PLEASE HELP! Purchased new Mbuna - Is this Fish Tuberculosis!?!?

[cichliduser]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If I did not test my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

If I do not change my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

Hello everyone, I am in desperate need of your opinions.

I have been planning a new display tank. I purchased the fish for it from Tampa Bay Cichlids.

Acei, Rustys, and Maingano

Received the fish earlier today and put them in the quarantine tank. Everyone appears healthy aside from a couple of the Acei. One of them has a very sunken belly (maybe curved spine?). The one with the "curved spine" has some white spots on its head. A couple of the other acei also have one small white spot near top of head. The rest of the fish also had moderately sunken bellys (likely due to starvation from nearly 4 days in shipping?).

All of them are active and eating.

I am extremely worried (to the point that I am getting horrible anxiety) that what Im looking at here is Fish TB. Please let me know if you guys think it is fish TB or something else? Thank you so much.

Other info: All the fish were packaged separately in shipping (each fish in its own bag). I know there is no cure for fish TB but I was already planning on treating the whole quarantine tank with salt, maracyn, ich-x, and paracleanse.

 

[cichliduser]

Here is the other one with a white spot on head

 

[cichliduser]

Here is another photo of the fish in question, really looks like sunken belly instead of curved spine, but idk. Guess I’m much more of a novice than I originally thought.

 

[The Morning]

That fish came that way from Tampa Bay Cichlids?

 

[cichliduser]

That fish came that way from Tampa Bay Cichlids?

Yes they did. Just received them today a few hours ago

 

[The Morning]

I have ordered from them in the past and never had an issue like that.
In my opinion that looks like a severely deformed fish. It either got past the folksat Tampa or they do not do a very good job culling fish. regardless I would send them a picture and ask for a refund.
I would say isolate and remove that fish from your other fish but chances are if it is a disease it was probably housed in a tank with the other fish you purchased.
I personally hate culling fish but I have a tough time believing that one survives.
good luck.
The rest of the fish look really nice.

 

[cichliduser]

I have ordered from them in the past and never had an issue like that.
In my opinion that looks like a severely deformed fish. It either got past the folksat Tampa or they do not do a very good job culling fish. regardless I would send them a picture and ask for a refund.
I would say isolate and remove that fish from your other fish but chances are if it is a disease it was probably housed in a tank with the other fish you purchased.
I personally hate culling fish but I have a tough time believing that one survives.
good luck.
The rest of the fish look really nice.

thank you so much for the response.Definitely a great company to work with thus far.

I will pull that fish. But my concern is that it could be fish TB and then the rest of the fish will be infected as well. Any idea what the white spots would be? I just have been diving down the Google rabbit hole that says that some of the signs of fish tb are sunken belly and white lesions amongst many other symptoms.

since some of the other fish also have white spots maybe I should do the medication trio (ich-x, paracleanse, maracyn), and if that alleviates the white spots then I guess it’s not fish TB?? Idk very confused and concerned ( I genuinely am stressed about this to the point im driving myself crazy)

thank you so much for your input, I really appreciate it, and I look forward to hearing what you and others have to say further on this issue!

 

[The Morning]

I personally only use medication as a last resort. I do not consider myself qualified to diagnosis and treat illnesses but I will always try to save a fish.
hard to say on the white spot. The picture is not very clear. I would lean towards an abrasion from hitting a rock. But would watch it.

 

[Hybridfish7]

thank you so much for the response.Definitely a great company to work with thus far.

I will pull that fish. But my concern is that it could be fish TB and then the rest of the fish will be infected as well. Any idea what the white spots would be? I just have been diving down the Google rabbit hole that says that some of the signs of fish tb are sunken belly and white lesions amongst many other symptoms.

since some of the other fish also have white spots maybe I should do the medication trio (ich-x, paracleanse, maracyn), and if that alleviates the white spots then I guess it’s not fish TB?? Idk very confused and concerned ( I genuinely am stressed about this to the point im driving myself crazy)

thank you so much for your input, I really appreciate it, and I look forward to hearing what you and others have to say further on this issue!

If you've ever bought a fish from a store that gets its fish from farms, you probably already have TB in your tank. Only way to keep the rest from getting it is keeping them happy and healthy enough to not succumb to the disease. Any compromise to their immune system will cause them to succumb, and once they show symptoms there is no going back. Kinda like a reverse AIDS kind of thing. It tends to pop up more in fish that are easily stressed or have inherently weak immune systems.

 

[phreeflow]

Get your money back and cull that fish or separate it if you want to try and treat it. Can’t believe they sent you that fish