Black Moor w/ Wartlike Bumps 1/3/07
New Year's Greetings! Well, Piggy made it through the septicemia scare and
appears to be a very happy fish.
However, he now has several wart-like bumps protruding from his tailfin. I
noticed two bumps on the right tailfin about 2 weeks ago. Much to my dismay, he
now has the original 2 bumps and several more smaller warts on the right tailfin
and there is a small one starting on his left tailfin. The original two are
each the size of a pin head and the smaller ones about the size of the tip of a
ballpoint pen. He also has a grayish/whitish patch of something on his dorsal
fin and this is also on parts his tailfin. I have only done my weekly water
changes. Do I need to strip his tank of rocks, and plants; medicate or try to
scrape off the bumps?
<Mmm, medications won't help... this "viremia" or viral trouble... but pulling
on these growths may be useful... in alerting the fish's own immune system
response... as will be improving water quality, nutrition... unfortunately,
unlike saltwater, there are no useful cleaner organisms to recommend here>
He acts healthy but the warts are worrisome.
<Really?>
He is now the lone fish in his 10 gallon tank
<Too small...>
since his tetra friend
<Incompatible...>
died after I put back the rocks (not sure if Piggy did him in, because the tetra
was trapped between a rock and the glass, and Piggy likes to nudge the rocks for
fun)
Please advise.
Thanks for all your help.
Tammy
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/lymphfaqs.htm
yes, though the examples are mainly marine. The principals involved are the
same. Bob Fenner> |
Black Moor Follow-up 1/4/07
Dear Bob,
<Tammy>
Thank you for the link to the LymphFAQS site it was very helpful; plus I
was able to review some other of the WWM pages specific to
goldfish. Regarding the lymphocystis - just how do I remove them
causing the least amount of damage?
<Mmm, having seen your images... I am given to suggest not doing such...
the problem appears to be environmentally based... though perhaps more
genetic...>
I've had Piggy for over 4 years and would like to have him longer. I am
frustrated with the recent problems over the past 3 months - would you
please give me some insight into what may be going on - the septicemia
and now the lymphocystis. Obviously, I need to get him into a bigger
tank, what size do you recommend and would it be beneficial for Piggy to
have a companion?
If so, what do you recommend?
<No companion till the "problem" source is identified, cured...>
Thanks again for your help and for the WWM!
Tammy
PS: I've attached a few pics of Piggy - I tried to focus on the cysts of
the right tailfin.
<There appears to be something toxic that is mal-affecting your Moor...
is there a "shell", rock of some sort in this tank? How do you treat new
water before its use in water changes? Do you monitor aspects of water
quality? What sorts of foods do you feed? Is there any fresh/live plant
material present for this fish to feed on/augment its diet? Bob Fenner>
|
Re: Black Moor Follow-up II 1/5/07
Bob,
<<Tamarama... I have other "Tammy" friends... obviously, please pardon my
apparent over-familiarity>>
"<There appears to be something toxic that is mal-affecting your Moor... is
there a "shell", rock of some sort in this tank?>"
For the past 4 years until this past October, I had river rock and a single
ceramic coffee-type mug in the tank - he liked to "sleep" in the mug.
<This should be fine>
Off and on he would get some anacharis plants to chomp on.
<Good>
One plastic plant for interest.
<Also non-toxic>
When he had septicemia, I pulled EVERYTHING from the tank - it was just Piggy
and 10 gallons of water w/ the uptake from the Whisper Filter and a bubbler
airstone, which was replaced sometime last summer w/ a new one. At that time
(November) I treated him for 14 days w/ FishMox <Mmm...
http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Mox-Amoxicillin-250-Caps/dp/B0002YF9UA
Amoxicillin... 250 mg.s... 100 capsules!? This antibiotic use may well have
interrupted nitrification... biological filtration... easily deadly in/with such
small volumes of water, goldfish>
per the advice of the local veterinarian. For the past 2 months there has been a
layer of gravel purchased at Petco, the same river rocks which I furiously
scrubbed, soaked in bleach, and then rinsed several times.
<Mmm, could be there was a bit of residual chlorine... Best to let such cleaning
include a few days of sunny air exposure...>
The rocks sat dry for about a week before I rinsed them again and placed them in
the tank.
<Oh! Good>
And a new fake plant made out of some sort of cloth-like material.
"<How do you treat new water before its use in water changes?>"
I change about 10 to 15% water and a new filter w/ fresh charcoal every week,
except when he was being medicated w/ the FishMox. The water is from the tap w/
the following treatments (1 tsp of API Stress Coat
and 1 tsp Kordon AmQuel)
<Excellent practice>
"<How you monitor aspects of water quality?>"
I never have done any sort of water quality monitoring.
<I encourage you to purchase/use a simple colorimetric assay kit for pH,
ammonia, nitrite, nitrate... Perhaps the "Doc Wellfish" one by Aquarium
Pharmaceuticals... very useful "windows" into what might be going on in/with
your water quality, clues to causes/factors in fish health...>
"<What sorts of foods do you feed?>"
Wardley's Total SpectraMax, Wardley's Essential Goldfish Premium Flakes,
Wardley's Goldfish Crumbles and sometimes I give him a treat of Tetra Sun dried
Baby Shrimp.
Since I came across your site in October he also gets a little fresh spinach
once a week. His usual menu is the SpectraMax a pinch at 8AM, 4PM and 11PM. I
might substitute in the Premium Flakes or the Crumbles at the 4PM but that only
happens once or twice a week.
<Again, very nice>
<"Is there any fresh/live plant material present for
this fish to feed on/augment its diet?>"
Just the weekly spinach since October and before that it was the anacharis
plants. He would get a bunch about once every 3 to 4 months until it was
stripped and then he would get a new one, however when he got sick I stopped
putting in the anacharis plants which were also purchased from Petco.
<This is the very best choice of what is generally available... I would re-new
this practice... good for your goldfish's diet, as well as helping with the
bio-filtration issues>
Additional Note: When he had the septicemia I did a drastic water change (85%)
and then I changed about 10-15% of the water daily for the 14 day medication
treatment of FishMox. At that time he lived in a "naked" tank.
<Mmm, and likely one devoid of significant bio-filtration.>
Thanks again for your help.
Tammy
<Thank you for filling in so much of the background "blanks". Do please read
here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the linked files above... to the extent that you understand the gist of what
is mentioned here. Bob Fenner> |
|
.jpg) |
Goldfish- Everything Gone Wrong For the Poor Guy 1/2/07
Hi to the Wet Web Fish Saviour of the day! :-)
<Well hello again, this is Jorie again...I just answered another question from
you!>
I'm a saltwater junkie who is apparently now trying my hand at goldfish.
<Excellent. The books I previously recommend will all help in this endeavor as
well.>
I've got a 12 year old common goldfish here that hovers at the bottom of the
tank, appears to have cataracts (cloudy eyes and bumps into everything), and
poops either long brown poops that looks like a string of sausages or poops
clear poop.
<The former is a sign of a healthy fish, the latter is not...>
Previous owner (14 year old kid who loves fish but apparently
isn't ready to care for them yet)...
<There are so many people out there who meet this criteria, sadly, regardless of
their age...>
...had the fish (who is about 4.5 inches) in
a 5 gallon tank for the last several years that was cloudy with debris and
algae-coated on the acrylic of the tank.
<Not good, obviously. My boyfriend has a cousin (probably at least forty years
old) who keeps her goldfish in similar conditions...I've even offered to set up
a proper tank, but she won't let me...breaks my heart.>
The fish is in a 12 gallon tank now (Eclipse with sub-standard filtration, I
fear)...
<Well, keep in mind this is a marked improvement from where the fish was kept!
Also, you can somewhat combat less-than-ideal filtration with more frequent
water changes.>
...that has rounded corners. The ENTIRE tank was started from scratch: new
rocks, new water treated with an old bottle of Stress-Coat, new filtration with
new bio-wheel, etc.
<This tank will have to cycle, as you likely know. Read here for additional
helpful info. on freshwater cycling:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm >
I'm not sure what to do to try to rescue this fish (yesterday I confiscated it
from the previous owner).
<Clean water will go a long way towards improving this fish's health...>
I've read up a bit on goldfish on your website and decided to give the goldfish
some defrosted brine shrimp.
<Ok, but not the most nutritious (I've seen brine shrimp likened to potato chips
for fish). Try a quality goldfish pellet, such as one made my Spectrum New Life
or Hikari. Also, peas are a good alternative food source, and will help keep
the fish regular. Although I don't myself keep goldfish, I've always been
impressed by this website:
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/
Planning to try a couple of peas or Nori tomorrow.
<Peas will be great, not sure if the goldfish will accept the Nori or not...>
Had to turn off the filter for a few minutes so the blind fish had a chance to
eat a couple of them.
<Poor thing...>
I stuck an ammonia meter in the tank and tomorrow am going to LFS to pick up
some freshwater test kits.
<Excellent. Just stay away from the "dip stick" type kits, as they are
notoriously inaccurate. Liquid tests are preferable. Also, the ammonia meter
you refer to is likely useless...they aren't very accurate at all, generally
speaking.>
The fish just hovers at the bottom corner of the tank but occasionally flips out
and darts around, bumping himself into the
sides. Keeping the lights off seems to keep him calmer.
<He/she is likely getting used to his/her new surroundings. No problem keeping
the lights off for the majority of the day, if this comforts the fish...>
Previous owner said that the fish exhibited this behavior for the last YEAR.
<Some people just don't have any common sense, I guess...you are doing a great
thing by saving this poor fish!>
I see nothing on the fish that indicates parasites or disease to me.
<Remarkable, considering the circumstances - I'm glad to hear it, though!>
Previous owner says there were a few other fish with the remaining one who died
shortly after showing black marks on their bodies. I couldn't find any disease
that this sounds like, unless it's perhaps the healing of an ammonia burn?
<I think your instincts are likely correct - I've seen this referred to as
"black smudge", and can indeed be scarring from ammonia burning on the skin.
Check here:
http://www.petlibrary.com/goldfish/smudge.htm >
My questions are this:
Previous owner still has old tank with old substrate, uncleaned. Says change
from one tank to the other took place earlier in the day that I took the
fish. Will the old substrate still be useful for beneficial bacterial purposes?
