Growth on Helfrinchi gobys mouth

[Richardb001]

Hey I'm new to reefing and I need help to ID and issue with my Helfrinchi goby. It develop this growth on its mouth over the course of a night. I noticed it 4 days ago, it hasn't changed since then. The goby is still eating and behaving normally. Is this a bacterial infection, flukes or did the fish damage its mouth darting into the rocks? If it is a bacterial infection or flukes is the best treatment melafix in a qt tank or fresh water dip for flukes? I'm in Canada so my options for medication are limited unfortunately. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank.

 

[dstockwell]

This should be where a medic can see it.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Welcome to Reef2Reef and sorry for your trouble!

I'd suggest at a minimum posting the info suggested in the quote below, and if possible reading through the link below that (particularly the "Aquarium Parameters," "Water quality," and "In-depth Information" sections) to figure out what info you can share here with the #fishmedic to get the best diagnosis and treatment advice possible:

Please provide as much of the following as you are able:

• Brief description of the issue you are observing and answers to the following questions:
  • How long have you had the fish with the condition?
  • Did you quarantine with medication when you first acquired the fish? (If Yes, which medication?)
• Current water quality measurements
• Clear photos of the issue taken using WHITE light and/or a short video of any behaviors (post in your response or on YouTube).

If you can help us by providing as much of the above info as possible, it will make diagnosing and providing recommendations for treatment MUCH easier! The Fish Medic team will get back to you as quickly as possible. In the meantime, other members of our community may also share their experience with similar situations and advice that they may have regarding your situation.

You may also feel free to provide a more detailed description of the condition if you wish to share more info than the above list.

Some Helpful Hints When Posting or Responding to Threads in the Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Section

Aquarium Fish Disease Problem Solving Determining the best course of action for a problem with your aquarium can be a difficult task. Even advanced aquarists will often need to seek the help of others for complicated or unique issues. Our intent here on Reef 2 Reef is to offer expert advice...

www.reef2reef.com

Also - do not make a post there this time as I've already tagged the fishmedics in this thread - but for future reference, posts like this are typically answered more quickly in the disease forum:

Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis

A forum for discussing treatment and diagnosing saltwater reef fish.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Richardb001]

My current water perameter are
July 9th
Nitrate 8.5
Ammonia .02
Phosphate 0.29
Magnesium 1450
Alk 6.4
Salinity 1.025
Ph 7.8

I did not at this fish when I got it and now know why I should have. I have had it for 3.5 weeks. It's living with 2 clowns and a some inverts. The clowns were showing signs of what I believe is Gill flukes yesterday. I did a fresh water dip but did not see anything fall off. Last night I doesed rubey reef rally and seachem stress guard. I have set up a qt now and have copper power on hand.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

The clowns were showing signs of what I believe is Gill flukes yesterday. I did a fresh water dip but did not see anything fall off.

If I recall correctly, from what Jay Hemdal has said, only one kind of fluke in the hobby can be seen with the naked eye - most flukes require magnification to see.

As a side note, I wouldn't bother with Stress Guard (I wouldn't expect it to help if a fish is actually ill).

 

[Sharkbait19]

My first thought is that this is the result of an injury. Living with clowns is basically a recipe for getting hurt.
Ideally the fish should be moved into a qt and treated with an antibiotic like kanaplex.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hey I'm new to reefing and I need help to ID and issue with my Helfrinchi goby. It develop this growth on its mouth over the course of a night. I noticed it 4 days ago, it hasn't changed since then. The goby is still eating and behaving normally. Is this a bacterial infection, flukes or did the fish damage its mouth darting into the rocks? If it is a bacterial infection or flukes is the best treatment melafix in a qt tank or fresh water dip for flukes? I'm in Canada so my options for medication are limited unfortunately. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank.

I've had reports here of various fish species producing these clear vesicles (bubbles, if you will). I've not had them in my own collection, or at work, so I have not been able to send samples out for histopathology. Recently, I took a deep dive into possible causes of this in the literature, and also asked a public aquarium network, and I have not been able to determine a possible cause. Without a cause, there is no way to determine a treatment, or even if a treatment would help. The two leading thoughts are some osmotic imbalance in the fish, or that it is caused by a virus. some people say that these are caused by gas supersaturation, but I rule that out because they seem to be fluid filled, not filled with gas.

 

[Richardb001]

I've had reports here of various fish species producing these clear vesicles (bubbles, if you will). I've not had them in my own collection, or at work, so I have not been able to send samples out for histopathology. Recently, I took a deep dive into possible causes of this in the literature, and also asked a public aquarium network, and I have not been able to determine a possible cause. Without a cause, there is no way to determine a treatment, or even if a treatment would help. The two leading thoughts are some osmotic imbalance in the fish, or that it is caused by a virus. some people say that these are caused by gas supersaturation, but I rule that out because they seem to be fluid filled, not filled with gas.

Thank you very much for the information. I came across gas bubble disease while searching the internet qHe's still eating and behaving normally, hopefully they don't grow to the point where they interfere with his ability to eat. I'll keep a close eye on him for any change in behavior or signs of infection. I appreciate everyone's help with this.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you very much for the information. I came across gas bubble disease while searching the internet qHe's still eating and behaving normally, hopefully they don't grow to the point where they interfere with his ability to eat. I'll keep a close eye on him for any change in behavior or signs of infection. I appreciate everyone's help with this.

Yes, this isn’t gas bubble disease.

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[Richardb001]

Yes, this isn’t gas bubble disease.

Let us know how it turns out!

Quick update for anyone who comes across this post. I noticed my 2 clowns, the only other inhabitants of the tank were showing signs of Gill flukes. Charging, head shaking, surfacing for air, scratching and one has a swollen gill. Did a flesh water dip but saw nothing so i decided to dose Ruby reef rally pro. For the first 24 hours there was no change in the Helfrinchi. 36 hours in the white spot in the center of the growth was gone. 60 hours in the bubble looking growth was gone, leaving a slight mark on the skin. 84 hours and it looks almost back to normal. The clowns also seem much better although the one still has a swollen gill, so I did a fourth dose this morning. Could be coincidence and not sure what it is, but it got better shortly after adding Ruby reef rally. Hopefully it doesn't return.