Naso Tang - Gil problem/infection

[Beamers]

So my Blonde Naso has slowly been developing a puffy pink "bubble" inside of his gil for a while now.

I first noticed it about a month ago and it just looked like irritation, or something.. but now it's getting large, and he has developed some small dark patches near his mouth on the same side.

Could this be some type of infection from something? He still eats, although not as much as I'd like him too.

Looking for some treatment recommendations if anyone has some ideas. ( clear pictures are tough to get )

 

[MrTuskfish]

Could this possibly be a parasite, like an isopod? This is just a wild guess; but there are isopods that can reside anywhere on a fish and grow. If not, it looks like some sort of tumor. Because its been there so long; I doubt its an infection of any sort and I doubt antibiotics would help. How is this the fish breathing? Breathing problems could indicate a fluke-like parasite. Some of them get very large. Unless a better idea comes along, I would look at this fish while holding it, to determine if this is part of the fish or a hitchhiker. Isopods, and other parasites, do get this big and can be removed by hand. All this is just educated guessing on my part; I've seen similar growths that were tumors and once removed a huge isopod from a large Angel.

 

[Beamers]

A member from my local reef club thought it could also be an isopod hitchhiker, so you might be onto something.

I can't really tell what it is, it just looks like a fleshy mass. I don't see any exoskeleton or anything.

His breathing has been more rapid as of late, I'm guessing it's starting to hinder the oxygen intake severely on that gil. Eating habbits have also been on the decline so I'm starting to get worried.

Even if i was able to hold him really close I doubt I could tell for sure what it was...

 

[Beamers]

He'll be in QT after I get home from work tonight. Planning to start with a basic copper treatment, and if it's a parasite that will hopefully kill it in a couple days

If not I'll try MelaFix from API for bacteria/fungal infections.

 

[MrTuskfish]

As long as you have him in a net anyhow; maybe hold him with a wet cloth and grab lightly at whaterever it is with a tweezers. If it gives, problem solved, if not, its probably some sort of tumor-like growth that will be very hard to treat. There could be some secondary infection, the dark patches.