Distended/inflamed gill

maadi · Sep 16, 2020

My danio has a red swollen gill--just one. It seems to be getting worse by the day. It's really hard to get a good picture because he's still as active as ever, still eating and behaving normally, but the gill looks terrible. He must be feeling it even if he doesn't show it. None of the other fish appear to have the same problem. For the past week I've tried treating him with melafix and aquarium salt thinking it might be bacterial, and recently also started adding pimafix because it isn't getting better. Should I try General Cure or something else instead?

HoldenOn · Sep 16, 2020

@Colin_T

Colin_T · Sep 16, 2020

can't tell from the picture but it's probably a gill tumour and there's no cure if it is.

maadi · Sep 16, 2020

Thanks! Unfortunately that's the best picture I've been able to take so far because he doesn't stay still. How could I confirm that it's a gill tumor and not something else? What should I look for?

I tried googling for more information just now and found this website suggesting that a gill tumor may be related to the thyroid and treated with potassium iodine. http://www.conwaytropicalfish.com/tips.htm Does that sound correct? If so, where do I buy potassium iodine? Is it the same as potassium iodide, which is what I'm finding on Amazon?

Thanks!

Colin_T · Sep 16, 2020

No idea about using potassium iodide. I have never tried it and don't like adding chemicals to tanks. If they have specific information about dose rates and you have a spare tank to treat it, then try it if you like. But tumours are not normally curable in fish.

Gill tumours are normally the same colour as the gills (pink to red) and look like a odd shaped lump coming out from under the gill cover.

Other things that infect fish's gills include gill flukes, anchorworm and fish lice. However, anchorworm is long and cream/ white in colour and normally attaches to the body. Fish lice are reasonably large, round and grey and have legs.