Black Moor eye missing
I have read the posting about the black moor fish with no eyes but I still need to ask about it. I have a 125 gallon tank mainly small goldfish with three small black moors, one small koi one pleco two very small Bala sharks and two larger channel catfish (against my better judgment) <Agreed!> Total of 28 fish. I love my black moor fish and it is so responsive seems very smart! Today I went to feed the fish and I noticed one of the black moors eyes are missing! I am so upset! Are they prone to this happening or was this a predatory act?
<Since their eyes are "popped" out of their head, it wouldn't take much for them to lose one, either to a predator, or even bumping into something.>
I of course am wanting to blame it on the catfish but they aren't chasing anyone or anything like that. I am ready to flush them if they are responsible but I can't tell what happened!
<Please don't consider anything as cruel as flushing a living creature.  Never mind the horrible death it could suffer, if it lived, it may grow into a very large predator that was not meant to survive in the lake or stream it winds up in, disturbing the ecological balance  around it.  Just return them to a LFS.>
Please help me! Does this happen with black moors often? Should I separate the black moor or should I take out the catfish. Are they likely to attack others in the tank. Please help I am so upset I am rambling but I need some advice!
<Goldfish with deformities like popped eyes, celestial eyes or bubble eyes are best kept together.  They are not as strong swimmers, nor can they see as well as "normal" goldfish.  He should be able to live out his life just fine w/one eye.>
Thanks Janet
<You're welcome--Pufferpunk>

Goldfish Buoyancy
I have this cute and beautiful goldfish--don't know if an Oranda or Lionhead, but looks like one or the other.  
<Well, either way, that won't affect treatment, at least.  All "fancy" goldfish stem from the same basic critter, just selectively bred for shape, etc.>
I have been doctoring this little fish for over a month as he is not able to swim much topside up.  He can float on his back for a while and then struggles upright.  He looks healthy, maybe a little bloaty looking, but he has always been chubby.  
<Probably ultimately a dietary issue.  Most goldfish don't get enough veggies in their diet.  Mine *always* used to get my asparagus when I was younger....  oh, how I *hated* asparagus....>
I have dunked him in a high aquarium salt water bath, I have added Epsom salts, have used a Fungus Eliminator for Dropsy, but its scales are normal.  
<The meds probably won't do anything for your goldfish's condition (if it is dietary), nor does it sound like dropsy.>
I was treating him in about a gallon bowl as he seemed to be able to control himself better.  He has eaten the whole time, but now I got him his own 5 gal. aquarium as he seemed to be doing better,
<Ahh, wonderful - goldfish are very messy fish (they poop a lot, essentially), and larger volumes of water are always recommended.  The larger, the better.>
but is now floating on his back a lot.  When he goes down to eat headfirst, he kind of does a somersault and is on his back again.  I will admit, I have never tested ph et al--the 2 other goldfish he was with are fine.  
<Woah - that's a *lot* of goldfish in a little space!  You might want to consider a larger aquarium to house them in, perhaps along the lines of 30 gallons or so.  Could make a nice display for the whole family in the living room, perhaps>
He feeds from my hand and now lets me guide his body down to feed and hold him down and help him graze along the bottom.  He had not been pooping for the month even though he was eating all the time.  
<!!  Yikes, very likely a dietary/constipation issue - almost certainly.  I'd recommend adding Epsom salt to the water, at a rate of one tablespoon per ten gallons of water (so one half tablespoon for his 5g tank) as this will help relieve pressure on him, help him pass any blockage in his gut.>
Read to feed him peas and they seemed to do the trick.  
<Peas will certainly help, yes.  Keep it up with 'em, use frozen (thawed) peas if possible, also romaine lettuce, unflavored sushi nori (that's the seaweed wrapper on sushi, you can get it at Asian markets), blanched zucchini or cucumber, aquatic plants like anacharis/elodea, as well.  Might want to try adult brine shrimp or daphnia, too, as these are very high in "roughage" content, will also (hopefully) help him pass any blockage.>
He is just cuter than Nemo and I am so frustrated as to know what else to do for him.  Any advise???  Lag
<Ultimately, a change in diet for him (and the other goldfish, as well) is in order, here.  Pelleted and other dry foods seem to cause these problems in goldfish.  I wouldn't cut flake and pelleted foods out of their diet entirely, just cut back some (or a lot) and give 'em lots of greens.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Black Moor, Less Tail
Hi There,
<Hello.  Sabrina here, today.>
We have a two foot fish tank containing five goldfish. We have had our fish for around 10 months. Unfortunately our one and only black moor has fin/tail rot and is losing his beautiful long fins rapidly.
<Ouch.>
At this stage the other goldfish do not have any signs of fin rot. Our black moor lays face down tail up in the tank plants all day. We have been using Wardley fungus-Ade.
<If I'm correct, this is a mix of Acriflavine and formalin, yes?  I think you'd be better off to try something with Kanamycin or nitrofurazone, or a combination of the two; Aquatronics' "Kanacyn" and "Spectrogram" are effective choices for treating fin rot.>
Will he regrow his fins?
<With proper treatment and excellent water quality, he should.  Please be sure to test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and do water changes if any of the levels are out of whack (anything above zero on ammonia or nitrite should be considered toxic).>
Will he eventually die?
<I won't lie, it is possible, yes.>
Will the other fish catch it?
<Again, possible, but with proper water quality (zero ammonia, zero nitrite, low nitrate), they should be okay.>
We have a 4 year old son who adores his pets and l need to tell him why his fish is sick.
<Yeowch.  Not fun, at all.  I adore my pets, too; I can understand him being upset.>
Sorry for all the questions.
<No apologies necessary at all - this is why we're here.>
kind regards,  Melanie (Victoria, Australia}
<Glad to be of service.  -Sabrina>

Goldfish, meet Filter.
Hey
A couple of days ago my fantail goldfish was partially sucked up in the filter (that filter was replaced so the incident would not happen to the other fish in the tank).  
<Ouch!>
A lot of his fins were sucked off and only the ridges are left of the tail, the small "threadlike" things that run through the tail and hold the webbing I think.  
<The 'rays', yes.>
He's been isolated and seems to be doing better, I know his tail will grow back but I'm not sure how long I need to keep him in isolation (I don't want the others to pick on him while he's still trying to recover).  
<Until he is back to normal, or nearly so, I would keep him seperate, for sure.>
By reading some of the faqs I learned that I should put in some medication to help him heal but I'm not sure what it is or how much.  
<I have found Kanamycin and/or nitrofurazone to be quite useful in treating fin rot, and preventing/eliminating bacterial infection.  Aquatronics manufactures these as "Kanacyn" (Kanamycin sulfate) and "Spectrogram" (nitrofurazone/Kanamycin combo).>
Also, I am at college and have to go home soon, I can't leave the fish in my dorm because there is no one to check in on them and all sorts of maintenance work has to be done to the room over the month long break, so I need to take them home with me.  What is the best way to transport all of them and especially the weak one?  Its a four and half hour drive, and I'm not quite sure the way to give them the most stress free ride.  
<I have transported fish long-distance (four days' travel, at the longest) using Styrofoam crates lined with clean, unscented, watertight trash bags, filled partway with aquarium water (and treated tapwater as necessary), and aerated with battery-operated aerators.  For a (comparably) short drive such as yours, you could probably get by quite well with a large bucket with a battery-operated aerator.  A five gallon bucket filled halfway would do nicely; keep it covered so it'll be dark for the fish.  The sick fish, if still undergoing treatment, should be transported in a seperate container.  Try to avoid bumps, don't drive like a maniac, etc., etc., and always wear your seatbelt ;) >
Appreciate your advice,  Jessie Howard
<Hope all goes well,  -Sabrina>

Goldfish With Acne?
I have a large tank with simple goldfish. One (yearling) seems to have something like a "pimple" (raised, red, & white center) at the center of its dorsal fin where it meets the body exact place both sides. Last month we had a store bought feeder goldie that had the same thing. What is it? We could probably send a digi photo.
<A photo would definitely help to get a sound idea of what this is.  Without, the best guess I can give you is that this may be Lymphocystis or fish pox, both viral conditions usually brought on by poor water quality.  A pic, along with a bit more info (How large is the tank?  How many fish?  What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH?  Any other details?) will help us make a more accurate guess as to what this is, and how to treat it.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>
Gelsie

Sick Oranda
Help... I have had an my Oranda, Bubba, for about 2 months now. In the beginning he was fine, he had such an appetite and continuously swam around the tank. Within the last two weeks I had noticed he was staying in one corner of the tank, wedged in-between plants. He comes out to eat and eats a good portion but then returns back to the plants once all the food is gone. This past week I noticed his one eye has a is cloudy and protruding outward.
<Sounds like a reaction to water quality issues.  What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?  If you don't have test kits, your fish store should be willing to test a sample of your water for you.  I would strongly recommend a hefty water change or two.  I would also add Epsom salt to the water, at a rate of one tablespoon per ten gallons; this will help relieve pressure on his eye.>
I have done a water change,
<Excellent.>
check the PH daily and have been giving him Maracyn 2. I thought that he might have swimbladder or Bloat because of the way he positions himself in the tank at the top with the plants. He does not float to the top when he is swimming or gliding through the water.
<If he's not floating to the top, I very much doubt he's got a problem with his swimbladder, or that he's bloated.  It is always a good idea, though, to be sure that you're feeding him plenty of good quality foods, not just flake food.  You might want to try feeding him frozen peas (thaw them, squeeze the inside out of the shell for him) and blanched zucchini.  This will help prevent him from getting bloated.>
Is there any advice????
<Do please test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, be sure those are not out of whack, my first best guess is that his condition is related to water quality.  If this is the case, he may very well not need to be medicated.>
Thank You  -Carly
<Wishing you and Bubba well,  -Sabrina>

Black Moor Troubles
I have a black moor and 3 Orandas.  I have noticed that the black moors eyes have suddenly clouded over and he is spending more time at the bottom of the tank ie resting on the bottom.  They have recently moved so have suffered a car drive and large water change.  Although I did use plenty of water conditioner which claims to remove chlorine, mineral ions and apply a stress coat it also contains vitamin B1.  Specifically-tetra AquaSafe.  When setting the tank back  up I also cleaned the small filter (in tap water, which I know I shouldn't do).  But it has been over a week since then and the symptoms have only just occurred.
<I do not believe rinsing the filter in tapwater is the cause of this problem.  However, everything seems to be pointing to issues stemming from the tank cycling, even the timing of the symptoms.  It really would help to know more about the system, such as how large is it, is there anything other than the four goldfish living in it, and what are your water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)?  Moving the tank and setting it up basically as a new system probably killed off all the bacteria that control the nitrogen cycle, so chances are that you're experiencing spikes in ammonia and/or nitrite right now - either of which would cause the symptoms you describe.  Do some water changes right away, and be sure to test your water (or have your fish store test it for you).  Keep the ammonia and nitrite as close to zero as possible while the tank cycles - once the bacteria are reestablished, it should run smoothly.>
The fish are not showing signs of chlorine stress such as flicking and darting around.  Only the black moor is affected
<It is possible that the moor is a more sensitive fish than the Orandas.>
and the fish do not pick on eachother.  The white stuff looks sort of fluffy over the eye-could it be fungal?
<Hmm, is this white stuff external?  Like, on top of the eye?  Or are the eyes just clouded?  Cloudy eyes are usually a result of water quality issues (such as the tank cycling, as above).  Hope all goes well,  -Sabrina>
please help!  Laura