<6 of one, half-dozen of another. Honestly, if it were me and the old tank was
truly as bad as you describe, I'd probably start completely over, using new
gravel/substrate. In all likelihood, bringing the old substrate into the new
tank wouldn't alleviate the need for establish a new cycle, and it could very
well be harboring lots of "unpleasants" you don't want to introduce into the new
tank. I'd suggest starting from scratch and very carefully monitor the ammonia,
nitrite and nitrate levels, doing as many water changes as needed.>
I'll test for the usual suspects - ammonia, nitrite, etc. and do water changes
accordingly- actually thinking of doing a small water change tomorrow but I'm
worried about further shocking the fish. Should I wait until tests indicate
change needs to be made or just start doing small daily changes as this tank is
uncycled?
<I'd recommend the later. Goldfish are notoriously messy fish, and it's very
likely that the fish's waste are breaking down as we speak, causing the ammonia,
nitrite and/or nitrate levels to rise dangerously. With your 12 gal. tank, I'd
say change at a minimum 3 gal. daily, more if needed. As you mention, you don't
want to further shock the fish, but the water changes are necessary. Do try to
match the new water's pH with the old as closely as possible, as well as the
temperature...>
Should I treat new water with dechlorinator (I don't like the idea of
Stress-Coat but I'm not sure if the two different types of water treatments
combined can cause a problem)?
<If you are using tap water, yes, you do need to use a dechlorinator - I know
the product (Stress-Coat) you are referring to, and know it contains a
dechlorinator. You can also buy plain dechlorinator, but it can be hard to find
sometimes. There shouldn't be a problem using the Stress-Coat according to
directions; in fact, in this fish's case, it may even prove beneficial. I don't
usually use/recommend the product, but given the circumstances surrounding this
poor goldfish, I don't think it can hurt, and it may perhaps even help.>
Any chance this fish's cataracts can clear up?
<Sometimes a cloudy eye can be caused by poor environmental conditions, so yes,
it is possible. Loss of sight can also be caused by a lack of proper
nutrition. At this point, best thing you can do you are already doing -
improving the environmental and nutritional conditions may help, but I can't
promise. I will cross my fingers, though...>
Should I treat this fish with anything? Salts, meds, etc.?
<I wouldn't recommend medication right now; you could use a small amount of
aquarium salt, if you like. It might help stimulate the slime coat. It
certainly isn't necessary, though. The good water quality is truly the best
thing you can do.>
I've read every one of your goldfish FAQ's that I could find (I'm on vacation
this week :-) ) but due to the cycling, or lack thereof, and health of this poor
guy I want to double check with an expert. My feeling was to not put anything
else in the tank other than the daily water changes and see if he improves
with a diet more varied than just flakes.
<I think your reasoning is very wise, and I would probably adopt the same
approach. If the fish takes a turn for the worse, though, I'd suggest the
aquarium salt as a first step. Check here:
http://www.goldfishinfo.com/salt.htm >
Please advise, and thanks for all the help that the entire Wet Web Crew gives to
all of us fish folks... truly an awesome educational tool that we are fortunate
to have access to.
<On behalf of WWM, thank you for the wonderful words, Stephanie - we truly
appreciate it. Again, I applaud you for being able, willing to help this poor
little goldfish, and am confident with your care, he/she will improve in
time. Keep up the good work! Best regards, Jorie>
Stephanie D.
Follow-up: 12 gal. tank w/ rescued goldfish, new FW tank.
1/3/07
Hi Jorie,
Yes, I put the two different questions into different emails because I thought
it would be easier for you to 'file' them on the website.
<No worries, either way is just fine!>
Thanks for the book recommendations and the informative links; I now feel much
more hopeful about the goldfish... and I'm looking forward to setting up the new
freshwater tank (might have to quit my day job soon so I can spend more time
with my hobby!).
<I understand - fishkeeping can be very addictive!>
Thanks again, and Happy New Year to you and all of your partners at WWM!
<Thanks, and back at you...>
Stephanie D.
<Hope the goldfish is doing well, and best of luck in setting up your new FW
tank. Jorie>
Black Moor - Anchor Worm 12/30/06
Hi hope you can help, I'm new to fish so don't know much about them.
I've had a Black Moor for 4-5 months now, this is my first ever fish and I don't
seem to be having much luck.
<Not much to do with "luck"... but knowledge in action>
After 2-3 weeks of having Jet (Black Moor), I noticed a small insect <Mmm, not
an insect, a crustacean>
on the tail of his body and a few hours later it had moved <... not Anchorworm
then... perhaps a fish louse?
to his gills. I done some research on this and found out this was Argulus.
<Yes... Fish Louse...>
I went to the fish shop for help who said this was quite common?
<Can be... seasonally, regionally... depending on where folks/dealers are
getting their livestock mostly>
and told me to pick this off with tweezers, clean out the whole tank, and that
should be it so that's what I done
(Although I wasn't so sure myself).
<Mmm... no... should treat the tank/water for intermediate forms not feeding/on
the fish host... With an organophosphate... DTHP/Masoten et al. names, or
Dimilin likely>
A few weeks later again I noticed a silvery tic tac shape attached to Jet with a
string and I think this was an Anchor Worm?
<Yes, possibly>
I again went to the fish shop for help who purchased me with Omnipur. On the
bottle it says 'with broad range effect against the most common ornamental fish
diseases'. That day when I had came home I was watching Jet and at one point
he shook very hard and all of a sudden the Anchor Worm had came off and lay at
the surface, I scooped it out (I heard that you cannot pull Anchor Worms from a
fish as they are hooked under the skin)?
<Not so... You can and should remove the adults in this fashion... with
tweezers>
Tonight when I was doing a water change a bit of the fish's toilet appeared and
it looked like a very small Anchor Worm in between it.. Is this possible, can an
Anchor Worm come out of Jet when he's passing waste?
<No... this appearance is something else>
I also have another 3 wee fish in the tank, I can't remember what they
are called but if it helps they are small (red, brownish) in color and follow
one another all the time. They seem perfectly healthy and I had purchased
them before Jet.
<They should be carefully observed over time...>
Is there anything I can do to stop these Anchor Worms if they are breeding or
any medicines I can try? My tank is a 17L and I change two and a half litres
every 10 days.
Hope you can help, Lisa :)
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/contrpdparasit.htm
and the linked FAQs file at top. Bob Fenner>
Re: Black Moor - Anchor Worm 12/31/06
Thanks for replying. Do you know anywhere online that I can buy DTHP?
Thanks, Lisa
<Mmm, yes... is sold under various commercial names... as listed on the link you
were referred to... Write the etailers you deal with and ask re Dylox,
Neguvon... likely most available as a component of Fluke Tabs... but this
acetylcholinesterase inhibitor is found in at least a dozen products. BobF>
Re: My goldfish problem. Goldfish disaster averted - close call, but fine
now! 12/30/06
Goldfish has made a full recovery and is totally fine, thanks for your
advice.
<Hi Emma, Jorie here. I didn't originally respond to your query, but after
reading what happened, I'm glad that all is well. If your goldfish was healthy
to begin with, it should make a full recovery. Do be sure to keep water
conditions pristine, as he's (she's?!) been through quite an ordeal, and as
such, may be susceptible to disease for the time being.
Hopefully you've talked to your son and he understands more about live pets
now. May as you can put the tank out of your son's reach, if he's really
young?
Best of luck and Happy New Year, Jorie>
Emma
Re: Goldfish disaster averted - close call, but fine now! PART 2 1/2/07
Thanks Jorie, have been keeping an eye on tank since incident, but all seems
fine and he is back to his usual self. I have spoken to my son (he is five) we
have always taught him about being kind to animals and I think it was him
showing off in front of a friend of the same age. All sorted now fish are
staying in our kitchen until he has proven that he can be responsible with them
again.
Kind regards and Happy New Year
Em x
<Sounds great, Em - I'm glad to hear all is well. Best regards, and Happy New
Year to you also! Jorie>
Black Moor With Growing Lump 12/29/06
Hello,
<Hi there>
I have a black moor that has a growing lump, on the right side just below the
end of the dorsal fin, which is now about the size of its eye. I have read your
FAQ section and it seems to be either cancer or a tumor,
<Most likely, yes>
both of which seems to be incurable or hard to cure. The moor has had the lump
for about half a year, thinking that it would just fall or go away, and it was
only recently that the moor began to stay close to the bottom of the tank.
When the lump first grew, the scales that were on the lump fell off but the lump
retained the usual skin color of the fish. Please help me to figure out what
exactly is going on and how to best deal with it. For now, I have the moor in a
separate tank but the two brown/chocolate Orandas in the original tank seems to
have the beginning stages of the lump like the black moor; one fish has a small
lump on the front of its dorsal fin and the other has it like how the moor does.
The scales on the lump on one of the Orandas has fallen off. The lump on the two
Orandas and the black moor is black. Is it by any chance contagious?
Thanks in advance.
<"Catching?"... not to a high degree likely... though, I cannot say to what
degree... Virally mediated growths are a bit of a mystery in fish-keeping (as
they are in/with humans)... How much environment (in what aspects), nutrition
play in expression, growth... I don't know. However, there are reasons to
suspect strongly that balanced nutrition, a dearth of protein content, vitamin
supplementation... and "good", consistent water quality all help to forestall
such genetic predisposition/s... You might consider "surgery"... excising the
larger growth on the Moor... daubing the area with Lugol's, other iodine
solution to stay blood loss... Bob Fenner>
Julia S.
Goldfish Issues 12/21/06
Hey Crew,
<Hi>
I wrote to you guys a while back about my fantail goldfish Paco. I'm proud to
say he's alive, but he may not be well. We upgraded him to a 12 gallon about a
month or two ago. <Good> He liked it a lot better than the 5 gallon we started
him off in; but this time we decided to not do both the undergravel and standard
filter (it's an acrylic eclipse). <Ok> Recently for the holidays, we had to put
him on an automatic dispenser because we'd be away for a few weeks. Luckily, we
have him on webcam so that we can monitor him. For the past few days, he's been
quite sluggish, so I had my boyfriend go back just to check him out. He
discovered a few bubbles at the water's surface and a lot of red algae. <Feeder
is probably overfeeding.> He noticed Paco's poo had become red as well from
consuming it. The water chemistry was fine, but the water temperature was
really really cold. <Would explain the sluggish behavior.> I don't know too
much about red algae so I was guessing the red algae was affecting Paco.
<Doubtful> Is it harmful to goldfish? <Most likely not.> Or is he sick because
of
the temperature. <Yep.> If it is the temperature, I don't know how to fix
that... Please help. <Heater and thermometer.> We've worked hard to keep Paco
alive and well and it would be painful to see him go.
