Thyroid

[maadi]

Has anyone ever tried to treat a fish for a swollen thyroid?

 

[Colin_T]

What makes you think the fish has a swollen thyroid?

 

[StevenF]

I have never treated a fish for a swollen thyroid. I don't even know where it is. In people the thyroid will typically swell if there is insufficient iodine in the diet or drinking water.

I did however have shrimp that became increasingly inactive. They would simply sit there and not move. Adding iodine quickly resolved the situation. I have found only 10 parts per billion of iodine was sufficient to avoid the zombie problem.. When I started I the concentration in my tank was probably a lot higher but I observed no adverse effects. You can use potassium iodide. and a scale to measure the correct ammount. An easier way would be to simply buy a bottle of Seachem iodine. It has instructions on the bottle to target a specific concentration in your tank. They sell if for salt water tanks but it is the same stucff ( potassium iodide) that I use.

 

[maadi]

Thanks, @StevenF! I'll look into that product.

@Colin_T, my danio has one distended gill, with pink/red flesh bulging out and no other symptoms. In the other thread I started asking what the problem might be, you suggested a gill tumor but said there is no cure. In searching for information about gill tumors to try to confirm that is the problem, I found two websites describing swollen thyroid causing swelling at the gill. They suggested treatments with iodine (each slightly different), but I don't know what type of iodine/iodide to use. The fish isn't showing signs of discomfort despite the drastic bulge, but it seems to be getting larger each day. At some point I'll either need to try to treat it or gently euthanize him--and I'd rather try to save him.

www.nationalfishpharm.com/fish_diseases/physical_changes.html

www.conwaytropicalfish.com/tips.htm