Goldfish And Their Environment - 03/14/2006 Hello, <Hi.  Sabrina with you today.> I have two Goldfish a Comet and a Fantail I have had them for 6 months in a 10 litre tank which I think is 4 Gallons (I'm in Australia) <Actually, this is closer to 2.5 gallons, and in either case, far, far too small to support even one goldfish for a great deal of time.  We usually recommend 10 to 20 gallons per goldfish (that's about 38 to 76 liters).  Goldfish are very, very "messy" waste-producing fish that get far too large for such a small tank; they can easily pollute themselves to death, swimming in their own waste essentially.> it was a kit, has a magic jet filter, I do water 50% water changes every fortnight and I follow the instructions to the letter. Firstly the fantail (Rodney) became ill his tail looked clumped together and jagged fairly inactive not eating and being bullied a bit by the comet (Dell Boy) and looking quite unhappy, <All certain signs of a toxic environment - too small a tank for too much fish/fish waste.> the pet shop told me to do 50% water changes every 3 days, <A great piece of advice.> cut down on food to once a day fish flakes, <Take a look here:   http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm > and to add Promethyasul to water (a broad spectrum fish treatment for fungal and parasitic diseases) <Mm, medicating is probably unnecessary and maybe even a bad idea at this point.  The fish's affliction is almost certainly just environmental.> after a few days he improved and despite his jagged tail is now seems to be normal, but now the Comet developed red blood coloured streaks around his mouth area that extended to the bottom of his eye, after a day  the eye clouded over and the top of his head seemed as though there was blood coming to the surface of his skin, <All signs of environmental toxicity.> I attended the pet shop and they advised too much acid in the water (no test was done) <This is not the problem.  Though, huge amounts of ammonia (fish waste) in the water WILL bring the pH down, the problem is not the pH (acidity/alkalinity), but the ammonia - toxin, poison - in the water.> and the fish were being burned, <By ammonia, not acid.> they suggested partial water change and to clean filters always a few days after a water change, and to continue with the Promethyasul, <Still not sure I agree at all with medicating....  what is the active ingredient listed on this product?> two days later his eye has cleared the mouth has cleared but the sore on his head looks as if its bleeding looks very sore, he has streaks of blood on one front fin and on one of his under fins, also his side tummy area also looks kind of tinted with blood, <Still signs of ammonal, possibly nitrite poisoning....  some bacterial possibilities as well.> again I attended the pet shop this time with water sample, they said water was great <What are they testing?  I'm starting to question their information seriously.> but PH too high and that was most likely why they are sick, <Uhh.  Just before this, they told you the water was to acidic (this means a very low pH) and now they're telling you the pH is too high?  What are they smoking?  Uhh, in any case, the problem is not your pH, goldfish are VERY tolerant of a wide range of pH, from 6.5 to 8.0....  I strongly urge you to invest in a good liquid reagent test kit (not dipstick style ones) for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH, so you won't have to rely on a store for this.  I really, really don't trust that you have zero ammonia and nitrite in the tank at this point, with the descriptions of symptoms.> so yesterday I treated with PH down, <Changing your pH is dangerous.  A constant pH that's a little "off" is better than a fluctuating pH.> went back to the pet shop with another sample and they say the water is perfect, both fish are behaving normally eating a small amount once a day, the comet is still nipping a little at the Fantails tail. <This will continue until they're in a less crowded space.  This tank is just too small for them.> I'm quite worried about them being a Goldfish owner is still new to me,  been I have now been to 4 pet shops and becoming increasingly confused and more so worried about my little buddies, I would appreciate it so much if you could help me. Christine (Rodney & Dell Boy) <Please read on WWM regarding goldfish health, goldfish needs....  and decide if you have the space and funds to devote to a larger tank (or small pond on your porch?) for them.  Otherwise, you might want to consider keeping a single Betta or a few white cloud minnows, more suited to this small system than goldfish.  Please start reading here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm  and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisease.htm  as well as the links, in blue, at the tops of those pages.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