Goldfish Issues
Hi,
<Hello, Sabrina here, today>
My black-bubble-eyed goldfish is acting very weird. He's floating around pretending to be dead or something. Now he's not eating either and now he's floating really weirdly he's just letting himself glide and he looks dead. WHAT'S WRONG!!!!!!!!!
<This could very likely be related to a water quality problem; I strongly recommend you check your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, or take a water sample to the fish store and have them test it for you.  Definitely do a major water change - be sure to use a dechlorinator and make sure the temperature of the new water is the same as the water in his tank.  Unfortunately, with so little information to go off, I can't really give you a definitive idea of what's wrong with your fish.  If you give us more information, we may be able to help you more.  Please tell us how big the goldfish's tank is, what other fish are in with him, any filtration used, how often/how much water you change, what kind of food he's eating, and any other details - this will help us be better able to help you.  Wishing you and your goldfish well,  -Sabrina>

Orandas, systems, troubles
Can you help me? <I'll try!> you ask the local fish stores and they all say
something
different. <Of course> I think they just sell the fish but don't know what they are
doing. <Nothing new>
I have a 30 gal tank, it had 3 Orandas. <Only large enough for 2 larger Orandas.>  I had to move the tank , I
dechlorinated
let tank cycled, used some of old water, checked PH and temp and all
that
good stuff,
<I'm a little confused--did you move the tank somewhere else in your house, or another house?  Either way, I've moved a lot of tanks & never did all that.  Just put the fish in a bucket, drain tank, move tank, add Dechlor & fill w/same temp water.  What do you mean by "let the tank cycle"?>
a few days later I noticed all 3 fish had white dots ,ICK,
so I got
ALL CURE , and followed instructions to the tee.
<Are you sure you filled the tank w/the same temp water?  Also, how large water changes have you ben doing?  If not very large, all that fresh water could have been a shock to them.  Since GF are heavy waste producers, 90% weekly water changes for goldfish is not considered too aggressive.  You have to keep up w/them, or you will shock the fish.>
The fish started to lay
at bottom hiding,
after the treatment they small one died. <sorry> the white dots went away and
now the 2 fish
1 lays at the bottom hiding the other lays on its side on top the tank.
I thought he was
dead except when I went to see him he opened his eyes and started
swimming.
I now put them in a 10gal hospital tank, after is 76, PH 7.6,  0 ammonia,
all appears good.
<I hate meds.  Unless you see some kind of fungus, antibacterial meds like Maracyn won't do anything but weaken their immune system.>
I am now treating with Maracyn 2, the pet store said his floating could
be a secondary
infection.
<Usually a sign of swim-bladder problems.  Does you goldfish eat any greens?  Zucchini, shelled peas, or algae wafers should help w/that.>
So he gave me normal Maracyn but I saw no improvement with
either fish. <You are sure right about those LFS folks!  How much have you spent on meds already?!>
after doing some research I found I should be using Maracyn 2 for there
symptoms. <stop w/the meds.  Put them back in the 30g tank, add salt, 1tbsp/5gal.>
now the 1 Oranda is starting to get the white dots again. This poor fish
he is still floating
sometimes sideways but he is really trying to fight this he really has
been through a lot but is hanging in
there, Is there anything else I should do or not do... please help, im
afraid I don't have much time.
<Keep up w/water changes, add salt, feed them peas & keep an eye on ammonia & nitrites.>
Thank you so much ...Scott
<You're welcome & good luck--Pufferpunk>

Re: new fish owner
Hello Gage,
Thank you again for the info.
<No problem, that's what we are here for.>
It has been very helpful.  Sorry to hear your little fantail is sad hanging out by himself.
<He will be ok, dang parasites.>
Is ich easily treated?
<If you catch it soon enough and treat in a seperate tank it is fairly simple.>
I hope he gets to his real home soon. <Thanks.> It is amazing how much personality a goldfish has.  Marlin, the Oranda used to swim over every time I came near the tank.  He would follow me if I went to the other side.  He was so cute.  Nemo, (my kids named them obviously) was starting to go downhill.  He was still eating, but darting about and floating off kilter.  He was very spiky and started to lose scales and Marlin was spiky as well.  I am very sad for them because the lady at the pet store was very mean.  My husband said she took them and threw them in what looked like a trash can, bag and all.  Very sad
<Ugh, that is awful, dropsy is hard to treat, but it is worth trying at least.>
I will never go there again!
<Yes, find a store dedicated to fish, or a local hobbyist group if you want to get really nerdy like us.>
Sorry for the very sad story.  If I had been there I would have taken them back and kept them until it was time for a proper euthanasia.  Anyway, can't do anything about it now.  Soooooo, shake off the tears, and think happy thoughts.
<Done :)>
Our pleco, Hypostomus plecostomus, suckermouthed catfish or common pleco (lol, I would have never guessed I would have known these words a week ago)
is doing well.  We bought a large piece of driftwood and broke off a little piece for his little tank. (after soaking it)  The driftwood had a weird name that sounded like moonapee.  Have you heard of this stuff and is it the right wood for him?
<Glad to hear he is doing well.  The name of the wood does not sound familiar, so long as it is drift wood, dark and woody looking I am sure it is fine.  It may tint your water a slight yellow, but that is ok.>
We were told it was but I want to double check. Now we have another new problem with another tank we purchased.  We thought we were buying a 35 G with a wet/dry biofilter, 200w heater, and dual lighting on a timer.  It was called a TropiQuarium 68 and said on the box 35 G, 132 L.  I am sure to your well trained eye you would have caught on that this is only a 19 G with a 100W heater.
<Oh man, sounds like your fish keeping experience is off to a rocky start.  Hang in there, it does get better.  base x height x width divide by 231 (I think it is) should give you the capacity of the tank in gallons..  I am sure the formula is on this site somewhere, you can probably find it with the google search.>
We got it home and started set up.  The manual claimed it was only 19 G and IT IS only that.  So again we will be back to the pet store.  We have quite a few local pet stores so I am bound to find a decent one soon.
<The bigger the tank the better.>
I can't believe this all started because we bought the finding Nemo DVD and we always thought it would be nice to have fish.  Now we are becoming addicted, even with all the hassles and sad stuff.
<That's how it works.>
We will be keeping the 19 G if we can't get a better deal because it is better for Sucker Dory, the pleco than the 5.5 G.  After I get the water conditions close to his tank and move him, would it still be alright to get a couple of little tropical fish to go with him or is that tank too small?
<It will be fine for a while, but the pleco is going to outgrow the tank, I just adopted two the other night, both around 10inches.>
All I have for test kits right now are an ammonia kit and a ph kit.  Will get more as money returns into our hands.
<I know your pain.  Nitrite is another good test kit to have, Nitrate is tolerable, but Nitrite is toxic.  Regular water changes will keep the nitrates down.>
I read the separate test kits are better than the five in one strips.  Is this true?
<I can't really say, I have never used the strips.>
Right now Dory's tank has an ammonia level of 0.6, working to lower it, and a PH of 7.4, Temp at 68 or 20C.  I did read he will like it around 72 - 76, so I will slowly adjust it when he moves to his new home since the 5.5 G does not have a heater.
<Sounds good, small water changes should get the ammonia down.>
We bought him two more neat caves for his new tank so I hope he will like them.  I think that once we know what we are going to do with the 19G tank and if it is okay to add a couple of the little guys you mentioned, I will search for the little guys we want and learn everything we can about them, then purchase them at an actual aquarium outlet.  Testing the employees on their knowledge of course.  Well, Thank you very much again.
<Sounds like a plan, just be careful of people who try to sell you every stinking product in the store.  I hate that. Tank, filter, heater, water dechlorinator, some decorations, and water changes are just about all you need for starters.  If you get into live plants you might get into fertilizers and fancy lights and CO2 and blah blah blah, the list goes on.
You guys are amazing to take time out of your day to help us people with little knowledge.
<Shh, don't tell my boss.  Let us know if you run into anything else.  Best Regards, Gage>
Take care
Tracy

Crazy Comet?
Hi,
I have a six inch gold fish-just a plain old "feeder" who grew very big.
<Yeah, they certainly do that, given the chance!>
We have had him about 7 years. He lives alone in his tank and for the past four days he has been swimming frantically around, night and day and not eating.  He's in normal swim position, not scraping up against anything and I don't see any marks, fungus, rot etc,- although he's going so fast it's hard to tell.
<Definitely test your water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH - sounds like some sort of irritation with the water.  Also, how big of a tank is he in?  If there's room enough, you might consider some pals for him, as these fish are much happier in groups.>
What do you think could be wrong with him?
<My first thought is that he's reacting to something wrong with the water/water quality.  Any ammonia or nitrite, or chlorine (do you use a dechlorinator?) or other toxin might cause this kind of activity.>
Thanks for any help you can give- We don't want to lose Whoopi Goldfish!
<Check your water, fix if necessary, definitely do a water change (couldn't hurt); hopefully it's something simple.  Wishing you and Whoopi well,  -Sabrina.>

Crazy Comet?  Take Two
Sabrina,
Thanks for your prompt reply.
<You bet!>
I changed  three quarters of the water, added De Chlor and checked him more closely for any marks or clues- nothing has changed- still racing today and not eating. I gave him some lettuce,- nothing, not even a nibble.
<Very concerning....  goldfish rarely pass up an opportunity to eat.>
We are now going into the fifth day and I'm really worried. Could Clorox clean up I used in the bathtub be in the air and getting into the fishtank? Tank is in the bathroom. That's a stretch, but its all I can think of.
<Not much of a stretch, at all; it could be the problem.  I'd do another large water change, test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH to see if anything's out of whack.  Try offering him thawed frozen peas, with the shell removed - I've never seen a goldfish turn its nose up at that - or perhaps try frozen bloodworms, or something else tasty like that.>
Top of the tank is covered, so I can't imagine that is what it is. I even changed the filter, it was pretty clean, though.
<Definitely test your water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH (or have your LFS test a sample of your water for you); make sure nothing's out of line.  Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the cleaner was the problem; spray or aerosol cleaners used near tanks can often cause problems like this.  Hope everything works out,  -Sabrina.>

