I have a 165L tank with three fish which I have had for 5 years - a black ghost knife, albino bichir and a spotted climbing perch. I usually feed them a diet of ox heart, peas, blood worms etc. Recently I bought a small can of freshwater shrimp (not dried) from animates and it said on the can you can feed them to fish. A few days after I started feeding the shrimp, I noticed a lump under the flesh of my albino bichir near his tail. I wasn't too alarmed because he's had similar lumps before after eating a big meal which usually disappear within a day or two. By the next day it was far more swollen and red, the scales were slightly sticking out and there was a small piece of white fluff attached to it, which has since fallen off.
At first I thought the tail/exoskeleton on a shrimp has gotten caught in his digestive tract and it seemed to be pushing very hard against his side and very nearly piercing his scales. There is quite a lump and the scales are poking out. I fasted him for a day, then fed him peas a few days ago. I increased the temperature to 29 - 30 degrees and I have bathed him three times in an epsom salt bath made with aquarium water and 1 tbsp of epsom salt/3.8 litres (1 gallon) for 15 minutes. I fed him more peas last night after fasting him for a day or two.
I contacted my cousin who is a vet and he is not sure that his gut is perforated as he would be looking very sick if this was the case, or dead. I don't think it's an injury because when it first appeared, it was only a smallish lump under his scales with no discolouration. I did a 50% water change yesterday. Strangely enough he's not looking very miserable at all - the lump has been there for about 4 days, he's very active this morning, zooming up and down the tank. Has anyone had similar experience? The inflammation is quite severe. Some people suggested it could be a parasite? Or maybe a fungal infection? But it all happened so fast. This tank has been healthy for 5 years with no diseases... other tank mates look fine. I took more photos this morning so I'll attach them below. If I isolate him, what treatment do I use? I don't have much experience or knowledge with diseases... I have melafix. Is that safe to use on a bichir? What would be most effective? I don't want to stuff around trying different things if they aren't going to help him - that can't be healthy. Please give me your suggestions!!View attachment 1017842
At first I thought the tail/exoskeleton on a shrimp has gotten caught in his digestive tract and it seemed to be pushing very hard against his side and very nearly piercing his scales. There is quite a lump and the scales are poking out. I fasted him for a day, then fed him peas a few days ago. I increased the temperature to 29 - 30 degrees and I have bathed him three times in an epsom salt bath made with aquarium water and 1 tbsp of epsom salt/3.8 litres (1 gallon) for 15 minutes. I fed him more peas last night after fasting him for a day or two.
I contacted my cousin who is a vet and he is not sure that his gut is perforated as he would be looking very sick if this was the case, or dead. I don't think it's an injury because when it first appeared, it was only a smallish lump under his scales with no discolouration. I did a 50% water change yesterday. Strangely enough he's not looking very miserable at all - the lump has been there for about 4 days, he's very active this morning, zooming up and down the tank. Has anyone had similar experience? The inflammation is quite severe. Some people suggested it could be a parasite? Or maybe a fungal infection? But it all happened so fast. This tank has been healthy for 5 years with no diseases... other tank mates look fine. I took more photos this morning so I'll attach them below. If I isolate him, what treatment do I use? I don't have much experience or knowledge with diseases... I have melafix. Is that safe to use on a bichir? What would be most effective? I don't want to stuff around trying different things if they aren't going to help him - that can't be healthy. Please give me your suggestions!!View attachment 1017842