Thanks,
Julianne
<Looking to maintain the temperature between the upper 60s and lower 70s. Also
sounds like a few water changes are in order to clean out the algae.>
<Chris>
Help... more induced goldfish trouble 12/21/06
Hi This morning I noticed my goldfish on the bottom of the tank- which
is something he has never done before. He is 2 years old. I tried to get him
up, and he did, only to get his food. He ate, swam around for a few seconds,
then immediately went back to the bottom. I then did a 25% water change and put
a new filter cartridge in. The ammonia level was 0. I then gave him Melafix
<... please, no... if there is something wrong with a/this fish's environment...
adding such "teas" et al. will only further the trouble/s>
and some medicated fish food tablets. He has not sat on the bottom recently,
however, I notice his dorsal fin is down and he has regurgitated many of the
medicated tablets I gave him. Please any information about what I can do or
what this might be would be incredibly helpful. Thank You.
-riss
<... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Help Please... iatrogenic goldfish env. dis. 12/21/06
I have two fancy goldfish. One is black with the bulbous eyes and the other
looks like a "regular", all- gold, fish. I call them Fancies, because they
have grown very round and very large; kind of like the size of a large potato.
<Good description>
Along with what I call a Sucky Fish (to keep the tank clean), they have been
living in a 30 gallon tank, together, for almost 4 years.
<I see>
We have had water "issues" in the past, but gradually learned to keep their
tank as clean as possible. When my husband became very ill about 7 weeks
ago, I was on the "run" and other than feeding 2x daily, they were on minimal
maintenance. Suddenly, their tank got cloudy, understandably, and the entire
room the aquarium is in, started to smell really bad. A lot like a wet
diaper! The odor was terrible!
<Yikes>
As soon as my husband came home, we did a complete H2o change, new
filters, etc. We cleaned everything thoroughly.
<Mmm, "cleanliness is not sterility"... better to "ease into" such changes if
not "too" bad>
The black fish with the Eyes began to get sick first, I thought he had
swimbladder from reading on the internet about fish diseases. He sank, swam
vertically, and looked really ill. I was told by PetSmart Aquatics, to try
the frozen pea treatment, before accepting Swim Bladder as a self
diagnosis. He really got better and rather quickly.
Then, the Orange Fish stopped eating, has no SIMILAR symptoms, but, he looks
terrible. He sits on the bottom of the tank, almost seems blind and
confused. His ONE eye is covered with a white membrane and is swollen. He
doesn't have the pine-cone symptoms, but his little flippers are always clamped
to his sides. Sometimes he dashes straight up and out of the water, only to go
back down and "sit". His respirations are shallow, but not rapid.
<These fish are very likely suffering from the actual cleaning... along with the
imposed env. stress from the filthy conditions previously>
The black fish who recovered, is always pushing him along in the tank. He
doesn't try to hurt him, but he's showing either a lot of sympathy, or he's
waiting for him to die. The Orange Fish looks very depressed and "lost". I
tried 6 days of powdered Erythromycin, from PetSmart, to no avail.
<Antibiotics are not cure-alls...>
My husband cleans their "home" 2 or 3 times a week. Yesterday, he found that
their gravel and the residue on the filtering system, was very mucous-like. We
took a lot of their gravel out and only replaced what we cleaned.
<Is a bunch of decomposing organism populations... again, best to remove over a
bunch of regular, routine water changes... not all at once>
This is so damn sad. I'm at my wit's end and have limited funds to pursue this
Little Guy's diagnosis.
I'm sorry to be so long-winded, but any help or suggestions would be
appreciated. I feel like he's suffering and I love him.
Debbie Karst
<Please consider getting/availing yourself of water quality test kits... Please
read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Re: Floaty fish again... GF 12/21/06
Hi again! Once again my fish is starting to float upside down, and seems to
have a lot of trouble swimming or staying upright. Now that it is his belly that
is exposed from the water it is turning all red, just like the fish in your
section on constipation. Now, as I've already mentioned I've put him on an all
vegetable diet.
<May be too late>
But everything seems to go in, and nothing comes out. I'm starting to really
worry. Will Epsom salt really make that big of a difference?
<Can>
I also thought of putting in a type of grid or net of some sort so that when he
floats it will prevent him from being exposed from the water.
<Mmm, don't think this will work>
I somehow have a feeling that the redness and swelling he is getting from being
out of the water is probably hurting him more than the constipation. Your help
is very much appreciated. Thanks, Erika
<Read again:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm
and the linked files above. BobF>
Re: Help Please. Goldfish health 12/22/06
Dear Wet Web:
I made the mistake of sending my original email along with this Update. This is
the one I need help with. You were kind enough to answer my first
correspondence. My error.
The saga continues! This is rather like Chapter II for the one sent
yesterday. Please respond if you are able to. One Story, two Fish, one
worried owner! Thanks
Update: December 20th
Hello! My Orange Fancy Goldfish is still sick. I followed your directions
from the Website about smaller water changes (25%), etc. I was not able to
find Siporax, here, in the US, however.
<There are other such media... to support useful biological filter
micro-organisms>
I added aquarium salt, had the water tested at PetSmart and began using
Maracyn-Two about 3 weeks ago. He had developed symptoms of tail-rot with red
lines in his tail. His cloudy, terrible eye is worse and he seems blind. He's
not eating that I can tell, and virtually NEVER swims. Once in a great
while, he darts upwards and breaks the surface, only to go back to his
"corner" of the aquarium to sit. His little mouth is always "popping", and
sometimes protrudes in an unnatural way, turning white, instead of the natural
orange color.
<What water quality tests have you yourself done? Do know that water transported
elsewhere can/does rapidly change in quality... The symptoms you list are most
likely directly traceable to environmental stress>
Although' the red streaks in his tail have gone away, his tail looks
"shredded" like an old towel. It even has a hole in it.
<A normal progression>
Because of his mouth problems, I even got him out of the tank to check for an
obstruction in his throat. Nothing was there.
<Good>
He is almost half the size of his Black Tank Mate. It seems like he's fading
away. They were almost always identical in size and girth. I have noticed that
the Algae Eater (aka Sucky Fish), never bothers him,
<Good, thank you for this... Do keep your eye on the CAE... often become nasty>
but his Tank Mate pushes him around at times. Not in a fighting manner, but
definitely nudging him along.
<Not likely a problem>
I feel so helpless. Is he suffering? Do fish Suffer?
<Perhaps and yes>
He won't die! It's been almost 6 weeks and I can wait and try and try, but I
don't want him to Hurt.
<Better by far to keep trying... Goldfishes (and most aquatics) take a seemingly
long time to heal, recover from environmental complaints... but they are tough
given improved conditions, nutrition...>
I have 3 geriatric Furries that cost me a fortune in meds and Vet bills. But I
am a responsible pet-owner. If he needs to "go-to-sleep", in your Professional
opinion, please tell me. I only want to do the right thing for this Little
Guy.
<I am of the opinion, standing that this fish might well rally... and would not
euthanize it. Keep up the water quality here, the offering of food and faith.
Bob Fenner>
PS. The water levels tested were within normal range and "fine", per LFS. I'm
sorry, but I lost the numbers I had written down
I sound like a hysterical middle-aged woman. I am. This Fish breaks my heart.
Thank you for your time and advise.
Debbie from Baltimore
<BobF visiting in Lauderdale Lakes, FLA>
Help for our Oranda Gussie ... tap poisoning, CAE aggression... both?
12/21/06
Hi. We have an Oranda, Gussie who started acting weird yesterday. He almost
seemed confused, swimming around fast, flailing, and staying in the same corner.
I also noticed yesterday that he was missing quite a few scales, from all the
flailing around I'm guessing. We did a 25% water change the previous night,
which we do about every 7 days or so.
<These events are likely related... your source water is not a consistent
product... If you read... on WWM, you will find that I/we strongly suggest
pre-treating, storing new/change-out water to discount the possibility of
poisoning here>
Not sure what was wrong we took a water sample to PetSmart
<Too late...>
and asked what they thought. They told us that our water levels were all where
they should be and that it sounded like Gussie had dropsy
<... no>
. They sold us Fungus Clear,
<... for what?>
when we came home, Gussie was at the top of the aquarium floating on his side.
We put the treatment in the tank and by the time we went to bed he was just kind
of hanging out at the bottom of the tank, at least right side up. Now this
evening he has been swimming like mad again, jumping around a lot and shortly
after that, back to floating on his side. Also on his one side he seems to be
bleeding a little. Is this swim bladder or something else?
<Environmental "disease"... poisoning>
He seems so stressed I don't know what to do for him. We've had him for almost a
year now. We have him in a 10 gallon tank and the only other friend in his home
is an algae eater.
<Ah, keep your eye on this... Search, read re Gyrinocheilus on WWM...>
We also use 2 tbsp of aquarium salt when we change his water.
<Mmm, not a good idea to constantly "salt" goldfishes>
He has been on a diet of pellets which I have learned today is not the best
diet, so we will change that. I also tried giving him a couple of peas today.
<Good>
Any help that you could give us we would appreciate. Thanks a lot.
Tracy
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the links above. Bob Fenner>
My goldfish problem 12/20/06
Hi Guys,
I'm from the UK, and have a problem - its urgent!!!
My son (for some unbeknown reason) took one of his goldfish out of its tank
tonight and dropped it (I presume it was flipping about) into a cardboard box, I
found it and thought it was dead, so put it into the toilet, it then started to
swim so I fished it out and put it straight back in the tank.
<Mmm, yes... goldfish are tough in this regard... have a good deal of
cartilaginous support in their gills...>
Its now at the top of the water level and has a number of small tiny air
bubbles all over its body,
<Leave these be>
its not swimming much, but when you go near the tank it moves down to the bottom
of the tank, however seems unable to stay or swim down. Please help me - I am
so cross with my little boy but he is really upset too.
<I do hope this goldfish rallies... repairs and goes on to live a good long
life. I would take care here to not do further damage by over-reacting... but
would add a level teaspoon per ten gallons of system water of aquarium salt to
aid in the healing. Bob Fenner>
Concerned about my Goldfish 12/20/06
Hi! I have a goldfish, I've had her for a little over a year. Lately she's
been having some bouncy/swimming problems, so I've been feeding her peas. This
morning I noticed that she has pretty long string of thick black poop coming out
of her. What does this mean? Is there something wrong? Thanks for your help!
~Leslie~
<Mmm, likely nothing wrong with the dark fecal material... probably is the
peas... You have read here?:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm
and the linked files above? Bob Fenner>
Goldfish Illness - help required! Reading really 12/17/06
Hello
<Greetings... seasonal if you'd like>
I came across your web site, while surfing on the net trying to find answers for
a rather urgent situation re. my goldfish pet. I check the FAQ section but could
not figure out the correct answer to my query.