New Set Up Stressing fish   3/14/06 Dear Crew: You were very kind the last time I wrote, in February, and I'm hoping that you might be able to help me now. Our two new fish (Mojo and Jojo) are still having issues. Mojo now has both of his front fins shredding, and today he's developed a hole in the middle of his dorsal fin. In addition, the right side of his flowing tail is losing part of its structure (shredding a bit). His black markings have also grown and spread -- I'm assuming the new marks are signs of healing from some sort of trauma, but they are pretty dramatic. Jojo does not have any shredded fins or holes in her fins or tail, but the number of scales she's missing has increased -- she now has a bare spot on one side and a growing patch on the other. Mojo is not missing any scales. We have been adding a percentage of salt to the water, as recommended in the book "Fancy Goldfish" and online, and for about 10 days have fed them an antibiotic food that is supposed to help cure fin rot. However, no positive change has been seen. They don't seem to fight or attack each other -- they swim both in synch with one another as well as separately, with no visible preference. We've never seen one chase or bite the other. Our water has been pretty good with the exception of nitrite levels, which have been elevated. < Then it is not "pretty good".> We assumed this was because of the tank's being new (the process of the bacteria establishing themselves) and have just done regular 20-25% water changes (perhaps twice or three times a week). The water is clear. Today we switched the fish back to their varied diet (worms, peas, and sinking fish sticks) and will replace the filter after doing another water change. When we do the water changes, we use filtered tap water and let it aerate (with our backup pump) for about 24 hours. I am at a loss about what is causing their various injuries and don't know how to fix the situation. We are very attached to these fish and don't want to lose them -- or indeed have them be ill or experience any discomfort. They are two fantail goldfish, about perhaps 2 inches long each, living in a BiOrb 60-liter tank with only silk plants and a decorative Easter Island head for company/competition. We have a cycling LED light that we've recently installed that goes from "daylight" (white light) to "nighttime" (blue light) over a day's cycle. Are we doing something wrong? Perhaps not feeding them enough? What can we do to ensure the survival and happiness of our pets? Thanks so much, Anne < The elevated nitrite levels are stressing your fish and this is weakening them to the point that they are being attacked by bacteria. I am not aware of a medicated food that will treat fin rot. If available I would add Bio-Spira from Marineland to get the bacteria going to  break the nitrites down to nitrates. This should help with the fin rot. If it is still a problem then I would treat with an antibiotic like Nitrofurazone until cured. After treatment add activated carbon to remove the excess medication. Then add Bio-Spira to restore the biological filtration.-Chuck>