Goldfish color changes - normal?
Hey.
<Hey.>
I have two small fish in a 40litre tank - a shubunkin and a comet - and recently the comet's fins, which were originally entirely white, have started to get black edges right at the very tips. I am worried, as my flat mates and I think it is now spreading. What can I do?
<Well, Sara, it's actually quite normal for goldfish to change color, though it usually goes white-orange-black instead of white straight to black.  Check your water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH (or have your fish store test a sample of your water for you), but I'd bet that he's just fine.  It is possible that temperature, pH, feeding, or other factors may play a role in goldfishes' color changes, and really, there's not much (if anything at all) that can be done to prevent them from changing color.>
We have followed instructions about feeding and use stress coat and stress zyme, according to the labels on the bottle - what else could be a factor? Thanks, Sara
<Definitely keep an eye on him, and be diligent about water quality.  Watch for any signs of disease, etc., but again, this is likely a very normal and natural change in color.  Wishing you and your goldfishes well,  -Sabrina.>

Blinded goldfish?
My orange Oranda gold fish is actually blind right now. I can't see his eyes anymore, when I tried to see his eyes all I see is blood clots. It's a really big one. Can't it be remove? Please help me.  
<Can you describe this in further detail?  Is the blood clot on the outside of the eye, like the eye is covered up, or is it inside?  Also, very important, what are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH?  How large of a tank?  Any tankmates?>
Is there any medication I can treat him so he may can't go blind with another eyes.  
<Most importantly, test your water for the above things (or have your fish store test them for you), and be sure to do water changes to keep these in line.  As for medicating, without knowing what is ailing him, I can't really suggest something to treat with - please try to describe his condition in a bit more detail, or if you can email a picture of his problem, that'd be even better.>
Thank you! How can I feed him?
<Goldfish should be fed lots of greens - shelled peas, blanched zucchini or cucumber, water plants like anacharis/elodea, even sushi nori.  Too much flake or pelleted dry foods often causes gas problems in goldfish, so feeding these greens will help prevent that.  Please get back to us with more detail about your goldfish's problem, and we'll try to help.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina.>
Vy

Blinded goldfish? - II
Dear Sabrina!
<Hello again, Vy>
The blood clots is actually inside the eyes. It's look terrible................I'm afraid my orange Oranda is going to blind another eyes.  At first I saw it's look like a pop eye, I used Melafix is an antibacterial remedy for fresh aquarium fish.  
<There is actually a lot of question as to how effective MelaFix is; I don't think I'd use it as a stand-alone remedy for anything other than mildly damaged fins, if even then, just for future reference.>
But than I saw a little blood underneath the eyes appear for a week at least, than until last night I saw his eyes cover all blood .  I can't see his eyes anymore, I tried my best to have a good look at it. The blood was full cover the eyes. And the eyes is seem to disappear and look small now.
<It sounds perhaps like the eyes were damaged from the pop-eye.  I'm not sure this is the case, but I don't know what else might cause this.  Did you test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?>
I'm afraid it will happen to anther eyes. Do I have to separate him from the others?
<I think it would be a very good idea to separate him from the others.  Put him in a quarantine tank, and add Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) to the water.  Use one tablespoon of Epsom salt per ten gallons of water.  You can find Epsom salt at the grocery store in the medicine aisle; it is used to relieve constipation in humans, and has excellent uses in aquaria for relieving pressure.  I think this might help your goldfish, especially if he had/has pop-eye.  If this does nothing for him, you might try a broad spectrum antibacterial medicine like Kanamycin (available at fish stores, Aquatronics sells it as "Kanacyn").  I'm not at all positive that either of these will help your fish, but I think it's worth a try.>
Please let me know.  Thank you very much.
Vy
<I only hope we can help you out with this, Vy.  Let us know how it goes.  Wishing your fish a swift recovery,  -Sabrina.>

Goldfish W/Dropsy 11/21/03
Hi
Hi, Pufferpunk here>
my dad has about 5 fish.
<What kinds are they & how big is the tank?>
1 of these fish has been bloated for the last month and a half or so.  at first we thought it was pregnant because it got fat mainly on 1 side before evening out. however because of the amount of time that it has been bloated we are not so sure.
<Constipated?>
recently the fish (which is quite plain with an reddish orange head and mainly golden scales) has been swimming upside down, belly towards the surface.  today it has suddenly gone more bloated and is almost (if not) as wide as it is long and there are large spaces between its scales in with there are some red lines (maybe cuts).
<At 1st you described the fish to maybe having some swim bladder problems (upside-down), but w/the scales sticking out, it sounds like dropsy.  That disease is very hard to treat, once the fish has it.  You can try some of the meds recommended for this, (I believe Kanacyn is good), but it is best not to treat the whole tank, as you will mess with the biological balance of the tank.  If you have a separate tank, or even a large plastic container you could put a cheap sponge filter into, it would be better.  +Dropsy & swim bladder problems are usually contracted because of poor water conditions.  W/goldfish, the best way to keep them healthy is not to overstock (smaller fish, <3"/10g, larger fish >3", need at least 20g/fish).  Also, goldfish are huge waste producers & are best  kept healthy by 80-90% weekly water changes, even w/good filtration.   Another way to prevent swim bladder problems & keep their digestive tract healthy is to feed them shelled peas, zucchini, or algae wafers.>
I do not know much about fish and have not found anything to help me on this site which I have found only today. any ideas about what it might be would be welcomed as would any ideas on what we can do. thanks - Sarah   
I hope this helps--Pufferpunk>

Sick Orandas
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
Please! Help me..... I have an orange Oranda gold fish less than a year old.
<I love Orandas!>
Two days ago I found out that my gold fish has pop eye and very small blood
spot in the eyes.  
<Usually caused buy poor water conditions--90% weekly water changes for goldfish would not be considered too aggressive.>
I went to the pet store and got the MELAFIX an antibacterial
remedy, the pop eye seem gone already but the blood spot under the eyes is
still there. I was just wondering is my gold fish is going to be okay, and will
the blood spot be gone in several days. It that a sign of a disease?
<I'm sure it's connected.  Continue treating w/Melafix, the stuff works wonders!>
If yes, is
there any treatment out there can help? Do I have to seperate this fish with
other fishes.
If you have a cycled hospital tank, it's always best to seperate from healthy fish.>
I also heard a friend of my said my gold fish carried  this disease is called
blood flagellates. If this is true.
<Not to good w/disease names, sorry.>
Today is 11/21/03 I found out the gold fish is blind in one eyes.
<Shouldn't be a problem.  I have had several one-eyed fish in my life & they lived to a ripe old age.>
Now is
really hard for the fish to eat. Something is wrong with the eyes. Please help me
what should I do. Is there any medicine I can put for my fish. I'm very scared.
<I would continue w/ large water changes, Melafix & 1 tbsp salt/5gal.>
Please write back for me ASAP.
Thanks
VY
<I hope Your fish will be ok--Pufferpunk>

New Fish Owner
Hello again,
<Hi Tracy.>
Thank you very much, Gage, for your info.
<I know your pain, my ich infested fantail is staring at me in quarantine as we speak, longing to move into the main tank.>
We have decided to return the Orandas due to having signs of dropsy.
<Eek!>
They are still eating and pooping VERY well, but the scales are protruding.
<Man, I have just the opposite problem, the doc did not tell me about that side effect.  Epsom salt, good for the Goldfish, good for the Gager>
One of them has one gill area that looks quite red, is this normal?  The redness is underneath and the gills are not protruding.  Just for future reference I would like to know if this means something is wrong.
<Not necessarily a problem, the gills should be red, as long as the other side matches.  Unless it is just the color pattern of the fish, my new one has a sideburn on one side.>
We are going to keep the Pleco and sadly he has to live in the 5.5 gallon tank for a couple more weeks.  The 33 gallon has some missing parts and can't get it running.
<Grr, that can be annoying.>
The pet store is not being the most helpful so this will be the last time we deal with them.
<I am lucky enough to have 3 LFSs, they all have their ups and downs.>
So we will be getting a new tank in two weeks.  With the Orandas in a new home, the Pleco should be alright for a couple of weeks, right? Please say yes.
<Yes, the temporary holding should be fine.>
How often should I do water changes with just him and how often do I feed him algae wafers, peas, lettuce ...?
<Water changes, 1/3 weekly, unless water quality problems demand more.  Wafers will be fine, depending upon the size of the plec (they can turn into  giant fish) 1 wafer, 1/4 wafer, 1 tiny piece of a wafer daily.  It really depends on what he will consume.  Par boiled (too much food-TV) zucchini is excellent for the plec, and the future goldies, hack up a bunch and keep it in the freezer.>
We also found out they need driftwood, haven't found any so far but will search more stores tomorrow.  Is there anything else he needs for his diet to thrive?
<depending upon the plec, I would not say it is necessary, but he will really love you more with a piece of driftwood in there.>
Is there any big name pet stores that are well known for quality products and fish or are we better off dealing with a business that deals solely with aquariums/fish?
<Out here (West Coast) we have (dare I say) Petco, and PetSmart (used to drive a forklift and stock pet food for them... Aww those were the days).  Even with a big chain it really depends on the people they have working in the aquatics department.  The store I worked at had pretty smart folks heading up the aquatics department, yet the store a few towns over was terrible, but better now.  Elvis, my one side burned fantail is from PetSmart, they had what I wanted and the other stores did not.  Don't rush into buying your fish, check out all of your options, talk to the folks there, see what they can get for you, I love Panda Orandas, Perl scales are great, Ryukins, Lionheads, Ranchus, Red Cap Orandas, Pom Pom Orandas, Celestial Eye, Moors, the list goes on.  Take the time to find what you want, these fish can live 15+ years given good conditions.  Don't Rush.  I prefer stores that specialize in just fish, for the most part.>
We will turn the 5.5 into a QT after we move our Pleco, and use it to check on the new fish we gradually purchase before adding them to the bigger tank.
<Excellent idea!>
We plan on a bigger QT later on.  I think I will use your ideas for stocking my 5.5 G for the 33G.  I think we are going to stay away from goldfish until we get a better grasp of what we are doing.
<Oh, well then ignore the above.  You have all kinds of options for the 33gal.  Nothing too big though, no Oscars, Dempseys, Pacus, Terrors, Texas, Managuense, Arowana, uh... There are a lot of cute fish that get way too big for 30 gallons of water.  Tetras, Live Bearers, Dwarf Cichlids, another... the list goes on.  Keep researching, find what you want, what it requires and go for it!  You will love it, use our site, enter anything you are curious about into the google search, guaranteed someone else has wondered the same thing.>
Searching your FAQs and articles has been very helpful, as well as convincing us this could be a very rewarding hobby.
<It's a blast.>
Thanks again Tracy
<Let us know how it goes, and if you have any questions.  Your Pleco is going to prefer warmer water than the goldfish, so a tropical freshwater tank is a great idea.  Best Regards, Gage>

