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My new parrot has a bump at the base of its tail. Its tail end also seems to float up on it when it tries to swim. It is really worrying me and i really appreciate help with it.
-NewBreeder16

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You can call me Newb too, since I'm not nere new any more.

That doesnt sound at all good, if you can post a pic we might be able to tell what it is. Failing that any other symptoms like loss of colour, raised veins near the swelling etc. What colour is the swelling itself? How big is the fish and how big is the bump, that kind of thing?

Without seeing the fish I guess your options are osmotic issues- it could even be a gas bubble problem,with the added complications that can have with swim bladder failure. Ok its rare , but somebody has to get it. It could also be cauliflower disease, cancer, or a buried parasite , it could even be an abcess. They are hybrids and will be susceptible to cancers and sometimes organ failures because of their abnormally chubby build.They are prime targets for cancer because of the colouration and melanin issues, rather like a lot of overbred platys suffer from.Parrot cichlids original parent species have been lost apparently , so the genepool is not likely to be refreshed by new hybrids,the chubby characteristic is enforced by selective breeding time and again, and overall the genepool will be very limited, and that will always mean health problems.

They are martyrs to lymph parasites because a lot of them are injected and coloured or are kept close to injected fish at stockists and breeders. Per head of fish species , parrot cichlids probably suffer more abuse at the hands of people who artificially dye fish than any other. Its speculated that dyed fish have been responsible for the resurgence of cauliflower disease in the hobby, since many fish are injected with the same needle , get the infection directly from this and are then circulated with other fish.

I reckon the cauliflower disease (Lymphocystis) to be the odds-on favourite for a cause of the problem.It can appear months after you acquire the fish. It is contagious, but rather like NTD it has to be ingested for really effective transmission, when the lump gets really big its a good idea to quarantine the fish`, as you dont want the others eating any parts of it, or having it burst in the same tank, although technically there may be some cysts released before it actually bursts.Lymphocystis does not usually kill fish directly, and infected fish typically live a long time but it does sometimes hinder the swimming efficiency of a fish and should the lump become infected or indeed burst, there is a chance of secondary infection.

With a valuable collection of cichlids I would be very tempted to permanently segregate the animal into a permanent quarantine. You can try a whole spectrum of antiparasitics and antibiotics to get rid of it, they occassionally work, but as far as im aware there is no truly effective cure. Just take as much care of the fish as you can and make sure the others dont get infected. It affects just about all species of fish.

A good vet may be able to remove the lump if it becomes truly outrageous in size, and its better than waiting for it to burst. It may well reoccur, but the longer fish live with this infection the more chance they have of acquiring an immunity to it. Some platies are already showing signs of multigenerational immunity, and while they remain infected the lumps never truly become large, although for an unknown reason females suffer less than males, keeping the symptoms minimal for years. Some exceptionally tough specimens of fish have been known to recover without assistance.


Parrot cichlids arent great in rough water quality either,whats the water perameters for this tank?

the water is hard alkaline water with a ph of 7-8.
I'll get a picture to you when schools over.
-NewBreeder16

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You can call me Newb too, since I'm not nere new any more.

Heres the picture hit previous to view them bothhttp://www.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=38051553/PictureID=1107440368/a=44181341_44181341/t_=44181341

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You can call me Newb too, since I'm not nere new any more.

on that pic, it looks like a whit convict? or is that the wrong pic?

anyway, my parrots are in very high ph water, and hard set-ups as with all of my tanks. and i haven't had any problems.

is it a swim bladder problem, and a paracite on the tail?

i am not an expert, but for swim bladder problems, some fish "how would you say, specialty" stores, have needles where they will stab the fish in the right area(of course you have a pro) and take air out, so the fish doesn't have a balance, problem. and a needle is better than struggling to swim and eat.

with the parasite, (if it is one) i use jungle buddies parasite clear.very easy, and good with most parasites that are common to fish. but i am not sure if it will work in this case.

Chris is right, thats not a conventional parrot cichlid , thats for sure. Unfortunately thats not a very good shot of the rear of the fish, or the lump. Try taking another.

ok, i'lll be back after school

_______________________________________________
You can call me Newb too, since I'm not nere new any more.

Here ya go, more pics theres quite a fewhttp://www.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=38051553/PictureID=1107442901/a=44181341_44181341/t_=44181341

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You can call me Newb too, since I'm not nere new any more.

Aha thats better,so it is a white parrot cichlid then, the previous picture looked like a much longer fish foreshortened by the shot angle, it has a much more normal head and mouth than most people would think of in parrot cichlids like reds for example.

It doesnt look like Lymphocystis to me at all after that, the lump isnt on the tail its technically still in the rear of the midbody,the form is too perfect and all the scales are still there, and this aint no dyed fish .The lump is also roughly within range of the swim bladder on such a squat bodied fish, and it certainly explains the bouyancy issues.

I think its a swollen swim bladder, which although no less dangerous might well be curable if acted upon quickly.

Righty then, whats the full tank perameters, average temps, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, precise water hardness, water change schedule, filtration used, feeding regimen , what foods do you use and whats the poo like . In the meantime go with stress-coat and melafix or similar.If you havent got a test kit, go buy one,and use it, we need those results.

...After that we trawl through the bacterial causes.

Nitrite safe, nitrate safe to a little higher, HARD water, ph. 8-9, and alkaline water. Ammonia is light, I'll changs out some water today, when i remove the gouramy, temp is at 74 F. and usually stays there unless somthing happens. This is a new tank just started sturday before last, the parrot was placed in there few days ago to get it away from the other which is larger, and it looked healthier the next day. Been treatin with melafix for the tattered fins and bump. It is a ten gallon 20inches long. It has even defended a terratory so I doing somthing right. Ok, stress coat and melafix got it. I'll stress coat later when school has a break.
And i agree about the picture, it does look like a convict in the first piture

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You can call me Newb too, since I'm not nere new any more.

That certainly explains the probable cause,namely the current tank conditions and the recent move. Parrot cichlids require excellent water chemistry, and the irritation from the ammonia and any thermic differences when the fish was transferred from one tank to another may have caused the swim bladder reaction. They arent great at surviving tank cycling, so get that ammonia down to zero as soon as you can. A little aquarium salt (one of its few uses) can help a fish regain its osmotic balance better so perhaps just put a very small amount in . From here on make sure that tank temperature remains as completely constant as possible, less than one degree of change is preferable, and if that means leaving the lights either on or off 24/7 do so.

If the fish is still like this in another week or takes a turn for the worse get back to us asap.

ps, always worries me when people say "safe", safe on ammonia and nitrite is a big flat zero, nitrate under 40 ppm is usually acceptable for the less sensitive species.

Safe is what you call a chav locked in a box and dropped in the atlantic

Well it was my test strip that said it was safe, These fish were given to me and the bump was there when they arrived. I moved it after i saw it was having trouble swimming and getting beat up by the other male and it has only improved sence then. It was thre before any move.


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You can call me Newb too, since I'm not nere new any more.

Fair enough, im not a big fan of test strips though, theyre not always as accurate as they could be. Hopefully the bladder problem ,which may have been there for some time, and can be further aggravated by stress ie fighting and tank moves will get a chance to subside now. Make sure you feed him lightly and regularly, as pressure froma full belly might make things worse. Sounds like ,with a bit of luck, and some steady conditions and some peace and quiet he should continue to improve. Fingers crossed.

Thanks alot, man. I really apreciate it. Guess what, his female just laid eggs with him. So I guess I'll soon find out if he is steril.
-NewBreeder16

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You can call me Newb too, since I'm not nere new any more.

Well sterile or just unloved

Female fish are picky