Goldfish, Koi, Aggression And Their Environment - 03/13/2006 Dear Wet Web Media Crew, <Sabrina with you, today> Thank you for the excellent site! I have been browsing through your FAQs for a few weeks now, and they have been a useful resource of information. <Glad to be of service!> Hadn't been expecting to write in myself, but an unexpected problem has developed in my aquarium and I was hoping you might be able to offer some advice on it. <I'll sure try.> I have searched through the FAQs, but I haven't yet found anything specific to what I noticed with my fish - my apologies if this has already been covered.  I am currently keeping three goldfish (a Ryukin, a Demekin, and a black moor, all roughly 2" long including tail) and one small Koi (2.5" - 3" including tail) in a 20 gallon tank. <Holy carp!  This is far, far too small for these animals....  The Koi will absolutely require a MUCH larger space, and soon.  He's a baby right now, and will grow impressively fast if fed well.  I have seen Koi that were larger than 20 gallon tanks - seriously!  The largest I've seen were *easily* five feet long.  For real.  This fellah will reach a foot in a year or two; a 20g tank really isn't a good space for him.  Some potential space problems brewing....> The black moor, Othello, was added three weeks ago and all four fish have been living together peacefully until this morning. <Uh-oh....> They were fine around midnight last night, but when I checked around 11 a.m. this morning, Othello's tail had been almost completely shredded, and all of his fins except the pectorals were also badly nipped. (I have attached a photo, in case it is of any use.) I noticed the Koi trying to suck at Othello's fins, and I was later informed by one of my family members that the Ryukin and the Demekin had also been chasing and nipping at him as early as 7:00 a.m. <I'm not terribly surprised.  The Koi may very well have "started" it, or it is also possible that the moor was ill to begin with.> I have since moved Othello into a "baby net" that I hung on the inside of the tank to keep him from getting abused by the other fish. <I would advise you to remove him to another system entirely.  For one, being in such a tiny space will stress him further in his damaged state.  For another, that baby net is seriously cutting into the available space in the tank....  I would place the moor in a separate system to allow him time and space to heal.> Besides the ripped fins, he seems to be fine - he has a good appetite and he holds his fins (or what's left of them) open and erect.   <A good sign to be sure.> My questions to you are: 1.) Do you know of anything that could account for this sudden aggression, and is there any way to rectify it? (I read that females can be chased and nipped by males, but I am fairly certain that Othello is male - he has small white tubercles along the first ray of his pectoral fins and on his gill covers - while the sex of the other three fish is unknown.) <Mm, at that small size, I find it unlikely that the fish are able to show their gender yet - let alone start flirting.> 2.) Is there anything I can do to help his fins and tails heal? <Pristine water quality, possibly Nitrofurazone or Kanamycin in a hospital tank *if* he shows signs of bacterial infection.> 3.) Can/should I keep him separated in the "baby net" until he's completely healed, or are there any downsides to keeping him in the net (e.g., should I place a divider into my tank instead and keep him separated that way?)? <No divider, no net....  really, this fish needs a quarantine tank to provide space and time away from his pals to heal.> 4.) Can/should I reintroduce him to the other fish again later, after he has recovered?   <Not in the 20g.  Really, ideally, these animals need a much bigger space.  For the three goldfish, I'd like to recommend a 30 gallon tank.  They can get by in the 20 for a while, though.  The Koi, however, really deserves to be in a pond.  Koi are not small animals, and don't really do well in aquariums.> (This may not be relevant, but in case it is, here are the water conditions of the tank: pH = 7.8, [ammonia] = 0 mg/L, [nitrate] = 10 mg/L, [nitrite] = 0 mg/L. I change about 30% of the water weekly, and condition the water with NovAqua and Aquari-Sol.)   <All very relevant, thanks for adding.  I heartily recommend that you discontinue the regular use of Aquari-Sol; this is a copper based medication.  In too great an amount, or improperly use, can become toxic to the fish.  I know it includes instructions for regular use, but really should not be used except as an anti-parasitic medication.> Thank you very much for your time, and I look forward to hearing back from you. Sincerely,  -KT <All the best to you KT.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Goldfish Dropsy now turning black  - 03/13/2005 Hi, we have a goldfish we took out of our pond that had dropsy.  After  a week indoors his body quit bloating and no longer looks like a pinecone.    But now he is turning black from his gills which are very black to spots on his body. Any ideas? <Likely "just" stress... Neurochemical expression from the move to different environment> Also we just saw another goldfish in the pond that has a misshaped body, one side is bloated, the other is normal.  Looks like a large tumor.  Is this the beginning of dropsy or something else? Thanks Chris <... I would be checking your water quality, food/s... And reading WWM re Environmental Pond Disease. Bob Fenner>

Our Goldfish looks Dead, but isn't  - 03/13/2006 Hi there, our Black telescope eye goldfish has been looking like he is dead for about 3 days now.  We first noticed the fish had Ich after getting a few new fish. <The system has "it" now> He was lying on his side.  I put him on his own to bring him to the pet store and to keep him from continuously bashing his eyes on the gravel.  He did a little better on his own, between gulping, he did eat. The pet store checked the water, and said it was perfect, but that he was probably better in the tank as it wouldn't get polluted so quickly. <Likely so... and all need treating> That was yesterday.  We did a water change and are treating all the fish for Ich. (they were all a little lethargic, but doing much better now).  The black one looks worse.  He is gulping less and less.  We put him back on his own, as he did seem to do better that way, but he is not eating now.  The pet store said it may be his Float Bladder, and to get more oxygen.  We have a filter, but have since added a air rock.  I am worried he is dying...  what else can we do??? <Put this fish back in with the others, but keep an eye out for harassment by other fishes... it appears shredded. Treat as per instructions. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish "fin spot"  - 03/11/2006 OK, you folks tried to help me before. I'm the person with the Ribbontail with the swim bladder problem and the red streaks. Well we figured out the problem on our own. It turns out that the Oranda we bought, and probably the other fish it replaced, was trying to eat the Ribbontail! <Ahh!> I thought it was sad that he would "try to nudge her and she'd twitter up as high as she could". Well, he was biting her. <Happens twixt goldfishes> We have a partition in our new 29 gallon tank dividing it into 1/3 for her and 2/3 for the Oranda, and the streaks are gone and her fins are slowly growing back. <Good> Now I have another concern. I just noticed the "V" of her tail fin now has some kind of dark/black spot on it now, and it's growing pretty fast. I can't tell if it's a lump. Mildew?... <Of a sort, likely yes> I can't tell. Have you heard about this sort of odd spot before? The FAQ didn't say much on spots. Help again? <I would just "hold off" here. With good maintenance, time going by these spots will solve themselves. They are probably secondarily microbial and nervous damage in origin... Will heal in time. Bob Fenner>