Black moor, missing scale? Hi My black moor goldfish is about 4years old. It's tail has recently started to turn white and on each side of it there are white spots that look like the scales are being eaten away. I have attached two pics. of it. <I can't tell very well from the pictures, but the description sounds like a bacterial infection.> I had the water tested at a fish store and the ammonia is high. I did a 50% water change. <Great.  Please keep up with water changes, this is very urgent, especially if the fish has an infection.  Be sure to use a dechlorinator with your tapwater, and make sure the new water is the same temperature as the water in his tank.> I was wondering if this is what is wrong with my fish. Please help. <The high ammonia probably was what brought the illness on, but if he does have an infection, it will probably have to be treated with an antibiotic.  I'd recommend using Aquatronics "Kanacyn" (Kanamycin sulfate) or "Spectrogram" (Kanamycin sulfate and nitrofurazone).> Julie <Wishing you and your fish well, Julie!  -Sabrina>

Goldfish Color Change
My goldfish is a little over a year old and has started to turn black. On Friday he had black around his mouth and a black do ton his forehead. Now he has many black spots on his body and a large black spot ton his forehead.  His fins also have black stripes or streaks on them.  One is all the way black.  Is he sick?  I don't ever check the water and don't know how so if that's what I need to do please tell me how!  Thanx so
much!
~Ashley~
<Hi Ashley, color changes in gold fish are perfectly normal.  Do these black spots look like they are blending in with his normal color pattern, or are they raised, or fuzzy, or anything weird like that?  Testing your water is always good.  Your local fish store will have test kits for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and PH, those are the big ones.  Testing water is pretty simple, follow the directions on the test kit.  It usually involves filling  a test tube with tank water and squirting a few drops of the test solution into the water, cover, shake, and watch what color it turns, then compare that against the provided chart.  I wish I had a white lab coat to where when I do my water tests, it would make me feel like a mad scientist.  Most local fish stores will test your water for free, just bring in a sample.  -Gage>

My daughter received a black moor for her b-day  last week.
<sounds like the fish came unexpected.  Is it living in a bowl?  Or in a nice 10g tank w/a filter?  Goldfish need lots of room, since they are high waste producers & can poison themselves w/their own waste.  Did you use dechlorinator?>
He will come up
and eat the flakes I give him but a few seconds later spits them back out, I
tried changing foods to tiny pebble food, but he does the same thing, I'm very
surprised that he's still alive, he is moving much more slowly.
<Animals won't eat when feeling poorly.  This could be caused by poor water quality, or just stress from being in a new home.  Make sure you take out any uneaten food, as that will just add to the problem. You could try some of the tastier frozen or a higher quality goldfish food.  Shelled peas are good for them too.  Good water quality is necessary for all fish.>
Please help
<I hope this will--Pufferpunk>

Floaty Goldfish
hi
I bought 2 goldfish abt 2 months bk. They seem to be doing fine most of the time except that abt 10 days bk one of them was not looking too good. He was unable to stay at the bottom of the tank and was looking as if he was being pulled to the top of the tank. I fed him with soaked "Topfin" pellets that morning and he was behaving like this in the evening. He was allright by the next morn and I did not feed both of them that day.
<Pretty common problem with fancy goldfish, check out our goldfish disease section for more information.
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisfaq2.htm  >
Again we changed the water yesterday (we change about 90% or a complete change of water once every week)
<I would not change more than 50%>
and changed the position of the tank to a corner of a room (right beside the TV). They were fine at the feeding time but have been acting the same way since this morning. Does changing the tank position have anything to do with this?
<I doubt it, but the noise from the TV could stress them a little.>
we have a 2 gallon tank and the goldfish we have is Oranda I believe but am not sure of it.
<Long term you are going to want about 10gallons of water per fish.  Orandas are the chubby ones with the cool growth on their head, and a fan tail.>
They are small as compared to many other varieties of goldfish and have an orange cap kind of thing on their heads.
<They will grow to about the size of a softball if given the opportunity.  White with an orange cap? probably a Red Cap Oranda.>
I have read that some of the symptoms maybe of Air bladder disease and they ll stay throughout their life. is it true??
<Possibly>
R they going to be like that all through??
<Possibly, but maybe not read through the goldfish disease FAQs for possible solutions.>
How can I be so sure they have that disease? and is there any cure for it? Of late we have been feeding them once a day with either mashed peas or soaked pellets and sometimes when we feel they overate the prev day don't feed them at all the next day. Is this a good practice?
<soaked pellets are a lot better than dry pellets, the peas are great to get the digestive track flowing in the right direction.  Goldfish are grazers, skipping  a day of food is not going to hurt them, but I would add some live plants for them to munch on when they feel the need, specifically Anacharis.>
Pls let me know any further details that maybe necessary to keep the fish healthy and safe from diseases.
<A bigger tank is a good place to start, it will not fix the swimming problems directly, but will make the water quality more stable and promote long term health.  Best Regards, Gage>
thank you

Popeye the Oranda
Please! Help me..... I have an orange Oranda gold fish less than a year old. Two days ago I found out that my gold fish has pop eye and very small blood spot in the eyes.
<Uh oh>
I went to the pet store and got the MELAFIX an antibacterial remedy,
<was that Melafix and an antibacterial remedy?>
the pop eye seem gone already but the blood spot under the eyes is still there.
<Excellent progress, no more protruding eyeball right?>
I was just wondering is my gold fish is going to be okay, and will the blood spot be gone in several days. It that a sign of a disease?
<The healing process can take longer than a few days, especially the blood spot, it may be there for a while.>
If yes, is there any treatment out there can help? Do I have to separate this fish with other fishes. I also heard a friend of my said my gold fish carried  this disease is called blood flagellates.  If this is true.
<It is doubtful that your goldfish has blood flagellates, if he continues to have problems a separate quarantine tank is a good idea.  The best thing to do is keep the water quality good, weekly water changes.  The addition of some Epsom salt could help as well, check out our goldfish disease FAQs for more info.
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisfaq2.htm
Best Regards, your fellow goldfish lover, Gage>
Please write back for me ASAP.
Thanks
VY

Uhm, the *history* of algae control?! (and what to do with bloated goldfishes)
Now, this is one I'd have never seen coming - a
question about how algae has been controlled through
the ages.
In my box is a question forwarded to WWM from Ms.
Steele at FAMA, requesting information on the history
of algae control. Google searches have yielded
nothing. I have absolutely no clue whatsoever where
to direct this fellow.
<Wowzah... could be done... by reading the "history" of aquarium magazines, books... or being a REAL old-timer!>
Do you know of any publications, articles, anything
whatsoever to tell him?
<Please send the query over to me... sigh... though I know naught>
Thanks a million.
While I'm writing, another thing I'd like to bring
up.... Gage and I were talking a week or two ago
about the proliferation of bloaty goldfish questions,
and idly, he suggested someone should just write an
article about common goldfish illnesses, so we don't
have to type "Epsom salts" a million times. This
struck me as a novel idea - and since *someone* ought
to do it, and I'm bringing it up now, I figure that
means I'm volunteering myself for the task. Would
this be something that would be of use to WWM?
<A very good idea. Back in the mid-80's I had the great pleasure of meeting a young fellow who worked with our fish shop (Wet Pets I) and who had a keen interest in goldfish, had investigated the propensity for especially roundish varieties (ranchus, lionheads et al.) to develop fatty degeneration, "gas bladder" problems (flipping over ultimately) and his postulations that much of this had to do with "dried food diets"... and some cures from keeping afflicted specimens in very shallow water, feeding them peas, other low fat and protein items... using Epsom...>
Ahh.... back to answering the emails....
-Sabrina
<And so it goes... BTW, how goes your scuba lessons? Bob Fenner>

Sick Goldfish Losing Scales
Hi! My daughter has a goldfish that we  bought to replace her first one that passed away while we were out of town. "Goldie 2" as my daughter calls her, is sick.
<No bueno, could be the same thing that got goldie 1 is still in the tank.>
She floats with her tail down toward the bottom of the tank. She seems to be gulping instead of steady breathing.
<Sounds like there may be some water quality issues involved.>
She also has a patch of scales that are hanging off of her back.
<Yuck, could be a bacterial infection>
I'm concerned for her and the other fish that share the tank with her.  What could be the cause of this? What can I do to treat this, if at all? If we lose Goldie 2 my daughter's heart will be broken, again. Please help. Thank you for your time.
<The best place to start when a problem arises is to test the water parameters.  PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate, your local store will probably test for you if you bring them a water sample.  Depending upon your water change regime, a water change is probably in order, I would go with 1/3 to 1/2 the tank volume, (goldfish are messy), dechlorinated water temperature adjusted to match the tank as close as possible, a little aquarium salt could not hurt either.  Tell us more about this scales falling off business, is it Fuzzy? Swollen? Red? Bloody? Pinecone shaped? Does it look like a and open wound like he was attacked?  Any chance you could include a picture?  I am leaning towards a broad spectrum antibiotic, but would not feel comfortable trying to give a diagnosis without more information.  Best of luck, Gage>

Lethargic Lionhead 
Hello, I have a Lionhead goldfish approx. 1.5 to 2 yrs. old. I obtained this fish as well as three others in a VERY poorly cared for 10 gallon tank. I now have them in a 55 gallon. I run a whisper 60 filter. One 16 in air stone. a Powerhead for circulation. The tank is a community tank which also houses 10 tetras, an Algae eater, a Cory, 1 black moor, 2 fantail Gold fish, and this one Lionhead. 
<Tropical fish and goldfish are usually a poor mix, as the tropicals prefer warmer water (78-82F, or in that neighborhood) and goldfish like it cooler (60-70F-ish).> 
We change out the water approx. every three weeks. 
<How much water do you change? I would do water changes more often, say, 15-20% weekly or every couple weeks> 
I feed on average 2 times a day. 
<You might want to cut back on feeding some, perhaps to just once a day, or less, depending upon the other fish, as well> 
The tank temp is approx kept at 74-76 degrees. we have had this community up and running for approx 4 months. All has seemed very good until recently (in which the change of water went 1 week longer then normal) I started to notice the Large Lionhead was no longer its very friendly, greeting self. But rather very shy and evasive. It does seem to be eating, though not as much as usual. Mainly it spends most of its time on the bottom floor, usually in the cover of plants or in the corner. I have not noticed ANY unusual appearances than this. I thought possibly the fish was 'blocked up' and feed some small frozen peas and fresh lettuce to promote a movement and didn't get the hunger response I had hoped for. All other fish seem healthy and normal, though I have noticed at around this same time that the one Big Fantail has a slightly cloudy eye.... could the one instance of a week late in water change-out be the factor of possible nitrate toxicity? 
<Likely> 
now that the change out was completed as usual will the problems be relieved? 
<Possibly. Test your water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH, and see if everything checks out okay.> 
what would be my next steps? 
<If something shows up in the tests, do water changes to fix it; if everything's good, consider adding Epsom salts to the water at a rate of 1 to 2 tablespoon per ten gallons.> 
I have also noticed that the Live plants in this tank are not a green as when first planted. they seem to be growing and elongating but are showing a leaf necrosis that is affecting the outer tips and sometimes the centers of the leaf. I am a field crop agronomist and see a lot of deficiencies and their symptoms in terrestrial plants but am quite ignorant to aquatic any suggestions. I have used a 0-0-3 fertilizer with little or no results.....? 
<Sounds to me like iron deficiency (the browning). There are a lot of aquarium fertilizers on the market - look for one very high in iron and dose as per instructions. Although the browned parts won't re-grow, you shouldn't see more spots form.> 
Thank you for any help you may give me. Sincerely, Harold Giddley 
<Hope all goes well with your lionheaded pal. -Sabrina> 

