Zebra with pectoral fin infection.

If it isn't to late, and you're desperately looking for some advice, hopefully someone can help you out.

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Adam
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Zebra with pectoral fin infection.

Post by Adam »

I was doing some tank maintenance for the zebras this morning when I noticed that one of my zebras has a problem with it's pectoral fin. The affected fish has a smooth pinky white growth on it's pectoral fin. Water parameters are as follows:

PH 7
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

There has been no recent additions to the tank and all the other zebras I can see seem to be ok. The tank has a 50% water change every 3 days and the sand is cleaned daily. The affected fish is still feeding and apart from the growth it appears to be healthy, there is nothing else on it's body. Breathing is normal and there is no reddening on the other fins or body that would suggest it is stressed.

Any advice on what to do guys? I want to try and avoid dosing the whole tank if I can.

I have attached a picture taken this morning.

Image

The growth appears to be similar in appearance to carp pox which affects young koi, this is a herpes related virus that is not fatal and usually goes as the fish matures.
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Barbie
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Post by Barbie »

Adam my L333 female developed a growth that looked similar to that on her right pectoral fin tip. Over two weeks it more than doubled in size, so I removed the entire fin tip and cauterized it to stop the blood flow with a swab of iodine. It sounds a whole lot more nasty than it was, and I only took a couple mm more tip than was actually involved in the growth. You can't tell there was anything wrong with her fin now, 2 weeks later.

I didn't treat the water with melafix or anything in her tank, just kept doing her water changes every day for a couple days, then went back to weekly. I'm sure it wouldn't have hurt anything though.

I'd watch to see if it grew it all before I worried abouut it, but it looks good sized to just be noticing it, so odds are good it's growing.

Barbie
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Rob
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Post by Rob »

Hi Adam

(nice avatar by the way)
Have you noticed any excessive territorial disputes in the tank. The pectorial fins seem to be the first things that get damaged, thus ope for infection.

I'd go with barbie on this one. Keep an eye on it to see if it gets any larger.

Are the odontodes missing off the tip of the fin? I hade one that went down to the bone at the tips of her pectorial fins. Finally had to treat her with a light salt solution. It cleared everything up but it took me three weeks to re-acclimatise her.

let us know how you get on.

rob
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Adam
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Post by Adam »

Thanks for the advice guys,

I was thinking of physically removing the growth as Barbie suggested and placing the affected fish in quarantine. I have some Jap wound steriliser and water proof cream that I can use, left overs fom my Koi days.

I have been watching the affected fish on and off all day. I'll try and take some pictures to see if is getting any larger. Can't believe I missed this one, I'm always staring in the tank. The growth is covering the whole tip so I can't see if the odontodes are missing from the fin.

I have noticed some pretty serious territorial disputes in the tank, perhaps this is how the damage was sustained and it has now become infected. Looks like I'll have to get that second tank for the zebras sooner than I was planning.

Rob the avatar is a picture of my brother at 17/18 with a 15lb mirror carp, we use to be well into our fishing. It was caught on a ledgered tiger nut using 5lb line and an optonic alarm.
Last edited by Adam on Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:59 am, edited 2 times in total.
Tom26000

Post by Tom26000 »

Hi Adam,

Maybe the growth has appeared very quickly, hence you not noticing it before. I would leave for a few days to see if it decreases in size, the fish looks otherwise healthy.

Not to be picky but it shouldn't really be possible to get 0 nitrate if you have a mature filter system. Low nitrate yes, but I've never seen 0 before.

All the best for you zebra.

Cheers

Tom
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Post by Adam »

Hi Tom,

As everyone has suggested so far I am just keeping a close eye on the growth to see if it is growing. I spotted the fish yesterday evening at grub time and the growth didn't appear to be any worse or better.

With any luck the zebra's immune system will deal with the growth as it appears to be in good health otherwise.

Your question about the 0 nitrate level, according to my tetra test kit, is perfectly valid. I use nitrate removal granules by seachem in one of my canister filters, 50% of my water change is RO water and 100% every fortnight. I also use a Nitragon which removes 90% of nitrates and phosphates from tapwater. I have also setup an old Eheim external canister as a nitrate filter, very slow turn over of 1/2 gph. The Eheim is not powered, water is supplied via a T'd outlet off another Eheim that is then valved in order to control the flowrate. I've now got to work out how to feed the thing, I may end up just buying an off the shelf nitrate filter if I run into problems I've seen one for £84.

I may infact not have a true 0 nitrate level as I don't think that the Tetra nitrate test kit is able to pick up low concentrations.
Tom26000

Post by Tom26000 »

Hi Adam,

All your efforts to remove the nitrate explains your very low reading. Do you have a high nitrate level in your tap water?

Cheers

Tom
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Barbie
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Post by Barbie »

Just as an aside here, I know it's recommend to have low nitrates for zebras to effectively spawn and be healthy, but my tank regularly gets to 30ppm before a water change each week, and my fish have yet to complain or stop spawning. My incoming tap water has 10ppm or so in it, and with the free choice blackworms I keep for them, the levels do creep up occasionally.

I personally use no carbon or other "resin" type medias that are going to artificially uptake nutrients. I tell people at work quite often that nitrates should be used as an indicator of how much you have in the way of dissolved organics in your tank. Nitrate removal should be done with plants, or water changes, so you know you're also diluting other unwanted heavy metals and/or problems you weren't aware of.

I realize you're doing the water changes already, so that wouldn't be a problem for you. How about anyone else? What are your nitrate levels?

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Post by Adam »

Hi guys,

I briefly spotted the zebra with the growth on it's fin last night, the growth is at least 4 times the size it was when I took the picture. I think it's time to intervene and remove the growth, It's going to be a hell of a job as I'll have to take the slate out of the tank to find it.

Any advice on possible treatments would be much appreciated, I have a few in mind but I would like to see what you guys think.
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Post by McEve »

Hi Adam,

I wonder if it could be a papilloma? If it is then they are usually benign, so he shouldn't be in any immidiate danger - *if* this is what it is.

Try a search on papillomas and see if you can find something, I'll search as well, and see what I can find :)

My son bought me a book on fish diseases for christmas :lol: This is where I found out about this condition. The picture shows a pink growth like your zebra has.
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Post by wandj »

HEY!!!

That lump is the EXACT same thing I saw on the head of my little guy!
Look at the thread "lump on the head".

It is the exact same thing! And remember I was about to take a pic and noticed that it has almost gone away? So maybe it will go away if it is left alone like in my case. It started out pink and was huge, then after about 3 weeks I plucked him out to take a pic, and it had turned white, is barely there at all now. And he looked otherwise healthy the whole time. So it appears anywhere on the body.
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