Lymphocystis...

[Sk8r]

...had it pop up on a severely stressed fish: it's viral, looks like ich to those who don't know ich, but it's white irregular bumps that appear around the head and gills, usually; it's often 'around' to manifest in bad conditions, and this poor dartfish had been sucked into a vent and starved for 2 weeks until we could get him back.

I really was pretty sure we were going to lose him: but he's in great water, and had the will to eat---I fed that tank 5x yesterday to be sure he got something.

Today, one day later, no lymphocystis and a very active appetite. No treatment: there really isn't treatment for viral stuff; but really good water and a fish with a strong will to live did the trick.

If this shows up, don't pile on more stress trying to catch the fish, just bring your water to optimum and cross your fingers.

 

[travis32]

Sk8r, I have a Hippo with this. When people told me ich disappears in 3 days to start it's life cycle, and this hung around for 4 weeks, I knew it was something else. It had numerous raised white bumps all over his body. More than just the head and gills. It was almost as bad as ich but the spots were bigger. I have friends that had bad cases of ich in the past, and they couldn't believe how my tang looked. (Hippo tang).

I went from feeding formula one and 2 flake to selcon soaked and kents garlic extreme soaked flake and mysis shrimp. Within a week or less, the white bumps have receded. I noticed he's got some scarring in his skin tissue and 3-4 bumps on each side of him that still reside even after a month. However they've steadily decreased and not come back.

It is a lesson in water quality and nutrition. I thought for sure the guy was a goner. He would go lay on his side in the sand and just lay there. Flutter his fins to show he's still alive. Then getup and go swim around then lay down again...

I suspect he had the equivalent of a really bad cold or bad case of fish measles (Lymphocystis)... ha!

 

[Sk8r]

I think that's exactly how to describe it: no med to cure it, but give the fish reinforcement and good food and minimize stress.

 

[hogfanreefer]

Does it tend to be on the fins? My local LFS has a pair of fish I want and they are acting normal and eating well but have large white bumps on all of their fins.

 

[Sk8r]

Yep. If you didn't have it and bring those fish in, you'll have it in your tank. But you may have it already. I'd let them get over it at the lfs, though, first because there's a chance you don't have it and 2_ Moving them could make it worse. It's pretty common, sort of like the common cold, but can be serious if it sends the fish into a downward spiral of health and infection. If you can keep it out of your tank, better, but it's not too serious when it does show. The largest number of fatalities involving it I think happen when someone mistakes it for ich and starts a batch of harsh treatments.

 

[hogfanreefer]

I would only put them in QT if I got them. They have them in a 125 gallon reef tank by them selves and are treating them only by keeping high water quality. I was impressed they knew enough not to treat for Ich. I think I will speak for them and let them keep them till they are over it.

If their lesions are gone how do you know when it's ok to put them in your DT?

 

[travis32]

What I've read on it is that it's a virus that stays with the fish. And the virus shows symptoms when the fish is distressed. So, all signs of the virus could be gone, you get the fish, take it home, and it's stress from being caught and placed in a bag and in a couple days the symptoms show up again... For a day or a few weeks. Once things calm down the symptoms should go away and it will live a healthy life (potentially). There's also the chance the stress causes a really really bad "cold" or secondary infection of "Flue" and the secondary infection causes the fish to get sicker and die.

The virus itself usually isn't fatal, but, can lead to secondary infections that are lethal. I was worried my tang was going to get secondary infections. He was covered in the white bump. The poor guy looked so miserable, but ate like a pig. I'd feed 2-3 times a day with selcond and garlic soaked food, and he fought the other fish for the food. Thankfully because of that he got most of the nutrients from the selcon and recovered.

That's not to say all fish will. My experience has been a very positive experience to keeping things stable and feeding high nutrition food.

It sounds like the fish store is doing the right thing, but, every fish is different and may respond differently...