Lethargic Lionhead - additional info 
Hello again I wanted to correct some of my fish info which I submitted about my tank community the fish in which I called fantails are not at all, I am rather new to the goldfish world so please forgive me, I have 1 Lionhead,1 PomPom, 1 Black Moor, and one Telescoped eyed amongst the other fish I had detailed. I was not aware of the exact and awesome varieties of these fish we all just call 'goldfish'. 
<Truly a wide variety of cultivated strains. I can never keep straight which is what! :) > 
Thank you again for you help and understanding. 
<Of course. Wishing you well, -Sabrina> 

Upside-Down Goldfish 11/02/03 
Hello! 
<Hi, Pufferpunk here> 
My fantail goldfish is swimming upside down. I thought at first that it was dead but it is still alive but acts like it is dying. It swims normal for a minute then goes upside down again. Please help!!! 
<You're goldfish is having swim bladder problems. The swim bladder helps keep a fish upright. Try feeding it a strict diet of shelled fresh/frozen (thawed) peas untill it's better & then 2x/week after that. Make sure you soak all dried foods you feed it in the future. Check your water parameters. A goldfish needs lots of room. 10gal/inch. They produce a lot of wastes. The best way to keep a goldfish healthy is to do 90% weekly water changes.> 
Mandy 
<I hope this helps--Pufferpunk> 

Goldfish problems
Hello, I have a Oranda gold fish, pleco and a black moor.  I just recently moved an took the fish which I have had for about 6 months now.  I believe I stressed them in the move, because now, the Oranda sits on the bottom and is extremely skittish and has some swelling in his abdomen.  I think this might be dropsy.  
<Are the scales sticking out, pinecone fashion?  If not, the fish may be simply bloated.  Try adding Epsom salts to the water (1 to 2 tablespoons per ten gallons) and feed very sparingly with things like brine shrimp or daphnia with high roughage content.>
The black moor has white spots that resemble ich and both fish are rather lethargic.
<That certainly doesn't sound good.>
I am treating with Maracyn Two and Maracide.  
<If the scales on the Oranda are not sticking out like a pinecone, skip the Maracyn two completely.  As for treating the ich, please read this article to help you out:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm .>
Should I raise the water temperature and do partial water changes in addition to what I am doing now?  
<I would, absolutely, yes.>
Nitrate levels are 0, nitrite levels are 0, hardness of the water is 75ppm, alkalinity is 80ppm and pH is 6.8?  
<All sounds good - but do be certain to check ammonia, make sure that it's 0 as well.  Also, how big is the tank?>
any other suggestions would be great.  Thank you so much.  Sarah
<Do please read that article on ich - it'll really help you get a handle on what's going on.  Feel free to ask any further questions, as well.  Wishing your fish a swift recovery,  -Sabrina.>

Goldfish with dropsy
Hi, My name is Carson.
<Hi Carson, Sabrina with you tonight - uh, make that this morning.... getting sleepy.>
I have a goldfish who is very bloated and scales are sticking out. I think it could be dropsy,
<If the scales are sticking out, pinecone fashion, I think there is little doubt - very likely dropsy, indeed.>
but He just stays at the bottom of the tank in the corner and does not move. He will only move when I put the net in, but then he just falls back to the bottom. It's like he has no strength.
<At this point, best not to stress him; don't force him to move.>
He also is missing some scales though. I don't know if this is goes with the symptoms of dropsy, but I would really appreciate it if you could answer.
<This does sound consistent with dropsy.>
Is he suffering?
<That's an especially tough question - I am not in contact with the fish, am not seeing what he's going through, how he's acting; only you can really make that determination.>
and what should I do?
<Unfortunately, dropsy is very difficult to fix; I'd recommend treating with erythromycin, preferably in medicated food, and do some serious water changes as well.  More treatment info can be found here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pdfshdisart.htm  scroll down, you'll find it under the heading, well, "DROPSY".  Wishing you and your goldfish well,  -Sabrina>

Goldfish with Missing Mouth
Hi I have 2 goldfish one a bit larger than the other and both are fan tails in a 10 gallon tank recently I noticed the smaller one was missing its lower mouth and would like to know why? and what is going on they have been together for a while now and all of a sudden the one's mouth is gone what should I do?
<Hmmm... Well, goldfish are not known for their amazing jaw strength, so I do not think it would have been an attack from the other fish, but I would not rule it out either.  Have there been any other signs of aggression?  Is there an open fleshy wound, or is it just missing?  Is it possible that it was a deformity that was overlooked at first?  Any other pieces of the fish deteriorating?  Is he still trying to eat? If it heals I would be willing to bet he figures out a way to eat and survive.  You should test your water also just to be sure that it is in good shape, Ph, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate.  If you have a picture to send a long that would be great too.  Best Regards, Gage Harford.>

Color changing goldfish
Howdy all,
<Hello.  Sabrina today.>
I have enjoyed the site for over 8 months now.  
<Good to hear!>
Anyways my question:
I have a 40 gallon tank with 5 gold fish (I know very messy fish and I do regular weekly water changes).  I have had all of these gold fish since they were the 7 cent feeder size and now are well over 5 inches and more.  I have one that has been changing color to all white (smallest fish at 3 inches) while 3 others are some where in between white and orange (medium between 3 and 5 inches) and the largest of all is a bright deep orange (closer to 7 inches).  I was wondering if this is normal or is this due to nutrition?  
<Absolutely normal.  Might possibly be due to pH, nutrition, temperature....  In any case, perfectly normal, and no cause for concern.>
The white fish also has one cloudy eye but eats regularly.  Water temp is 78 degrees
<Woah!  I assume the goldfish are the only fish in the tank??  Drop that temperature!  Somewhere in the neighborhood of 68 degrees Fahrenheit is reasonable for goldfish - drop it a couple degrees a day until you're somewhere down there.>
and water quality is 0/0/0 across the board.
<Great.>
Your help is always appreciated, Vince
<Do please also make use of the goldfish FAQs for more info.  -Sabrina>

Popeye the (orange) black moor
Hi There!
<Hi, Teri!  Sabrina here this gorgeous afternoon>
I have a few questions for ya'll. I have a Black Moor (about 3 years, 6 inches), a Blue Scale Oranda (2 years 8 inches), a Red and White Oranda? (Not sure what type it is, it was in a tank with BS Orandas when we bought it but it is all white with some orangish/red on top, about 1 year 6 inches)
<Likely a redcap Oranda>
and a Plecostomus (3 years, 10 inches) and a small Red Platy (1 month 1 1/2 to 2 inches). We have a nice sized 30 gallon tank (I know we are a bit over stocked, in the process of looking for a larger tank to accommodate everyone.)
<Yes, and great to hear about the upgrade - which will be much fun, I'm sure!>
and the Red Platy seems to be doing great in the colder water.
<It would do even better in a warmer tank.>
We use an AquaTech 20 to 40 gallon filter and use a bubble wall but no under gravel filter. I test the water weekly, change 20% of the water monthly,
<It might be a good idea to increase the frequency of your water changes - maybe 20% twice monthly.>
clean the filter weekly and replace it with a new one once a month. We feed them dry floating pond pellets for the Orandas and the Moor,
<A constant diet of dry foods may cause problems for the goldfish; please try to incorporate more veggie matter into their diet (blanched zucchini, prepared frozen veggie fish foods, etc.) and plants like anacharis/elodea.>
and algae disks for the Plecostomus (since algae seems not to grow in my tank),
<blanched zucchini will be an excellent food for this guy, too, along with the occasional frozen meaty food.  It'd also be a good idea to get a piece of driftwood or bogwood in there for him to nibble on.>
and very small dry tropical pellets for the Red Platy, and for a nice treat every now and then a slice cucumber.
<Cucumber's excellent, too.  Do please blanch this before using (drop it into a pot of boiling water very shortly, let it cool).  You can blanch a whole sliced up zucchini or cucumber, then freeze the slices for later use.>
Now for the questions.  My Black Moor has one eye that is larger then the other. It was like this when we purchased it about 3 years ago. It wasn’t as noticeable as it has gotten recently. In fact, in the last 2 months it has become A LOT larger then the other eye. I gather from the site that he might have Pop eye. Is it possible that they can live 3 years with this problem, or is that the problem?
<This does sound like pop eye.  Usually, this is an indicator of water quality issues.  Please check your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and do water changes to bring anything too high back down.  You may want to consider treating him with Epsom salts at a rate of 1-2 tablespoons per ten gallons of water - best to do this in a hospital tank.>
Also he has remained very active and still has a good appetite. He has started to change colors (from all black to clear tail fins on the ends that fade to orange and then back to black closer to the body, and his tummy has turned completely orange. It is rather pretty this way, but it’s a Black Moor not a Changing Color Moor, so something is wrong.)
<This is perfectly normal, no need to worry.  Color change in goldfish may possibly be attributable to temperature changes, pH changes, or maybe even age.  It is certainly not unheard of for black moors to gain some gold color.>
so I’m assuming I need to change his diet also?  
<I would, but only to get them onto a better diet of veggie stuff for health reasons; this won't affect coloration.>
Secondly, I tried to introduce live plants about a month back and I woke up the other morning and the fish seemed to have had a night on the town with my plant. It was a very lush Ivy (tons of leaves)
<I trust you mean 'Ivy' descriptively, and that this was an aquatic plant, not really an ivy?>
that by the morning had nothing but 2 leaves, a stem and a few roots. My fish had devoured the whole plant. Is that a bad thing?
<As long as this was an aquatic plant, nope, no problemo.  It's a very good idea for them to have a bit of aquatic plants in their diet; as above, anacharis/elodea will be the cheapest, best bet to feed them.  If you want plants in the tank for aesthetic purposes, though, there are a few plants that the goldfish *won't* eat - Anubias sp., java fern, and java moss are all very easy to grow and will be safe from your little herbivores.>
They haven’t seemed to act odd, but that was a lot of plant to eat.
<It was probably yummy ;) >
Should I cut back on their food for a few days? Or try and feed them more so they don’t starve? I know it’s an odd question but I’m afraid of over feed.  
<Just modify their diet to include more green goodies.>
Third, with this many fish should I look into getting an under gravel filter or is it just an optional thing?
<I wouldn't.  But I'm rather opinionated on this.  I usually don't recommend them for the reason that it's very difficult to keep the space under the filter plates free of debris, which will rot and cause nitrate problems.  Some folks use and love UGFs, though.>
What should I be doing to help keep the rocks clean? I have a gravel vacuum that I use once every 6 or 7 months but other then that I don’t do anything to the rocks.
<Oh my....  vacuum the gravel more like monthly....  Better yet, increase your 20% water changes to be twice a month, and do part of the gravel on each water change.  I would imagine you currently have a rather high amount of nitrate in the tank - possibly contributing to the pop eye in the moor.>
I was told you should never disturb/clean the rocks so what good does a under gravel filter do?
<Undergravel filters turn your entire substrate into biological filter media.  They can be really Good Things, but again, in your case especially, I wouldn't recommend it.  And whoever told you not to clean your gravel.... well, I don't know what they were smoking, but I don't want any.>
Also are my water changing techniques alright or should I be changing more then 20% every month?
<As above.>
Why wont algae grow? We leave the light on during the day, but there isn’t in any natural daylight. I figured that the artificial light would create enough light to grow enough for my Plecostomus, but he doesn’t seem to be getting any bigger. Lack of algae or to small of a tank?  
<The goldfish and the plec are probably eating it before it has a chance to be seen.  Again, more veggies in their diet....>
Any help would be great and I appreciate it. Love the site, very helpful!  Teri
<Thanks, Teri!  Hope all goes well with your tank, and I wish your moor a speedy recovery!  -Sabrina>