Before I begin, I must admit that I am naive about fish care as this is my first
pet. Excuse my ignorance, but I do not know what exactly is the type of my
orange colored goldfish. It has two long tails.
<Mmm, likely some sort/variety of "Fancy"...>
This goldfish was gifted to me about 6 months ago and is about 9 months of age.
Suddenly today, I noticed my goldfish (we call it 'Nemo") quite bloated under
the fins (the stomach area) and swimming in a slow manner. Nemo appeared tilted
and was lying low in the small bowl we keep her in.
<... obviously you did not read all on goldfish on WWM...>
I did not, therefore, feed her the whole day as she had some pellets
<... nor for the nutritional problems caused by this...>
left
<... no>
in the bowl from last night. We keep her in a small bowl - going by one of your
FAQs, it is less than 16 cups of water, so less than one gallon of water in an
average sized bowl. I don't know if it is below requirement. I, however, change
the water twice daily filling it with normal temperature clean water.
Just about half an hour ago (it is about 12:30 AM here, in Dubai - UAE) , the
size of her stomach increased and she was lying nearly dead at the bottom of the
bowl, occasionally moving her eyes and very occasionally swimming. Since she was
not floating at the top, I kept my fingers crossed hoping she wouldn't pass
away. I changed her water again, and miraculously she started swimming normally
and the size of her tummy reduced a bit too, if not perfectly normal. I am
hoping the night passes away with her alive. I am not sure if there are any vets
specialized in goldfish care - here in Dubai. UAE, as we have recently moved
here from the UK.
Should I take her to the vet if I find one? Or should I visit an aquarium and
buy aquarium salt or a fungus eliminator, or such? I am not sure what to do in
order to save my beloved pet, as I am not sure what has gone wrong with her. I
fell terribly guilty, as being a novice, I might have overfed her over these
months. Please help!
Thanks
Shashank
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm
and the linked files above. Your pet is in too small, inadequate a world,
mis-fed... Bob Fenner>
Fish with broken back? 12/13/06
Hello there, I have a fish who seems to have broken his spine. Ping, a
white Shubunkin with an orange dot, has a dramatic curve in his spine to the
right.
<Mmm... these appearances can be the result of a few causes... injury,
developmental/genetic problems, poor nutrition, pathogenic disease...>
He does not seem to be able to flatten himself out, let alone swing his tail
to the left. Thus creating a situation in which he swims forever in circles and
crashes into everything. This of course causes him to tire out very
quickly. He's eating "fine", when dinner time roles
<rolls>
around he tries to go to the surface as usual but doesn't make it so he eats
whatever might float down in front of him. Fortunately he has a favorite rock
at the bottom of the tank to lay on and I drop sinking pellets his way from time
to time.
<Ah, good>
Otherwise he still tries to greet people at the tank wall like normal, is
breathing regularly, his eyes are alert, and his skin looks ok (no fluffy
patches or color changes or scale problems). The only visible problem is his
tail being permanently stuck in "right gear". I have a couple of ideas of what
this MIGHT be... TB, sporozoan, Costia, swim bladder disorder?
<Mmm... possibly the first two categories>
Do any of these sound correct or might he really just have broken his
spine? HELP! -Genevieve
<It falls on me to be the bearer of sorrowful news... that whatever the root
cause here, there is very little "chance" of spontaneous recovery or cure... am
hopeful that this is not a contagious condition... If the fish doesn't appear to
be suffering... Otherwise there are methods of euthanasia... detailed on WWM.
Bob Fenner>
Re: Fish with broken back? 12/14/06
Dear Bob Fenner,
Thank you for the quick reply to my query. I should let you know I am not the
"primary caregiver" to this tank. I am the one who feeds them but as far as
cleanings, pH checks, etc. this is left to my husband. Upon rereading my
message to you and further discussion with him I realized there was a myriad of
information that I had left out. 1) This is a 75 gallon tank with a Penguin
bio-wheel filtration system. 2) The pH level had shifted; it generally hangs at
7, but a few nights ago my husband found it to be at 6 and did what he does to
correct this. ("pH up" powder?)
<Should be fine... this is a "big gap"... a whole pH point... is a base ten
logarithmic expression... but well within a given "good" range for this species>
3) Ping is approximately 4 inches long and has tank-mates (they've all been
together for about 2 years now.) Rocco:5 inches Black Moor, George: 6 inches
Goldfish, Fred: 4 inches Goldfish, Big Red: 4 inches Goldfish, Astaire and
Ginger: 1 inch each both tetras, and Fen: 2 inches algae eater. 4) Rocco tends
to be a "head stander". About once a month or so he'll start eating bubbles and
then does head stands or floats belly up and swims that way.
<Mmm, yes, have seen this behavior... Goldfishes are amongst the "lower
true/bony fishes"... and have a connection twixt the buccal cavity and their
gas/swim-bladders (are physostomous)... and can/do take in, give out air from
the environment... And, lest this go w/o mention, are indeed "characters">
He actually seems to enjoy himself so I never really questioned it.
<Not a problem generally... can/will expel this air...>
5) THE GOOD NEWS! As of last night Ping has flattened himself and with some
effort is able to swing his tail to the left.
<! Very good news>
His movements are erratic, he tends to spiral when he swims and he does favor
the right side, but he's moving closer to a straight line.
<Mmm... perhaps this fish "just ran" into the side of the aquarium and is
self-repairing>
As of right now I'm inclined to believe I'm dealing with two cases of swim
bladder disorder/ disease for both Rocco and Ping and maybe some constipation;
all of which I know I can read up on so I won't bother you there. I have also
realized, even if my husband thinks I'm crazy, that we need a hospital tank set
up- just in case.
<I am in agreement>
Anyways just wanted to give you that information to see if it might alter your
diagnosis, please let me know what you think and thank you again for responding
so quickly (PS- thank you too for the spelling correction- my fingers get away
from me some days :)
<Mine as well... esp. if/when it's cold here... Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Sick Black Moor Goldfish - 12/12/06
Hi:
<Hello there>
I have two pet goldfish, an orange fancy tail and a black moor. I bought both
of them when they were very young and small and have had them for nearly 6
years. The orange fancy tail has always been very healthy and she has spawned
twice in the past year. The black moor has always had swimbladder and
constipation issues, but has recently developed some kind of sickness that I
can't figure out. I have literally spent days researching all over the web and
can't find the solution. First, a little background info -
<Good>
I keep the fish in a 30 gallon tank with no other fish. I do 25% water
changes almost every week and monitor water quality regularly.
<Very good>
There is no ammonia, no nitrites, no nitrates and the pH is 7-7.5. I also have
a heater and keep the water temp around 75 F. I have been feeding the fish a
mixture of frozen bloodworms or frozen daphnia several times, peas, zucchini,
oranges (as treats) and Pro-gold pellets. I feed a small amount twice per day
and fast one day a week. I also had live plants, but the fish uprooted and ate
most of them.
<Yes... typical for Goldfishes>
There was one snail, but I removed it immediately - I did dip soak the plants in
salt water to try to remove any parasites before I added them to the tank.
The black moor (Gary) has been pretty sick for most of this year. I'm not
100% sure what sex Gary is. I think that Gary may actually be a she since no
male-like spawning characteristics have developed, but Gary hasn't laid any
eggs. Gary has been having balance problems and ends up resting on his right
side at the bottom of the tank, although he does manage to swim upright
(although wobbly) to find food and eat. He started to develop small wounds from
lying on his side on the gravel, so I placed him in a floating basket.
<Good technique>
After a few days, the wounds cleared up but he was still having balance
problems and laid on his side in the basket. He then started to develop light
gray patches all over the side that he laid on - on his tail fins, body and
bulging part of eye. I physically inspected him and found that the left side of
his belly was more distended than the right and a little squishy towards his
rear/tail fin. I then put him in a smaller hospital tank and gave him
medications - Maracyn and Maracyn II to treat fungal and bacterial infections.
<Mmm, these won't do for the internal complaint...>
After two rounds of treatment with proper water changes, etc, nothing had
cleared up. The left side of his belly continued to become more swollen and
distorted his body so that his rear end was no longer in the middle of his back
side, but on one side. I then gave him small amounts of Epsom salt and peas and
had to go leave town for a week. While I was away, I fed him dehydrated peas
with an automatic feeder. When I came back, his left side was less swollen, but
he was still on his right side and still had gray patches all over his right
side. I finally decided to just put him back in the main tank with the other
goldfish. He swims around to eat, but hides all day and night on his side in a
java moss bed behind a rock. I am currently feeding MediGold - he loves it as a
last resort for the gray patches on his side. The orange fancy goldfish is just
fine and healthy as can be.
<Good>
What is ailing my fish? Could it be internal parasites carried in by the
plants/snail?
<Mmm, doubtful>
Is it Chilodonella or Costia?
<Not likely... or the other Fancy would be infested as well>
I can't tell what the gray patches are since their appearance doesn't meet the
description of anything that I have read about. It's gray and smooth, not
fluffy or stringy, and is in spots/patches. Could my fish be egg impacted?
<Probably not... given the regimen of treatments and responses you're reported>
Please help as I really want my fish to be healthy again.
<This is difficult to state, first because of the large possibility that I could
be in error... and secondly for possibly the unintended harm I might do you by
suggesting such... but this Moor and many to perhaps most all that are produced
in the U.S. (yes, as compared with the Far East) are beset by a host of "genetic
anomalies" as you so-well review here... Sad to state/speculate, but I do have
the opinion that your fish has inherent, heritable health problems... I would
have treated it (with the exception of the Mardel antibiotics mentioned) in
pretty much the same fashion... And would continue to try the Epsom salt,
low-protein feeding approach. Bob Fenner>
Re: Sick Black Moor Goldfish - 12/12/06
Bob & WWM crew,
Thank you for responding. Unfortunately, Wasabi passed away late Sunday
night. :(
Lin
<Sorry for your loss... And again, I salute your valiant efforts to provide good
care/health for this animal. Bob Fenner>
Black Moor with Ick and bleeding eye. Please help! 12/12/06
Hello WWM Crew,
<Chang>
I have searched your site for the answer to my predicament, and I thought I
found the answer, but there were no instructions on how to administer it.
I have a Black Moor goldfish and an Fantail goldfish, and I've had them for
about three months. Recently I saw that my fantail seemed to have finrot,
<From what cause/s?>
but it wasn't red or anything. After I tried to treat it for that, and changed
the water, I noticed that my black moor had ick. I started treating them this
past Thursday for this, and Friday I noticed that Wasabi (the moor) had a
bleeding eye, the same that was cloudy the day before.
