One Of My Platy Has Lump Near Tail!!

I have no idea what it is but my green neons got something looking like that.
I bought 10 green neons from a chap on line, one didn't make the journey, but the other 9 were fine. Then I got some more from a local shop. It's the local ones that had the problem. One by one, they got white near the tail like the platy in your photo. They were OK for a while, then they started not being able to swim properly. From there, they went downhill quickly and I euthanased them before they died in case whatever-it-is was infectious; the best way to pass a disease on is by eating dead diseased fish and I wanted these fish out of the tank before that could happen.
I've never been able to ID the disease, I'm afraid, so I've no idea what the cause was and how to cure it.

I'm not being much help, am I. You could try an antifinrot and fungus medication just in case. But I would try and treat the fish somewhere other than your main tank. I would be very wary about adding a chemical to the tank just before you change your filter. Other than that, keep an eye on the fish and prepare yourself for losing it if the problem gets worse. Maybe put it in a fry net. Healthy fish will often pick on a sick fish, so isolating it to keep an a eye on it will keep the other fish away.

If it is lymphocystis, I'd remove it asap. It is infectious. I think my new betta has it, which is why he is no longer in the 50 litre with other fish but on his own in the 25 litre (vacated when my 2 year old betta died).

Having said that, my betta acts like there was nothing wrong. He swims fine, has a very healthy appetite, and begs for food whenever he sees me. Lymphocystis doesn't usually make a fish act sick. I've read up on it quite extensively after finding the lump on my betta.


Euthanasia. There is great dispute over the best way. Some are best for the fish, some are best for us humans.
Clove oil. Sold at the chemist, it's an old remedy for toothache. Put the fish in a tub of tankwater. Put 25 to 30 drops of clove oil in a bottle with a tight lid, add some water and shake well. Pour into the tub with the fish. Clove oil is an anaesthetic which kills at overdose. It puts the fish to sleep first then they die. Make sure the fish is dead before disposing of the body by leaving it a couple of hours. Clove oil stinks, I wear rubber gloves as it takes ages to get the smell off my skin.
Freezing, best suited to small fish. Never put the fish in room temp water then into the freezer. Put the tub of water in the freezer till it begins to ice over, break the ice and put the fish in.
If you can do it, the quickest way is to net the fish out and cut its head off with a very sharp knife. Not everyone can bring themselves to do this though.

Well...after it was looking poorly all day it seems, fingers crossed, to have recovered slightly. It is swimming around although it does "rest" on the bottom and in amongst the grasses from time to time.

I have started Myxazin today in case it is Bacterial. So we will have to wait and see. 

I was going to get esha 2000 but the lfs stopped selling it!! not a lot of money in it apparently.

I know where you're coming from Mervyn. You hang in there with hope for as long as possible. The fish is pretty much at deaths door before I make the decision to euthanise. That may sound terrible, but the fish has to obviously be beyond the point of no return before I give up hope. And it makes euthanising justifiable (if there is such a thing) - putting it out of its misery when death is inevitible. All things crossed for you and your platy - I hope you dont have to make that decision.

In case you still want to try Esha 2000, or get some in your cupboard for future, it is still available on the internet (ebay at least). I always recommend asking the shelf-date before buying though - likewise with any food, dechlorinator, etc you may buy online.

Well I have looked everywhere for the platy. Amongst all the plants...inside the coconut cave and even down the side of the filter box ( he has taken refuge there before)....no sign of it.

Feeding time at 6pm and will wait to see if it comes out. Otherwise I have no idea where he is at or succumbed.

Thanks Sue,
I will give it a chance to come out at 6pm then if no sign I will start removing decor,plants etc. the plants are not very grown at the moment. In fact,where he normally takes refuge I have just had to re-plant as the (fairly new) plants had come out of the substrate.

I'm sorry to hear about the platy. I find it does happen with new fish from time to time.


Yes, carry on with it. The other platies came from the same place, so they could have been infected with whatever-it-was and be at an earlier stage. In that case, the earlier it gets treated the better.