Wart-Looking Spots and Aimless Behavior

**danielscutt** · 05-01-2013, 04:37 AM

150-gal tank
Various fish including an Oscar and some Convicts
Substrate is currently large rocks, with no gravel - we're fighting an algae bloom and due to repeat blooms I decided I was going to run the tank without gravel to give the algae no place to settle and grow. I've been told this was probably a bad idea.
Filters include an under-tank sump with gravity drain and a hang-on filter on the back (I think it's rated for a 50 gallon tank, but I just threw it on there for a little extra filtration).

Our Flowerhorn, Kessie, recently developed rough-looking wart-like spots around her face. We've been dealing with a really bad algae bloom and haven't been able to see the fish very clearly for the past few weeks. I'm pretty new to fish-keeping, if anyone wants to know why it's taken this long to clear up the tank. Anyway, she's behaving sort of aimless, and while it's likely I'm over-reacting it seems like she runs into the glass a lot. Any ideas? We've got her quarantined, and tomorrow I'm going to buy this cure-all fungus/parasite medication I was recommended today by the local pet store (non-corporate).

To note, we just recently replaced all of the gravel with rocks from outside (we didn't boil them, much to the horror of the guy who got me into fish-keeping). I've done complete water changes two or three times in the last two months. I'm going to be doing another this weekend, and will be adding new gravel (filtered and boiled, this time) and will begin adding Daphnia regularly to control the algae bloom (we bought 3 500-count kits from a seller on Amazon).

Kessie - Sick.jpg

**Aeonflame** · 05-01-2013, 05:20 AM

It appears to be lymphocystis.

**danielscutt** · 05-01-2013, 05:22 AM

Looking it up now, also, but what should I do in your opinion?

**danielscutt** · 05-01-2013, 05:23 AM

Well. According to Wikipedia, not a whole lot. Light doses of medicine and a stress-free environment for several months.

**Aeonflame** · 05-01-2013, 05:26 AM

I have treated fish in the past by removing the cysts. So far they have not returned.

**danielscutt** · 05-01-2013, 05:27 AM

Yeah. I saw that on Wikipedia too. How did you go about removing them? I'm assuming a specialist.

**Aeonflame** · 05-01-2013, 05:29 AM

I used sedation and a scalpel. In this case the fish was having great difficulty breathing, so surgery was the best option before deciding to euthanize.