<One-sided? Usually this is due to a mechanical injury... the fish swimming into
something>
What can I do to treat the ick and get rid of his bleeding eye?
<Aquarium salt, Malachite Green>
Neither of them seem very inclined to eat, and I don't want either of them to
die! I searched on google for a solution to his bleeding eye, and your site
mentioned something about Epsom salt, but I don't know how much and how to give
it to them.
Please help!
Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Lin
<Is posted:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saltusefaqs.htm
and for ich:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files at top. Bob Fenner>
Fantail Oranda problem 12/12/06
Hi WWM crew! I was wondering if you could help me diagnose a problem with my
Oranda fish. You could say that the fish is playing dead in a way. It just
floats around on the bottom of the tank lopsidedly breathing pretty slowly. It
will not come up for food either. However, once in a while, it does work up the
energy to swim just a little, but then goes back to the same state. I have
tested all of the water and everything is safe, I have discontinued pellets and
flakes,
<Perhaps too late>
and I have treated the tank with some aquarium salt (by the way, I have one
Oranda fish in a ten gallon tank.) I have also done a 50% water change following
standard procedures. The has been like this for 2 days. I have tried everything
and just don't know what to do! Maybe you could offer me some suggestions?
Deniz
<Yes... read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm
and the linked files at top. Bob Fenner>
PM Employee (PcS) : Goldfish with massive"? puncture?" wound getting bigger?
12/9/06
Hi, my name is Alex and I work at Petsmart as a Petcare Spec. and my specialty
is actually Fish - and I do focus on Goldfish because they are my favorite;
<<Hello, Alex. Tom>>
Anyways, I have an Oranda Cap Goldfish (all orange w/ white tipped tails) and he
is about 3-4 years old and as big as perhaps a 14 yr. old’s closed fist, maybe
slightly bigger. (I’ll try to keep the info brief>>>) We have a massive snail
infection <<infestation?>> at our store here and we refuse to use chemicals.
<<Good to hear this…>>
Anyways, we use the Goldfish, among other methods to keep the snail population
in check.
<<Come again? Not good fish management by ANY responsible standards!
Snail-control be hanged, you don’t want to mix unquarantined fish in disparate
(hopefully) conditions. Think “disease transmission” here…>>
Well, "my" Fish was placed in the molly tank on a scavenge mission and the next
day he had a 3-4mm wound - circular in formation and without any scales - on his
side.
<<Was attacked/bitten… Any chance that Mollies weren’t the only inhabitants?
Plecos, Chinese Algae Eaters, et. al. can/will attach themselves to the sides of
larger, slow-moving fish and “feed” on the fish’s slime coat/flesh.>>
That was 1 week and a half ago. Today the wound has grown to 10mm and I can see
a white streak going down the centre, and I am not sure if this is pus or one of
his ribs!!! Since day one {when I was on duty that is :( } he was removed and
taken to ISO (our mini-hospital tanks) and treated with: Quickcure
(anti-parasitic) & Generalcure (anti-fungal). I personally went and bought
ointment for him (oil based; anti-biotic) to try to help and it was without
success. Plus was given alot of food (fed once daily + vacation feeders)...I am
not sure what to do and why it is growing.... I am not even sure how it
started...
<<You now know how it started and you now know why this “practice” is beyond my
comprehension. Assuming and, I know I’m going way out on a limb here, that these
fish are being kept in conditions that they should be kept in, why, in the name
of Heaven, would you place a “cold-water” fish in a tropical tank? Okay,
Goldfish are adaptable. Slowly and under controlled conditions. Couple that with
the fact that Mollies are a brackish-water species and all I can do is shake my
head, though I have little doubt that anyone at the store but you (now) is even
aware of this.>>
If it keeps it up I may have to put the Goldfish down (technically I can't do
that, only a Pt. C. manager - anyways) I haven't tried Melafix - and I saw a
catfish question that had a laceration and you recommended that - should I head
in that direction and what else can I do???
<<In this case, keep your Goldfish completely isolated and treat with a
combination of Pimafix and Melafix exactly according to the directions. Whether,
or not, the animal will survive is up for grabs. (I’ll keep my fingers crossed
for the animal’s sake.) Keeping the water temperature in the low- to mid-70’s
will assist the fish’s immune system. Now, don’t want a lecture? You caught the
wrong fellow. You’ve got a lot of ‘homework’ to do if you want to be a
“specialist”. Start anywhere that you like but start researching the fish and
equipment that you sell. A very good place to start is our FAQ’s/articles.>>
Thanx: Alex, Nevada: USA
<<You’re welcome. Sorry for the "lecture", Alex, but this was totally avoidable.
Please, read/research. Tom>>
My sick fish - Oranda with a tumor? 12/9/06
Hi,
<<Hi, Jim. Tom here.>>
Don't know if you’re the one to contact about my fish, but here it goes.
<<Fire away…>>
I have a Oranda goldfish with a bubble head type. I think that's the way you
spell the goldfish's name.
<<Yep.>>
Anyway, it's developed a dime-size, white, tumor-looking thing almost looking
like a weird wart. We took it out to examine it partially and touched it so
very gently and it started bleeding. Is it something I can remove or medicate,
or is it too late.
<<Not a “given”, Jim, but the fact that there was bleeding is a good indication
that vascularity has developed around the site. It could be cystic in nature or
it could be a tumor.>>
The fish is still eating well and think this is going to be his demise.
<<That it’s eating well is a good sign so let’s not write your Goldfish off just
yet.>>
We had another one with a quarter size tumor and finally died.
<<Sorry to hear that, Jim.>>
We have had him for almost 1 1/2 years. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
<<If the growth is cancerous there isn’t much to be done so let’s pursue this
based on what we can, in fact, do. Add “aquarium salt” to your fish’s tank at a
ratio of one tablespoon per five gallons of water. If the lump is fluid-filled,
the salt will aid in reducing the swelling by relieving the build-up. By way of
explanation, freshwater fish more readily retain fluids naturally than do their
saltwater counterparts. By modestly altering the environment with the salt,
we’re also altering the way the fish’s system will function. The same osmotic
action that will relieve the fluid build-up, if any, will also serve to aid in
healing any external physical trauma (injury) to the area. You should know in a
short time if your Oranda has a fighting chance.>>
Thank you
Jim
<<I can’t tell you this isn’t the time for a little finger-crossing, Jim, but,
with luck, we’ll find that this isn’t as serious as it might be. Best regards.
Tom>>
Black moor with an prolapsed colon 12/6/06
I have 5 goldfish in a 50 gallon tank, 2 lionheads, 2 black moors and a
shubunkin. One of the black moors rectum is protruding. I gave it Epsom salts
<Good>
and a pea as there is a hunk of p**p sticking out. I have never seen this
before. Will the fish survive?
<I hope so>
Is there anything else I can do. I can find no info on this anywhere.
Thanks much
<Mmm, keep up the feeding with low-protein, and fresh foods... and the dosage of
Epsom, perhaps some "aquarium salt" as well... Bob Fenner>
Re: Goldfishes and grammar... More Goldfish Questions 12/4/06
Well, you answered the questions I had but opened up so many more!
<They never end, because we're always learning.>
I have the 14 GF, and they're each between 1 1/2" and 2" long. Now, I know my
power filter isn't big enough for the tank, it only has one filter but we have
two bubblers. Now, do those help the filtering process or should I still get a
larger power filter with two instead of one?
<Bubblers only help dissolve O2 into the water, for better respiration. Fish
like to play in the bubbles too. They do nothing for filtration. By not
knowing the make/model of your filter, I can't tell you if it's sufficient or
not. On a tank that size, with that many growing fish, I'd recommend an
Aquaclear filter. You can stack them with whatever you wish, rather than most
premade cartridges. Utilizing a sponge filter (for mechanical filtration--can
be rinsed weekly), filter floss (to "polish" the water crystal clear--replaced
monthly) & BioMax (for biological filtration--rinsed every 3 months or
so). When the fish reach about 3", you can add a canister filter, like an
Eheim.>
Also, we have tried using a specific chemical that says put in 5 ml for every
gallon once a week and you clean every 6 months. We probably won't stick with
it on account of the size of the tank, but does that stuff really work?
<Total bunk/rip-off! There is nothing that can replace water changes. "The
solution to pollution is dilution!">
And also, you replied with having to clean the tank once a week and replace 90%
of the water and the filter but I've also seen if you clean 15% once a month it
prevents the uber cleaning every couple of months. And couldn't replacing 90%
of the water at once cause shock?
<"Uber cleaning" is a bad idea on all counts. You will remove all traces of
"good" bacteria that eats waste from your fish. To understand better, read
articles here:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library.php?cat=4
There are also excellent articles in that library that will educate you on the
benefits of mechanical, chemical & biological filtration here:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library.php?cat=6
Most serious GF keepers do 90% weekly water changes (which only involves
stirring the gravel to loosen waste & uneaten foods, draining & filling. Easily
done with a Python drain & fill system) to lower the high
ammonia/nitrates/nitrates--the end result of such dirty fish.>
Thanks so much.
<You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do
water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes... ~PP>
Ashley
Re: Goldfishes and grammar - 12/04/06
No, unfortunately I didn't get a response. And unfortunately I didn't save the
email either. Oops. Do you even have a blip of me on the radar?
<Hi Ashley - Jorie here. I wasn't the one who originally answered your query,
but I did remember seeing it; turns out PufferPunk replied. I don't know what's
going on with the server, but you can always check the "Daily FAQ" page to see
if a reply has been "posted". I found yours here, it's the third one down:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/daily_faqs3.htm
With regard to your point about grammar, well, basically, I think we just
disagree! I do however, agree with your words about "being kind", and there's
no need to humiliate someone who has written in with poor grammar. I myself do
try to respond tactfully, and I only ask someone to re-send if the errors make
the writing so hard to understand - as per your own example of "4's" "u's",
etc. Perhaps I am wrong, but I don't agree that "everyone is doing their best"
- I think that our society has gotten to a point where laziness and just going
enough to get by is the general rule of thumb; someone needs to teach (albeit
gently) folks that this just isn't always acceptable. At least, that's what I
think. To me, it boils down to an issue of respect - if you are asking for
someone's help, wouldn't it be nice to make the burden on that person as little
as possible?!
Anyway, I do believe your substantive questions were answered...let me know if
not.
