Neon Tetra With Bumps In Gills (one Side Only)

[rich815]

I've had a very healthy and happy 10-gal aquarium for a little while now with no problems. Today though one of my neon tetras (of 6) has what looks like whitish lumps in one of his gills. Only on one side. I tried a Google search for "bumps on gills, neon tetras" with little help. Anyone give me a clue? Thanks. Richard

 

[SkiFletch]

are the bumps on the actual gills themselves, or on the covering to the gills? what color, size, and texture are they? does the fish rub or flick against rocks, plants, etc like he's scratching? any new fish additions? what are your water stats in pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

 

[rich815]

are the bumps on the actual gills themselves, or on the covering to the gills? what color, size, and texture are they? does the fish rub or flick against rocks, plants, etc like he's scratching? any new fish additions? what are your water stats in pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

Hello, thanks for the reply.

Size: each bump about the size of the fish's eye mabye smaller.
Color: whitish, maybe tad yellow
Texture: seem smooth, there looks to be maybe 3-4 clumped together on his left side inside the gill making his gill cover bulge out.

No rubbing, flixking or scratching, in fact he seems alert and fine.

Added a couple of male guppies a week or so ago. They look fine.

Water stats all in normal ranges. pH fine, ammonia and others almost zero.

Could it be eggs?

Thanks for you thoughts,

Richard

 

[SkiFletch]

I dont think it could be eggs. I'm not terribly well versed in gill diseases so hopefully someone else can offer more advice. The only things I can think of are gill flukes, columnaris, or velvet. But like I said, I'm not by any means an authority on gill diseases and how to treat them

 

[WILDER]

If they are clumped together do they look like a cauliflower.

 

[WILDER]

Plus has the neon lost any colour in his red stripe, like it bleached out.

 

[rich815]

Plus has the neon lost any colour in his red stripe, like it bleached out.

The bumps look sort of cauliflower like, it's hard to tell as he keeps moving and he's small and the gills are too. As for loss of color, no, he's as bright and colorful as ever and as much as the other ones. He looks perfectly fine; alert, colorful, he's eating actively, no scratching or rubbing on anything---just the left gill cover is enlarged and he has these bumps under the gill cover.

I have at least 5 other neon tetras in there and no others have it. Nor do my 3 guppies, two catfish and dwarf blue goraumi.

Overall the tank is quite healthy; I have a number of live plants in there (for over 4 months now---all growing nicely), a few snails (that are breeding) and the chemicals tests are all good. Temperature stable. Small bit of algae on the glass that I clean weekly as it does not grow too fast. Good environment otherwise....

 

[WILDER]

There under the gill flap, are the gills red and inflamed also, is he heavy breathing, could be a parasite when they bit and suck they can go into bumps like us, it hard on a neon tetra there so small, look at it with a magifying glass, normally you remove the fish from the tank in a wet clean cloth soaked in tank water, to observe behind the gill flaps to see if you can see anything attached.

 

[WILDER]

Is the fish heavy breathing.

I would just read this, but never known it start at the gill area, are you sure the fish is not twitching in postition like something is irratating him, or flicking and rubbing or shaking.
http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/neondisease.htm