Sick giant gourami       11/14/19 Hi Neale I recently rehomed a giant gourami into my monster tank. The poor thing has a weird cut/chunk missing type thing on one side of him and some white fungus looking spots on the other side. Pictures attached. I have never seen anything like these white spots, I don’t think it’s ich. I am halfway through a course of Waterlife Myaxin but doesn’t seem to help, it’s actually getting worse I think. He’s happily eating etc. Any suggestions? Thanks <Hello Nathaniel. This is some sort of bacterial infection, though the white specks are slightly mysterious. Do these look like bubbles of dead tissue? If so, then yes, bacterial in origin more than likely. A decent antibacterial (such as eSHa 2000) should do the trick, though if a vet can prescribe antibiotics for you, so much the better. If the white things are more crusty, off-white in colour, and look like drops of molten wax, then I'd lean towards a viral infection as well. Some viral infections are rarely fatal in fish, such as Lymphocystis, but are impossible to treat directly. They can heal after some months (even years) of good conditions. A few viral infections, such as Carp Pox, are potentially more immediately lethal and need veterinarian intervention. Still, let's assume it's bacterial. The shape of the wound suggests physical damage, and I wonder -- is there a Common Plec in the tank? These can (and do) 'latch' onto slab-sided fish given the chance, rasping away at the mucous. Otocinclus are notorious for this, too, largely because they starve in most tanks. Some Loricariidae are very safe, Panaque for example, being pretty much herbivorous, but the more general purpose Plecs are distinctly hit-and-miss in tanks with Oscars, or really anything big enough to support their weight. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Sick giant gourami       11/14/19 Hi Thanks for your reply, Nothing in the tank to latch on, having looked closely these white things look a bit like blobs of cotton wool - does that sound bacterial? <More like fungus. Very common on infected wounds. Distinctly tufty, furry appearance. Do look at pictures online or in fish health books.> Can I get antibiotics from any vet? <In the UK, yes, absolutely. But finding a 'fish vet' locally is often hard. https://www.fishvetsociety.org.uk/interest-areas/ornamentals/list-of-vets-willing-to-treat-pet-fish/ It's worth a call to your local vet if you already have one for a cat or dog, and discussing the symptoms. I've done it once before, and got some erythromycin this way. It's a hassle to be fair, and if the fish is hearty and feeding, I'd probably try a course of eSHa 2000 first and see if it helps.> Thank you <Cheers, Neale.> Re: Sick giant gourami       11/14/19 Thanks Neale, <Welcome.> I have been treating with Myaxin from Waterlife (anti bacterial), still have 2 more nights to treat. Should I discontinue now or finish the course first? <If the fish isn't actively getting worse, you may as well finish the course and see what happens.> (Doesn’t seem to be doing much). <My experiences with Myxazin have never been that great, to be honest. I find eSHa 2000 a much better bet, perhaps because it targets bacteria and fungi simultaneously.> Would 3 days and 30% water change each day be a good enough separation? <Likely so. Most fish medications are oxidised or otherwise metabolised by the bacteria within a day, or so I understand.> Thanks <Cheers, Neale.> Re: Sick giant gourami        11/20/19 Hi Neale, I hope all is well, <All good, thanks!> I used the ESHA 2000 last night (first dose) and I can see already an improvement this morning (thanks for the tip!). <No problem.> I wanted your advice, <Sure.> It basically works out per the instructions that I would do a 20ml dose on day 1 and then 10ml day 2 and 10 ml day 3. So 20:10:10 It says on the instructions that if needed one can double the dose. <Indeed. Have never done so. But would not expect them to lie about this!> I used 20 mil last night (so a single dose), however I am debating, given the issue has been ongoing for a while, to use 20 mil tonight too? It says you can also extend beyond days 2 and 3 too, so I am thinking instead of 20:10:10, to maybe do 20:20:10:10? <I would prefer to try the regular dose for the first 'course' of the medications. If the fish doesn't get better, repeat for another dose, rather than increase the dosages. The risk is that too much could stress the filter bacteria, resulting in an ammonia or nitrite spike, which would undo all your progress.