# Congo tetras getting sick. What is this?



## svtcontour (Jun 25, 2006)

Hi guys, the local fish store cannot identify this. They suggested Melafix and Pimafix which seem to help but after a week the fish are sick again. Mind you I've been removing the sick fish and putting them in another tank, treating them and putting them back. One place suggested Tetracyclene and that didnt do anything at all.

Anyway their mouths are starting to look puffy and swollen inside (but not fuzzy) and much more white than usual. There are weird lumps on their exteriors which doesnt look like Ich. Dont know if its fungus or not. Maybe a parasite?


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

first pic looked like teeth...I havent had this issue before!
What the water quality like? 
Have you added any new fish etc?


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## svtcontour (Jun 25, 2006)

First pic the fish has an ok mouth - normal and not swollen, you can clearly see teeth, but it does have a lump on its head.

Water quality checks out ok. I did add a congo tetra a few months back and come to think of it, maybe I first noticed this a month after adding that one fish in. Hmmmm. Anyway the problem seems localized to the congos as far as I can tell.



notaverage said:


> first pic looked like teeth...I havent had this issue before!
> What the water quality like?
> Have you added any new fish etc?


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Well,
I hope you edited the pics with circling the problems...cause I didnt notice before...but ...man...there are people here that should have an answer!


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## svtcontour (Jun 25, 2006)

Ya I added the circles after your reply. Figured I'd make it easier for people to stop the probs. I hope someone finds an answer because most of the congos are big (3.5-4") and I'd hate to loose them and others in the tank. Also the filters are established so I want to avoid treating the whole tank. I just hope its something thats not contageous. Maybe stress or diet but somehow I doubt that











notaverage said:


> Well,
> I hope you edited the pics with circling the problems...cause I didnt notice before...but ...man...there are people here that should have an answer!


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

A week isnt a full cycle I dont think for mela and pima fix.

follow the prescription and see what happens


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## svtcontour (Jun 25, 2006)

The instructions state 7 days so I just followed that. I didnt want to go longer than what it said. After 7 days, there is a water change.



notaverage said:


> A week isnt a full cycle I dont think for mela and pima fix.
> 
> follow the prescription and see what happens


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

It also says if needed you can continue.

Do you have carbon in your filters? ...if so take it our....
did you notive ANY difference after medicating?


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## svtcontour (Jun 25, 2006)

I dont have any carbon in the tank I use for quarantine and I did notice that the symptoms were a little better but not enough to say they were healed. I think I really need to find out first that this is and then choose the right medication. Maybe I should get a larger quarantine tank and isolate all the Congo tetras from my main aquarium....just incase the other fish catch what ever it might be.

Man this is such a pain











notaverage said:


> It also says if needed you can continue.
> 
> Do you have carbon in your filters? ...if so take it our....
> did you notive ANY difference after medicating?


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Is it a white clump ? Closeup does it look like it has legs and moves ? Possible lymphocystis. If it is lympho, nothing much you can do about the virus, it will go away on its own.


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## svtcontour (Jun 25, 2006)

Hi Dr. Giggles, I dont think it looks like it has any legs and its not moving. Looks like the lump has gotten a little bigger in the last few days. If its lymphocystis, then isnt that contageous? I'm going to try and get a more detailed picture today. I think I'm also going to isolate the congo tetras in hopes that this doesnt spread to the other fish. I'll a somewhat large water change in my main tank and then run it for a cycle of melafix just incase.

I dont know what I will do in the quarantine tank with the congos. Maybe I'll use melafix until I know what this is.



Dr. Giggles said:


> Is it a white clump ? Closeup does it look like it has legs and moves ? Possible lymphocystis. If it is lympho, nothing much you can do about the virus, it will go away on its own.


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