Best regards,
Jorie>
Goldfish concerns, sys. env. dis. 12/1/06
Hi,
I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm pretty new to raising goldfish and was
wondering if you could help I think I've made some pretty big mistakes). On
Sunday, my boyfriend and I got a 10 gallon tank with a box filter, two plants,
and a little rocky cave for our fish to play in. The guy who was helping us
told us that we only needed to let it run for 1 day (the kit came with some
biofiltration, but it wasn't BioSpira). Anyways, we foolishly bought 3 fish the
very next day and brought them home.
<... this system isn't cycled, ready...>
That night we started to get a little worried about one of our fish, Conan.
He was sitting on the bottom of the tank, and wasn't swimming around nearly as
much as the other two, Bubbles and Shachi. At that point, he was eating
normally, and was the first one to the top of the tank to get food. We were
pretty worried that we hadn't let the tank sit for long enough, so we started
searching the internet for what could be wrong. The next day, he was still
eating normally, and seemed to be swimming around the tank more, so we thought
that he was alright. Wednesday though, during the morning feeding, he would
spit out anything he ate, and was either sitting at the bottom of the tank, or
at the top gulping for air. When I got home I noticed a long thin white stringy
poo, and was worried he got some kind of bacterial infection. That night we went
to the store and bought an air stone for the tank, some aquarium salt (we read
that adding some could help), and some test strips, and somehow I talked myself
out of buying any medication (I guess I thought it might've just been a string
off of one of the plants... we have an Amazon sword that had some long fibers
hanging off of it).
<This system isn't ready for live plants either>
We tested the water as soon as we got home (it's been the same every day
since), and the pH was about 6.5, Nitrates and Nitrates
<? And ammonia?>
were under 20 ppm, and
0.5ppm, respectively (we also have an ammonia tester in the tank, which says
that the levels are safe,
<Half a ppm of nitrite is not "safe">
but at this point, I'm not sure if I believe it).
<You are wise to be suspicious here>
We were a little worried about the pH being so low,
<Actually is more than fine... better for this to be on the low side with the
system not cycled>
but thought that it was still in the range that goldfish could live in. We did
a 20% water change that night,
<Further forestalling the establishment of cycling...>
with some aquarium salt, and then installed the airstone.
Bubbles and Shachi really took to the airstone, playing in the bubbles, but poor
Conan, seemed to be struggling in the current it was producing around the
tank. We decided to switch it on and off for periods of time, so that the tank
would have enough aeration, but Conan wouldn't have to work too hard to move
around.
The next day, Conan was much sicker, barely moving around, his breathing seemed
pretty labored, and I noticed some red dots on his caudal fin, stomach, and head
(I guess mostly from environmental stress?).
<Yes>
Anyways, I decided to try some frozen, shelled peas, when I got back from
class, but when I came home, he was dead. One of his eyes seemed to have a
blood vessel burst in it, but I'm not sure if this happened before or after he
died, as Shachi was picking at him when I got home... Bubbles (usually very
active) was hiding in the top corner of the tank by the plant and barely moving,
but as soon as I took Conan out of the tank, Bubbles started swimming around
again. Conan also had a little bit of discoloration on his stomach. Then, last
night Bubbles started sitting on the bottom of the tank, which is extremely
unusual for him. Even though the water seemed like it was alright (from the
test strips, we decided to do another 20% change with salt and all.
<...>
We fed Shachi and Bubbles frozen, shelled peas, last night (the flakes we have
are 40% protein),
<Too high...>
and this morning, and Bubbles seems to be swimming around a bit more, but his
dorsal fin is clamped, and he seems to have a white spot on his head and near
his gills his poo is still black).
<Environmental...>
A lot of the other articles I've read on your site, make it seem like these
spots are probably due to environmental disease,
<Yes>
but I'm a little confused about Conan's symptoms, because of the long white
stringy poo. I feel really badly that it was probably the environment that we
had set up that killed Conan, and want to make sure the same thing doesn't
happen to Shachi and Bubbles. I guess my real question is, I want to use
BioSpira tonight to cycle the tank,
<Good! I would>
but I'm worried that Bubbles and Shachi need to be treated for whatever Conan
had (especially since Shachi was picking at him when I get home), and don't want
to make an even bigger mess, or stress the fish out more. Should I get some
medicine, remove the carbon pads in the filter, and run it through the tank and
then use BioSpira?
<I would not... the further stress/strain of chemical exposure may well kill
your fish>
Should I just keep using the salt and BioSpira and assume it's completely
environmental?
<Yes, this is what I would do as well as keeping foods/feeding to an absolute
minimum... testing for ammonia>
Is it ok to cycle the tank with the two of them in there?
<... where else can you put them?>
Is it too late for my poor little fishies?
<Never too late as long as they're alive>
Again I'm so sorry for bothering you, it's just all been really frustrating, and
upsetting, that we made so many mistakes and jumped into it foolhardily. Also,
thanks for the site, it's been a lot of help in learning what we need to do, and
should have done.
-Helen
<It is obvious (to me) that you've been studying, have an adequate grasp of what
is going on here, what the likely causes/cures for the problems evident. You
received initially inaccurate information, set-up this system w/o necessary
cycling... Your goldfish may have pathogenic issues, but the root problem/s are
environmental... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the linked files above... for a further strengthening of what you already
suspect and know. Bob Fenner>
Help Please. Goldfish health 11/30/06
I have two fancy goldfish. One is black with the bulbous eyes and the other
looks like a "regular", all- gold, fish. I call them Fancies, because they
have grown very round and very large; kind of like the size of a large potato.
<Yes>
Along with what I call a Sucky Fish (to keep the tank clean), they have been
living in a 30 gallon tank, together, for almost 4 years.
<Mmm... keep your eye on this "Sucky Fish"... may be sucking on your Goldies>
We have had water "issues" in the past, but gradually learned to keep their
tank as clean as possible. When my husband became very ill about 7 weeks
ago, I was on the "run" and other than feeding 2x daily, they were on minimal
maintenance. Suddenly, their tank got cloudy, understandably, and the entire
room the aquarium is in, started to smell really bad. Am lot like a wet
diaper! The odor was terrible!
<Again, yes>
As soon as my husband came home, we did a complete H2o change, new
filters, etc. We cleaned everything thoroughly.
<Mmm, best not to do such overt, 100% clean outs...>
The black fish with the Eyes began to get sick first, I thought he had
swimbladder from reading on the internet about fish diseases. He sank, swam
vertically, and looked really ill. I was told by PetSmart Aquatics, to try
the frozen pea treatment, before accepting Swim Bladder as a self
diagnosis. He really got better and rather quickly.
<Good>
Then, the Orange Fish stopped eating, has no SIMILAR symptoms, but, he looks
terrible. He sits on the bottom of the tank, almost seems blind and
confused. His ONE eye is covered with a white membrane and is swollen. He
doesn't have the pine-cone symptoms, but his little flippers are always clamped
to his sides. Sometimes he dashes straight up and out of the water, only to go
back down and "sit". His respirations are shallow, but not rapid.
The black fish who recovered, is always pushing him along in the tank. He
doesn't try to hurt him, but he's showing either a lot of sympathy, or he's
waiting for him to die. The Orange Fish looks very depressed and "lost". I
tried 6 days of powdered Erythromycin, from PetSmart, to no avail.
My husband cleans their "home" 2 or 3 times a week. Yesterday, he found that
their gravel and the residue on the filtering system, was very mucous-like. We
took a lot of their gravel out and only replaced what we cleaned.
This is so damn sad. I'm at my wit's end and have limited funds to pursue this
Little Guy's diagnosis.
I'm sorry to be so long-winded, but any help or suggestions would be
appreciated. I feel like he's suffering and I love him.
Debbie Karst
<Really most likely an environmental issue or two at play here... I would add
Bio-Spira to boost your bio-filtration, and perhaps a level teaspoon of aquarium
salt per ten gallons of system water... Do you have water quality test kits? I
would monitor ammonia and nitrite... and stop feeding if these exceed 1.0 ppm...
effect partial water changes (25%) maximum... on a weekly basis. Bob Fenner>
Black Moor and Fin Rot? 11/28/06
Hi
<Hello there>
I have a black Moor who is losing the colour of two of his fins at the tip.
<Happens at times>
I have read articles regarding Black Moor's changing colour, but his fins are
losing all it's black colour so that the tips of the fins are completely clear.
<Ditto>
His other fins are all starting to look like they are thinning also around the
edges. Is this a sign of fin rot?
<Mmm, not necessarily>
He is the only fish in the tank, we have had him for around 4-5 years,
<Ahhh!>
and he still appears very active.
Rebecca
<Well... I would be looking into other avenues of retaining color, finnage...
improved water quality, nutrition... If it is the genetic disposition, destiny
for this individual to have clear fins... this will happen... with age. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Black Moor and Fin Rot? 11/28/06
How long does it take for fin rot to destroy the fins? The process of
his fins turning clear has occurred slowly over the past 6 months. I
thought fin rot will occur much quicker, is that right?
<If this were a fungal complaint, it would assuredly have occurred in a much
shorter time frame. This is a "natural change"... given genetics, environment...
Not to worry... Old/er goldfish/es with diaphanous finnage are beautiful,
healthy. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Rebecca
GOLDFISH Question - Mouth Fungus... ? 11/28/06
Hello!
I noticed over the past month that my goldfish cannot open his mouth or it is
gone. He goes after the food but never can eat it. I was advised by my local pet
store to buy "Furan-2" for the treatment of a possible mouth fungus or whatever
it is.
<...>
I have done 4 treatments and no luck. He still swims around and acts normal. He
does not appear to be getting thinner but I am worried that he is starving. I
guess my question is, can this poor fish survive without a mouth?
<Ah, no>
Will he learn to eat with what he has left?
<?>
It just breaks my heart to see him like this and not know what to do. Like I
said, he swims all over like he used to so I don't know if he will heal and be
able to eat without his mouth or am I kidding myself?
<Don't know... but I would try making sure there is nothing occluding the throat
of this goldfish (happens quite frequently... that especially a bit of gravel
gets stuck, or causes an injury to the hinge-like mechanism in the jaw... A "Q"
tip inserted (w/o the cotton, with the tip trimmed down to a wedge-shape) is
best here... Catch the fish, insert this sort tool, articulate the jaw... look
with a magnifying glass for an obstruction. Bob Fenner>
Any help at all is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Adam
Bloated Goldfish With Many Problems 11/24/06
Hi there, We have seen (and appreciate) your knowledgeable answers to some
difficult questions and we now have another one for you. Situation is as
follows.
