Older BGK

Hi, folks...I haven't been on line for about a year now. Lost a TSN and just couldn't talk fish. The site looks great.

I'm in need of some feedback. This is for anyone who has experience with an older BGK. My guy is about 16 years old now, can't remember, and about the same in length.

He is active and he is eating (bloodworms daily and the odd half pellet) but he has a bulge on his left side just behind the front fin. It is under the skin and is about the shape of an elongated dime. He rarely uses his cave anymore and he remains interactive.

He is only just over half of his potential life span, but maybe that is just in the wild. Anyone out there with similar experience?

I don't know how to do the picture thing. I'm lucky that I managed the avitar when I was more active on the site. I will try to figure it out. The bump has been visible for approximately one month. The other signs I worry about are that his gills seem a bit inflated making his head look a little flat. When he breaths, the gills seem swollen, yet he has not slowed down. I'm beginning to think that whatever the cause of the bump is, is also keeping him hungry, thus the reason he is always on the move.

I feed him and he responds to my presence; likes to twirl under my closed fingers or eat out of my hand, but my ex is the reason for his longevity. He does water changes and keeps the tank clean, but not pristeen. He likes to see all kinds of growth on the stupid plastic leaves. We have a neon in there that should have been gone a long time ago, but it just lives and lives.

I'm wondering if there is anyone out there that has had a Ghost Knife even half his age...the fish would have had to die somehow and maybe the symptoms will resignate.

Yes, thanks Hoyo, I think it is possibly a tumor. Maybe I should be asking about fish with tumors. I guess I am trying to determine what happens once a tumor occurs. Is he like a dog that can live with this kind of thing for years or is he on his last legs. My worry, along with the possible tumor, is that he seems to be too active right now....it seems that he isn't resting.

What about the fact that he doesn't seem to care about being in his cave anymore? I know he feels safe and I know he can tell when I come in the room (which is all the time) because he heads directly to the top of the tank...guess he feels the vibration or hears something or sees something with his limited vision. We have lots of oxygen in the tank, so it isn't about that....I just worry that whatever the lump is about means that he is starvng and continually looking for food.

Honestly, I guess he is on his last legs (which at this age could be a couple of months or years) and I guess it is also one of those things that you learn to live with when you love the creatures you bring into your life, but it is never easy.

I am in the midst of a move (which also worries me)...but...I think his longevity needs to be documented. I will make sure to take some pictures after the confusion of the move and will learn how to post them. You will definitely see the difference between an old BGK and a young one...or maybe... a sick old one and a young one.

He is a really nice fish. If he doesn't eat those in the tank with him (new fish which we stopped adding), he is really nice to the others as long as they get out of his way when he is in search of his bloodworms. With me, he is so gentle...he nudges my fingers, twirls under them, rubs against them...seems to know that I love him. It really makes you realize that all animals have spirit and soul.