Parasite or something on new cardinal?

[east_hammer]

Hey y’all.
new nano is doing great overall but just today noticed this on my newest addition, a cardinal from my lfs, small but less timid and eating ok.. til the last day or so.

idk it looks like sort of like a tiny burr you’d pick up hiking this time of year on the east coast. He’s looking fine and acting normal, been a light eater and only had him but 5 days, and he’s small.
all other fish and such are good, nothing so far to see.
ideas? Thoughts? Treatments?
I have metroplex on hand..
Any help is appreciated.

 

[MnFish1]

Did you QT the fish? Did you use any medication? I see what you mean on the picture - a closer look would be more helpful - if you can. There are some other threads with this type of lesion - at least one of which was biopsied with no clear answer. Unless it's symptomatic - or getting worse - I personally would not treat it without more information. Was the fish shipped to you - does it look the same on the other side - it looks like an injury - but atypical?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey y’all.
new nano is doing great overall but just today noticed this on my newest addition, a cardinal from my lfs, small but less timid and eating ok.. til the last day or so.

idk it looks like sort of like a tiny burr you’d pick up hiking this time of year on the east coast. He’s looking fine and acting normal, been a light eater and only had him but 5 days, and he’s small.
all other fish and such are good, nothing so far to see.
ideas? Thoughts? Treatments?
I have metroplex on hand..
Any help is appreciated.

Pic a little fuzzy but the bottom sure looks like that of an isopod (UNCONFIRMED).
If it is anything live, give the fish A 5 minute freshwater dip same temperature as display tank and it will/would fall off
I assume fish eating and breathing normal ?

 

[east_hammer]

Pic a little fuzzy but the bottom sure looks like that of an isopod (UNCONFIRMED).
If it is anything live, give the fish A 5 minute freshwater dip same temperature as display tank and it will/would fall off
I assume fish eating and breathing normal ?

Yes he looks healthy otherwise. Picky eater but has been, swimming and acting at baseline.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yes he looks healthy otherwise. Picky eater but has been, swimming and acting at baseline.

If not breathing heavy, try FW dip as mentioned. You could also net fish and with tweezer get a feel of what it may be especially if a piece of flesh from injury before trying to pull it off

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hey y’all.
new nano is doing great overall but just today noticed this on my newest addition, a cardinal from my lfs, small but less timid and eating ok.. til the last day or so.

idk it looks like sort of like a tiny burr you’d pick up hiking this time of year on the east coast. He’s looking fine and acting normal, been a light eater and only had him but 5 days, and he’s small.
all other fish and such are good, nothing so far to see.
ideas? Thoughts? Treatments?
I have metroplex on hand..
Any help is appreciated.

Could be an injury? Did it show up all at once or grow in size over time?
Metroplex only works against protozoans and anaerobic bacteria and this doesn’t match either of those.
While the coloration is similar to an isopod, you would be able to see the body segments called sclerites (like you see on a roll poly bug). If you don’t see those it isn’t an isopod.
As long as the fish keeps eating well I would just observe it.
Jay

 

[east_hammer]

If not breathing heavy, try FW dip as mentioned. You could also net fish and with tweezer get a feel of what it may be especially if a piece of flesh from injury before trying to pull it off

Ok emergency I think! He looks like he’s got a hole in his head on closer inspection/after FW dip.

 

[east_hammer]

Ok emergency I think! He looks like he’s got a hole in his head on closer inspection/after FW dip.

 

[east_hammer]

Or maybe it’s just young and that’s part of its growing structure? Idk it looks weird but then.. fish are weird. I guess I’ll try to find close ups of cardinals when they’re young and see. Any ideas are appropriated!

 

[east_hammer]

Or maybe it’s just young and that’s part of its growing structure? Idk it looks weird but then.. fish are weird. I guess I’ll try to find close ups of cardinals when they’re young and see. Any ideas are appropriated!

Ok so upon google image search, that seems normal for now/it’s apparent age. I’ll put it back and hope presumed parasite falls off after dip, stop stressing it and myself out. Sigh

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok so upon google image search, that seems normal for now/it’s apparent age. I’ll put it back and hope presumed parasite falls off after dip, stop stressing it and myself out. Sigh

Yeah , just looked at mine and seems normal on the head.
Did the object fall off or no longer there ?

 

[east_hammer]

Yeah , just looked at mine and seems normal on the head.
Did the object fall off or no longer there ?

Yeah freaked out cuz a cichlid from long ago died of that hole in the head disease but he was already ancient.. and a FE cichlid
It’s still there but much smaller, I’ll look again in the am. The cardinal ate it’s extra snack well at least after all that.