Dying goldfish revisited
Hi all.    
<Hi again, Todd!>
As you stated before to check the water ph and so on, I did so and the water I brought into the pet store from my 300 gallon goldfish tank in my garage, had a PH level of way over 8 they told me.  
<Did they test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?  What were the results of those?  Just so you have some figures to go off of, ammonia and nitrite should be zero (anything above zero is toxic), nitrate should be ideally as close to zero as possible.>
They said this was very high. I just phoned back today and asked what the pH level in the water they had at the store is, and they  told me around 7.2  which they told me is a great difference than my over 8 level.   
<Yeah, it is a pretty big difference.  That is possibly a contributor to your problems, but I don't think it's enough in and of itself to cause your goldfish to die - goldfish are pretty tough.>
Now I don't know why I didn't do the same thing that I did for my guppies when I brought them home and float the fish for 30 minutes then add a cup  of water from the tank they are going into,  but  I didn't do that.   Do you think that me forgetting to add some water from the tank they are going into and let it sit for 30 minutes to adjust them to the new ph level would kill them off, one by one over a period of 3 weeks or more later???  
<No, not in and of itself.  I do, however, think that a drastic pH change might possibly weaken the fish and open the door for disease.>
Is it that important to add some water from the tank they are going into, and how long is the best to do this???   
<Well, yes, but mostly for temperature reasons, etc.  It's pretty difficult, even doing this, to acclimate a fish to a majorly different pH in such a short time.  Fortunately, at least, going up in pH is less difficult for the fish than going down.>
Is it possible for these  fish to live for 3 weeks after this so called  SHOCK  and then die.
<As above - I really don't think the pH difference is the ultimate cause of death.  If it was enough of a difference to weaken the fish, that'd leave a toehold for disease, which definitely would cause problems.>
Some fish died 2 days after and some 3 weeks later.  The only thing I could see that might be abnormal about the dead goldfish is a black area on the bottom by the stomach area.  This might be nothing but other than that the fish  don't look to have any other things different on them when they die.  
<Well, it sure doesn't sound normal - and anything abnormal is cause for suspicion.  This could definitely be a sign of stress, perhaps illness.  Before they die, do they exhibit any symptoms?  Clamped fins, heavy breathing?  Anything else?>
Again  I ask, by not adding that cup or so of water they are going into in my tank so important to kill them off 3 weeks later.  I just figured any shock like this would kill them in a day or 2.  Is the switch from ph 7.2 to over 8 ph  and drastic change for the goldfish???   
<Yes, but again, I don't think that in and of itself is what killed them.  I think there's something else at play.  I'm still inclined to think that it is/was just the nitrogen cycle kicking in, and the fish were harmed by ammonia/nitrite as those values spiked.  Are you still losing fish?  If not, when was the last death?>
Thanks again, Todd from Ontario
<Sure thing.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

... And They All Lived Happily Ever After ....
I'd just like to  end this 'story' with the final sequel!  Hannibal is now returned to his mates! After a couple of weeks in isolation the other fish had time to recover, the tank was moved round so they also had time to make new territories .... and Hannibal looking rather sad and dejected was given one more chance!!!  Now he's the new comer again with no territory! A nip at the black moor was answered with a head butt!!!! ha ha .... he's been fine!!! looked a little stunned by his loss of power and territory, but I now have to rename him ... Hannibal the coward!!! The End!
<Ahh....  A happy ending.>
thanks for your help.....your advice has been really helpful    Cathy
<Glad to be of service.  -Sabrina >

Wounded Goldfish
>Hi to everyone at WWM,
>>Hello Erica, Marina tonight.
>I have a question regarding one of my brother's goldfish - it was basically in the cross-fire when our pet cat decided she was hungry enough to break into the aquarium (literally). Anyway we lost 4 out of the 5 goldfish in the tank and the smallest survived with a cut (quite large) on its side, I don't know if this was from glass or the cat.
>>Uh oh.. If from the glass, though bad, nowhere nearly as bad as if from the cat.  Cats are notorious for harboring some awful bacteria, and giving terrible infections (ever hear of "cat scratch fever"?  It is not a myth).
>The fish has since spent pretty much all of its time on the bottom of the tank and seems to only swim when absolutely forced to and when it does swim it doesn't swim well. I have been treating the tank with Melafix to try and repair the wound (as I thought the fish may have been in pain thus resulting in the terrible swimming form) and the wound has now almost healed (about a week has gone by) however, the fish is still displaying the same behavior.
>>Melafix is not a good treatment, I'm afraid the fish has healed *despite* the Melafix, not because of it.  I suggest strongly switching to Spectrogram or Maracyn.
>His fins look fine and his body seems ok but his head is emaciated - I can see his brain and eye cavities through the scales.
>>Oh my, this sounds really terrible.
>I am really at a loss as to what this is and how to treat it. I read from another post that another woman was having a similar problem and that it may be parasite related but I just wanted to check with you guys again that that would be the best course of action.
>>You clearly have a precursor incident, I would prefer you first change antibiotics, treat thusly for a minimum of one week, preferable two (assuming the fish makes it that far).  I believe the infection may have become systemic, even though the wound has healed on the outside.  The only other course of action I could suggest, which would be too extreme, in my honest opinion, would be to begin a course of antibiotic injections.  Expensive and traumatic.
>The fish is still trying to eat but it looks like it's a very laborious process and he seems to suffer from rapid breathing when he is trying to eat the food.  Any help you could give me regarding this would be very much appreciated as none of us want to see the fish go.  Oh and I also wanted to thank you on a great site - I started running a marine tank recently and the info you guys provide has helped so so much.  Erica
>>If the fish is trying to eat, then give it freshly killed live foods, such as mosquito larvae and daphnia.  Frozen blood and black worms could be helpful as well, but be careful with these, as they tend to cause constipation in short bodied goldies.  If you can get the fish eating (do keep a very close eye on water quality throughout this ordeal, make copious--daily--water changes to ensure best) then you may be able to save him yet.  Best of luck, Marina

Strange black spots on my goldfish
I have a goldfish and it had gotten the ich. We treated it and it went away, now it has strange black markings on its dorsal fin, side fins and body and around its eyes. Can you tell me what it could possibly be? <do you have a picture of these markings or of the fish... It would help me identify what the problem is. Thanks, IanB>

Growth on the head of redcap Oranda
I have a 60 gallon tank with 6 large fish. Outside power filter, I change about 10  gallons of water a week.
<Great!  What are your current ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH readings?>
Two of the fish are red head Oranda. Something that looked like a bump the size of a green pea started growing on top of the red head. It is getting larger.  
Can you describe this growth in more detail?  What color is it?  Is it like an open sore?  Is it like a fluffy cotton bit?  Like a chunk of cauliflower?  There are so many possibilities at this point, I can't even give you a rough direction.  Maybe look into Lymphocystis, columnaris, fungus, piscine TB/mycobacteriosis, body ulcers, or maybe even it's just a wound.  Please describe, so we can be better able to diagnose/help you.>
The water in my tank is starting to be green. I removed the live green plants because the fish were eating them.
<It's actually good for the goldfish to have some plants (anacharis/elodea are best, IMO) to nibble on.  As for the green water, this is an algae problem.  Possibly indicative of nitrates and/or phosphates in the water, which then serve as nutrients to aid algae growth.  Best ways to combat this are live plants (ones that your goldfish *won't* eat include java fern, java moss, and Anubias sp.), more thorough/more often vacuuming of the gravel (if nitrates are present), and possibly making use of products that absorb phosphates, or using RO/DI water.  Reducing the number of hours the lights are on the tank will help, and perhaps setting them on a timer so that the lights are off for an hour or two at midday (tank time) will also help.  Failing all that, there *are* chemical means available to rid your tank of algae, but please only use them as a last resort.>
Please help. The fish are 2 black moors, 2 fantail goldfish and 2 read head Oranda also a large algae eater.  Doug
<Do please get back to us, describe the oranda's lump a bit more for us, and we'll do our best to help.  -Sabrina>