> There is a catfish in there too which I know are sometimes more sensitive as they are scaleless but it says on the packet it should be fine and he doesn't seem bothered so far. <Indeed; I have never had problems using eSHa 2000 with catfish.> Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks! <Repeating courses, rather than increasing dosages, is my gut reaction if the fish is showing signs of recovery and still otherwise in good condition (swimming, eating, etc.). But if you felt a higher dose was warranted, I would not feel afraid to try, but would remove some filter media to a safe place just in case something goes wrong. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Sick giant gourami    11/21/19 Thanks Neale <Most welcome, Nate.> Re: Sick giant gourami      11/22/19 Hi Neale, <Nat,> Unfortunately whilst after day 1 things looked to be improving with eSHa, day 2 and 3 seem to have had little impact and in fact seems to have spread to mouth fungus. Shall I try eSHa again next week with a stronger dose given that day 1 things seemed to get a bit better (the dose is twice as high on day 1)? <Yep, sounds like a good plan to me. Do a water change before running the medications though.> Or is there anything else you can recommend? Thanks Nat <Apart from visiting a fish vet, nope, nothing better. Cheers, Neale.>

Preventing future injury infection on pearl Gourami       1/4/15 Good afternoon, Thank you in advance for reading my message. <Most welcome.> I am writing because (1) your site has been extremely useful in my research--thank you--and (2) because I had a bit of trouble finding pictures and/or descriptions regarding this particular issue, so I thought maybe I could help someone else. <Quite so.> My male pearl Gourami seemed to have damaged his skin on (presumably) a sharp decoration in my tank, as he chased my female Opaline. <Yes; looks a clean wound, should heal nicely.> I saw a whitish area on his side that seemed like a small loss of scales. <White = dead tissue.> I monitored it and watched his behavior for a week; he was eating well, he did not lose coloring or have any indications of white spot, cotton mouth, or ragged fins. I read on your site that injuries make fish more susceptible to diseases so I was ready to take action, but I did not think there was a need at that point. <Indeed; in good water quality fish have an ASTONISHING ability to heal from wounds such as these. If the wound stays "clean" ... without signs of fungal threads or bacterial decay, treatment may indeed be unnecessary.> Overnight into day 8, the pearl's injury enlarged and his front body inflated like a balloon; posts on your site suggested this might be a sign of an internal parasite. I QT'd him in cycled water and he died twelve hours later; I was not surprised since he barely put up a fight when I netted him, he was not eating, and he had suddenly relegated himself to the bottom of the community tank and later the QT, <Interesting.> although he did remain buoyant. <Good.> Aside from alleviating the ornament situation, which I did, how can I prevent the infection from an injury--if my diagnosis it correct--next time? When I see the injury, should I separate and medicate right away? If so, which medication should I use? I am not sure how to medicate appropriately without knowing the nature of the secondary problem, yet I also read that waiting to treat is often too late. I attached a picture of him after he expired, showing the affected/infected areas. Many thanks again, Matt <I would medicate as per Finrot; my favourite product is eSHa 2000 where antibiotics aren't available, otherwise in the US, various antibiotics such as Kanaplex should work well. On the other hand, while Epsom salt can be an excellent addition where swelling and/or dropsy are indicated (1-3 teaspoons per 5 gallons/20 litres) by itself it has no impact on bacterial infections, and nor does salt, which at a dose of 1-2 gram/litre can help minimise osmotic stress is not in itself a medication against bacterial infections. So either might have their place, or even used together, but alongside, not as an alternative to an anti-Finrot medication. Make sense? Cheers, Neale.>

Tropical Fish Problems     5/17/14
Hello
<Hello Sharon,>
IM hoping you can help me. I have a 65 gallon aquarium, with a gourami who had a small lump on his side then opened into a red sore.
