Weird Goldfish Disease? Another floaty, bloaty...   6/12/06 To the Crew. <Brad> So I get a phone call from my girlfriend saying her goldfish (a sand tail goldfish?), <? Never heard of...> Penny Sue, isn't doing to well.  She described to me that Penny's Tail was coming apart, and it looked "Stringy."  She also noted that Penny was unresponsive to her when she comes over.  Some background for you. Our fish likes to float upside down, and normally when you go over to her tank, she turns over, and swims like crazy, but for the past week or so, she just remains upside down. <...> Now we know she isn't dead, because she does still turn over, and eat, but it is very sporadic.  I have spent a good time going through Google and other fish forums, but nothing is coming up. If you could give any advice it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Brad <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Fin Rot / Sick Black Moor... Mysterious cause/s   6/12/06 I have a 3 yr. old Black Moor, Celestial, Lionhead, and Fancy Goldfish in a 55 gallon tank along with a Bushy Nose Pleco. In the past month or so I've noticed the fins and tails on my Black Moor and Lionhead starting to fray. There are also some red streaks in everyone's tails and the Black Moor and Lionhead seem to be pooping bubbles. <Mmm, sounds like water quality...>   I bought a Freshwater Test Kit after doing research online and my levels right now are:   pH 6.8, Ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0.25 ppm, Nitrate 10 ppm. <Mmm, all okay except for the nitrite... am wondering if it has been higher recently... does change... quickly> Last week I treated the tank with salt and Melafix daily for 7 days and did a 25% water change 4 days ago.  This could explain my increase in Nitrite and Nitrate levels. <Yes>   Before the water change they were 0 ppm.       Today I noticed my Black Moor struggling to swim and his bottom fins seems to both be more frayed than usual.  He seems a bit sluggish and is hanging out near the bottom of the tank.  Could it be Septicemia?      <Could be... but were still at the first issue of root cause/s here>   Also, my Fancy Goldfish is a sinker and constantly sits on the bottom of the tank.  She's been like this for a year. <What do you feed your goldfish?> I noticed Plecos sucking on her <Not good. I would remove this Pleco> so I moved her into her own tank.  The sucking Plecos are no longer in the large tank and I've moved the Fancy back into the 55 gallon.  Ever since then she has been turning white.  Do you know what this could mean?    <Something amiss...>   Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Thank you for your time! <I suspect there is some type of poisoning going on... an ornament, rock, shell... I would start larger, regular water changes (25% a week is what I do), and use a chemical filtrant (e.g. activated carbon, PolyFilter) in your filter flow path... Re nutrition, please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Fancy freshwater goldfish developed growth, then Popeye now clamped fins   6/12/06 Hi <Hello - Jorie here> Hoping you can help. <I will try, as always!> We've had a 20 gallon tank for about 12 months now, we had two fancy freshwater goldfish, but when one of them died of swimbladder problems we decided to buy two more fancies.    We kept them in a quarantine tank for 3 weeks with no problems, then moved them to the main tank two weeks ago. <Yay for QTing - good job! Am I correct in thinking, then, that the 20 gal. is now home to 3 fancy goldies?  As you likely know, goldfish are notoriously messy fish...what type of filtration do you have on this tank, and even more importantly, how often and how much water changes are you performing?> After a week, one of the new ones developed a white fuzzy growth on its tail.   We treated the water with Myxazin, which has cleared up the growth in 4 days. <In retrospect, you should have removed the affected fish and used the QT tank as a hospital tank...you never want to treat your main tank w/ medication, as it destroys any cycle that had been established.>   Unfortunately, a day or two after treatment started, our original Oranda's eye appeared to swell up around the base.  And today, he is swimming with his pelvic and anal fins clamped up to his body.   Both he and the other sick fish are constantly gulping (but not at the surface) and seem generally unhappy.   The second new addition has had no problems so far. <So you have two sick fish and one healthy? I would strongly suggest isolating at this point, even though it may be too late.  I am very curious as to your rate of water changes, as mentioned above.  Also, what temperature do you keep this tank at? Goldies like cooler water, as I am sure you know, and like all fish, appreciate first and foremost stability.  If it were me, I'd isolate the well fish to the smaller QT tank.  Keep in mind that you will have to establish a new cycle (in both tanks), so frequent water changes are in order.  