20 gal tank with 2 goldfish in it (we think you call them comets over here) one
is about 8 inches in length and the other about 6 inches.
< Tank is way too small for two fish of this size. Think 55 gallon at least
because they will be bigger if they live.>
The tank has medium gravel with several plants in it and has been established
for about 18 months now. It has aeration ( under gravel circular type) and a
filter ( Aqua Clear 100 bio filter type). About 1 month ago we had been on
vacation, just for a few days and had left an automatic flake feeder with only a
small amount of food being dropped in each day. In addition our pet sitter added
some brine shrimp or bloodworms (both freeze dried) each day from a measured
amount we had left for them to add. On our return the smallest fish ( called
Venus) showed signs of stress and had a fairly large bulge on one side of her
body. So we quickly checked the QT ( a 10 gallon with similar setup) and put
her in it to protect the other fish, and to treat her with what ever we thought
might be the best. The bulge was very pointed and also bloody looking under the
scales, yet the scales themselves were not protruding as I have seen previously
with Dropsy. Anyway, we decided to treat it as if it were Dropsy and used
Maracyn 2. Well we progressed with the treatment ( full 5 days as recommended)
and Venus seemed to start getting much better , the lump retreated somewhat and
she was acting almost normal. Once the treatment was completed however, she
started going downhill again. So after 5 days we treated her again with the
Maracyn 2, and added Maracide to the treatment regime as well, in case there was
and internal parasite infestation as well as a bacterial infection. This time
she did not improve very much at all and started to swim upside down a lot,
stayed on the bottom of the tank and ate very little. The lump, however, did
reduce again quite considerably. Again we completed the 5 day treatment regime
and she still was looking a very poorly fish. The lump started to get bigger
again and more blood was showing under the scales. In addition the scales
started to look like they were protruding much more than before, which again
seemed to imply a Dropsy situation. We spoke to the LFS and they suggested it
might be an ulcer so we decided to try Maracyn Plus as this seemed to imply it
would deal with both Dropsy and Ulcerations. We did not start right away as we
had only just completed the previous treatment, and as a precaution we treated
her in salt (aquarium type) 3 times a day and this seemed to help her a lot as
she started to swim properly and ate almost normally. This continued for 4 days
and she was a lot better, The problem was that the lump was again starting to
get bigger. She was still active and looking reasonably well apart from that
though. So we ( actually I) decided it had to be the Maracyn Plus treatment as
the lump was getting larger again.
Now we have a bigger problem! Maracyn Plus is used days 1, 3 and 5, and after
day 3 she started to swell up to an enormous size (all over) again it looks like
Dropsy, but would seem that she must have had an allergic reaction to the
Maracyn Plus. We created another QT in case we needed to move her quickly from
one environment with the Maracyn Plus in it to one with out, but it is not quite
ready yet. We may have to move her anyway if the Maracyn Plus is the real cause
of her excessive bloating, and take a chance on the water quality in the newly
created tank. (This is another 10 gal tank by the way.) In the meantime we have
tried the Epsom salt treatment in case it is just a gas or blockage type
problem, but we are a little worried that it might be too late as she is now so
bloated her body is encroaching on her gill area and causing her breathing
distress. Any ideas you have on what to do and our approach and any possible
causes would be much appreciated. We just hope we are not the cause of her
current problems, but fear we may very well be. Thank you
David
< While you were gone the nitrates went through the roof and stressed your fish
to the point that they are now very sick. In the 20 gallon tank you need to do a
50% water change vacuum the gravel and clean the filters. The disease causing
bacteria have now built up a resistance to the medication so it is no longer
effective. Treat with a combination of Nitrofuranace and Metronidazole. The key
to a complete recovery is to treat them early.-Chuck>
Goldfish Allergic To Medication 11/27/06
Thank you for your quick response, however I think the main point of the
current problem I have highlighted is one you seem to have missed, overlooked,
or maybe thought it not a problem. My question now is therefore, why the problem
with one fish and also the sudden bloating after the use of Maracyn Plus?
<The Maracyn Plus may have affected the good bacteria and ammonia levels may
have spiked. The high ammonia levels further stressed the fish and the infection
took off.>
It does seem to me to be a case of an allergic reaction as it only occurred
after the use of Maracyn Plus. FYI the 20 gal tank nitrate/nitrite and ammonia
levels are all OK and in good condition and always have been so I feel this
unlikely to be the cause. The first thing I did when I saw the lump on the fish
was to take measurements and they were all good, and well within acceptable
levels. It is only one fish with the problem as I stated in my last email she
had been put in a QT. away from the other fish, who is still fine and dandy. I
have now put Venus in the second QT which has no chemicals or antibiotics in it
at all so will see how she goes without the influence of Maracyn Plus at all. I
need to know where I get the 2 treatments you mention and the quantities to use
so please can you give me some pointers. The LFS doesn't even know what I was
talking about when I mentioned them.
< The medications can be bought online at DrsFosterSmith.com>
I still need to know though if the reaction could an allergic one and how to
treat that condition, as that seems to me to be the most urgent item to address.
She is still alive and kicking but more swollen and breathing more rapidly by
the hour. Thank you David
< It is unlikely that your fish had an allergic reaction top the medication.
More likely the fish was additionally stressed by the treatment and lost all
resistance to the disease. Stress is the real culprit here. You say all you
water conditions are fine yet your fish still got sick. If not the water then
maybe the food is the problem.-Chuck>
My little Nemo... Goldfish health 11/19/06
Hi Bob,
just by accident I discovered your web-site, what a stroke of luck, so much to
go through, I just went through you faq, so now I have one for you.
<Okay>
I have just upgraded to a 20 gal, from a 10, I had two black moors, and one
fancy goldfish, so I went out and bought a small black moor I just love there
faces, look like Boston terries or pugs, I think)
<An apt comparison>
anyways after I got him home and did the proper procedure of introduction with
the water etc, I sat and watched him and noticed one of his little fins is not
quite developed, and one eye is bigger than the other, a true Nemo, then I
decided, I wanted another orange as they look so beautiful with the blue stones,
so I bought a Pearlscale (didn't know it at the time and thought he had a
disease), and I noticed this Pearlscale (named Nippon) was constantly nipping at
the Nemo and the two other black moors constantly, so I let this go on for a
week, thinking he had to work it out, to no avail, and one morning I woke up to
Nemo looking like he had something popping through his skin like something was
pushing it's way out, so I packed the Pearl scale and him up and went to the pet
store, they took the Pearlscale back, and they looked at Nemo and said he could
possibly have worms or a parasite, and told me to but this Mela-fix, it has tree
tea oil in it, I was not comfortable adding two capfuls to my tank,
<You are wise here. I'm not a fan of using this homeopathic under/for most any
circumstance>
so I put in a half of one, I still could not relax as I needed to know exactly
what I was treating him for, so I found a vet and went to see him, he figures it
was a wound that has gotten infected, so he gave me liquid Baytril and a bill
for $85.00, with the instructions to put 3cc. of this in his hospital tank and
put him in it for an hour and back to the main tank, when I spoke to him the
other evening he said I could put the charcoal filter in when the fish was in
the hospital tank, now this doesn't sound right to me,
<Me neither>
so tonight I put the Baytril in and took the charcoal filter out and will put it
back after the hour is up, NOW DOES THIS SOUND RIGHT TO YOU?
<About so... I would have treated with just "aquarium salt"...>
#2 one of the moors was pooping last night and it looked like pearls, beads
that were iridescent, and then later a longer poop that looked like it had
silver in it, what the hell is going on, have you any idea,
<Might be indicative of internal parasitization, could be nothing>
so to night I steamed them some peas and put them in when cool and he pooped all
peas, so is this good or bad, and also how many peas to I give to five fish two
small and the two larger moors, they seemed to enjoy them, I was freaking out
that one seemed to be having a problem, and then it dawned on me I think he was
chewing, Do gold fish chew????????
<Just keep the water clean, small water changes, with ongoing testing,
keeping/assuring it's cycled...>
Anyway I have many more questions, but Nemo and his Baytril and charcoal is my
main one, okay I guess the other s are also,
I thank you for any help and suggestions
Judy
<Best to have time go by, for you to read more:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisease.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Re: My little Nemo... Goldfish dis., gravel-sys. 11/20/06
Hi Bob,
Thank you so much for answering my questions, my little Nemo's wound seems to be
healing, I am pleased.
<Me too>
I am fairly new at this having an aquarium, so I really don't know about the
salt thing, What is it good for? How often should I add it, to the main tank
with all the fish,? and how much for a 20 gallon?
<... Please read:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saltusefaqs.htm
and the linked files above>
When I set up this new tank about a month ago, I bought some new stones same
size as my other ones, but very smooth, because I spend so much time watching my
fish I noticed one of my Moors get two together stuck in his mouth, of course I
panicked, but he managed to get them out, and it happened again yesterday and he
couldn't get it out,
<Yikes...>
I phoned the vet and I had to get a pair of tweezers and I got them out, now
this really scares me, as I am not here all the time, what happens if it gets
stuck and I am not here, how long can a fish live with the gravel stuck in his
mouth,?
<Perhaps minutes to hours to days... depending on how large>
I cringe to think that I will have to change the gravel, because it does cost a
lot.
Thanks again bob, I wished I found your site before I took him to the vets.
Judy
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>
Goldfish cancerous tumors? 11/19/06
My Oranda, suddenly has a tumorous looking growth out his right side, it's
very big, and now his left eye looks a bit swollen.....is this some sort of
internal infection or a mass of sudden cancerous tumors suddenly appearing?
Help!
<Can/could be... root causes? May be almost entirely genetic/predetermined...
Could be to an extent allowed, brought-on, triggered by aspects of the
environment, nutrition... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisease.htm
and the linked files above, and/or the search tool. Bob Fenner>
Sick goldfish need some advice 11/17/06
Dear Bob,
<Cindy>
We have two very pretty goldfish, Molder & Scully. Scully is very healthy, but
Mulder is not able to open his mouth to eat. We can see him trying to use his
muscles to open his mouth but they just aren't working. The poor fish is
starving. My husband took Mulder out of the tank and opened it's mouth a
little He was able to keep it open for a second but then it snapped shut.
Nothing was in Molder's mouth except what appeared to be a tongue. Is this
lockjaw?
<Of a sort, likely... Perhaps this one goldfish has run into something, or
gotten a rock et al. stuck in its throat, damaged the jaw hinge>
We tried treating the goldfish with MelaFix for 10 days and Molder's mouth
seemed to open a little so he could eat tiny bits of flake food.. After the
treatment period the mouth went back to the way it used to be and now we see
only a bubble of air coming out every now and then.
