Lymphocystis

[Capt. Nemo]

Well here I am all excited that I was going to pick up my baby porcuppine puffer today only to find out that the little fella has lymphocystis. The LFS had been holding him since last weekend until I got my quarantine tank up and running. Although my mind and heart was set on taking the puffer home, I just couldnt take the risk until I did some research and only then decided what the best course of action was. From what I've learned lymphocystis doesnt have a cure, is stress related, but has a low mortality rate. So now the question is should I let him stay at the LFS and hope he gets better or do I take him home and put him in my quarantine tank where I could give him all the attention and care that he needs to get better. Will the LFS provide what the fish needs to treat its lymphocystis? Then again will I only cause him more stress and thereby worsening his condition by putting him into a newly established quarantine tank and subjecting him to a drip acclimation? Where would he be better off and have a greater chance of getting better? I will say you would never know he had a viral infection since he was his happy self and very very lively. It was tough not to take him home, but I figured that I would do some research and get some advice which would be in his and my best interests. Thanks.

[Capt. Nemo]

Anbody want to a crack at this? Thanks.

[Steven Pro]

Is the store going to give you a deal on it because of the Lymphocystis?

[Capt. Nemo]

I didnt ask, but I would think they would. At the time, I didnt know anything about Lymphocystis and postponed taking him home until I could research this viral infection and get some info on possible treatments and what the mortality rate was associated with this virus. This fish was the best looking and liveliest porc I've seen. The virus is two small cotton like balls on his fins. Other than that he seems to be very happy and healthy. Should I leave him at the LFS or take him home? Would it be more stressful for him to be transferred to my Q-tank or staying in a tank with other fish and in an environment which may have caused this virus in the first place. At least at home I can provide the nutritional needs and supplements/vitamin therapy to boost his immune system and give him the best chance to get over this virus. I've learned that this is rarely fatal and is similar to what a cold or warts is to humans. Please advise. Thank you very much.

Gary

[Steven Pro]

The real question is, are you positive it is Lymphocystis? It could be a bacterial infection based upon your description. If it is just Lymphocystis, it should clear up and you may have a good deal on your hands. But, a bacterial infection is another problem.

[Capt. Nemo]

The LFS seemed confident that it was Lymphocystis. I have since looked at pics of fish with the virus and it closely matches what I examined on the porc. The lymphocystis is on the edges of two of the porc's fins which seems to be indicative of this virus. If this is not Lymphocystis then what bacteria could this be based on the description I have given you. Thanks Steve.

[Steven Pro]

You are not going to be able to ID the bacterium without a microscope, good reference book, and the ability to do a staining. We hobbyists usually just use a shotgun approach and use a broad spectrum antibiotic and hope it works against what the fish has.

[Capt. Nemo]

I received a 2nd opinion from another LFS person and they agreed that the porc has Lymphocystis. They recommended netting it and then scraping it off the fins. Has anyone else performed this procedure on a fish with this virus. I'm also concerned about the porc being exposed to air and what stress this may cause. Should I just wait and let the lympho fall off the fish or should I scrape it off before it progresses and becomes possibly life threatening? Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Gary

[Steven Pro]

It is usually too stressful to remove the growths. The only time I would recommend it would be when the growths interfer with feeding, breathing, or something else like that.

[Capt. Nemo]

Steve,

I agree that surgical removal should only be a last resort and only if the virus is life threatening, The LFS informed me that their water contains copper which I learned could compromise a fish's immune system and thereby making it more susceptible to Lymphocystis. Would a cleaner shrimp eat the Lymphocystis off the puffer's fins? Thanks again.

[Steven Pro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7678446#post7678446 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Capt. Nemo
Would a cleaner shrimp eat the Lymphocystis off the puffer's fins? Perhaps, but there is about the same chance that the puffer would eat the shrimp instead.

[Capt. Nemo]

If he's smart though, the puffer will only eat the shrimp after the shrimp has eaten the Lymphocystis. : ) That's sick.

