This gorgeous green terror is about to expire

[tiger15]

Have you tested your water?

No

If I did not test my water...

1. ...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

What percentage of water do you change?

71-80%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every week

If I do not change my water...

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

I raised this GT from juvie for about a year that turned into a gorgeous male. Unfortunately, it suddenly caught a systemic infection with the first sign of, appearance of a small white dot in the forehead, and gradual development of swollen lips. I know he will die in a week as I had lost GT with exact same symptoms previously. At the mean time , he still shows good color, and behaves normally except not eating. I’m not aware of any effective treatment, but, doesn't seem to be contagious, so I let him runs his course and took a few pics for memory.

 

[Deadeye]

Sorry to hear. It really is a beauty!
duanes or kno4te can confirm, but that looks like it may be columnaris based on the lips. Really nothing you can do with that short of bleach the tank.

 

[kno4te]

Sorry to hear. It really is a beauty!
duanes or kno4te can confirm, but that looks like it may be columnaris based on the lips. Really nothing you can do with that short of bleach the tank.

Does look like columnaris too.

 

[tiger15]

No, I don't think it is columnaris which is white patchy growth, and is usually contagious. The lips are swollen from fluid pressure built up, and the white bump in the forehead occasionally leaks out white fluid. I’ve seen similar symptoms killing my other GTs , so history repeats itself with little chance of self recovery,

 

[duanes]

I agree about it being columnaris.
One of the 1st symptoms is enhanced and intense coloration., which sets in just prior to the atrophy and swelling of mouth and jaw tissue.


Above is a snapshot of the diseases progression
Columnaris has many diverse symptoms, could be a spot, could be atrophy around the dorsal fin, there is no one determining factor except bacterial lab analysis.

The fact that a previous cichlid died of the same thing in the past, is very telling.
I find that once columnaris infects a tank, in order to totally rid that tank of the bacteria
that tank must be totally broken down, and anything the water touched (nets, tubes, filter media, even tank tops) need to be sanitized with bleach,

if not, the gram negative bacteria that cause columnaris ,will remain inert in a dry smudge of sand, or tiny water mark
for extended periods (maybe even years)
and once water is again added, it hydrolyzes the inert phages, putting them again, into an infective state.

There is no cutting corners with columnaris.
If a tank is infected, and the fish have died it remain indefinitely unless drastic action is taken.
I pour a couple gallons of bleach in the tank, with filters running and full of media, and let it run for an extended period.
I wipe down and tops, lights,, anything that could have been remotely splashed by the water or mist..

If any fish had survived the initial infection (which is possible), I euthanize them, as asymptomatic carriers.

 

[tiger15]

I agree about it being columnaris.
One of the 1st symptoms is enhanced and intense coloration., which sets in just prior to the atrophy and swelling of mouth and jaw tissue.

View attachment 1531644View attachment 1531645View attachment 1531647
Above is a snapshot of the diseases progression
Columnaris has many diverse symptoms, could be a spot, could be atrophy around the dorsal fin, there is no one determining factor except bacterial lab analysis.

I think you may be correct. The swollen lips looks like in your pic. It started with a little white spot on the forehead, the fish stopped eating, but behaved normally and color remained vibrant. The last time I lost a GT had the same symptoms, and I had lost other SA cichlid with atrophy around the dorsal,fin, but that happened 2 to 3 years ago. Interestingly, same symptoms always affected the same species, but none other fish. I tried to treat affected fish in a hospital tank with antibiotic but with no success.

Chlorinating the entire tank is out of question as I keep plants and dozens other fish. I routinely do 75% WC weekly followed by dosing of Glutaraldehyde as prophylactic. Glutaraldehyde is a biocide used to sterilize medical equipment and is an ingredient of Seachem Paraguard and Excel to control parasites and algae. I was on vacation and missed WC for 3 weeks, and came home with a sick GT.

 

[duanes]

It is true that Columnaris is at times species specific.
And especially if infecting a species that in nature, lives in rivers with water temps, in the 70s (like GTs in rivers west of the Andes) and where aquarists sometimes keep temps in the low 80s, which are prime temps for Columnaris.
When my Mayaheros beanii (above) were shipped in, during a summer heatwave, I immediately QTeed them, so the disease did not spread.

They are also a species that being from the northern Pacific coast of Mexico can be kept comfortably in the low 70s, and I believe the summer heatwave made the bacteria more virulent.
At the time, I had 20 tanks, so euthanizing the fish in one, and I believe sterilizing it. saved the disease from spreading throughout the fish room.

 

[tiger15]

On a positive note, the fish remains active and colorful, and the symptoms have been stabilized. I did a large WC and dosed my routine Glutaraldehyde prophylactic. The GT I lost in the past with the same symptoms were older fish. He is a young fish and the next few days will tell if he has a chance of recovery.

I am quoting from my Tetra Fish Diseases and Water Chemistry book, "Columnaris organisms are considered to be part of the environment and have been observed growing on uneaten fish food. Most likely, the bacteria feed on organic wastes and the numbers of bacteria per volume of water increase with the amount of organic material resent. These bacteria can be found on healthy fish. Development of disease is related to a stress related decrease in disease resistance." Since bacterial pathogens are opportunistic and ubiquitous, it is not possible to eliminate them all by sterilization so the goal should be to minimize their number by good water management. IME, bacterial infection tends to spread among the same species with identical symptoms, but generally don't spread to other species.

 

[tiger15]

His condition has turned worse today with appearance of a few more pimples broken off as holes in the head. He is also carrying a stringy fesses, looking more like an internal parasite infection. His color is still brilliant though, but I think he will decline gradually and eventually die. All other fish are healthy, including a closely related EBA, so there is no sign of spreading. Ive seen this before, and will let him die in the community tank.

 

[duanes]

One of the symptoms of Columnaris are the intensifying colors.
When you compare normal color Mayaheros beani (left) to one infected with Columnaris (right) the difference is quite dramatic.

And the other major cichlid symptom, is the atrophy around the mouth
Obvious on some of your latest photos.