Help! Discharge from Oranda's Wen 7/2/11
Greetings:
<Salud>
I have a large Oranda who has been quite lethargic for many months (I have indeed written to you about this previously). Physically she appears very healthy and has no blood in her fins or lesions of any sort. She is alone in a 72 gallon tank which has 2 Eheim canister filters and a UV sterilizer.
I do a water exchange/gravel vacuum twice a week (or more if needed) without fail.
<Good>
Today I noticed that she had white discharge oozing out of her Wen- this is not the normal cottony growth that I sometimes see. I very gently palpated the Wen and more white discharge came out, approximately 1/8 of a teaspoon.
The discharge is oozing from what appears to be a deep "cut" approximately 3-4 mm along the sulci in the Wen- the one that runs along the dorsal aspect and essentially divides it into a left and right hemisphere. It does not look like a hole- it looks more like the Wen has naturally separated along this line. There is nothing that the fish could have cut herself on- I have fish-proofed the tank.
<These "happen">
I looked at the discharge under a microscope and it appears to be free of bacteria- it looks, in fact, like cells.
<Very likely so>
I can't find a single similar situation anywhere on the internet or in your archives. This does not appear to be HITH (?) but I am extremely worried that it could be an infection under the Wen or that the hole could allow bacteria to enter. The Wen otherwise looks healthy- I have attached a couple photos though I did not get one of the discharge and do not want to try to extrude more for the sake of a photograph.
Is this normal?
<Yes>
Does the Wen have a fluid layer between it and the skull or is this likely a cyst or infection?
<None of the above>
A bit more background- the fish stopped eating about two months ago: she became extremely lethargic and did not eat for three full weeks before perking up and acting normally again. She has been her usual self up until three days ago when she became lethargic again and refused to eat. Have you ever heard of this? What can you suggest?
<Yes; and just your usual good care>
There are no aquatic vets in the area but I have located a vet who is enthusiastic to learn about fish patients. As a precautionary measure I will add a bit of sea salt to the water until I hear from you.
Thank you!
G
<Welcome. BobF>

smallish light-colored bump on goldfish 6/19/11
Hi,
Great web site;
<Thanks!>
I've perused it multiple times over the past month, but didn't see anything quite like what I have (or if it is there, I didn't see pics to make it clear). I have 7 fantail goldfish (1.5" - 3.5" body sizes) in a 75 gallon tank with a Hagen 110 filter, no new fish in the last year, water tests seem good. I moved about 7 weeks prior to the onset of the issue; I brought along some of their old water (7.2pH), and gradually introduced them to the new (well water, about 7.5pH), 10% at a time, but to do that, they were all in a 29 for 2 weeks. I do have a small amount of salt in the water- about 1 tbsp per 5 gallons.
<Using salt this way is pretty pointless. It's too low a concentration to be useful as a medicine, so all you're doing is wasting money. If you think this is helping your fish -- and many retailers and salt manufacturers would suggest it is helpful -- you're wrong. Salt as a weekly addition to freshwater tanks is usually a waste of money, and potentially a stress factor for those fish that dislike salt.>
I change out about 6 gallons every week. Five weeks ago, one of the fish pretty suddenly developed a white spot high on a side, forward of the dorsal fin. I popped him over into a 10-gal quarantine tank with a Hagen 50, filled mostly with change-out water from the big tank. The next day, there was a dark center or streak in the bump, but then within a few days, it simply became cream to light tan colored, and hasn't changed in the last 4 weeks. He seems perfectly fine otherwise - fins up, eating well, but cranky about being in a smaller tank (his body's about 3" long). In hindsight, had I known he'd be in quarantine for more than a week or so, I would've set up the 29 as a quarantine, but I wanted to get him out fast, and only had enough change out water for the 10. I'm attaching 3 pictures to show the bump. At this point, I'd like to put him back in the other tank, since his health otherwise seems fine. Any ideas what this is, and if it is a problem, what I should do about it?
<Return him to the main aquarium, and keep tabs on water chemistry and water quality. This is likely a mild swelling or perhaps even a slight infection following on from some sort of trauma. In time, it should clear up; I wouldn't medicate with an antibiotic or antibacterial unless I was sure it wasn't clearing up itself. Because your tank is somewhat overstocked, and the filter a relatively modest affair not suited to messy fish like Goldfish, I'd be surprised if water quality is quite as good as you think. So check at minimum nitrite (it needs to be zero) and you should probably beef up water changes to a good 20-25% per week, i.e., around 15-20 gallons, to keep nitrate reasonably low (below 20 mg/l is good, but certainly below 40 mg/l). Ensure circulation of the water at all levels is good, i.e., water at the bottom of the tank is moving briskly upwards where it can be "recharged" with oxygen. Meanwhile, do read:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwdis3setsfactors.htm
>
Thanks in advance for your help, and once again, I do appreciate having this website to browse through to look for advice - kudos to you all for your efforts!
Jill
<You're welcome, Neale.>