<Likely a bacterial infection that set in following some sort of physical damage. If you can discount aggression or predation, in my experience, these most often happen when fish throw themselves at sharp objects, such as rocks or even the metal reflectors behind some aquarium lights! Review, and act accordingly.>
I treated the tank with Melafix and it healed.
<Good. Though Melafix is unreliable as a cure. I'd suggest using it as a preventative, after fish have hurt themselves but are not actually showing signs of fungus or bacterial infection. Once you suspect an infection has set in, go for something much more reliable, like the old Maracyn 1 and Maracyn 2 combination that's popular in the US, or something equivalent, such as KanaPlex or eSHa 2000.>
He now has a secondary infection on his one fin, looks like cotton (fungus). I treated with Pimafix (did nothing)
<Not surprised.>
I treated with the fizzy tabs for fungus (did nothing).
<Again, you're likely using these that are too generalised and too unreliable. A good rule of thumb is that if the medication is [a] cheap and [b] promises to cure everything, it probably isn't all that useful. Fungus is usually very obviously different to anything else because it looks like cotton wool fluff. Finrot and Mouth "Fungus" (a bacterial infection called Columnaris) usually look very different. While there are some medications that promise to treat both fungal and bacterial infections (such as KanaPlex), it's often better to identify which is the problem with your fish, and choose something more specific.>
I switched to Paraguard from SeaChem).
<Again, this is something that promises a lot, but I'd tend to see it as a general purpose preventative rather than a one-shot cure-all. KanaPlex would be better if you can't be sure if fungal or bacterial infections are to blame, as it will treat both, but unlike Paraguard it doesn't promise to treat Whitespot, viruses and all sorts of other things!>
Did water changes in between treatments...All my water parameters are correct. No ammonia, ph is 7.8 and everything else is normal. The tank has been set up for 2 years. Last night the Gourami still has some fuzz on same fin, but now I have white stringy stuff floating all over tank. Not sure if I should do a water change (dosed with ParaGuard for 3 days so far)...and then try another treatment like Jungle tabs or keep dosing with SeaChem Paraguard.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Sharon
<Bottom line, identify the problem, and choose a more specific medication for best results. The more a medicine promises to cure all sorts of problems, the less likely it will cure any of them. As the old saying goes, "Jack of all trades, but master of none". Do also remember to remove carbon, if used, from the filter. Hope this clears things up for you.
Cheers, Neale.>

Labyrinth fish - never-ending troubles - to Mr. Monks if it is possible   8/10/10
Hello,
<Hello,>
Sorry for such a long message, but I would like to show my fishkeeping problems well.
<OK.>
Long time ago I had some gouramis (Trichogaster leeri or trichopterus -- I don't remember). It was successful hobby -- lots of fun and even breeding successes. 3 years ago I decided to set up new tank again. I bought new glass, all the equipment, plants etc. After cycling water reached proper parameters. Naturally my first choice were Labyrinth fish: Pearl Gouramis (Trichogaster leeri)
<An excellent fish.>
and Colisa lalia.
<One of the worst fish in the hobby.>
I wanted to set up biotope South-East Asia community tank. Along with gouramis I introduced school (10) of Harlequin Rasboras and Pangio kuhli (3 fish). Everything in 110 litres tank. First 2-3 months were fantastic but after'¦ my never-ending problems began. Colisa lalia died one after the other. Symptoms: lack of appetite, expanded belly, gulping the air, swimming up-down just to take a breath.
