# bumps on fins and mouth of african cichlids



## timeyyy (Dec 3, 2016)

Hi.

I have been battling some sickness in my aquarium for about a year and would appreciate some help. Symptoms include strange lump on the fins as well as lumps and swelling of the mouth. I have only noticed this in my African cichlids. There are clown loaches and cat fish in the aquarium who are doing fine. It seems to come in waves, with spread of the bumps to other fish and growth of the bumps on already effected fish. The lump on the crabro lip started out very small...

I tried dosing with some magical heal all solution https://www.amazon.de/Esha-Heilmitt...1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480785152&sr=8-1&keywords=esha. It seemed to stop the spread and some of the bumps on the lips were open wounds which closed when i used this medication.

*Dimensions:* 120cm x 50cm x 50 cm

PH: 7 (measured in middle of day)
GH: 14
KH: 6
NO2: < 0.1
Temp 27 deg celsius

I add a little bit of baking power (Disodium pyrophosphate, Sodium bicarbonate) to try bump the kh up, it sinks down to around 5 if i don't do this.

*Feeding:* I buy from ebay, the brand isn't listed and it is cheap, Flakes as well as pellets. (for african cichlids) 
Recently purchased malawi flakes from the brand tropical.

*Maintenance*, every 2 to 1 weeks a 30% water change. I use aqua bon 6 in 1 from vitakraft to declorinate the water. I have a electric vacuum i use to clean the substrate which i do once every 2 to 3 weeks, I recently moved all the rocks to do a gravel clean and notice alot of brown material ( poo? waste?). I have an external filter which i clean every 3 months. I use no salt.

I bought the entire setup including fish from someone down the road. There were no bumps or illness when he had the aquarium. He changed the water less frequently ( every 10 weeks), used different food and put salt in the water after a water change. Hi also cleand rocks and ornaments vacuum sucked every 10 weeks.

*The Cichlids*:
1 x male http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/m_crabro.php - crabro (bumblee bee)
1 x male http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/l_caeruleus.php - electric yellow
3 x male and 7 x female http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=791
1 x male 1 x female http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/o_lithobates.php
3 x male http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_socolofi.php
2 x similar http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_electra.php

*Others*
2 x http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/clown_loach.php - clown loach
1 x https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimelodus
1 x http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=734
3 x http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/spe ... ies_id=905

I do notice some aggression with the 3 males but it is not too common.

*The tank*

*Lump in mouth*

*Lip on the crabro and bumps on the other cichlid*
*
Bumps along the top fin*

*Bump on top fin*

*2 bumps on tail fin*


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## timeyyy (Dec 3, 2016)

The tank is 300 Litre or 80 Gallons


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## BuckeyeTez (May 10, 2016)

What are your Nitrates at? A 30% water change every week or two is not enough. You need to be doing at minimum 50% weekly, if not biweekly.

I would start with that and see how things go after two weeks.


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## timeyyy (Dec 3, 2016)

I only have strip tests for Nitrate, The value comes out at around 50 -100 mg/L. I will buy a better test for Nitrate and start with the water changes.


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## moorealot (Mar 16, 2017)

Do you have any answers yet? I have about 6 fish with same bumps. One has it around lips and top and bottom of tail fin. Two have single spots on dorsal fin. Three have single or more spots on tail fin.Tank is 120 gal. 2 large cartridge 1 sponge with power head filters. It has been running for about 5 years. Orange zebra,Acei's,Yellow lab are infected. If you have found out anything please let me know, I am still looking.


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## timeyyy (Dec 3, 2016)

I ended up selling some fish so it was less full, and doing more regular water changes. I have seen a massive decline in issues since doing this.


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