Pet Forum / Aquaria / Cichlids / December 2005

Hi all,
I just noticed today that one of my ram seems to have some sort of
swelling above his mouth.  Unfortunatley, he's still a little guy, and
I couldn't say for sure how long he's had it---or if he's even had it
for all of the 2 months or so that I've had him.

There's  no "fungus" appearance to it... just a swelling. It swells in
to "bubbles" on either side of the region immediately above his upper
lip.  The rest of his head appears to be a bit more swollen than the
others as welll, but I couldn't say for sure.

I most puzlled by the fact that the swelling is symmetrical on the
fish... the two "bubbles" on either side are the same size and same
approximate shape.  Do people think this is likely to be a genetic
defect or some kind of infection?  And if the latter, what could I try
treating with?  Thanks much,
Wes