Sick goldfish?   3/10/06 Hi, <Hello there> Looking in the web I have found lots of information on sick goldfish but nothing that fits completely our fish. <Well, let's add to it> We have 4 small goldfish in a 10 gallon tank. The other three fish look perfectly healthy. The 4th fish however, yesterday evening we noticed that it seemed to have lost a scale - it had a tiny white patch. <Mmm, do you have any sharp decor items? Goldfish are part of a/the group of Inadvanced bony fishes that have cycloid scales... these fall off much more easily than ctenoid... of advanced osteichthyans> We noticed no real change this morning. This evening over a period of 3-4 hours it appears that this fish has lost almost a third of the scales off its body. <Yikes! Do you have a Chinese Algae Eater in this system?> The body where the scales were looks a very pale gold and it looks like there are new scales, just a different colour. We have looked closely in the tank and cannot see any evidence of where the scales have gone. The fish itself looks fine, it is swimming around with the others. Its size is normal and there is no swelling on its body. These fish were bought from a pet shop about 4 months ago. Any advice you could give would be gratefully received. Thanks, Louise <Something is very wrong here. Something (as in an organism) is picking on this fish likely... Maybe the other goldfish. Do you have another place to put the one damaged individual? Bob Fenner>
Re: Sick goldfish?   3/10/06 Hi Thanks for your reply. <Welcome> In answer to your questions, we have no sharp decor items in the tank and no other fish apart from the goldfish. <Frightening...> The three other fish are absolutely fine and have no scales missing. Interestingly, in the last 24 hours the poorly fish does not appear to have lost any more scales and is still swimming around normally. <Very strange> No we don't have a Chinese Algae Eater in the tank. Although we find that algae builds up regularly. We have a bag of PhosGuard in the filter which seems to keep it at bay. <Mmm, if it were "something" physical/chemical one would expect all fish to be similarly effected> Yes we can separate the sick fish. I had thought about doing this earlier but I wondered if that might stress it out. <Will/would, but this is the best course of action here> Any other suggestions would be great. Thanks, Louise <Mmm, I would hold off on the application of salt/s, most all cathartics... just move some of the present system water with the fish. Bob Fenner>
Re: Sick goldfish?  - 03/11/2006 Thanks for the information. Something I forgot to mention is that the scale loss is symmetrical on both sides of the sick fish. Starting at the bottom and heading upwards. <More and more interesting. Have seen this before... and thought perhaps this is not unlike some of the "hair anomalies" of some mammals (e.g. a few breeds of dogs, cats, mice...) and more closely related "doitsu" varieties of "mirror" carp... Where genetic disposition is somehow at play.> I have checked the sick fish again and there still appears to be no more scale loss since yesterday. I'm just about to clean the filter etc so I'll separate the sick fish at the same time. Thanks, Louise <Thank you for this further input. Maybe you have the beginnings of a new "line" of sport/mutant goldfish. Bob Fenner>

Re: VERY sick Goldfish...   3/10/06 Your thoughts are appreciated, as was your advice. I guess we should be happy that we had her as long as we did - we bought her at Wal-Mart - bad plan. Got two goldfish that night and one only lasted a week. In the 14 months we had her she was sick probably 8 or 9 times, and we were always able to bring her back the other times, but not this time. Gary <I see... Perhaps, in time, a replacement will do better. BobF>

