# Help! Lump On Cariba



## Infantry guy (Jul 19, 2010)

Hello everyone, Im new to this forum. I used to keep P's a Manuelli, Rhombeus, and a few Red Bellies but had to give them away when I joined the Army. I just back from Iraq again and wanted to get back into keeping them so I got 3 4inch Cariba's from AquaScape. I got them a little over a week ago, they looked healthy and were eating right away. 2 days later one of them started Flashing against the rocks I didnt see any signs of disease so I checked the water. Its a new 100 Gal tank but I cycled it and has been running 3 weeks before I got the P's, I have aquarium salt in it, the Temp is 80, Ammonia-0 ppm, Nitrite-0 ppm, Nitrates-0 ppm I dont have a hardness test,but the PH was 8.4 so I orderd a buffer that brings the water to a PH of 7.0. I just got the buffer in today and went to put it in when I noticed he has a lump under the skin a little smaller than a dime above his anal fin, it wasnt there yesterday. He still is flashing but not as much he is still active and eating, Before I got the them i stocked up on medications so I will be ready but I dont know what it is so I cant start treatment. I tried taking pictures but he is being camera shy. I feed them mostly fresh fish fillets, some beef heart, and occaisonaly live feeders but I keep the feeders in a medicated tank. I will keep trying to get a pic. I would appreciate any advice.


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

Hello Infantry guy and welcome to the site.

My rhom had the same thing on his tail near the nub a couple weeks ago but it has since gone away, I was treating with metro for some mild hith symptoms so that may have helped but I'm not sure. I also overhauled my tank and cleaned out my filters and did a few 50% waterchange to get my tank back to pristine water conditions.

Since your tank is new though I am not realy sure what would be the cause or solution exactly.

Your ph is a little high but I personally am not a fan of those ph buffers, I recomend testing your water out of the tap. 
If its already high then maybe you could add some driftwood or peat moss to regulate it.

What test kit are you using? I recomend the api master test kit for best results.
What filtration are you running, and have you cleaned out the filters at all?
A fully cycled tank should show nitates but both your ammo and nitrites are good so they may show up soon.

I wouldnt worry too much about the bump yet but keep an eye on it.
Hopefully someone with a lil more experience with disease will chime in.


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## Infantry guy (Jul 19, 2010)

Hey ******, I tested the water from the tap and its as high as the tank, and I am using the API freshwater master kit. For the filtration I am using a wet/dry trickle filter, a Fluval 405 canister, and a Marinland 400, also 2 powerheads, I have triple the filtration I should need. I have a protein skimmer and a UV sterilizer. I have a 200 gallon reef tank so I have all sorts of filters. about 2 weeks ago the Ammonia and nitrites were sky high than they gradually went to 0 ppm than the Nitrates were about 40 ppm than went to 0 ppm.


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

Sounds like a great set up you have.

As for the lump I would first try and treat with a pima/meafix combo and see how that goes.

Good luck and I'm sorry that I could not be of more help.


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## Infantry guy (Jul 19, 2010)

Any help is good help. He seems to be getting better. I added the Seachem buffer and it is keeping the PH at 7.2 and he has almost totally stopped flashing, I. Guess the high PH was irritating his skin causing him to constantly flash against the rocks and in doing that might have gave him a bruise and swelled. But that's just a guess I could be wrong but if he's getting better who cares. But since I have been giving all my attention to the Caribas I let my reef tank go to crap and lost a few soft corals, I just can't win. Thanks for the help.


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