Cyst on cleaner wrasse

[gflat65]

This is a horrible shot, but my cleaner wrasse has a cyst near the tail that he is starting to try to scratch off on the rocks. It is the white spot that is very close to the tail. It is actually about 1/8-3/16" long and about 1/16-3/32" wide and extends off the body about 3/32". Will he be able to scratch it off the body, or will it go away by some other means? He's had it for about two or three weeks now.

As many know, photographing fast moving wrasses with a non manual focusing camera is difficult. My camera does a great job outside of the tank, but typically focuses on whatever I'm trying not to focus on... I need a freakin SLR...

 

[Angela Short]

Could it be a lymphocyst spot? Can't tell from the photo but sounds like it from description. Try a search but I am sure I didn't spell it right. SWF.com has a good gallery of pics of lympho in the disease section. Hope it resolves itself.

 

[fishdoc11]

Looked like a lymphocyst to me also when I saw it....could be wrong though.....

 

[Angela Short]

You mean I spelled it right by chance? :lol:

 

[fishdoc11]

I guess..I was copying your spelling

 

[gflat65]

Chris,

Did you say yours just went away? I just noticed the wrasse scratching today on that area. Is that potentially a sign of anything to come?

 

[fishdoc11]

Yes the one my Scotts had just went away. I can't remember if scratching was a part of it or not.

 

[rcmike]

I had a chromis that had a similar spot once. It eventually went away on it's own also. Maybe you need a cleaner wrass cleaner?

 

[Angela Short]

If it is a lympho spot it is a virus kinda like a wart and they can come and go. Ussually isolated to more the fin areas and kinda cauliflower looking. They ussually don't have the desire to scratch them best I can remember and I have had a anthia and a Cbb with them without scratching involved FWIW. I was told you can catch them and scrape it off with a fingernail by a LFS worker but opted to not go that rout. I killed my 1st Cbb before his went away and the anthias eventually went away on its own. As long as it doesn't spread I wouldn't worry to bad although it can pepper the finns more than just one spot. Stress is said to cause an outbreak in a infected fish but the spot ussually fall off if everything is good in the tank with chemistry and tank mate stress.

 

[gflat65]

I've had some miscues with the chiller over the last few weeks (seemingly, controller related), so the water temps have gotten high a few times. That was also when I noticed mystery spots on the other fish (which have all gone away now). I guess, as long as I keep the temp to normal operating levels, it will go away...