Sunny, needs more info., a better environment   3/10/06 My four/five year old goldfish Sunny has recently developed a whitish sheen over her body. Additionally, she has some small white lumps in a cluster on her tail and along her side in a neat row. I noticed some red veining in her tail also. <Poor or too varying water quality> She is a Shubunkin/comet cross (my previous fish surprised me one day) and as such is very special to me - I would hate anything to happen to her. Her appetite hasn't changed at all, but she spends a lot of her time trying to eat bubbles on the surface. I do change the tank water by 60% fortnightly, <Too much at one time> and the tank does contain oxygen blocks and plants, so I don't think it could be lack of oxygen (could it?). <Possibly...> Her tank-mate seems unaffected. Is this harmless and I'm simply overreacting, or is it some sort of infection/virus? I've tried various goldfish guides but they don't seem to have the same symptoms listed. Any advice would be very welcome. <... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm You have test kits? Filtration? See also the links re foods/feeding/nutrition. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish and Possible Mal-Nutrition, Environmental Disease - 03/08/2005 My 4 year old fantail goldfish " Maggie" seems to be feeling poorly.  Yesterday and today, she's had a serious loss of interest in food.  She has no visible "critters" on or under her scales.  Her focus are normal for her.  She seem to be having trouble staying "afloat".  She just sinks to the bottom of the tank.   <A likely sign of mal-nutrition.  Please read here:   http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm .> She has no interest in play time, which we do every day, and she just loves.  I'm at a loss. I can't seem to find any material with these symptoms.  Also, her tail seems to be drooping from the attachment point of her body.  Any suggestions you can give would be greatly appreciated.   <First and foremost, test your water.  Ammonia and nitrite must be ZERO, nitrate ideally less than 20ppm.  It is possible that your fish may be suffering from environmental disease.  Please read the following link for more:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisease.htm .> Thank you,  -Donna <All the best to you,  -Sabrina>
Goldfish and Possible Mal-Nutrition, Environmental Disease - II - 03/09/2005 Thank you very much Sabrina.   <Sure thing, Donna.> She seems to do better at night when we put her in the "hospital net"  and let it just surface.  She seems to go up for air and then the next morning she's fine.  But by 5pm she right back to square one.  We bought an algae eater.  He might have the cancer they get.  He has been separated.  Seems like every time we get a new fish, Maggie gets like this. <Please read those links I gave you, and test your water....  that will likely reveal some things you can correct for her.> Thanks.  -Donna <Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>
Goldfish and Possible Mal-Nutrition, Environmental Disease - III - 03/11/2005 Sabrina, You're welcome.  Maggie is doing much better.  She's sleeping in the squid cave now.  She was all over the place yesterday.  Got kinda tired around 900pm and took a snooze, but was up around 10pm last night.  Could be a good possibility that she had the same thing that the algae eater had.  Cotton Mouth.  They were given Pimafix from Petland.  No offense.  As you know the treatment takes 7 days.  So we shall see how they are doing then.   <I feel pretty strongly that Pimafix and Melafix are of no real value in treating advanced bacterial diseases like columnaris/"cotton mouth" - also, you've mentioned no symptoms that resemble columnaris to me.  Please test the water as previously mentioned, maintain optimal water quality....> Will keep you posted.  Thanks very much for all your services.  Have a good weekend. <Thank you; you as well.  I do hope you read and gain some good information from those articles.> Donna,  Shelton, CT <Wishing you well,  Sabrina, of the Santa Cruz mountains in CA>