<Indeed. Ironically, 50 years ago this fish was considered hardy and easy to keep. Inbreeding, overuse of antibiotics, and rampant viral infections have made the species worthless.>
I check the water regularly. Parameters of my tank water are:
pH -- 7.2--8.2 (at the beginning was close to 8 and 8.2, for last 1-2 years has been close to 7.5 -- perhaps it is now lower because of peat filtration and bogwood influence),
GH -- 13-15
KH- 7-10
<OK, a bit on the hard, basic side for Southeast Asian fish, but nothing adaptable species couldn't cope with. This is basically what in England we call "Liquid Rock" so you need to be a bit careful when choosing fish. Barbs tend to do better than Rasboras, but really, it's not too bad.>
NH4 -- 0
NO2 -- 0
NO3 -- 40-100 (let's say about 50-60 -- these color indicators are too similar)
<Again, on the high side, but very similar to London tap water. Not ideal, but not a disaster either. I mix my tap water 50/50 with rainwater. You can use RO water too. Either way, you get water that is IDEAL for Southeast Asian fish.>
Temp -- 25-27 C
<Fine.>
I know that nitrate level is too high, but I can't lower it. Even in my tap water nitrate level is more than 25. I can't use rainwater (in the big city it is polluted).
<Ah, I see.>
Perhaps RO system I bought recently (for domestic purposes) will be helpful.
<RO water is expensive, but safe and well worth using. Do remember a domestic water softener that uses sodium salt IS NOT making RO water.>
I change about 30% of water every second week. Aquarium (110 l.) is fully planted.
<Good.>
I bought next C. lalia (1 male 2 females). After 2 or 3 months situation repeated. Also T. leeri started to feel worse. I gave up Colisa lalia but still hoped that I could successfully keep Pearl Gouramis.
<Should do. Quite a hardy species.>
Unfortunately it wasn't better. The longest guest in my tank was Pearl Gourami male, he lived in my house for over a year. But finally did the same way as the others. For last 3 years I have lost 6 Colisa specimen and about 10-12 T. leeri. First fish were bought in pet-shops, so they could have been imported (even from infamous Far East farms). But about 50% of gouramis were from local breeders. They didn't mention any problems, except high sensitivity for some live food -- like Tubifex or red mosquito larvae. So I fed my fish with only different type of flakes (including Spirulina) and frozen or freeze-dried Artemia.
<Should be ideal.>
Disease had various profiles. But almost never started just after introducing new fish - usually I noticed first signs after 2 months from introduction. All the symptoms (which I remember or wrote down in my tank diary) were following:
Lethargy, shyness, hiding -- always
Stop eating -- always
Expanded belly -- about 50% of sick fishes
Body deformation (something like backbone break, tail fin directed down) -- 50%
Jagged fins -- 30%
Darkening -- 30%
Gulping -- 30%
Swimming up-down -- 30%
Lost of scales, wounds on the body -- no more than 20%
Small spots on the fins and on the head -- no more than 20%
Next info shows the time between first symptoms and death
Up to 3 days -- 20% of fish
3-7 days -- 50%
7-14 days -- 30%
It could be important that indicated symptoms were visible in different sequences. The two most popular:
Shyness (1-2 days) -- Stop eating (3-4 day) -- belly expanded (4-5 day) -- Gulping (5-6) -- Death (8)
Body deformation -- Stop eating (after 5 days) -- Shyness (6) -- Death (10 day)
<Does sound like a Mycobacteria infection.>
Obviously I tried to cure with different diseases in my mind, like: parasites, dropsy, mycobacteriosis, poisoning.
<Poisoning is an interesting one with Gouramis. Because they breathe air, they're much more sensitive to airborne pollutants than other fish. For example, tobacco smoke, or carbon monoxide, or paint fumes.>
I used Salt dips, Omnipur and Bactopur by Sera, raised temperature. But it never helped.
<Indeed not; wouldn't expect them to, to be honest. In Europe, the "alternatives" to antibiotics sold in pet shops are fairly useless. External infections can be treated with products such as eSHa 2000 just fine. But anything internal needs an antibiotic. For that, you need a vet.>
Also I'd like to mention that my other Asian fish were mostly healthy, even Rasboras spawned 4-5 times. Even sensitive Amano shrimps were and are lively and female is often full of eggs which she holds thoughtfully under her belly. Up to now I have Amanos, Rasboras, Pangio kuhli (which I bought at the beginning of my new tank) and Siamese Algae Eaters. Only 1 Rasbora and 2 Barbus titteya died with similar symptoms I mentioned above.
