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My co-worker just came to me asking for help about his Oscar.

He says he has this white spot attached to his body right underneith one of his side fins. He's had him for over a month, and it's just this one spot, but it has grown bigger (so it's not ich). None of the other fish are showing any signs of being ill.

I don't have a picture, nor have I seen this fish, but some things I was thinking of based on his distription....

A Tumor (which some fish can live healthy lives with dispite it).
A parasite of some kind.
Or an old injury that is scarring or becoming infected, as he mentioned that he used to hide from his Jack Dempsys when he first got the Oscar.

I told him to quarinteen him just incase, and use some Melafix or Melafix/Pimafix together for the recommened time and see if anything else developes with the Oscar, or on the fish in the other tank.

I don't want to suggest any heavy duty medication with out knowing for sure what this is, or even with out knowing if it's necissary.

He says otherwises the Oscar is healthy and acting normal.

Any suggestions?

It could be anything from Lymphocystis through to a benine tumour, we'd really need to see a picture to be accurate on that one. Sometimes fish get minor renal issues that affect osmotic balances in certain tissues.This can cause gas bubbles or even water pockets near the skin. Often the cause is disease but it can be caused by being a little overweight too. Rarely are parasitic cysts very big, and if they are, the inflammation around them is quite noticeable. Its entirely possible that the fish may have scarred or abcessed tissue from fighting or lesions, but if this didnt subside over time id be worried. Is the lump hard or squishy?



Last edited by longhairedgit at 06-Dec-2005 09:59

though rare in the US, lately there have been more incidence of fish lice. It could be this parasite, as they are sometimes found singularly on fish. It would be very hard to tell without a picture.

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There is always a bigger fish...

It might just be a fungus.

Hmm I don't know if he'll be able to get a picture. He's just some warehouse/delivery guy that comes in now and then to help out. I'll ask him in a few more days how the fish is doing, we normally have a good talk about fish once a week anyway.

Perhaps I can look for pictures of these illnesses/desease online and show them to him at work, to ask if any of them match what his fish looks like.

Thanks guys, I'll keep this in mind.

Last edited by angelzoo at 06-Dec-2005 21:13

Ok, well the other day I asked him how his fish was doing. He said he saw him turn around and had ick all over that one side of him.

So I told him how to treat him, and it's been about 3 days, he says the fish is doing better, he's staying up right and swimming a little instead of laying on the side of the tank.
Time will tell.

He mentioned that he feeds him feeder gold fish from the store, so I advised him on how to raise his own fish for feeding purposes and how it would help keep his oscar more healthy. Plus he's buying a bigger tank for this guy so he can have his own space.