Lots of Goldfish Problems  - 03/05/06 Hello!  I'm so glad to find someone to ask my questions to.  I have 2 goldfish in a 20 gallon tank.  They are almost 6 years old.  One of them is absolutely fine and beautiful!  The other turned silver last year.  Also last year I noticed that one of her eyes looked hollow.  There still is the cover of the eye and its not bulging out but you can see right in it to the back - nothing how the other eye looked.   By the way, I've already had to use anti fungus treatment in the past to cure tail rot.  Now, two months ago she started having other problems. Her other eye started to bulge out and turn bloody-dark- looking.  I think she's blind now so I have to scratch on the top when I feed them. And even more recently, she has become very lethargic and kind of sits at the bottom on her tail, head pointing to the top.   I even see the orange one nudging her sometimes just to move after a while. And there are orange-red streaks, some look like veins with very dark blood, going through her tail.  Could this be her color coming back or is it blood?  I am so confused and really appreciate your help.  Thank you!  Kate <Mmm, hard to say what is actually "going on" here in terms of root causes... It may be that given the conditions, feeding... that the one fish is "just old"... Likely monitoring nitrate will find this to be more than desired (less than 20 ppm let's say)... increasing water changes, expanding the food menu may extend life here. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish... internal bleeding?   3/3/06 Hello to the crew, <And back to you> I've been looking around the site [and others], trying to figure out a possible cure for my fishes, but perhaps it's because they're symptoms seem general [?] that I'm uncertain of what action to take. My family owns 12 goldfish [9 Orandas, and 3 typical (I'm sorry to say that I'm not sure of their type)] but 3 have died. I suspect a swim bladder problem was what killed one of them since he continuously stayed near the top and sometimes swam upside down. <But what root cause/s to this disorder?> I'm really unsure of what the others died of, but all my fish show the same red burn-like marks [I'm guessing its internal bleeding] all over their scales and fins. Their tails especially seem to be fraying and dissolving. <Yikes> The water quality was tested and the results said that it was fine. <For what was tested> We have a filter for our 55 gallon tank, and my mom feeds them flakes and pellets. <Ahh!> I also suspect its the dry foods that we're feeding them that might cause this problem [could you suggest any other kinds of nutrition?]. <Yes... is posted... Here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshfdgfaqs.htm and see Sabrina's "Bloaty" article linked above...> Or perhaps it's a parasite [since their feces seem stringy and white/clearish]? I really don't know, but I think they're fading fast. <Likely overall a matter of crowding, environment... do you test for water quality? Make regular/weekly water changes? And cumulative diet effects> I apologize for the appalling length of my email. <No worries> Technically I don't take care of the fish [my parents do], and we're fairly new owners of this rather large tank [we only had a little one with one fish in it before]. I noticed the redness yesterday afternoon, and my dad put in Ick guard, [possibly] fungus eliminator, and CopperSafe. <... not a good idea... these "medicines" are quite toxic...> Not all at once mind you, but within that night. I don't think that was safe, <You are correct here. Likely have killed off a part to all of your absolutely necessary biological filtration> but it's been done. It was today that two [out of the 3 deaths I mentioned] of our fish died. I'm a total newbie at this, so I'm afraid you might have to go into a bit of detail if you can come up with a solution. Thanks so much for your time [can't believe you got this far o.O]! -Otis =] <Keep reading "my man!". Bob Fenner>

Bubble Eye with Swollen Eye   3/3/06 Dear Crew, <Sandra> Thanks for your excellent site. <Welcome> My daughter has had a bubble eye goldfish for aprox 3 years. It lives by itself in a 60 gal tank, well planted, with under gravel filtration. (It had a fancy fin tank mate until last year; that fish died of dropsy). <Sorry to read of> Yesterday we saw that one of its eyes is swollen about 1/2 again its normal size. Otherwise (appetite, swimming, etc.) it appears to be behaving normally. What, if any attention do we need to give its eye? <I would try the "Epsom Salt" routine... detailed on WWM: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saltusefaqs.htm> Thanks for any help you can give. PS Bob Fenner, are you Bob Fenner from Wet Pets in San Diego? If so, hello from Tom and Sandra Gleich, formerly of San Diego, now living in North Carolina. <Yes, and hello to you my friends. Bob Fenner... visited near Raleigh last year... very nice area and folks... much more agreeable real property costs, opportunities than S. Cal.!>

Red Ryukin and one calico telescope... in a two gal. tank  - 3/1/2006 Dear Friend, I've had one Ryukin in a 2 gal tank for roughly 2 yrs. <Too small...> All seemed well until of late. He is floating at the bottom of the tank gulping but still alive. I fear death is near, he is old. BUT did I cause something? What should the proper Ph or other chem levels in the tank be? <Likely just "something" caught up with the situation here... the small "trigger" might have been water quality change... a bit too much food...> What do I buy to ck this? The store recom aquarium salt? <This and a much larger system> I wanted to get a bigger tank and try some angels but if I kill one goldfish Id rather not try angels. Thanks for any help! Oh I also have one calico telescope in there now losing color, what is the right food to feed these guys? Alyson <... all posted on WWM. Please start here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm and read onto the linked files at top. Bob Fenner>

