yellow bumps/cysts on channel cats

troi · Post by **troi** » 17 Dec 2003, 06:20

I am seeing yellowish bumps or cysts about the size of a pin head on my albino catfish youngsters. The bumps appear mostly at the base of fins or on the fin, but are not limited to these areas. One fo the fish developed a hole under one eye. The hole showed no inflammation but grew and finally affected the eye. I put the fish down, since half its "face" was gone.

A) anyone know what the bumps/cysts are?
B) Is it likely that the hole was related to the bumps or more likely coincidence?

Seen 'em before on other channels.
troi

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » 17 Dec 2003, 07:00

Hello,

I know that you have probably already discounted this, but is there any chance that it is velvet? The ulcer was more than likely caused by a secondary bacterial infection.

Either way, the combination of a mild copper treatment and nitrofurazone should take care of the problem.

Larry Vires

troi · Post by **troi** » 17 Dec 2003, 08:13

Thanks, Larry.

But, alas, no way. As I understand oodinium, it is like a sprinkling of stuff that can look shiney or velvety. This is the isolated bump one or two, remote rather than proximal, to a fish. Raised, maybe 2 mm across and half as high. I LOOKS subcutaneous. The color is a milky yellow.

The hole in the face didn't look like the ulcers I see on other fish, ie, inflammed, red skin showing thru, necrotic tissue at the edges, a bit of white or pus. None of that, instead, it looked like a hole, that is to say, a lack of anything where something ought to be. A void. Didn't act like the bacterial stuff I am used to seeing. Fish didn't seem distressed. The area aound the eye finally got reddish and maybe swollen.

I thought I had a pic of the bumps from the last time I saw them, but I can't find find it. Must have gone in the great clean out last week.

troi

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 23 Dec 2003, 22:41

A picture would help a lot with IDing the problem.

troi · Post by **troi** » 24 Dec 2003, 08:47

Sorry. I looked everywhere, but the pix are gone. One person who saw the pix suggested "yellow grub", which is think is an encysting tremotode. Maybe a better way to approack this is to ask if anyone can describe yellow grub or has pix?

If this is an encysting parasite, it would take an internal medication to knock it, would it not? As I say, the bumps appear to be under the skin, or actually in the skin tissue at the base of fins or in teh web between rays of the fins.

TIA
troi

Katman · Post by **Katman** » 24 Dec 2003, 10:07

I believe what you have is bird worms,(common name). It is the larval stage of a digenetic fluke
parasite ,clinostomum or posthodiplostomum, not sure which at the moment. any way they are
part of a fish, bird , snail cycle. There fore the name "bird worms"

If the fish lives until the the parasites are in the cysts stage the worst is over, as the fluke is now
in a dormant stage until the fish is eaten by a bird.

They can be treated with meds. but they are hard on catfish. If there arn't to many of them I
would pop them out with a needle point. Like I said at this point they are harmless, so get the
ones that are the worst, and the fish will be happy.

Katman · Post by **Katman** » 24 Dec 2003, 10:33

UP DATE I looked it up.

It is a neascus type of metacercariae belonging to the genus Neascus , A trematode commonly
called a Fluke

troi · Post by **troi** » 24 Dec 2003, 20:09

Katman, do you have a link or a book reference for the fluke? I thought flukes didn't encyst but now I think about it I seem to vagurely recall something about encysting flukes.

Would all the tremotodes/larvae be in the surface cysts? I can certainly pop them out. For gill flukes, pranziquental is very effective and safe. I have used this drug in food for goldfish. My questions are whether the med would reach an encysted tremotodes and how well catfish handle this drug. Do you have any experience with it?

Meanwhile, I am off to google neascus and bird worm.

thanks.

troi

Katman · Post by **Katman** » 24 Dec 2003, 21:41

The only book I looked at was" Fish Medicine " By Michael K. Stoskopf.
We are more concerned with breaking the cycle than killing the bug.
I have been told Dylox 80 will kill the cysts, but I can not conferm it,
and will not suggest you use it with out proper knowledge of dosage,
as Dylox 80 (masoten) and malachite green ( not together) are the
chemicals I use to eradicate walking catfish . LOL

I will see if I can find something with futher research.

troi · Post by **troi** » 24 Dec 2003, 21:50

Thanks again. I did a quick search and it looks like yellow grub, as you say. Found some pix that are close enough. From the US pages, it looks like there is no curing the thing, really, although I may try the pranzi. Apparently, the bug just stays put in the fish and doesn't do much damage, just looks bad. I think the eaten face I saw was something else.

I really don't like to use dylox from much of anything.

troi