Goldfish with expanding tumour 6/14/11
Hello Neale:
<He's marked "out">
I wrote a while ago about a growth on the muscle along the spine of my goldfish. It had grown along the site of an old injury and at the time of writing had burst open.
<I see this>
The surface has since healed but the lump has continued to grow. I am certain that this is not carp pox. I am wondering if there is anything at all that I can do to eliminate it- it is quite large and I fear may be spreading into the muscle tissue.
<Mmm, really, only improving this fish's world externally and internally, hopefully "boosting its immune system" will help>
It is about 1.5 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm. The fish also has spots of blood at the bottom of both eyes and has been bleeding into its tail- I had the fish on Medigold antibiotic food for 35 days suspecting a persistent case of hemorrhagic septicemia; the meds did not help and I discontinued treatment fearing the effects of long term antibiotic use. I am not sure if it is septicemia or if the tumour could be responsible since it is in close proximity to the head.
I wondered if attempting to aspirate any fluid inside to try to reduce the size of the tumour might be an option- I certainly don't want to expose the fish to a bacterial infection but I don't want to let this continue to grow and then regret NOT aspirating.
<I would not "aspirate">
There are no aquatics vets anywhere near my area. I don't know what to do!
I have great sentimental attachment to this fish as it was the first one I purchased (and the one that launched me on my goldfish craze). It has grown from a fry into a beautiful 6" long demekin. I am worried sick- is there anything I can do for my fish?
Many thanks: Gina de Almeida
<What you can do... to improve, stabilize water quality, nutrition. Bob Fenner>

re: Goldfish with expanding tumour 6/15/11
Thank you Bob!
<Welcome Ms. Almeida>
I am moving the fish from its current 36 gallon tank to a 50 gallon (just waiting for the new tank to cycle.
<Mmm, just bring over a good deal of water, substrate if you can, siphoned mulm if not, and filter media to the new tank from the olde. Voila(!), instant cycling>
Nutrition shouldn't be a problem as my fish eat much better than I do (I'm not kidding).
What is your opinion on the septicemia?
<Almost always environmental in origin...>
The tail fins have quite a lot of prominent blood vessels and blood streaks in them and the eyes have small spots of pooling blood (and have had these for months). The size of the blood spots decreased with the medicated food but did not completely heal. Could this all be tumour related?
<Possibly but doubtful>
Should I try to treat this before moving the fish to its new home?
<... no>
I have read that septicemia can be quite difficult to eliminate and am not sure what the best medication would be (my water has a pH of 8.2 so that is a consideration).
<My/our water here is about the same pH wise, with very high dissolved solids... I use it directly from the tap>
I have found another brand of triple medicated food that I could try if you think this would help otherwise I could increase the amount of spirulina that I feed the fish.
<Please... stop medicating your livestock. It really won't help them; and often hurts>
The fish will be alone but I will at some point wish to introduce one more fish to the tank.
Many thanks: Gina
<As many welcomes. BobF>

