# White coming out of head



## Sorafish (Sep 15, 2011)

I've had several fish die over the last month or so, which I had assumed was due to ammonia, as my community got a larger water change than it was used to, and kind of mini-cycled.
But, the strange thing, is the dead fish always have this white growth coming out of their head after they die! Almost like their brain (if its that color) decided to grow a tumor and just kept growing until it exploded.
Other symptom is splitting fins, which I assumed was from the high ammonia. Has anyone else had this issue?


----------



## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Hm.. It may have just been bacteria kicking in and starting the decay process. Was this on them before they died? Got any pictures to help?


----------



## Sorafish (Sep 15, 2011)

No pictures, unfortunately. 
I've watched many guppies decay (bad case of columnaris), to make sure that I knew what to look for later, and this is something very new happening. 
I was never able to tell that anything was wrong, with most of them, before they died. They would die when I WASN'T looking. ><


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

white fuzz on dead fish is usually fungus. You also see it on uneaten food. If it is new, check your water. Fungus is more common in acid, salt-free tanks. Split fins can be ammonia or aggression. Something could be trying to eat the dead fish, other fish or snails.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I had something like that happen to a bunch of platy fry.
The heads split open and it did look like brain matter oozing out. It was not fuzzy at all.
I put it down to them eating frozen food. I no longer feed fry anything but flake food and have never had a reoccurance--yet


----------