<Curious.>
10 months ago I almost set up (using about 40% of old water to establish fast cycling) my tank again (but this change was made more for cleaning environment than to kill invisible assassins living somewhere inside). I put new bogwood, changed all the gravel and used the pro-plant substrate. I also installed new internal filter only for mechanical filtration and I filled external hang on the back filter almost entirely with bio-balls and ceramics to establish more space for useful nitro-bacteria. This internal filter had also anti-bacterial and anti-parasite UV Led system but I'm not sure whether it really is beneficial or just a marketing trick directed to aquamaniacs.
<UV light connected to the flow of water from a filter will REDUCE waterborne parasites. But UV is NEVER a cure or 100% preventative. So, not a "trick", but not a magic bullet either.>
I have to admit that I'm usually buying small fish (a bit bigger than fry). They grow up and get bigger without troubles up to the moment when symptoms of the disease occur.
<Curious.>
I started again to browse web and find (never heard before) info about Iridovirus. Perhaps this is the reason of my problems. I started to read and found (in many descriptions) symptoms and troubles similar to my tank situation.
<Iridovirus has jumped species. It's not impossible other Gouramis can, occasionally, catch it. This is one of the major problems with viral infections, as humans have learned many times, e.g., with Avian Flu.>
Despite that WWM informs that Iridovirus mostly hits the Colisa species (and you even recommended other Labyrinth species instead of Colisa lalia) I found other sources which show that this problem also refers to Trichogaster family and even Cichlids (Angelfishes).
<Indeed. Colisa lalia is BY FAR the most likely species to suffer from Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus. Whilst other Iridovirus species affect different types of fish, these are VERY RARE. Buying Trichogaster gouramis for example is generally very safe, and they almost never suffer from viral infections. Likewise cichlids.>
Now in my tank are:
1 Pearl Gourami (female)
2 Trichogaster trichopterus -- gold morphs
4 Amano shrimps
6 Rasboras
3 SEA
I feel like I face a serious decision: what to do? In my (frustrated) mind two scenarios:
1. Remove all the gouramis left in my aquarium and change mind to other fish from Asia
<No need for this. But I would leave things be for 6 months. See what happens. Not all fish are sensitive to one particular virus.>
2. Change mind to other biotope and slowly change Asia fish for those from new biotope.
<Interestingly, I don't think this is a cure. the Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus is known to infect an Australian perch!>
It could be:
- South America -- Apistos or bigger but calm Cichlids together with Tetras
<Possible. Apistogramma cacatuoides for example is a great species for quiet community tanks.>
- Central America Cichlids and Livebearers
<Can be done, but most CA cichlids are fairly aggressive, and wouldn't be my recommendation for less than 250 litres.>
- African biotope: Kribs + Bushfishes + some African Characines
<Also fun. Have done this several times.>
Do you think it would be a good idea to remove all fish, plants and even equipment (to be sure that no dangerous viruses, bacteria etc. survive) and start again?
<Killing viruses is practically impossible, so I wouldn't work from that perspective. Short of sterilising everything, there's always a risk.>
What do you think about this? I appreciate all your suggestions and comments. Thanks for being patient reading my descriptions
Regards, Piotr
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Labyrinth fish - never-ending troubles - to Mr. Monks if it is possible  8/11/10
Hello again,
<Hello.>
Thanks a lot for your quick reply. It may not explain all the troubles I have but I didn't expect that in one message you would save my poor Labyrinth fish
<Indeed.>
You pointed out Mycobacteriosis as a diagnosis of the symptoms (shyness, lethargy, body deformation etc) I listed in my previous post.
