Parasite on Banggai Cardinal

[ShilohPSU]

Can anyone ID this for me? My female cardinal had a small bump on the side of her head above the gills. It has since grown and there is something coming out of her gill on that side. I attached two pics including an in the gill shot. Any help would be appreciated because she is the female from a mated pair and is also full of eggs at the moment. Thanks.

 

[ShilohPSU]

So nobody on here has ever seen a fish with this problem? I'm guessing that it is a type of fungus in the gill. I'm probably going to take her out and try some antibiotics, but I was really hoping that I could get some advice first. I tried a freshwater dip today figuring that it couldn't do anything worse. I put her in the freshwater for 5 mins. Is that a long enough duration to constitute a freshwater dip??? Nobody answered that question either. She doesn't have much time left so any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[RBU1]

I am not sure what that could be. I guess antibiotics can't hurt. Just make sure you keep an eye on ammonia.

Sorry

 

[fljrzgrl]

Did you ever find out what was wrong with your bangaii cardinal?? Mine is having the same problem right now and im desperate for some answers. Please let me know.

 

[JHemdal]

Can't say for certain without doing a biopsy, but if the fish is a longterm captive, and if the lesion developed over months, I would consider that it is diffuse thyroid tissue infiltrating the gills...a type of goiter.

Jay

 

[fljrzgrl]

Okay, well, how do I treat that?? Is it treatable?

 

[JHemdal]

There isn't any treatment, some of these lesions are actually cancers. In some fish, the addition of potassium iodide to their food helps. (at 2.5mg per pound of the animal's weight - difficult to calculate for a cardinalfish!).

It has been my experience that once you see these lesions coming out from under the gill (this is common to cardinalfish, jawfish and a few other species) there is nothing that can be done.

Some people feel that the presence of some unknown goitregen is responsible for this, not just lack of iodine.....

Please understand that I'm just saying it COULD be this....


Jay

 

[fljrzgrl]

Okay, well, thank you for your advice.

 

[fljrzgrl]

Okay, I took my Bangaii Cardinal to the vet and had the bump removed and taken to the lab. They told me that it was just some kind of a growth and is nothing to worry about unless it keeps happening.

 

[JHemdal]

"some kind of growth" is just sort of a broad clinical diagnosis - same thing as I said from seeing the picture. Did they send any tissues out for histopathology?

Jay