Alligator Pipefish with White Lump

[landonbeau]

I've had a pair of Alligator Pipefish for about 2 weeks. They've looked great until now and have been eating alot of frozen Mysis.

Today, I noticed a white lump near one of their eyes. Otherwise, her eating and behavior has seemed normal. Any thoughts on what this could be and the best way to treat it?

Nitrates are at 20ppm right now. I am running a large protein skimmer, UV sterilizer, and automatic filter roller on this tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ty

I've had a pair of Alligator Pipefish for about 2 weeks. They've looked great until now and have been eating alot of frozen Mysis.

Today, I noticed a white lump near one of their eyes. Otherwise, her eating and behavior has seemed normal. Any thoughts on what this could be and the best way to treat it?

Nitrates are at 20ppm right now. I am running a large protein skimmer, UV sterilizer, and automatic filter roller on this tank.

pica infection that seahorses also get
Can be from injury or elevated nitrates in the tank
Treatment in a separate tank would be seachem neoplex

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I've had a pair of Alligator Pipefish for about 2 weeks. They've looked great until now and have been eating alot of frozen Mysis.

Today, I noticed a white lump near one of their eyes. Otherwise, her eating and behavior has seemed normal. Any thoughts on what this could be and the best way to treat it?

Nitrates are at 20ppm right now. I am running a large protein skimmer, UV sterilizer, and automatic filter roller on this tank.

It could be an attached external parasite? Can you make out any appendages or body segments in it?

 

[landonbeau]

Ty

pica infection that seahorses also get
Can be from injury or elevated nitrates in the tank
Treatment in a separate tank would be seachem neoplex

Thank you for looking! I could see it being an infection.

It could be an attached external parasite? Can you make out any appendages or body segments in it?

Thank you for looking! I don't think I'm seeing any appendages or body segments, but I do see something sticking out of it a little. Seems more like skin tissue? I tried to capture another angle of it here:

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for looking! I could see it being an infection.



Thank you for looking! I don't think I'm seeing any appendages or body segments, but I do see something sticking out of it a little. Seems more like skin tissue? I tried to capture another angle of it here:

While they are prone to ectoparasites, I dont see any real signs which generally are blisters, ulcers and continuous itching. I see what looks like snout rt but can be simple swelling. The best treatment is Furan 2 which is near impossible to find. Ruby rally pro may work as would tri-sulfa
Is the left eye infected?

 

[landonbeau]

While they are prone to ectoparasites, I dont see any real signs which generally are blisters, ulcers and continuous itching. I see what looks like snout rt but can be simple swelling. The best treatment is Furan 2 which is near impossible to find. Ruby rally pro may work as would tri-sulfa
Is the left eye infected?

Ah, okay. What is Snout RT? The left eye looks normal to me.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thank you for looking! I could see it being an infection.



Thank you for looking! I don't think I'm seeing any appendages or body segments, but I do see something sticking out of it a little. Seems more like skin tissue? I tried to capture another angle of it here:

That’s a much clearer photo. It could be a bacterial infection but looks more like a xenoma from a microsporidian. Those are not treatable, but also not always fatal. However, are there smaller ones present? I can see a tiny bump on the other side and a small bump behind the large one.

 

[landonbeau]

That’s a much clearer photo. It could be a bacterial infection but looks more like a xenoma from a microsporidian. Those are not treatable, but also not always fatal. However, are there smaller ones present? I can see a tiny bump on the other side and a small bump behind the large one.

I think the rest of the bumps are symmetrical and present on both of the pipefish. This species is so bumpy, it can be hard to tell though!

 

[landonbeau]

It's been a few weeks since I posted on this, but I'm now seeing a new issue on another species of pipefish in the same tank - the Multibar Pipefish. This guy also eats Mysis pretty well.

Could this be the same thing afflicting my Alligator Pipefish? The Alligator Pipefish is still alive and eating well, but that growth on her side looks exactly the same as it did when I posted a few weeks ago (above).

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It's been a few weeks since I posted on this, but I'm now seeing a new issue on another species of pipefish in the same tank - the Multibar Pipefish. This guy also eats Mysis pretty well.

Could this be the same thing afflicting my Alligator Pipefish? The Alligator Pipefish is still alive and eating well, but that growth on her side looks exactly the same as it did when I posted a few weeks ago (above).

Could be related, no way to tell for certain. This does look like an infection, probably bacterial and not the microsporidians I had mentioned.

When seahorses and pipefish get these skin infections, it can be very serious and difficult to treat. Antibiotics in a hospital tank would be the suggestion EXCEPT that these fish do not do well in bare hospital tanks,

 

[landonbeau]

Could be related, no way to tell for certain. This does look like an infection, probably bacterial and not the microsporidians I had mentioned.

When seahorses and pipefish get these skin infections, it can be very serious and difficult to treat. Antibiotics in a hospital tank would be the suggestion EXCEPT that these fish do not do well in bare hospital tanks,

Okay, that makes sense to me. Thank you for looking! It's very helpful to know what I'm dealing with so I can do better in the future!