<A possibility at least. Impossible to know for certain, without the dead fish being examined by a vet.>
This disease (and similar like Flexibacteriosis and Fish Tuberculosis) I had (and have) in my mind observing my fish. But finally I came to the conclusion that it is rather Iridoviral infection than some bacterial attack. Why? Because:
1. Almost only Labyrinth fishes were sick and died showing mentioned symptoms
<Mycobacteriosis is more common among Labyrinth fish that most other aquarium fish, so I don't think this proves anything.>
2. It wasn't epidemic -- it didn't happen that two or more fish died at the same week.
<Mycobacteriosis is something triggered by external factors rather than caught. So again, I think you have to be careful about drawing conclusions.>
But now I think that both the diseases can be found at the same time. Hypothetical scenario can be that immune system weakened by Iridovirus is exposed to Mycobacterial infection which invades only the weak fish. So I can have both Iridovirus and Mycobacteriosis in my tank. Am I right? Is it possible?
<I'm sure it is.>
A month ago I introduced new Trichogaster trichopterus male. And after first 3-4 days of hiding in the corners he started to be lively and even to reign. But a few days ago I noticed some lesion on his body (between lateral line and dorsal fin). It looks like jagged scales a bit protruded and unstuck. I thought that it is a sort of some mechanical injury (sometimes gouramis not seriously bite each other) or the result of stress. But now I'm not sure whether it can be beginning of some nasty Mycobacterial infection. How to cure it? Salt dips? Something stronger? Do I need to disinfect the aquarium with other fish and equipment?
<You can't really cure Mycobacteriosis. Do please read:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_2/mycobactera.htm
>
And next issue. Almost half a year ago I created the tank in my workplace. It is about 70 l aquarium focused somewhat on South-American (Amazon) biotope. Water parameters: pH -- 7-7.2. GH -- 10, KH -- 5-7, NH4 and NO2 -- 0, NO3 -- 25-50, temp. -- 25-27 C. The tank was cycled and now is partially planted and has several caves under lava rocks and bogwood. 30% of the water is changed every second week.
<OK.>
Now we (I and my colleagues) keep there 9 Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi (Black Neon Tetra in English I suppose) and 2 Corydoras paleatus. But we had also 3 (2 fem 1 male) Apistogramma cacatuoides, but they have died in 3 months (but not together, the intervals were about one month). Symptoms before death: lethargy, difficulties with swimming, laying on the bottom, stop eating, some lesion on the body (white color without blood injuries, looked like lost of scales).
<My money would be on Hexamita.>
The male has also one (only one) eye protrusion.
<Pop-eye usually indicates physical damage if one eye, environmental problems if both.>
We treated him with Salt dips (twice) and this protrusion became significantly smaller.
<Epsom salt or sodium chloride? Epsom salt is what you want for Pop-eye.>
But it was a sham success because several days after this treatment (almost healed) male died. And the question is: Is it possible that there is the same Mycobacteriosis which I (probably) have in my home tank?
<Mycobacteria are probably latent in all tanks, all the time.>
I transfer some plants from home to my work. Could they carry some nasty bacteria?
<Yes.>
All the other fish (Corys and Black Neons) are fine. And again, is it normal that some fish infection attacks only one species (or family) but doesn't hit the other?
<Can happen.>
What can I do to protect next fish (we plan to introduce some other Dwarf-cichlids, perhaps M. altispinosa or Nannacara anomala) from bacteria (or virus) if they are already there waiting for a next victim?
<I would wait for a few months and see what happens. If the remaining fish are healthy, then yes, try something else. 70 litre is not much water, so I would be careful with cichlids.>
So my most important question is: How to remove all the disease effectively?
<Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics. Outside of the US, you need to get these from a vet.>
Obviously I can wait and observe everything but I'm a bit tired with fighting against the killer of my fish. Naturally dealing with some troubles I learn more for the future but the tank has not only educational aims but also (and even above all) should be a joy. For me it is better than Animal Planet channel because it is still live transmission
<Quite so!>
But I don't want to watch only bad news (like in real TV News).
<Indeed.>
So if I decide to set up my tank from the start (or almost form the start), what would you suggest to do to be sure (almost sure) that I did everything to remove danger of infection.
<You really can't. Most of these infections come with the fish when you buy them. If the fish is healthy and the aquarium is good, then the fish's immune system prevents harm. When fish develop Mycobacteriosis or Hexamitiasis, it isn't because they have "caught" something, but because their immune system has been weakened.>
Can I use water from my current tank to establish cycling in the new one? (probably not).