Goldfish Pimple Question 3/27/11
Hi,
<Carmen>
So here is my story. I have a 75 gallon goldfish tank that has been set up for about 8 months. I have a Fluval 350 canister filter and a bubble wand. I use the API test drops
<For?>
every week and my water tests at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite
and 5+ nitrate. In this tank I have an Oranda, a Black Moor and 4 Comets.
<Mmm, the Comets are not really compatible w/ the "fancies"; less so w/ time, growth>
They all range in size from 2.5 inches to 3.5 not including fins. I usually feed once a day with 2 days a week being freeze dried blood worms
<I would drop these; not feed them to goldfish. I feed my goldfishes Spectrum pellets exclusively>
and the other 4 were peas with a fast day. Now that my Black Moor is having floating issues with the peas I am switching to lettuce a couple times a week to see if that helps.
<Good>
The problem I'm writing about is concerning one of the smaller Comets. He has had a pimple for the last 6 weeks or so. For the first 4 the bump on his side just grew and I could see the white stuff underneath. One of my other fish had this so I though he would be fine once it popped. Well when it did pop a whole bunch of white cotton stuff
<?>
came out but he developed another one right next to it. That one popped as well and for the last couple of weeks that side has kind of been swollen and draining white cotton stuff. He is swimming fine and eating fine, he just looks uncomfortable. Should I be worried that there is still white stuff coming out? And I did notice some clear poop so I'm worried that he may be developing a bacterial infection. I did buy him so anti bacterial food that's still in the mail from goldfisconnection.com. Am I over reacting or should I get a breeder net and just keep him in there for the 14 days I need to feed him the medicated food? Is there anything else I can do?
Thank you for your time,
Carmen
<I would not confine this fish, nor feed it/them medicated food. Very likely this sore developed from a physical trauma, a mechanical injury and will heal itself in good time. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish - What Disease or Growth? 3/16/11
Your email has been deleted due to too-large graphic size. Re-size and re-send per our stated requirements.
What Disease or Growth is this? 3/17/11
Hi.
<Hello>
What is this disease on my partners goldfish. We thought it was a tumour, but looking at '14a' on your site, could it be Fish Pox.
<Either description can/will fit>
The goldfish is over 8 years old and has had this growth for over a year and we have tried an antifungus and bacteria product with no success.
<Mmm, no; no treatment will work here>
Although it is getting continually getting bigger, and looks like it is a number of 'sacks' joined together, one 'sack' has broken open and the 'tissue' inside appears to be breaking up in parts. It does not appear to worry the goldfish or affect its appetite of flakes and tidbits of prawns.
It lost its (healthy) companion a few months ago so is now on its own in a 6 gallon aquarium.
<Much too small...>
The aquarium has a filter and airstone some live and plastic plants and one third water changed at 6 weeks.
<Needs about this much changed out every week>
Sorry about first email being rejected for picture size.
Many thanks, Nick.
<Do please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/GldfshTksF.htm
Bob Fenner>

Re: What Disease or Growth is this? 3/17/11
Hi Bob,
Thanks for your reply.
I must have made a mistake on conversion somewhere. The tank measures 30" x 12" x 18" so a couple of sites tell me that's about 29 gallon (not 6 gallon).
Tanks, Nick.
<Ahh, much better. I did wonder re the Comet's size in relation to its apparent age, stated volume. Cheers, BobF>

Cyst on Telescope eye goldfish 2/15/11
Greetings:
<Salutations>
I have a lovely telescope-eyed goldfish with what appears to be a tumour or a fluid-filled cysts on its back, to the left of and proximal to the dorsal fin.
<I see this in your excellent photographs>
The fish is not in any distress, but the cyst has been growing over the past couple of months.
It began as a small injury caused (I suspect) by bullying by another telescope. The fish sustained what I thought was a superficial injury- a 1 cm abrasion
<On a small animal, this is more than superficial>
that disrupted a few scales- no blood and it did not look very deep. I moved him to his own tank (mostly to get him away from the bully) and added salt to be on the safe side. The wound healed well and the scales grew back- everything was fine until I noticed that the scales were pushing up along the line of the injury. They have continued to pop up and now there is an oval cyst approximately 1 cm x 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm. It is exactly where the injury occurred.
I am uncertain whether I should leave it, try to treat it with antibiotics (if it is building up fluid or exudate I fear it may eventually make the fish ill) or attempt to aspirate with a small needle.
<I would leave as is... I suspect, as it seems you do, that this area is resultant, a reaction area from the physical trauma (I currently have one on the side of a hand from smacking the back end of a pool pump...). Will likely subside w/ time (mo.s)>
I am attaching a couple of photos (though the cysts actually appears larger in "real life" than it does in the photos).
Thank you, once again, for your assistance:
Gina de Almeida
<Thank you for sharing. BobF>

Goldfish disease 2/6/11
Dear WWM Crew,
<Hey Craig>
Our seven year old goldfish, Jojo, has what appears to be a blister-like growth over one eye. This began two months ago as a smaller, slightly raised spot and since has grown.
<I see this>
We routinely change 40% of the water in her 16-gallon tank every week, and tried treating with Maracyn after her symptoms started to worsen. Her tank-mate, Mojo, is the same age, always lived in the same tank, and shows none of these symptoms.
<Mmm, well... these goldfish do/will need more room... I'd be measuring some aspect of metabolite accumulation, perhaps Nitrate; use/using this as an indicator of pollution... keeping NO3 in this case, under 20 ppm>
Can you tell from the photo what her condition might be and whether or not it is treatable?
<I can and it is not. Likely a tumorous growth. Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/GFgrowthsFAQs.htm
Good nutrition and water quality may well slow the rate of progress...>
Thank you so much for your time and consideration,
Craig
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>