Bloated fantail
Hi guys
<Hi, Shelley, Sabrina here tonight>
Thanks for being there to answer our questions.
<You're welcome, of course!  We love being able to help.>
My fantail Co (yes I have names for them all: Mo, Co and Calico) has gradually become bloated underneath and to the sides, but more on one side than the other.  The skin appears paler and stretched.  This has been happening for a month or so.  Just the last week he has taken to "swimming" upside down at the surface of the tank.  I usually feed dry flakes, with frozen bloodworms once a week.  Co is greediest of all, and chief beggar of food.  I assume from reading your other website answers today (I only found your site today)
<Well hey, then, welcome!  Enjoy!>
that he has become constipated from eating the dry food and this has resulted in a swim bladder problem.  
<Sounds quite possible.>
I will definitely change their food when they are back on it.
<Great!  More greens, less dry stuff.>
I read another website, and stopped feeding them all four days ago, and fed some green peas (but they don't seem keen on them, and they took days to disappear.)  
<Try frozen peas (thaw them) and squeeze the 'guts' of the pea out of the shell (discard the shell), they might be more apt to eat them if you prepare them so (don't know how/what you used before).  Failing that, try canned peas (try to get 'em without salt, or if not, then rinse thoroughly) and again, squeeze the 'guts' out of the shell.  I'd be impressed if a goldfish refused that!  You can try brine shrimp (frozen or live), as well, as that may help some, too.  And please do not leave the peas in for more than a few hours - if they don't eat 'em by then, assume they won't be eaten.>
Also I don't know whether Co ate any or whether it was the others.  I also checked water quality etc so no issues there.
<Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH?>
Co seems to be a little thinner, and "floating" less then he was, but I'm worried about the other fish (who now also haven't been fed for 4 days).  
<They're probably fine.  Try the brine shrimp if the peas fail again, and they'll probably all accept that quite readily.>
Do I need to set up a QT tank to isolate Co?  All I have is an old goldfish bowl, which doesn't have any filtration, aeration etc - would this do?  If I do separate him, should I add Epsom salts or anything else?  How long should he be without food, if he stays swelled up?
<If you can isolate him yes, but he'd need aeration.  Even a small-ish Rubbermaid container or bucket (or the fish bowl, if the goldfish isn't too big) would do the trick in a pinch, and an inexpensive aerator will be an invaluable device if you ever have to quarantine again, certainly worth the low expense.  Epsom salts at a rate of 1 to 2 tablespoons per 10 gallons of water will help, and keep trying the peas and brine shrimp.  He should accept them, if he's hungry.>
How long does it take a fantail to recover from swim bladder problems?  
<Well, that's tough to say.  Sometimes a fish recovers from problems like this completely, and is healthy and happily-ever-after-the-end.  Some fish never fully recover, and float (or sink) for the rest of their (often short) lives.>
Does one bout of it mean he will have a tendency for the rest of his life (that's if we pull him through this time)?
<Quite possible.  Feed a better diet, and you'll be on safer ground.>
Sorry for the million questions,
<Don't be!  This is why we're here!>
but I'm fond of the little guy and would like to fix him up.  Shelley from Sydney
<Completely understandable.  Try all the above, and also take a gander through some other goldfish FAQs to read of similar instances:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisfaqs.htm  Wishing you and Co well,  -Sabrina>

Two Year Old Goldfish - Tank Change
I Decided to upgrade the 3 gallon tank used to hold 2 healthy happy gold fish. They were health and happy in the 3 gallon tank yet I felt it was necessary to  upgrade the tank.  So I bought a 10 gal tank, pebbles and a few aquarium decorations.  After setting up the new tank and introducing the fish  THEY ARE LIFELESS, WONT EAT AND ARE DYING. What's wrong, I gradually introduced them to the tank, giving them time to get used to the temp etc.
<Did you use a chlorine/chloramine remover in the water prior to introducing the fish?  How long did the new tank sit before moving them?  Did you test to make sure the pH was the same in both tanks?  How long after you introduced them were they acting badly?  Please do test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH; my first gut instinct is that, in this newly set up, uncycled tank, ammonia from the fish waste has built up and is causing them harm.  I'd recommend a water change right away, say 25-30%, with dechlorinated tap water of a matching temperature.  If you register any ammonia or nitrite on your tests, keep doing water changes to keep it under control until the tank has fully cycled.  If you don't have test kits, have your local fish store test your water for you, but please consider getting your own very soon.  Hopefully this is just something that can be fixed with better water quality.>
What did I do wrong.  Now it looks like the Betta is dying he is always at the top of the water.
<Is he in the same tank, or a different tank?  Again, my first best guess is that this is related to water quality; definitely do a water change right away, and get your water tested so you can know what is causing the problem.  Good luck to you, and I do hope your guys pull through this.  -Sabrina>

Evil Goldfish, or Fin Rot?
I've recently re-housed my 6 gold fish (two fan tails, two black moors, and two plain) into a new and much bigger tank with all mod cons, new plants etc. Gave them a settling down period  and then introduced two new redcaps to complete the group.
<And how big is the tank?  We're up to eight goldfish, now....>
Hey ho and all looking nice ......but!!! 1) the new fish appear to have brought with them a rather nasty case of white spot!
<Never fun.>
Which I am treating with a proper treatment ... the new fish appear oblivious and happily healthy!!!
<Much info on this illness at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm >
2) One of the redcaps is now snapping at all the other fish (except the other redcap) to such an extent that one of the black moors has little tail flesh left but just the 'spikes' of the bones!!!!
<Are you certain this one red cap is actually biting/causing harm to the other fish?  That's very bizarre behavior for a goldfish, certainly not normal.  As for the other goldfish, it sounds like he's got a bacterial fin rot problem, not an injury.  What are your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH)?  Illnesses like fin rot are usually brought about by one of these values being out of whack.>
Is my redcap a cannibal and do you have any recommendations to stop his behavior?!
<I really think your problems are more attributable to water quality, originally, and then to bacterial infection, rather than the red cap's attentions - though there are exceptions to every rule, I somewhat doubt that any real harm is coming from him.  It is normal for goldfish to chase each other to some extent, but if he really is causing harm to the other fish, it would be best to remove him right away, to prevent any further harm to the other fish.>
They are fed on dry food, blood worms, daphnia, and also some greens i.e. lettuce, peas etc.
<Wonderful.>
The tank has plants and hiding places and lots of space. I'm new to all this fish keeping so would value any hints and advice on the
above and any other general info.  
<The best suggestion I can give you is to get test kits for ammonia, pH, nitrite, and nitrate if you don't already have them.  Then test your water regularly, and do water changes when necessary, and as often as necessary (weekly, perhaps, depending on tank size).  Goldfish are very messy fish and are capable of making the aquarium very toxic very quickly (uh, they poop a lot).  Maintain as pristine of water conditions as you can.  For the fellah with the ragged, yucky tail, please consider treating with Kanamycin sulfate, available from Aquatronics under the name "Kanacyn".  However, it might be very inadvisable to combine this with whatever you're using to treat the ich, so you might want to treat him in a separate quarantine tank.>
With thanks for you time and help, Cathy
<I do hope your fellah improves, and that the red cap calms down for you.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Gassy goldfish
I have a red-capped Oranda, chuck, who has the largest head growth I have EVER seen on an Oranda.. he had started floating.. (I did not know about the gas then - it thought it might be because his head was so HUUUGEEE) and a fair fish brutally attacked him.. after disposing of curly.. I realized the gas was the float problem..
<Could be gas, could be a swim bladder issue; especially if he was attacked by, um, *what* kind of fish?  In any case, if he was brutally attacked, he could have suffered damage to his swim bladder.  The floating issue may not be reversible.>
anyway.. even after peas.. chuck would spend most of his time hiding in his cup (I put cups in there.. all the Orandas I have love to snuggle.. strange.. comfort in cramming in small spaces together..)  but still standing on his head..
<Swimming head down?  Is it more like his back end is floating up, or his front end is sinking down?  I suppose it is possible that he's got a piece of rock or some such stuck in his mouth, if he's sinking.>
I put him in another wee tank with a lion head ranchu (Lionel) because they both tend to float.. and feed them peas.. but.. chuck has been floating now for nearly 2 weeks.. I see him poop, I feed him peas.. but.. the anti-gas peas aren't working anymore..
<He's still pooping, though?  Normally?>
he wont eat green beans.. or earthworms..  just peas.. (and the sinking pellets that I soak for hours before I give em..)
<Well, if it is a swim bladder issue, the fact that he's eating speaks well for him; although if this is a swim bladder injury, he may never recover, but if he eats, seems happy, he might be able to live just fine.>
but.. the floating continues.. any other ideas????
<Perhaps try feeding some frozen brine shrimp; the high roughage content might help him pass whatever's trapping gas, if it is in fact a gas problem.>
Mother of mutant floaty fish.. Brandi
<Wishing you, and your mutant floaty fish, well....  -Sabrina>

Gassy Goldfish, Fart two - Er... Make that 'Part' Two....
Chuck was attacked by a "sorry you didn't win the real prize at the fair" goldfish, after that tiny goldfish grew large......
<Aha!  NOW I get it, a fish FROM the fair!  I've been envisioning little judge fish with little jury fish trying to be fair....>
but... that was months and months ago.. when the floating first began.. and he has had periods of time with no floating.. I mean.. he still stood on his head.. but not just "belly to the sky" floating like now...  He doesn't swim head down.. he swims regular forward.. but.. when he is "resting" (and not belly up floating) he rests on his great big fishy forehead..  <Try feeding more veggie matter more often, and perhaps occasional frozen meaty foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp) once in a while.  A diet consisting of too much flake or pelleted foods can cause gas/constipation issues, sometimes.> when he makes fishy mouth, its just pink and fishy in there.. no fluorescent rocks I see.. and he doesn't seem to be in distress.. just head standing..  He is still pooping, normal thick caliber regular fishy stools.. not stringy sick looking poops..  
<Good sign, at least.  As I said, he may have some issues with his swimbladder, so it may be beyond your control.  Another thing - what are your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH)?>
I will get him some frozen brines.. weird though huh?  ah well..  Thanks Sabrina!!!
<Any time.  Good luck to you.  -Sabrina>

Goldfish are dying
Hi.  You have sent my question back to me but did not reply with an answer.
<I see....  My apologies, Todd; I have no idea what happened.  It looks like we had some cutting and pasting issues.>
Can water kill goldfish but not guppies.   I did not see a answer.  Please respond with a answer as to the water. After 2 weeks with the new 12 goldfish, 9 out of 12 have survived so far. I am puzzled why 3 have died so far. The temperature is fine at 64 deg. Could there be something in the well water that kills goldfish and not guppies?
<Okay, this was originally about a pond, right?  And your pond was only recently set up, right?  I'm sure it's not your source water, especially since your guppies are fine, but instead something happening to the water once it's in your pond.  When fish are added to a system, they immediately produce waste in that system, and without established bacteria to use that waste, the fish will be poisoned by ammonia or nitrite.  Please learn more about that (and more) here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/h2ochempds.htm .  Please do get yourself test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH, or at the least, take a sample of water directly out of your pond and bring it to your local fish store and ask them to test it.  They should be perfectly willing.  Okay so for a worst case scenario, let's say the water's fine, and something's wrong with the goldfish directly.  These are regular 'ol comets, right?  The ones usually sold as "feeders"?  These are often quite likely to be infested with some kind of illnesses, sad to say.  A good, reputable fish store (not a chain store, or store geared to all pets, but a store dedicated to fish) should be able to give you at least relatively healthy comets.  Do take a good look in their tanks, specifically the feeder tank where the fish you want are, and gauge the health of the fish.  Are they all huddled in a corner?  Are their fins clamped?  Are there dozens of dead fish?  Do they have little white sugar spots all over, or anything else amiss?  Stuff like that.  Since you don't mention any symptoms other than mass goldfish death, I'm really unable to suggest any illness.  I'm truly much more inclined to think that it's ammonia or nitrite buildup in the water.  Do get your water tested, and fix those values if necessary by removing/adding water, and certainly don't add any fish for now.  Do keep us updated, and take a look through other pond articles on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/Pond%20Sub%20Web.htm .  Good luck, Todd!  -Sabrina>

