[WaldoDude]

Hello all,

I have a CPD in my tank that yesterday I noticed was swimming weirdly. It was constantly swimming upwards. I moved him to my breeder box and I noticed that it stomach was kind of see through?
Anyways today, I noticed today that the see-through area is now a clear circle maybe a bubble? I have attached pictures. Additionally the CPD has seemed to improved today though, no longer constantly swimming upwards but staying somewhat stable but every now then swimming a little erratically.

Here are the water parameters:
Am - 0
NO2 - 0
N03 - ~10 (maybe <5)
Ph - 8.2/8.4
Gh - 7
Kh - 2/3
TDS - 147
Temp - 24C (With spring and summer the temp has been increasing from 23 to 25 during the day, I dont have the heater running anymore)

 

[WaldoDude]

So the CPD is alive but is still constantly swimming upwards. This morning I noticed that there was now clearly a bubble formed at its right side where that circular mark had been. Just like as if an air bubble was stuck to its side. When got back this afternoon the bubble was gone but the circular mark was still there. The fish is eating food and doesn't seem to be deteriorating but at the same time not really improving. I can't seem to find anything on the internet regarding the bubble and the circle mark :/

Ok minutes after my last post, I had a look and the bubble had formed again on the cpd and then minutes later it disappeared. I now am pretty sure that air bubbles are forming where that mark is and then popping before forming again. Therefore I think this is an indicator of some sort of wound or hole where that mark is?

Anyone know what I should do or what may have caused it? First time dealing with something like this.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Only thing that comes to mind is gas bubble disease(subcutaneous emphysema) in seahorses. But CPDs are definitely not seahorses/syngnathids at all. This may help:

http://seahorsesource.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Gas-Bubble-Disease-Revised-Jan06.pdf

 

[WaldoDude]

Thanks @ichthyogeek, yeah I saw that article but I doubt thats it, as the bubbles as shown in these articles are never clear and I dont think they inflate, pop then inflate again as I'm seeing with my CPD.

 

[DeepAsHadal]

I have no idea, but some of these articles describe this in other fish? Anyway, you can just do the best that you can.

https://fishhistopathology.com/home/2020/04/15/gas-bubble-disease/

Fishelp.io - Gas bubble disease

 

[WaldoDude]

Thank you @DeepAsHadal the bubbles in those articles look a lot like what happening to my CPD! Judging from those articles, I am thinking either adding water during changes too quickly (I use a bucket and just pour it in) or rapid warming (its now summer here in australia) could be the culprit :/ Doesn't seem to be any way to treat but to hope it sorts itself out

Also "large algal blooms generating high levels of oxygen by photosynthesis have also been blamed", my tank is currently going through an unprecedented algae bloom. I dont think this is a coincidence!

 

[Edward]

Hi
They are in bad shape, just swimming skeletons. What do you feed them? They like Hikari First Bites when little fry and later they love Tetra TetraColor Tropical Flakes when larger. Is there filtration and aeration?

Where is @Discusluv when needed for the bubble problem.

 

[WaldoDude]

Hey Edward, it might just be that picture, the other 2 in that picture are the younger ones. Yep I feed them Hikari FIrst Bites, Hikari MIcro pellets, tetra flakes, frozen blood worms and live bbs. Although I have recently cut down my feeding from once a day to once every 3 days, as Im trying to combat the algae bloom its currently experiencing. I made a post about that here too: https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/23-algae/1315945-help-algae-bloom.html#post11390543

I could see how this reduction could be having some sort of impact on the fry and younger fish, but so far I think they're doing ok?
Yep there is filtration and aeration too I'm pretty sure, I point the outtake up a little so that it doesn't cause too much flow as I've read that CPDs prefer low flow?
Here are more pics on the others:

 

[Edward]

Hi
More here in the Algae forum.

 

[WaldoDude]

Fish unfortunately passed yesterday. I think it became exhausted from constantly swimming upwards, as I found it laying at the bottom of the tank but it would occasionally swim upwards. I floated him in small tub so that he could stay near the surface, it was still eating but still didnt make it.

 

[Discusluv]

If I had to guess: encased parasites. These are parasites that are common to large, outdoor farming operations in South-east Asian hatcheries. They are eaten, grow in gut, become intramuscular and, eventually, work themselves out to outer tissues; are encased, and later burst to reproduce. These parasites are often complex in their reproduction ( need hosts that are not provided in aquarium to reproduce) and die once outside fish.
The parasite itself is not often the direct cause of death, but secondary conditions that weaken fish.

 

[WaldoDude]

That very much makes sense! Only thing though is that I'm pretty sure this CPD was one of the ones that was born and raised in this tank :/