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Wow, not so active around here as I remember it being! Hope someone sees this...


Water Parameters:
Just did a change today and didn't test prior too. I can get current Amm, NO2, and NO3 readings if necessary though they won't be that accurate with the change. Tank has been established since Feb and was started with established media, never cycled, all 'bad' readings have been zero forever, NO3 usually 5-10ppm.
pH: 8.0
Temp: 79 F

Tank Information
Tank Size: 75 gal
Stock List: 1 Aul. baenschi male peacock, 4 swordtails, 10" common pleco
Filtration: Rena XP3, Cascade 300 HOB

Additives
Natural spring water, add 2 tsp epsom salt, 1 tsp baking soda per 5 gal new water at changes. No conditioners or ferts.


INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SICK FISH

One swordtail has a large lumpy growth protruding from under the left gill plate. The mass is light white in color and has blood vessels visible. Fish appears to be in little distress and is eating and behaving normally. I only just noticed this lump, so it seems to have formed quite suddenly.

Photos:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5769761730_902bf3eced_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2736/5769762020_94e825de59_b.jpg


Currently all the other fish in the tank and healthy and happy. Tank has low bioload, no aggression, eating NLS and Tetra flakes. I did weekly water changes for the first month or so and currently am doing 20 gal water change per month and cleaning of filters (The XP3 is packed with biomedia so I'm not concerned about minicycles from cleaning the pads). This has been very satisfactory in maintaining healthy water parameters, I usually test at every water change. However, I started out with 10 swordtails in Feb and am now down to 4, including this sick one. No massive die off, just slowly one by one. They are big, mature fish adopted from another hobbyist so possibly they are just old. I've been keeping many types of fish with good results for about a decade, seems silly to me I am killing swordtails of all things! They would just start to fail to thrive, look a little thin and grey, become listless, then die. I'm very frustrated about this and would like to save this fish! She has currently been removed to a 10 gal hospital tank for treatment, though I'm not sure what to give her. Will just start with some Melafix unless I get other recommendations here. Any ideas what is going on with this fish and my other swordtails?

It looks to me like a tumor of some kind, which there is no treatment for. You said you got them from another hobbyist, do you know how old they are? Swordtails don't have an extremely long life span. Usually only living 3-5 years.

No, I don't know how old. Some of them were probably very old, and I know at least 2 or 3 were offspring of the original fish. I guess age may be a factor in the other deaths.

This fish has started having some trouble breathing. She is constantly gasping at the surface (no other fish are doing this) and is not very active. I'm considering euthanizing her. I also think it looks like a tumor. I remember reading somewhere something about a swollen thyroid showing as a mass pushing out from under the gill plate. But I have no knowledge about that. Hoping somebody else might. The treatment I read was to add potassium iodide. Not sure where to get that? I have some powdered kelp, could add that for iodine, lol. Doubt that would work well...

Would be nice if it was something treatable, or something with the water that I could change. A tumor is pretty final...

I took some water measurements for the heck of it:

75 gal (where fish first showed the lump)
Temp: 81 F (was previously going off the thermostat, but stuck a thermometer in there and got this reading. lights were on too)
pH: 8.0
GH: 16
Amm: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 10

The 10 gal hospital doesn't have additives so is significantly softer. pH 7.4, GH 7. I acclimated the fish but am now worried I might have caused her more stress by moving her... Is the 75 too hard for the swordtails? I didn't think so but... Just asking.

Well, the fish was down laying on the substrate today so I decided it was time for her to go.

Also, ANOTHER swordtail in the 75 died today. Yesterday it was a healthy active normal fish. Fed them this morning, everyone seemed normal. When I got home from work tonight it was dead. What the heck? I am very frustrated... All remaining fish seem good and normal. Down to two swordtails now... grr...