can anyone ID this growth?

[drawnon]

Does anybody know what is going on with my mollies? One has bumps or lumps on her, and one has a pink growth popping out of her near her front fin / gill area. I have a couple of pics of them. Any one else know what this is or how I should treat it? They don’t seem to be acting strange or nothing. They eat like the normal pigs they are. The black one is very pregnant.
Any help would be so helpful.
Here are my tank stats:
29 gallon freshwater.
In the tank lives, 5 mollies, 3 oto cats, 3 black kuhli loaches, 1 hillstream loach.
Tank has been up and running for 1 year 4 months.
I use an Emperor 280 bio wheel filter.
Temp 77 f .
I tested with a mardel test strip kit.
Nitrate ppm - 20
Nitrite ppm - 0
Total hardness ppm - 50
Total alkalinity ppm - 0
Ph - 6.4
Ammonia - 0
i do weekly 40 - 50 % water changes and vacuuming.

thanks for looking.

[nanaglen2001]

Good morning

Is your PH always 6.4?

Is that groths a new one?

I see 2 possibilities, either its a reaction of the skin because of the "acid" water, because Mollie need a PH in the 7 range.

Or its cancer. One of my Cichlids had similar symptomes, he behaved normaly, ate like a very big pig and similar stuff was growing mostly in the fin areas (where the fins come out of the body).

If its cancer, you cant do anything besides keeping an eye on those fish. As long as they seem happy, leave them allone, if its getting worse, make a quick end.

All in all I would try to get the PH up to a level of 7 maybe 7.2 It wont at least do no harm to the Mollies.

All in all your water seem to be pretty soft (if I interprete alkalinity about zero and 50 ppm hardness correctly, we in germany use other ways to measure this) , and Mollies need hard water, some people even put some salt into it.

Its possible thats those growths disappear in a snap.

But I really think its cancer.

[zackish]

cancer....on a fish..... hahahaha

[hungryhound]

cancer....on a fish..... hahahaha

Please open you mind. Cells can mutate on any animal.

There is no reason to make light of nanaglens response and especially when she has valid points.

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Tumours or viral infections such as;

1) 'carp pox', which resembles melted wax poured over the fins or skin

2) papillomas, 'warty' types of growths, can be quite large, smooth or cauliflower-shaped, white, red or pink

3) lymphocystis, various sized, white to pink masses on the skin and/or gills. Diagnosis is by microscopic examination of 'wet mount' taken from the lesion.

* There are no treatments for these growths. They are usually benign and often self-resolving. There is always the risk of secondary bacterial infection
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[Drumachine09]

Hmm. wasnt it hobbs that had a growth on an angel, and then had tremedous luck with salt?

Would you have to add even more salt for a molly though?

[hungryhound]

Hmm. wasnt it hobbs that had a growth on an angel, and then had tremedous luck with salt?

Would you have to add even more salt for a molly though?

You cannot use salt with loaches though. In a hospital tank it might work, but you don't want to overdose your loaches on salt.

[Drumachine09]

You cannot use salt with loaches though. In a hospital tank it might work, but you don't want to overdose your loaches on salt.

Nice save. I didnt read the post, i just thought id throw my 2 cents in the bucket.

[Lady Hobbs]

I've never seen anything like that. I thought at first it might be flukes but on second look think not. Flukes do move around so are these bumps remaining in the same place?

I would remove the loaches and treat with 1 T of salt per gallon (half today and half tomorrow) and treat with an antibiotic.
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Zack, fish get TB, cancer, thyroid disease and a host of diseases similar to that of humans. They even get abcesses and boils.

[drawnon]

thank you for all your replies ideas and thoughts.
i know that mollies like some salt. i did used to put salt in the tank but that was before i got the loaches about a year ago. so they only had salt in there for 2 months. i read that mollies can adapt to every type of water, fresh and salt so i figured they would be alright with out it. they have gone over a year with out it. and 2 of them were born in the salt free water, so they have never even seen salt.
i was reading a bunch about it last night and a lot suggested a salt bath so ill try that in a seperate tank.
thanks again

[drawnon]

no. the bumps seem to be in the same spots.

[Lady Hobbs]

You have something going on that may be in your whole tank. This is just the oddest thing I've ever seen.

[drawnon]

so i put the 2 mollies in a seperate 10 gallon with 2 table spoons full of salt and mardel trisulfa. i hope the main tank isnt infected. none of the other fish seem to have any problems. i guess its the waiting game now.
thanks again everyone.
your all awesome.