[*~aeris~*]

I bought mine months ago with the white spots on his fins too, he seems fine otherwise. Hope someday they'll go away though.
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=128854&stc=1

[Salty Bginners]

is it just me or does that look like ich?

[Capt. Nemo]

Hey aeris, did the porc have the lympho when you bought it? I've heard that cleaner shrimp may eat the lympho off, but then again the porc may eat the shrimp before he has a chance. Is the lympho spreading or in remission? How are your water parameters and what do you feed the puffer?

[Philwd]

Aeris - has the lympho spread to any other fish?

[Steven Pro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7681310#post7681310 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by *~aeris~*
I bought mine months ago with the white spots on his fins too, he seems fine otherwise. Hope someday they'll go away though.
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=128854&stc=1 This does not look like a classic image of lymphocystis, not on the edges of the fin or irregular enough.

[*~aeris~*]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7681362#post7681362 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Salty Bginners
is it just me or does that look like ich?

When I first posted his pic in another forum (while he was in QT), some people thought it was ich too, but the white spots are too big to be ich, and none of the other tankmates have it. I've had ich before and ich spots are much smaller, maybe they seem small in the pic ,but you should know he's about 6 inches.

[*~aeris~*]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7681809#post7681809 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Capt. Nemo
Hey aeris, did the porc have the lympho when you bought it? I've heard that cleaner shrimp may eat the lympho off, but then again the porc may eat the shrimp before he has a chance. Is the lympho spreading or in remission? How are your water parameters and what do you feed the puffer?

Yep! he had the spots when he got home, was given to me as a gift so I couldn't take him back :( .

I may try the shrimp, but the possibilities of him surviving are not good, if the porc doesn't eat it someone else will .

Spots haven't spread, they look exactly the same.

Water parameters are OK except the nitrates, I'm having a hard time mantaining them (40ppm), and it may have something to do with the feeding :D different frozen seafoods, krill as treats, with garlic xtreme and zoecon, he eats a lot of algae too, steals it from the tangs.

[Sk8r]

Where a cleaner shrimp is apt to be dinner, you might try a true cleaner goby: they're small and fast, and might be able to stay out of the way. The downside is that they can make themselves a pest, and if you get the false cleaner, well, that's just a PITA.

[*~aeris~*]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7682688#post7682688 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Steven Pro
This does not look like a classic image of lymphocystis, not on the edges of the fin or irregular enough.

I'm really not sure if it's lymphocystis or not, but since he shows no signs of illness other than the spots :confused: I just know thay they seem as if one could take them off easily...

[*~aeris~*]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7683840#post7683840 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
Where a cleaner shrimp is apt to be dinner, you might try a true cleaner goby: they're small and fast, and might be able to stay out of the way. The downside is that they can make themselves a pest, and if you get the false cleaner, well, that's just a PITA.

A pest?? really? why?

[*~aeris~*]

Closer Pics!

http://tk.files.storage.msn.com/x1pfVtmoboGJU59KOAu-nIDNJTUSw478-VWZ-p14euf3ic9B6E4cDOj3-Bth3fq7XlxvO5w9fGA-O2sj9EvsGIIAvIFG4xJOyyzE_ojEmnHq6paGmIXflJJLKmeTg2R80nDh_xUkeeAAQU


http://tk.files.storage.msn.com/x1pfVtmoboGJU59KOAu-nIDNFnq4FwFMYdI7aGk21lzvDUrqmvELPezZU4vOhoMDw9zD5NmBumd9zAQMQUxLgTnhLMih69CQyMLsOmbH--DcGW_IfVp3RQwBkYgcMm4fmSc

[*~aeris~*]

Capt. Nemo sorry I hijacked your thread! :(

[Philwd]

Stephen,
In your opinion can lympho spread to other fish? According to Noga it may but it sounded like it was not highly contagious.

[Steven Pro]

I would defer to Noga. Lymphocystis has not been widely studied. We don't know if it spreads easily from fish to fish or if all fish have it and it only manifests itself under stressful conditions.

[Salty Bginners]

How is he doing?