<Goldfish are of the group that can "gulp" in air (and expel it) through the
mouth enroute to their gas bladder, principally as a hydrostatic mechanism
(allowing the fish to stay at the same level)>
Is there anything else we can do? Any other medicine you would recommend to
help treat this problem.
Thanks for any help you can give me with this problem.
Sincerely,
Cindy Sinatra
<What you and your husband have done thus far (checking for damage, a stuck
object) and being patient, are about the only things "to do"... Unfortunately,
only time can/will tell whether this investigative partner will heal on its own.
Some folks might suggest the administration of Epsom Salt as a cathartic... it
wouldn't hurt. Bob Fenner>
Goldfish With Red Dots 11/15/06
Please help me. I have a shubunkin in a 10 gallon tank with a black moor. I
realize the tank itself is too small to house two five-inch fish and I am
looking into roomier accommodations. I run an oversized filter (for 20 gallon
tank) and have an airstone for proper aeration. I do 30%-40% water changes,
vacuum gravel, clean filter, etc. every week. A couple weeks ago, I noticed an
area on the body behind the shubunkin's left gill that was slightly swollen as
well as a red spot below the left pectoral fin, almost at the joint where the
fin meets the body. There was white cottony material coming out. From reading
other postings from your site, I believed it to be an internal bacterial
infection, so I treated with Maracyn Two. Even though the swelling, red spot and
white cottony material disappeared within two-three days, I followed the full
five-day course of treatment as recommended by Mardel. I followed with my weekly
water change. Two days later, a red spot with cottony material developed on the
right side directly below the joint of the pectoral fin. I followed another
five-day course of treatment with Maracyn Two. Again, the red spot went away
well before the five days. I proceeded with my weekly water change. It has now
been two days since the last water change, and yet another red spot with white
cottony material appeared, this time above the right ventral fin. I also noticed
what may be a red mark slightly above the left pectoral fin, although due to the
coloring of this particular shubunkin, I'm not sure if it is indeed a red mark
or just a dark orange marking that I haven't noticed before. Anyway, my question
is, since I have used the Maracyn Two twice already, is there anything else you
would recommend or is it safe to do another round of treatment? Is this indeed
an internal bacterial infection? He seems healthy otherwise, no clamped fins,
he's active, eating as normal and dorsal fin is upright. The black moor is also
very healthy. I hate to keep medicating the entire tank since the black moor has
exhibited no signs of ill health. At this point, should I move the shubunkin to
a hospital tank and try something else (salt perhaps?), or do you believe with
more frequent water changes (2-3 times/week), this would rectify itself? Also, I
would greatly appreciate your opinion on one more thing. I have five goldfish
total, the two in the 10 gallon tank and three in a much larger tank. I was
contemplating purchasing a 125 gallon tank so that all of them could be together
with sufficient room to swim and grow. The three larger fish (two fantails and a
shubunkin) are approximately eight inches in length already (including tail). Do
you believe a 125 gallon tank to be sufficient for five growing goldfish? I
would greatly appreciate your input before I make the investment as I could go
larger if necessary. Thank you so much for your time. I'm grateful for any
assistance you can provide. - Melissa
< Treat with Nitrofuranace in a hospital tank. It is effective against a wider
range of bacteria as well as many types of fungus. A 125 should be able to hold
5 fancy goldfish.-Chuck>
Shubunkin with Recurring Red Spots 11/15/06
Please help me. I have a shubunkin in a 10 gallon tank with a black moor. I
realize the tank itself is too small to house two five-inch fish and I am
looking into roomier accommodations.
<Good>
I run an oversized filter (for 20 gallon tank) and have an airstone for proper
aeration. I do 30%-40% water changes, vacuum gravel, clean filter, etc. every
week.
<Very good>
A couple weeks ago, I noticed an area on the body behind the shubunkin's left
gill that was slightly swollen as well as a red spot below the left pectoral
fin, almost at the joint where the fin meets the body. There was white cottony
material coming out.
<Environmental>
From reading other postings from your site, I believed it to be an internal
bacterial infection, so I treated with Maracyn Two. Even though the swelling,
red spot and white cottony material disappeared within two-three days, I
followed the full five-day course of treatment as recommended by Mardel. I
followed with my weekly water change. Two days later, a red spot with cottony
material developed on the right side directly below the joint of the pectoral
fin. I followed another five-day course of treatment with Maracyn Two. Again,
the red spot went away well before the five days. I proceeded with my weekly
water change. It has now been two days since the last water change, and yet
another red spot with white cottony material appeared, this time above the right
ventral fin. I also noticed what may be a red mark slightly above the left
pectoral fin, although due to the coloring of this particular shubunkin, I'm not
sure if it is indeed a red mark or just a dark orange marking that I haven't
noticed before. Anyway, my question is, since I have used the Maracyn Two twice
already, is there anything else you would recommend or is it safe to do another
round of treatment?
<Mmm... better to cut to the chase here and strongly suggest you upgrade as much
as you can... to at least twice as much volume...>
Is this indeed an internal bacterial infection?
<Only secondarily>
He seems healthy otherwise, no clamped fins, he's active, eating as normal and
dorsal fin is upright. The black moor is also very healthy. I hate to keep
medicating the entire tank since the black moor has exhibited no signs of ill
health. At this point, should I move the shubunkin to a hospital tank and try
something else (salt perhaps?),
<Any such microbial-reducing effort/s would only be short term in their
effect/s>
or do you believe with more frequent water changes (2-3 times/week), this would
rectify itself?
<Mmmm, no... once a week is about maximum in benefit here>
Also, I would greatly appreciate your opinion on one more thing. I have five
goldfish total, the two in the 10 gallon tank and three in a much larger tank. I
was contemplating purchasing a 125 gallon tank so that all of them could be
together with sufficient room to swim and grow.
<! Yes>
The three larger fish (two fantails and a shubunkin) are approximately eight
inches in length already (including tail). Do you believe a 125 gallon tank to
be sufficient for five growing goldfish?
<Yes>
I would greatly appreciate your input before I make the investment as I could go
larger if necessary. Thank you so much for your time. I'm grateful for any
assistance you can provide. - Melissa
<Ahh... "the sweet one"... Yes to your plans for this larger system, blending
all your goldfishes. Bob Fenner>
Goldfish problems (obviously)... BiOrb metabolite poisoning incident/s
- 11/13/06
Hi
I hope you can help me. I have a Biorb tank
<These tanks are unsuitable for keeping goldfish... too small,
under-filtered...>
and have 1 gold fantail and I just bought a black googly( not a technical term!)
fan tail yesterday. I did all the usual introductory procedures and it was
happily feeding and swimming last night. When I came down this morning it is
lying on some of the tank weed on it's side and just flopped over. It is very
strange.
<Mmm, define "strange"... is actually quite common... to the point of being
expected>
The other one is perfectly fit and well.
<Not for long>
I have had fish in this tank for many years successfully and cannot understand
why this has happened. I had another back fan tail in there last week but he
died of swim bladder disease. I did a water change before I put the fish back
into the tank just in case.
Can you please tell me what to do I don't want to lose another one my daughter
will be devastated.
I am eagerly awaiting your reply.
Thank you
Carole
From England
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisease.htm
and the FAQs files linked above.
Tank Going Bad - Wrong Fish Combination - 11/13/06
Hey there, I am having problems with my fish tank and I am unable to
determine what the problem is. I was hoping you might be able to help. Let me
preclude this by saying that we have never had any problems with water quality
and test if regularly to make sure.
I have had to Orandas, 2 panda Cory catfish, on Pleco and some snails in a tank
for the past year and all have thrived. About 2 months ago we had a catfish die
- it looked like it may have been injured (I thought probably by the Pleco who
will whap the others when they get too close sometimes). Now I wonder if it
might have been sick.
We added a plant to the tank that week - Elodea or something like that...
One month ago one of our Orandas who we had had for 3 years (was in a smaller
tank for 2 years alone before adding the other fish a year ago) started having
trouble swimming and started bumping into things and had buoyancy issues. It
started having trouble digging through the pebbles for food, and lacked the
motor control to even get the food when it was floating down towards the
bottom. The fish started turning black around it's bum and we put it in a nurse
tank. I emailed for advice and was told it was probably congenital or
recovering from an injury. The fish, originally all orange, continued to turn
black (not a healthy black) and 3 days later was mostly black and dead. We
removed the plant when the fish died as it wasn't doing very well.
The others in the tank were doing great and a week later we added a new panda
Cory catfish and 3 small goldfish (all together not as big as the one we had
lost) with plans to get a bigger tank in a few months as they reached a bigger
size.
Yesterday, our other mature Oranda started acting funny - less mobile than
normal which is funny because he has always been a very mobile and aggressive
fish. Today we found him going the way of the last Oranda - floating on his
side at the bottom of the tank, poor mobility and trouble getting food. Also,
he is turning orange/red at the bass of his dorsal fin and his tail fins are
getting frayed. Also, we found our Pleco - who seemed fine yesterday - dead.
All 3 small remaining goldfish and the 2 catfish seem fine.
Water quality is still great, so it must be some sort of bacteria or
infection... right??? We want to get some sort of medication for the fish in
the nurse tank though I don't think he has much hope at this point. What type
of medication should we get though? And should we be adding medication to the
tank of the healthy fish to try to prevent this from happening again? It seems
that once this infection hits it kills them pretty quick and it has been hard to
catch in the early stages. Thanks for your time. Matt
< The goldfish are cool water fish and prefer water temps in the upper 60's.
The catfish and Pleco are tropical fish and prefer water in the upper 70's to
low 80's. Sounds like your tank was on the cool side and it was just a matter of
time before the catfish and Pleco would die. When they are getting sick they can
spread diseases to the other fish and make them sick. When a fish dies there is
a big spike in the ammonia which further stresses the fish, making them more
susceptible to infections. Try using weather loaches instead of Cory catfish next
time.-Chuck.>
Fantail goldfish problem please help! 5/8/06
Hi
We have had my fantail for 10 years and there has never been a serious problem
before. Now, for the past couple of days she has been lying on the bottom for
long periods of time. After a closer look I noticed that she was breathing
rapidly. When she did swim she tried to eat her flakes
<Mmm... not a good diet...>
but would end up spewing out little pieces a little later. After each attempt
to eat she lies on the bottom of the tank again and continues breathing heavily.
Can you help?
Please write back quickly.
Thanks
<Not enough information presented to respond here... what re the system make-up,
maintenance... water quality tests? Other livestock behavior... Please read