With regard to your sick 2 fish, larger, more frequent water changes (with new and old water matched as closely as possible in terms of pH, temp., etc.) would also be in order.  Also, is there sufficient aeration in this tank? Gasping can be a sign of not enough oxygen...you could consider adding water pumps and/or an airstone to increase the O2 levels.> The water levels are fine: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate <5.0 <Again, am curious to know water change schedule and what type of biological filtration you have.> We searched your site and guess that the swelling is Popeye but since that seems to be caused by many things we're still stumped.  If it's bacterial, wouldn't the Myxazin have cleared it up by now? <Not necessarily - with everything that is going on at once, it sounds as though your problem is environmental.  Popeye is most times caused by poor husbandry, and clamped fins can also be the sign of poor water conditions.  Increase your water changes, add aeration to the tank, and increase circulation if possible.  Ultimately, I would suggest investing in a larger tank if you plan to continue keeping goldies...for 3, I'd say a 40-50 gal. would be a wonderful home.  As mentioned above, they are messy (both with their food and feces), and they grow much larger than many tropical FW fish.  There's a difference between fish "surviving" in a tank, and "thriving" in one. Thanks for your time. <Hope I've helped.> Graham <Jorie>

Re: Worried about my Mimi   6/10/06 Hi, Tom. <<Hello, Alfredo.>> I am very worried about Mimi. The feces of the goldfish has not been the recommended ´short and dark´, so I was going to start the third week of treatment with Jungle Medicated food today. <<Hold off on treating with the Metronidazole for the time being, Alfredo. After two weeks I would have expected improvement if this medication were going to be effective.>> I forgot to do so this morning and instead fed them "goldfish green pellets" from Nutrafin with an ingredient unknown to me called "P.D.P ,-- low ash and phosphorus, highly palatable" .  <<P.D.P. is "Pre-Digested Plankton" which is touted by the manufacturer as a highly nutritious, digestible and beneficial food source. Guess you'd have to be a Goldfish to know whether, or not, this is true. :)>> Mimi has been laying on the gravel all day since feeding and I found her resting in an odd position, enmeshed in a soft plastic aquarium plant, a little while ago. I freed her from it but she has continued to sit at the bottom. The readings from the water test are all perfect. Yesterday Lucy had been laying around as well. My girlfriend suggested that she was probably hungry as Mimi may have eaten up her food before she got a chance to, and so we gave her one of these green pellets last night. She perked up after the pellet and has been cruising around as usual since. <<I'm glad to hear this but it does seem a bit strange.>> What should I do? <<Taking a cue from Mr. Albert Einstein, we can't keep doing the same things and expect different results. Let's try to get Mimi and Lucy on a diet of green vegetables; leafy types like various lettuces and spinach (blanched first) are very good. Cucumber and squash are also recommended as are the peas that you've already used. These will be highly-digestible and nutritious for them and should reduce, or eliminate, any compaction that may be lingering. Don't be concerned about being "liberal" with the quantities of these as they will supplement the plants that they would normally go after and feed on. Naturally, you'll want to refresh these foods regularly.>> I very much want for Mimi to be alright. <<I want this nearly as much as you do.>> I appreciate all your kind help as always, my friend. <<One way or another, we're going to get something to work for us, Alfredo.>>
Re: troubling goldfish behaviour   6/10/06 Hello, Tom. <<Good morning, Alfredo.>> Lucy has begun laying next to Mimi at the bottom of the tank. I haven't scene them pass any bowel movements in the last day or so; I am guessing this has something to do with their disconcerting behaviour. I added a tablespoon of Epsom salt. I forgot to mention that I did a 50% water change yesterday after finding Lucy sitting at the bottom. I don't know what to do. <<By now you will have seen my suggestion about a change in diet for both of your pets. Hopefully, this will get things turned around for both of them or, at the very least, headed in the right direction.>> Thanks for all the help, Tom. <<You're welcome, as always. Tom>>