Preventing Goldfish Bloat  - 3/1/2006 Hi again, Chuck, I am sad to say that my calico goldfish passed away despite the Metronidazole treatment.  Initially it appeared as if he was getting better (swimming around more) but after a day or so (and despite continuing treatment) he got worse and died.  I never saw any external signs of sickness except for the behavior changes of lethargy and "yawning" I described in my previous message.  I continued to monitor the water and all stayed fine (ammonia = 0, nitrite = 0, nitrate <20, hardness, etc in normal range). My questions are: 1)What if anything should I do to the tank to prevent the same thing happening to my one living goldfish? He is not as bad as the one that died but still seems more lethargic compared to how he used to be.  I have read about Kanacyn or Maracyn 2 being used for internal bacterial infections - is it useful to zap the tank with one of these to get rid of anything remaining? (I had treated the whole tank with the Metronidazole so the living fish was already exposed to this but I have since cleaned the tank and added back the filter). < These factors are usually caused by stress. Dirty water too much food etc.. I would recommend a diet change. These other medications will affect your biological filtration so I would not blindly recommend them at this time.> 2)How do these problems start and what can I do to prevent them?  My water has been good as I have routinely done weekly 20-25% water changes and monitor parameters.  As a reminder I had 2 goldfish (about 1.5 inch each) and 2 golden snails in a 12g eclipse tank. The only thing I add to the tank is new Anacharis (since my snails eat it) every month or so.  Can the snails or plants be harboring something bad for the fish?  I would like to get a replacement goldfish but don't want it to pick up something nasty from the tank. < Once again I would do some research online and get a fish food specifically for goldfish. I have had very good luck with brands like Spectrum and Hikari but I don't specialized in goldfish. Look for recommendations from Goldfish and Koi sites.-Chuck> Sorry this is so long.  I appreciate your help and want to make sure I don't harm another fish. Thanks much, Susan

Sick Black Moor, Any Advice? - 2/28/2006 Hello, <Hi there> I am copying a post I made to seek some help with my Black Moor.  I have seen some of your answers and you folks might be able to help. Thanks in advance, Eric Hello I have a problem with a week old black moor. I purchased him about a week ago, placed him in a tank that had been running for a while to allow chlorine, etc to dissipate. Here are the details per the instructions. Ammonia Level is .25 Nitrate Level is 20 Nitrite Level is 1 <... ammonia, nitrite need to be zero> Total Hardness is 50 Alkalinity is 80 PH is 6.8 20 G Tank Whisper 20 Power filter I changed the water for the first time last night, about 20% change Two fish total, The sick black moor and another normal goldfish, both less than 3 inches No water additives or conditioners, except Tetra AquaSafe No meds, no new fish. Feed Tetra flakes <Need other non-dried foods> No marks or anything on the fish. The fish looks like he is dead. He was floating when I came home, I washed my hands, tapped him, and he swam to the bottom for a second, them floated to the surface. He just lies there, kinda on his side and doesn't move. <Poisoned...> I have isolated him in a 3G tank with an air pump and nothing else. I placed a slight amount of salt in the tank. He still isn't moving too much. He just rides the air bubbles and circulates in the tank. When I turn the air off, he floats. The other fish is doing fine. Two days ago, the Moor started hanging out by the filter, towards the top of the tank, but not all the time. He would "rest" there, then swim around, then I would find him resting. Since I got him, I have noticed some trouble eating, simply cannot find the food and has to wait to get lucky or for it to sink. Any advice would be great. He looks really bad right now, so I have clove oil if things don't get better, I don't want him to suffer. Thanks for the help, Eric <Umm, in writing us, there are notes requesting you look at what is posted on WWM... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm and the linked files above... Bob Fenner>  

Re: Extremely worried over goldfish....please help   2/23/06 Thank you for your reply. <Welcome> We did what you said, replacing 50% of the water with new, clean water...but now we're seeing the opposite problem: the fish floats at the top, in the same corner. <I'd limit such change outs to 25% or so...> We know that, for the most part, it is still healthy, because it still swims around when something catches it's attention (such as a hand moving near the glass)...but it just floats there. Do you have any suggestions on what might be wrong, or if it's considered normal? <... Please read on WWM re...> I'm so sorry to continue to trouble you with these questions . . . but I really don't know who else to ask. -Thank you so much, Ben <See WWM... Bob Fenner>