Goldfish Still not Making It
HI CREW;     
<Hi again, Todd!>
As you advised, I went to the pet store where I bought the last batch of goldfish of 12, and had them do a water quality test for me. There are still 5 out of 12 goldfish alive, 7 have died in 2 weeks I have had this batch in my tank in the garage for winter.  
<Are there any symptoms you can give us?  Anything at all?  Spots, markings, colors, fins, scales, behavior, anything at all?  Net out a few of the fish and get a really close look at them, perhaps in a clear container.  Look for absolutely anything that might cause suspicion.>
They said the nitrate, nitrite, ammonia are perfectly normal and fine but the ph level is high with a ready of  around 8.  
<A bit high, indeed, but goldfish should tolerate that with no trouble.  The pH in my ponds is about 8.4 during the summer, due to the high pH of the tap water here.>
They said the transition from their water which a lot lower ph level than mine, to my high ph level  might shock the fish killing them eventually.  
<How much lower than yours is their pH?  A sudden change, especially from low to high, is definitely dangerous, but goldfish are pretty tough critters....>
They told me to make the water transition  very  slowly and they should live.   
<It'll most certainly help.>
Do you think this ph level change is causing the dying of so many goldfish??????    
<Could be part of it, but might be something else at play, as well.  Do examine your fish very closely, let us know what you find.>
Will a slow transition to different water help?????   
<Perhaps, yes.  When you bring home fish, start with a large bag from the fish store, let the bag float in the tank for a while to match temperature, then pour in a little bit of water from the tank every 10 minutes or so until you're at about half bag water half tank water.  Then net the fish from the bag and release it.  Never let the water from the bag into your tank.>
Can I put something in the tank  water to help this problem??????  
<Yes.  You can use bogwood or peat in the pond or in the filter to help bring the pH down some; this is a safe, natural way of doing it.  Peat can be found at the garden store; just make sure that it does not contain any pesticides/fungicides, etc.  Put some in the filter, or in a filter bag directly into the pond, if necessary, after rinsing it thoroughly.  This will stain the water a golden color, though.  In a pond, it'll probably be unnoticeable, but in your garage tank, it may be rather ugly if the color bothers you.  Frankly, I like the more natural look of the stained water.>
Your  reply is greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Todd  from Ontario
<Any time.  Wishing you and your goldfish well,  -Sabrina>

Goldfish, ponds, feeding, and fixing
Hi Crew.  
<Hi Todd, Sabrina again>
I am going to the pet store today and buy another 12 goldfish for my garage fish tank.  
<If you haven't already, please let me urge you not to add so many fish at a time.  This will result in ammonia and nitrite spikes as the biological filtration tries to catch up with the fish load, resulting in harm to the fish - and I still think this is one major issue affecting what had happened with your last batches.  Please don't add so many fish at once.>
After having only 2 alive of the last 12 I bought last month, I will  make sure this time to float the bag in the tank for an hour  while  adding a cup of water to the bag every 10 mins or so.  
<This is a good practice.>
I don't think I added water last time to the bag and want to find out if this was the reason the goldfish have been dieing.   PH shock is what I'm thinking is the problem.  
<It is possible, but it's pretty tough to acclimate fish to pH in a very short time.  A matter of mere hours is still a 'shock' of sorts to go from a neutral ph to yours (8.something, right?)  pH is on a logarithmic scale - kinda like the Richter scale used to measure earthquake magnitude.  So basically, a pH of 7.0 is ten times higher than a ph of 6.0, and a pH of 8.0 is ten times higher than pH 7.0 - so 8.0 is one hundred times higher than 6.0....  This all boils down to the fact that major pH changes will hurt fish, and possibly kill them.  Goldfish are really tough, and I don't think the pH alone is enough to do it, but that, coupled with the temp difference discussed later on....>
The temperature of the goldfish tank in the garage is around 54 degrees f   now.  At this low temperature how often should I  be feeding them, if at all.  What temperature low do  you stop feeding goldfish because of their system slow down in their bodies????  
<It is my understanding that feeding is still worthwhile down to 50f.  However, I'd also like to point out that in the fish store, chances are their water's somewhere closer to 65-70f.  It certainly can't be good for the fish to make that huge a temperature difference in such a short time, and that may very well be contributing to the problems that you're having. Think of it as going from a nice, warm kitchen into the nice, big walk-in fridge - and staying there overnight without a jacket.  Either get a few submersible heaters in there and slowly bring the temp up before adding fish, or wait until the weather warms up some.  Here's some good info for you, please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pdfshdisart.htm .  Also, on winter, ponds, and pond fish:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pdwintmaint.htm .>
How long should I float the bag?????     Is an hour ok??    
<Under normal circumstances, an hour is a good plan, adding a bit of water from the tank every 10-15 minutes.  I don't think that'll be of help to you with the temperature change, though; that's something that such a major change should take several days.>
Is it better to float the bag a longer time????   
<To acclimate animals to a system over a very long period of time, it's better to use a drip system.  I don't think that'll be useful to you until you either heat the pond, or until spring, and then its use would be to acclimate to pH.  Right now, with going from a warm tank with a neutral pH and into a pond with a wildly different temperature and pH, I don't think it's going to work out well.  I wish I'd realized the temperature difference in our previous correspondences.>
Is there a maximum time I should float the bag while I add  tank water to it?????
<It all depends on what kind of bag, how much air in the bag, how much stress the particular fish is in, how different the water parameters, etc.  For the most part, I'd say an hour is good under normal circumstances.>
Thanks    from Todd
<Please do read up on the pond articles and FAQs available to you on WetWebMedia....  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/Pond%20Sub%20Web.htm  There's also so very much information available on the 'net; google searches are invaluable.  Please research and look into a good book on ponds/pond fish, there's really so much information available to you that just can't be transmitted via email without writing a book in the process.  It's very important to be informed, and I do appreciate and respect that you are trying to gain knowledge with us at WetWebMedia, but truly, I think you'll serve yourself, your pond, and your thirst for knowledge very well with a good book or two.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina.>

Black moor - wounded eye
I have a black moor goldfish ("Howie") along with two other goldfish in a ten gallon tank.
<If it is at all possible, please do consider upgrading tank size.  I'd really recommend something in the neighborhood of 40 gallons; goldfish are very messy fish - they eat a lot and poop a lot, and can foul the water very quickly.  Please stay very consistent with regular water changes, and test regularly for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.>
I absolutely adore Howie. As I was cleaning the tank and draining water out of it, I got distracted for a moment and wasn't watching the tube - Howie probably thinking the tube was food, swam over a little too close and his eye was just the perfect size to get sucked in.
<Ouch!>
After a few minutes of hysterics that I killed my favorite fish and sucked out his eyeball, I realized that his eye wasn't gone, but pulled out a fraction and the skin was pushed back. I called the pet shop and they said there is really nothing I can do for him. He's swimming around fine, eating and besides his eye is doing good.
<Good to hear.>
I just feel horrible and totally responsible for hurting him. Is there anything I could do for him? Should I separate him from the other fish?
<If possible, you might quarantine him (in preferably at least 10 gallons) and add Epsom salts at a rate of one tablespoon per five gallons.  This should aid him.>
If you could please help my Howie, I would be forever grateful. Thank you for listening, Boogie
<Give Howie a big 'get well soon' wish from me.  -Sabrina>

Re: RED SPOTS
Hello,
<Hi again>
I would like to thank you, I am very grateful for the information you gave to me yesterday. I am amazed with your ability to reply so quickly. wow! While the condition of my pearlscale has remained exactly the same for over a week now, sadly, my Orandas condition has taken a turn for the worse within the last 24 hours. Yesterday he had a very small spot (1/3 inch) on his chin, this morning his entire face is dotted with hemorrhages.
<Time to look for some overt sign of chemical poisoning, otherwise aspects/signs of diminished water quality... and make a good-sized water change (20-25%) quick!>
It appears that he also has a fleshy growth or swellage inside his mouth on one side, he has also developed a small amount of cottony white growth on his mouth. I tried to very gently wipe off the cotton but he started bleeding.
<As stated, indications of some "greater" or more "root" ill. The bacterial and/or fungal manifestations you note are resultant from some other environmental insult. A/the "cure" is the discovery, reduction/reversal of this influence>
I have salted and quarantined both fish and I am treating them with KANACYN. They both still have excellent appetites.
<Ahh, good moves. In a different system or one with substantially new water I hope/trust>
Any advice you can give would be more than appreciated, please help.
Thank you,
Nichole Palmer
<You are doing about what I would do. Perhaps the addition of a teaspoon per ten gallons system water of Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate) would be efficacious as well. Bob Fenner>

Spot the Goldfish
We have a 20 gallon aquarium for Spot and a couple of friends. Lately Spot the Goldfish seems to be swimming on his side. He eats fine and swims around well enough; he just seems to be unable to keep his balance. How do we fix him?
Dorrie Krueger
<Hi, sounds like Spot may be a tad blocked up, or may have a problem with his swim bladder.  It is fairly common in Fancy Goldfish, but not always easy to fix.  Check out the link below for more information on treatment methods.  Gage
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisfaqs.htm >

Goldfish changing colors - bad?
My son has a goldfish in a bowl. He's had it about a year. Recently, his scales have been turning black. The fish appears alert, and eats well. Any cause for concern?  
<Possibly.  First off, do you know the conditions of the water?  Do you test for pH ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?  If you don't have test kits, your local fish store should be willing to test a sample of your water for you.  How big is the tank?  How often do you change water?  Do you use a dechlorinator?  It is possible that he's showing some signs of stress or illness.  However, goldfish do tent to change color (within white, orange, and black), possibly attributable to changes in temperature or pH, so it may be nothing to worry about at all.>
Thank you.  Stephen W. DeFilippis
<No problem!  -Sabrina>

Goldfish with Swim Bladder Problems
I don't really know where to start. <How about the beginning, he he he.> Since I've never had this problem before with any fish I've ever had. I also read your FAQ's section and really didn't see anything in it that would help me out. I didn't know goldfis