Pearlscale problems

[rcarltonj]

Hello All,

I have two young pearlscales that are developing small bubbles similar to the ones in these pictures. The pictures are not my fish, but my fish seem to be developing a similar problem. The bubbles on my fish are much smaller, and their scales are ever so slightly raised. Their body cavities don't seem to be filling up with fluid, at least that I can tell.

So far, my fish are still eating and swimming well. They also spend time at all water levels-top, mid, and bottom, although one seems to spend more time at the botton and the other one spends more time at the top.

Obviously, my first thought is a bacterial infection, but the bubbles are throwing me off. I've never seen them before. These are small, young fish that are easy to replace, so I'm not going to go to excessive measures to remedy the situation. I just don't want this to spread to my other tanks, so I'll probably just break it down, bleach it, and start over with a fishless cycle.

Has any one ever had any experience with this? I would really like to know what it is.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac60/rcarltonj/GFskinbubbles5.jpghttp://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac60/rcarltonj/GFskinbubbles.gif

[thomasn]

I've had this in my pearlscales. RG has good info about it (http://www.rafflesgold.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1865&hl=) and Puregold website. (http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/dropsy.html)

In my own experience, it was bad water/overcrowding that brought it about. It was also a small fish, like 2"-2.5". If I remember correctly, I caught it early and the bubbles went away in better water conditions but came back and my fish eventually died from other things. It happened when I was a newbie and I haven't seen it in a while so I don't know if I could do better at it now.

If you feel like messing with it, I suggest put in at least 20gal tank, stop feeding, raise heat into the 80s with daily 100% water changes and see if it's improving and then decide it's fate.

[rcarltonj]

Hi Thomas,

Thanks for the info.

Yes, these are small, newly acquired fish. After about three weeks in quarentine, I put them in a 75G established tank. There are only three fiish in this tank total, so I don't think it is overcrowding. I try to change 20 gallons of water a week, but sometimes it may be a week and a half or two weeks, depending on my work schedule. I've never had either ammonia or Nitrite test above 0. I don't test for nitrate that often because of the water changes. Perhaps a 20G change on a 75G tank isn't enough for pearlscales.

I looked at the fish again this morning. Now I'm not sure if what I though was small bubbles are not just the tip of the slightly raised scales. When you look at the fish head-on from the front, you can't see anythiing. However, when you look at the fish from behind, you see what looks like tiny bubbles. As you turn to a side view, the bubble appearance goes away.

In any case, something just doesn't seem right. I'll try some massive water changes this weekend and see what happens...

[pearlscale_fan]

my poor little Marble died from this, i don't know for sure what it was, but i think it might have been a herpetic virus, because all the sympotms were there
sorry, but from my experience, it's best to put them down now, before they suffer to death
then you'll have to either bleach and iodine or discard all the stuff in the tank and the tank itself and the filter

[pearlscale_fan]

by the way, Marble was in a tank by herself and was about 6 inches long, we kept her water clean, plenty of aeration, good filtration
i just don't know what happened

[Cincy Ranchu]

That looks like the first sign of kidney failure

[HNLim]

This is very common with pearlscale. Just use your hands to burst the bubbles. This is caused by the secretion of slime that are being trapped as pearlscale do not have the conventional scales of goldfish. The bigger the pearlscale gets the more bubbles it will develope.

Nothing to worry about. Just enjoy your pearlscale.

[suphi]

I've never seen this in ranchu or oranda. I wonder if this is a variant of dropsy in fish without typical scales?

[pearlscale_fan]

the bubbles on my fish poked out from under the scales on her behind and were filled with peach-colored fluid, eventually they popped and the scales popped off with them and left great big holes in the underlying skin
the bubble re-formed several times