<As stated, you probably aren't dealing with a contagious disease as such. Yes, you can avoid introducing new problems. Be more careful buying fish in the first place, and quarantine them for a few weeks before adding them to the new tank if you can.>
Can I use my present plants?
<Yes.>
I like them very much, especially Microsorum and Hygrophilia corymbosa which grows very rapidly and beautifully. Is it possible to disinfect plants completely? I used potassium permanganate for bathing the new plants in order to remove the snail eggs. Do you think this method is enough to kill the bacteria?
<No; anything that kills the bacteria will kill the plants, other than antibiotics.>
And last question what do you suggest I should do with my old but still alive fishes -- leave them in a small tank waiting for their days?
<I would return everyone to the right aquarium. Medicate if possible. But otherwise observe and wait to see what happens.>
I appreciate any suggestions.
<Sometimes certain fish don't work. Instead of cichlids, why not try Florida Flagfish or Badis badis? Both of these are cichlid-like, but different enough they might not be so vulnerable.>
Thanks a lot for your time. Piotr
<Happy to help. Cheers, Neale.>

Moonlight Gourami Lesions [RMF, bit mystified here, any comments to add?]<< I do not>>  6/21/10 Hello Team! WetWebMedia has changed my life! Well done! <Thanks.> Anyway, I have some Moonlight Gourami that are developing pink lumps on their snouts that then erupt through the skin. <Yikes!> I've had five Moonlight Gourami for about 7 months in a tank that's been running for years and years. They're fed quality flake food, cucumbers, algae wafers, and brine shrimp as a treat. They share a rather understocked 29 gallon with 4 other peaceful fish. I keep the Nitrates around 10 ppm with weekly water changes. All the fish are eating healthily and are behaving normally. <OK.> I've noticed the lumps growing slowly over the past two weeks or so and thought that maybe they were developing nuchal humps of some sort. But when the skin started to break I knew that it wasn't natural. <Indeed not. My gut feeling here is that this is either viral, something like Viral Hemorrhagic Septicaemia, if perhaps less immediately lethal, or else a Mycobacteria infection. In either case, no obvious cure, and isolation of infected fish would be essential to break the cycle of infection. Once quarantined, antibiotics may help. Worth trying, at least. If two Moonlight Gouramis have both developed these lesions, but none of the other fish, it's very likely the disease is specific to them, or at least gouramis. Some gouramis are moderately prone to Mycobacteria infections anyway, though to be honest I've always found Moonlights to be among the hardier, more reliable species.> Two have broken skin, one of which is also beginning to develop a similar bump near its eye. Another is just beginning to develop a pink area, and the other two appear fine. <For now...> The only environmental change that I can think of is that I upgraded the lighting to High Output florescent lamps. I noticed the bumps about a week and a half after I installed the new lights. But I can't imagine light doing this to my fish. <Oh, hang on... are these fish able to breathe air easily, without rubbing their snouts against hot glass or metal? If these lamps are noticeably hot, then they should be at least 10 cm/4 inches above the waterline.> There is, however, a plague of new brown fuzzy algae, that has covered my decorations, but to tell you the truth, I can't imagine that causing this either. <The extra light will promote algae if there are no fast-growing plants to outcompete for nutrients and hold back the algae. Indian Fern will do the trick cheaply and easily, but there are other options too.> I'm stumped. Do you think it's bacterial, protozoal, fungal, or even algal? I've attached some pictures of the affected areas at various stages. Notice the new lesion forming near an eye. I've also attached a picture of the brown fuzz coating a (probably) dead plant. Let me know if you'd like larger file sizes for desktops and such. <Ugh... be a pretty gross desktop pattern!><<A red/Rhodophyte "Beard" algae... hard to control. RMF>> Thanks everyone! -Joe <Have cc'ed Bob Fenner here, in case he knows better. Cheers, Neale.>