Longnose Hawkfish Trouble

[Otters]

I have had a longnose hawkfish for 30 days in the QT tank, and placed in the main tank 2 days ago, and I noticed a bump growing out of his forehead. He was sharing the QT tank with a tomato clownfish for about 1 week, but the clownfish was pefectly fine and I did the freshwater dip and had nothing and eats normal. The longnose hawkfish also had the freshwate dip and he ate the first day we put him in the QT tank, we feed him frozen brine shimp. The condition of both the tanks are at pH 8.2, Nitrate,Nitrite and Ammonia all are at 0. The longnose hawkfish is in now a fishtank of 46 gallon which is changed 6 gallons every week, and shares it with a green chromis and 2 fake percula clownfishes, all in perfect health. The tank also contains 45 lbs. of live rock, and the tank has been running for almost 7 months.

Picture:

[leebca]

Thanks for posting. The photo is blurred and not a very high resolution. When I enlarged it I couldn't get a good appearance of that bump. It's there but I can't get a clear enough look at it.

First, you want to improve the food you feed this fish. It is a carnivore so that is the guidance you want to follow from this post: Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition (Brine shrimp is not a food you want to feed this guy on a regular basis).

You were doing well with the fish in the QT, then near the end you introduced another fish into the QT. This means you should have started over again. What I'm saying is that the hawkfish was really in quarantine for only 1 week. It could have picked up anything from the anemonefish and it is now just showing itself. That is why a lot of time is spent in the quarantine tank. You are using a quarantine process, it just needs to be modified to guarantee the results you want.

The hawkfish could also have picked up something in the display tank. If all fishes in the display were quarantined properly, it probably isn't coming from there.

The last possibility is that it was something on the hawkfish and it is now just showing itself.

What is it?
That's hard to guess from the photo. It most likely is a parasitic worm or some kind of fluke that may be encysted on the fish. How did you perform the freshwater dip? How long was the fish in the FW?

If it is a worm/fluke of some kind, when the cyst 'breaks open' you'll have more worms/flukes in the display. It would be better for the fish to be back in the QT until the spot 'goes away.' Even a worm/fluke after it 'goes' can leave an open wound that can be infected. If the fish gets infected, it will need moving to the quarantine tank for treatment.

Alternative causes would be the fish was injured in the transfer or was injured running into something in your display. If you think it is an injury, improve its diet and include beta glucan in its foods along with vitamins and fat supplements until it heals. (For this healing, it can be done in the display tank, but watch for infection setting in).

Some additional observations:
Your display tank is short on live rock (if you want it to perform biological and denitrification activities);
Your display tank is full -- not much more 'bio-load room' for any additional marine life; and
The Yellow Tang in your display is being stressed from lack of space. Space stress will worsen as the fish gets larger.

Slow is better in this hobby. One fish at a time through quarantine and one fish added to the display at a time.

This fish is usually a 'jumper.' You need to be sure you have the tank covered well to prevent it from 'leaping for joy.'

If you care to provide a more up-close and clearer photo of the fish's head, showing the bump, I may be able to shed additional light on what it might be.

Additional information that may help give you more ideas:
A Fish Quarantine Process

Good luck!

[Otters]

The Yellow Tang is not in there anymore, the information on my profile is old, so it only has 1 chromis and 2 percula clownfish.

The fish was in the freshwater dip for 10 minutes, it hardly breath and at one point i thought he stopped breathing so i took him out and rinsed him with the QT water and placed him in there.

ANy cures to these flukeworm or parasite?

[leebca]

Thanks for the additional information.

External/encysted type parasites are sometime gotten rid of by a treatment of organophosphates. This is performed in a hospital tank (QT). Such medications like trichlorfon & Dylox is what you want. Trichlorfon has about 30+ different names. The product "Fluke-Tabs" contains the right ingredient.

But at this point I'm not convinced this is the right diagnosis. There are a few other possibilities, like a chance it's a healed/healing injury. It could even be a walled-off bacterial infection.

I'd recommend doing one of two things at this point in time:
1) Move fish to QT and watch it (having Fluke-Tabs and antibiotics standing by); or
2) Just keep watching the fish to see if it worsens or improves (but be prepared to do 1), and do more frequent and larger water changes while you are observing).

I'd emphasize doing 1) now. In general, I'd not recommend taking any treatment action without a better diagnosis.

[Otters]

OK i have checked him this morning, and now i see like white foam around the bump. I can't take a very good picture cause my camera is poo, so my sis did the best she could with this:



It's going to be impossible taking him out with all the live rock x.x

[leebca]

The viral infection known as Lymphocystis has a similar appearance. It is often described as a cauliflower clump.

Here are some photos of fish with Lymphocystis. See if what you see in the photos match what you are seeing on the fish:
ViralDisLymph

Do you think it might be this?

[Otters]

I should just take him out and put him in the QT tank and see how he manages.

[leebca]

Not if you are sure it is Lymphocystis. That can be managed in the display tank.

[Otters]

It not Lymphocystis, it doesn't like that, the inside of the bump is brownish/whiteish if that helps =)

[leebca]

Then you are correct to move it to a hospital tank.