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[FishMann]

I purchased a 3 inch hispid frogfish a couple weeks ago and he was doing very well. He was eating the very next day I brought him home and he really colored up. He is the only fish in my 30 gallon.
I went away on vacation last week and got back last night. I fed him before i left and hoped he would be fine. When i looked at him this morning i noticed what seems to be an air bubble, the size of a pea, on his cheek. I know that if you expose them to air that they can inflate possible die, but i never exposed him to the air, nor is the bubble in his stomach. Any ideas as to what caused it and if i can treat it?

thanks

[davidmohr]

Without a pic it would be impossible to say for sure but here goes. If it's a clear blister my guess at the moment would be from an over saturation of oxygen in the water either in your tank or since you purchase this fish a couple of weeks ago it's previous water. What type of circulation do you have in your tank, powerheads, airstones, etc ? Also how do you mix your water for your tank ?
Not that it really applies at the moment but what are you feeding your fish ?
At the moment this blister would not be a concern but if it ruptures you'll have a problem.

Regards,
David Mohr

[FishMann]

yeah it is clear and i can get a picture.
EDIT: no picture cant find my digicam

i have 2 aquaclear 201s in the tank and a prism protien skimmer on the back. I know frogfish dont like current and after a couple days i noticed that it was too strong for him, but i couldnt get changed them because i was leaving for my vacation in a couple hours, so i just unpluged one. That is one of my projects for today, to get new powerheads.
I mix my water in a 5 gallon bucket with an airstone in it over night and do the water change usually later i the day.

oh and this isnt a new tank either. Id say maybe 9 months old. just live rock.

[davidmohr]

As I suspected this does now sound like Gas Bubble Disease ( not really a disease though ).
Having said that, this could also be an infection from a wound.
But hearing about your powerhead problem pretty much has me convinced though not 100%. Without getting too technical what happens is that the water is being supersaturated by nitrogen which can not escape quick enough as the surface of the water is not being aggitated enough and this gas will cause bubbles to form in capillaries which restricts the flow of blood and can cause hemmorhages and clots. These bubbles will also form in gills, under the skin, fin, eyes any place that is more permeable to the gas. If this is indeed the problem this can kill fish fairly quick so I hope you solve your powerhead problem soon.

Regards,
David Mohr

[FishMann]

I just looked and found 2 more of these bubbles.

from your description it sounds like you want more water movment in the tank. More of a current or more surface agitation?

[FishMann]

just got my reply from bob over at wetwebmedia.

<I don't know how these anomalies occur either, but have seen such "air-like"
tumors on frogfishes as well. Almost always they "cure" (or disappear) of their
own accord in time. I would not medicate the system for this. Bob Fenner>

[FishMann]

Bob's reply to this topic:

<Not likely... such gas anomalies are rare in Frogfishes period... if you had
many fine air bubbles leading to emphysematosis... this would very likely show
as embolisms in the eyes or outright death of the specimen. Bob Fenner>

[davidmohr]

< sigh >

[seamaiden]

I thought you said he owed you a beer.

[davidmohr]

:| I thought you said he owed you a beer.

Bob still does.
My sigh was: I can't believe I fell for this.
"There's something rotten in the State of Denmark" if you know Shakespeare you may understand.

Regards,
David Mohr

[seamaiden]

<sniffsniff> Hhhmm.. hadn't give that consideration my friend.