White bubble/tumour on YWG

Dash · Oct 6, 2017

Aagh, I just noticed my YWG, Snape, has a quite sizable white bubble on his side just behind his fin. I was shocked to see it. He is behaving/eating normally. Snape (and his buddy) is the first fish I ever bought

I googled and most pictures of fish tumours look like fleshy growths. This is more like a bubble filled with fluid. The white colour seems to. E a result of the skin being stretched.

He is secure in his cave and impossible to catch right now. However I am in the middle of upgrading to a bigger tank and will be dismantling soon. Not sure what I can do for him?

Of course, just the other night I was was telling myself how happy/healthy all the fish looked. Never tempt fate

Maritimer · Oct 6, 2017

My first thought was some sort of subcutaneous parasite ... then I'm thinking there are probably a dozen other things . . .

Hopefully, other members of the #reefsquad can shed some light on this thing . . .

~Bruce

Dash · Oct 6, 2017

A better picture: (excuse the scratches on glass)

cmcoker · Oct 7, 2017

I feel like you should have qt and antibiotics ready.. I'd expect it to pop and reveal a wound that will need treatment.

Humblefish · Oct 7, 2017

@GHsaltie Is this what your sick goby looked like? If so, which meds did you use to treat?

Dash · Oct 7, 2017

My new tank won't be ready for a little while. It's going to be quite a feat getting him out. He comes out quite far for his mysis which I get down to him via a Kent squirt feeder tube. I could perhaps scoop him up if I had someone help me.

The thought of drawing out the fluids with a hypodermic needle crossed my mind.

He is such an awesome guy. I really want to help him if I can. So far he is as feisty and energetic as ever in guarding his shrimp.

Dash · Oct 7, 2017

Does it appear to be a cyst (looks like one to me just by a visual check) or do you think it's a parasite?

Thanks for all your help btw. Much appreciated

4FordFamily · Oct 7, 2017

Goodness, id be worried about infection for certain but I admit I'm stumped.

If you need to remove rock to catch it I would, as the odds of that healing itself are low :/

GHsaltie · Oct 7, 2017

@Humblefish Beryl's wound never developed like this one. He started out as a white patch that got red and then ate away his flesh. I haven't seen this before, sorry I'm not help

. Could it be a parasite like what @Maritimer said, or maybe a gas bubble? I agree you should get him into a QT, I feel like if it should bust open it won't be pretty.

Dash · Oct 7, 2017

Hope I don't sound like a dummy here , but just tossing some theories out there. If it were a parasite or some kind of cancerous tumour, would that not impact his well-being? Ie, he would be lethargic, not eating, etc? Once in a hospital tank would it be proactive to try to drain this bubble to relieve pressure?

Humblefish · Oct 7, 2017

Dash said:
Hope I don't sound like a dummy here , but just tossing some theories out there. If it were a parasite or some kind of cancerous tumour, would that not impact his well-being? Ie, he would be lethargic, not eating, etc? Once in a hospital tank would it be proactive to try to drain this bubble to relieve pressure?

I think your best bet is to just wait & see what happens here. Without a biopsy, its hard to say what that actually is. I'll tag @melypr1985 just in case she has seen something like this at the store.

Dash · Oct 7, 2017

Thanks for all the input. I agree the best option right now is to observe but at the same time will get a hospital tank ready.
Fingers crossed

Dash · Oct 10, 2017

Update on Snape.
Yesterday his shrimp was not very active so I just caught a quick glimpse of him. The bubble had deflated. The area was still white but less so. I was hopeful.
Today the shrimp decided to open a new door right at the front & I got a chance to get a good look. Not good. There's definitely something amiss, and my gut feeling is that it's a parasite of some sort. It actually can be seen as a white lumpy something in the tummy area extending all the way to the other side. He swam upwards a few times to chase off the other fish while the shrimp worked so I saw it was in the underbelly area as well.

white lump (?) visible from other side:

The side where bubble was:

The odd thing is he is not showing any symptoms of being ill. Other than the lump, looks great. Knew as soon as it was feeding time, ate with usual appetite. Which was good because he swallowed some mysis laced with Prazipro.

I plan to catch himif I can & treat with Prazipro bath & Furan2

Dash · Oct 10, 2017

Btw that is just shadowing from my bad photo. He is beautifully yelllow but the two dots are reddish sores where the bubble was

Giraffe0621 · Oct 10, 2017

I'm sorry not to have any advice on how to help, but wanted to say I hope Snape does okay. He's a beautiful guy & it sounds like he means quite a lot to you

Dash · Oct 10, 2017

Thanks. He was the first SW fish I bought when I set up my tank (will be 2 years this Christmas). He was small & gray but has grown out beautifully. He is so devoted to his shrimp, Blondie.

Humblefish · Oct 10, 2017

Dash said:
Btw that is just shadowing from my bad photo. He is beautifully yelllow but the two dots are reddish sores where the bubble was

Redness typically denotes infection. I would QT him and dose antibiotics, or at the very least start soaking Kanaplex in his food.

An acriflavine bath would probably be especially helpful right now: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acriflavine.282887/

Dash · Oct 13, 2017

I have a possible explanation for Snape's affliction. I was studying him today as he was sitting patiently on the cyphastrea (pictured above) keeping watch as his shrimp was grooming the pathway. I noticed that the two red spots on his tummy matched up to the polyps he was resting on. Aha! Could it be the coral is stinging him, with the bubble being an especially aggravated spot? A quick google tells me that cyphastrea does sting. Hmm..

I have moved the coral but still wanted to take him out for a stint in the hospital tank. He came out quite high as soon as mysis was offered but dove into his tunnel as soon as the net was in the water. Darn!

Maritimer · Oct 13, 2017

He's not gonna make it easy for you, is he?

He sees no difference between that net and a lionfish's mouth.

~Bruce

ihavecrabs · Oct 13, 2017

Dash said:
I have a possible explanation for Snape's affliction. I was studying him today as he was sitting patiently on the cyphastrea (pictured above) keeping watch as his shrimp was grooming the pathway. I noticed that the two red spots on his tummy matched up to the polyps he was resting on. Aha! Could it be the coral is stinging him, with the bubble being an especially aggravated spot? A quick google tells me that cyphastrea does sting. Hmm..

I have moved the coral but still wanted to take him out for a stint in the hospital tank. He came out quite high as soon as mysis was offered but dove into his tunnel as soon as the net was in the water. Darn!

You honestly may not have to catch him to treat him. My YWG will eat directly from a turkey baster. I'd just mix up some mysis, focus, and metro and spot feed him a few times a day for the next 5 days or so to see if it helps.