How much media did you change?

 

[sven_sol]

Ah ok, I read it that YOU personally had contracted something during the water change!

What did you add recently? How much media did you change?

Naah.. I'm fine

Only the water and filter. Changed the Carbon filter, the Nitrate removal filter, and one other - basically the top section of the filter, but I left the deep core sponges alone.

Thats why I've been checking the stats often - they're spot on! Infact, even lower nitrate than I've had for months!