My hyperactive goldfish is prone to bruising... in a bowl   2/22/06 Dear WWM, Thank you for your informative website. I hope you can share some advice for my problem with my goldfish, Poseidon. He is a little less than two inches long (excluding tail) and stays in a 4 litre fishbowl. I love my fish very much. <If you love this fish, move it to an environment where it can/will live: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm Not a bowl> When I first saw Po at the aquarium shop, he was the most hyperactive fish in the tank. That was eight months ago and till today, Po still swims very fast and does head butts onto his gravel. He surfaces affectionately if you wiggle your finger at the surface of the water and is very responsive to any of our actions. The aquarium shop tells us that his gravel size is fine and I don't think he has any environmental or nutrition problems. But lately, he seems to have bruises along his sides and there is an alarming 5mm bruise at the bottom 'chest' area this morning. I have immediately removed the gravel (no worries he has a filter). <And water quality? How does it test?> Please advise. I am so worried that poor Po is going through pain with his bruises. Thank you, Sue <Read my friend. Goldfish are not bowl fish. Bob Fenner>

Update--cycle complete, but someone's had some unhealthy poop since day one, and is floating and blowing lots of bubbles out--thanks!  - 2/21/2006 Bob, <John> Thanks again for the help and pointers in the right direction on our cycling concern a few weeks back.  Lots of reading and even more patience, and the tank is now where it should be--0 ammonia and nitrite, 20 nitrate (though I'd like to see it lower), pH 6.8 (and I wouldn't mind seeing that higher).  Phosphate off the scale (4ppm+-- and I checked tap water which was as high as 0.5ppm, and spring water just as a control, which came out very close to 0), which may help explain why we've got some green algae growing on the sides of the tank, <Oh yes> which I hope my reading tells me will go away in time.     <Maybe...> AquaClear  30 filter hanging on the back, which seems to put an awful lot of bubbles into the water (there are constantly tiny ones floating up all over the tank). When we do water changes we treat the new water with Prime, which seems to be doing its job admirably. <Though is implicated here in the persistent bubbling...> Now that all this is taken care of (we've had the tank about six weeks), we can concentrate on the problem that came with the fishie when she came home with us at Christmas, one small bump on one side--just a little raised patch, but scales not sticking out), intermittent long stringy white or translucent feces, sometimes with bubbles, and occasional buoyancy issues.  She's in a 10 gallon tank, I've put in a   tablespoon of Epsom Salt, and am feeding her peas, which aren't helping with the buoyancy as much or as quickly as I'm used to seeing.  She comes up for air occasionally, but it seems like she only does it when she knows someone's watching, despite the fact that I don't think she sees very well!  No changes in her activity, she still bops back and forth when there are people watching, and bounces as best she can from sucking gravel to taking in air on top, but this has been an ongoing if on-and-off problem since the moment she was given to us.   Would getting some frozen vegetable-based food for her staple diet to replace the Tetra Exotic and Ocean Lionhead Enhancer she's eating it now and possibly treating it with Metronidazole be a good way to attack this problem?  If not, is there a better medication, if one is needed at all? <Just having time going by is about the best thing for this fish. Takes a while... weeks to months to "recover" from the changes in the environment...> Thanks again for your help in the past, and we look forward to hearing from you again. Best regards, John <More patience my friend. Bob Fenner>
Update--cycle complete, but someone's had some unhealthy poop since day one, and is floating and blowing lots of bubbles out--thanks!  - 3/1/2006 Dear Bob, <John> Thanks again.  Patience is harder than medication, but I'll do it.    <Good> Patience and peas (she gets so bloated especially on one side and just floats right up to the top, then a few hours after a pea, she's back to normalish buoyancy, if not quite as regular as one might yet like).  Your site is amazing, and I greatly appreciate your help.    I've made a donation to help modestly with the upkeep.  You're really to be applauded for creating this fantastic resource. Regards, John <Am glad to share. Bob Fenner>  

New Print and eBook on Amazon Goldfish Success What it takes to keep goldfish healthy long-term by Robert (Bob) Fenner