Re: Mimi and Lucy acting strange   6/10/06 Hello, Tom. <<Top of the day to you, Alfredo.>> I am sorry for bothering you. <<You know better, Alfredo. :)>> I decided to write with some descriptions of the goldfishes´ latest symptoms as it may help with a diagnosis. I managed to stir Lucy into swimming for a bit and she immediately starting asking for food. She ate her usual dosage of 4 medicated pellets. I tried to "wake" Mimi up but she seems to be having trouble making the proper movements to swim. She looks like she is having trouble performing the 'twisty' motion that is essential to swimming. She seemed sort of unaware when I got her in the net and she was able to eat one medicated pellet with much effort. She spends almost all the time at the bottom. Lucy occasionally gets up and swims about as if nothing were wrong, asking to be fed. I haven't seen either of them defecate. What should I do? <<Again, this goes back to the change to a strict diet of blanched vegetables. These can also be supplemented with brine shrimp, which I forgot to mention in my earlier response(s). These will also have a purgative effect. My thinking is that both are constipated to a greater, or lesser, degree and this is affecting their movements. The blockage may well be affecting their swim bladders, which could account for their laying about at the bottom of the tank and struggling to get around. In addition, if we haven't already discussed this, you might try raising the temperature of the water to about 74F (23-24C). They'll not only do quite well at this temperature but it will also elevate their metabolisms, which would be beneficial for both.>> Thank you, my friend. <<You're most welcome, Alfredo. Tom>>
Re: Watching Mimi  - 06/10/2006 Hi, Tom. <<Hello, Alfredo.>> I am sorry to bug you. Mimi is looking very weak; I noticed that the white part of her tail is looking spotty, with red streaks. <<This I don't like. If I recall correctly, you purchased the Jungle Anti-Bacteria medicated food along with the Anti-Parasite food. The red streaks, along with the puffiness you noticed in her chest area, lead me to rather strongly suspect Septicemia. Try to get her to take the Anti-Bacteria food as soon as possible.>> Could this be from when she got caught in the suction current of the filter? <<No. A healthy fish won't get caught in the suction of a filter and the constipation issue looks to be secondary, now, with Mimi.>> She is looking bloaty and I am terribly worried. <<The bloating is probably due to fluids building up inside her body as a result of the bacterial infection.>> Thanks, Tom. I appreciate your kindness. Alfredo <<I'm more than a little concerned at this point, Alfredo. If this is what the signs indicate, we must move quickly. Tom>>
Re: Worried about my Mimi part II  - 06/10/2006 Good Morning, Tom. I found Mimi caught in the end of the tube that comes out of the hang on filter, to weak to free herself from the suction. I rescued her in a net and Lucy seems to be fine, swimming around. I hadn't read your response when this occurred so I fed Lucy some medicated food. I have read your wise response and have purchased different lettuces. Mimi is now floating near the surface, protected by the net. She tilts a little to the side. She was unable to eat the lettuce but did manage to eat a little piece of a pea. She seems weak and a bit unaware. How can I get her to eat the lettuce? What's next on the plan of attack to save these darlings? <<I took your latest questions out of order, Alfredo, because of the additional information you provided on Mimi's behavior/appearance. Please do keep a close eye on Lucy as well as Mimi. All may be quite well with her and the diet changes you've made should help keep her that way. As I noted with Mimi, however, there's much more apparently going on than I was able to surmise. As an important side note to my earlier response, dim the lighting in the tank. One of the active ingredients in the food is Nitrofurazone which can be rendered inactive by light.>> As always, I can't thank you enough, my friend. Alfredo <<Keeping my fingers crossed for you and Mimi, Alfredo. Tom>>
Re: Observations  - 06/10/2006 Good Evening, Tom. <<Early morning for me, Alfredo, though it still feels a bit like "evening". :)>> I did, in fact, forget to mention a couple of things in the last mail I sent as I had feared. My girlfriend noticed yesterday that Lucy, upon surveying her from above the tank with open lid, appeared to have an ever so slight pinecone effect in her scales. They look like they protrude a little bit, with something of a ribbed aspect. This worried me, naturally, but I realized that we had never paid much attention to what she looked like from above before. Would you take this as a sign of something wrong or simply as the way she is? <<In conjunction with what I believe Mimi is afflicted with, I would take this as something "wrong". Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia is contagious. It affects the circulatory system and heart as well as the other organs. In effect, it weakens the vascular walls of the blood system causing, among other things, red streaking/blood "pooling" in the fins and body. We haven't seen any "pooling" in the stomach area, as yet, but the streaking in Mimi's tail along with the bloating, lethargy/weakness are too compelling to view as anything else. The pineconing (generically termed "Dropsy") of the scales is caused by internal infections of the organs. On its own, this isn't necessarily an indication of Septicemia - but, can be - as there are a variety of causes and the specific cause must be determined to combat the infection effectively. All of that said, Alfredo, I feel we must take this as an early indication and treat both of your pets in the same fashion. Don't feed them anything other than the medicated Anti-Bacteria food. Fortunately, the Nitrofurazone contained in this product can/will be readily "absorbed" through the skin and gills unlike some other medications that "must" be ingested in order to be effectual. Be a bit liberal with the amount placed in the tank and remember to keep the lights dimmed.>> In regards to the diminutive bubbles that I have seen trailing from her on occasion, does this sound like an excess of mucus, perhaps? <<Possibly. May also be gas bubbles created by bacterial reproduction.>> One more comment/question. The 3 white spots that Lucy had on her head disappeared without treatment and have not shown up ever since. Do you consider I should still do the salt treatment? <<Hold off on this for now, Alfredo. Let's give the medication time to work on its own.>> I hope that all is well with you, my friend, and I send you my best regards. Thank you, Alfredo <<My best regards go back to you, Alfredo. Tom>>
Re: Mimi's Anatomy  - 06/07/06 Hello, Tom.  <<Greetings, Alfredo.>> I am sorry for bothering you yet again. A quick question this time. I noticed today that Mimi the fantail's chest area looks a little puffier than usual. I am referring to the whitish area where the chest fins come out. Perhaps I had never noticed this before. Is it indicative of something wrong? <<Probably not, Alfredo. As long as there's no discoloration in the area and she isn't exhibiting any signs of stress related to the "puffiness" I would simply keep an eye on this. I do hope she's doing well, by the way.>> Alfredo <<My best, as always, Alfredo. Tom>>

Goldfish euthanasia    6/6/06 Hi <Hello> My daughter has a 10 year old Goldfish, PO (Tellitubby days!) and it has serious swim bladder prob.s and is very bent. <From what cause/s?> It is lying on the bottom unable to swim and stay upright and I feel it is a matter of time before she (?) dies. <As is the case with all of us> I have tried feeding on shelled frozen peas (thawed of course) but she is not eating. It is distressing to me to see her like this. I am upset to see it.  I have considered euthanasia but I am against this in the human world and can't think of why its different for animals and certainly couldn't do it myself. My husband wants to flush it down the loo which fills me with horror. I have read about the clove oil and that seems the kindest method but I just cant do it. My question is just how long will she survive like this ? <Perhaps minutes> She shares with another goldfish (aged 12) who is leaving well alone so no problems there. JD <Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/euthanasiafaqs.htm Bob Fenner>

Old goldfish who is poorly, please, please help    6/6/06 I have a goldfish who is at least 20 years old.  Saturday morning I went to feed him and found him on the bottom of the tank folded in half, but he was still alive.  I immediately changed the water and left him for the day as had to go out.  When I came back at night he was at the top of the water, but still alive. I put some Epsom salts into the water wondering if it was swim bladder, and have added some stress coat, which helps take the chlorine out of the water.  Yesterday, he started to pick gravel up for a few seconds and stop and I realized he was trying to eat so gave him small amount of food. He's leaving it to sink to the bottom of the tank and then eating.  Today I have had the water quality checked and I have been told this is ok.  I know that he is an old fish but I need to know is there anything else I can do to help him as it breaks my heart seeing this way.  And finally, which is the most humane way to put him to sleep if he does get even worse. <Mmm, not much more that I would do here... and I would not purposely euthanize this fish... If it is going to pass, it will very likely do so quietly, quickly, w/o pain. Bob Fenner>

Help my sick fancy goldfish  6/5/06 Hi. <<Hi, Katy. Tom here.>> Hope you can help. <<I'll try my best for you.>> My fancy goldfish is sick - he has developed red blood staining in his tail and the bottom half of his body. His tail is also now covered in white spots. <<Your Goldfish sounds to have internal bleeding, likely what is known as Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia - a fancy name for a bacterial infection that affects the internal organs and causes the bleeding. This needs to be treated with Oxytetracycline (Tetracycline). While the white spots sound like Ich, at this point, likely caused by the stress your pet is under, let's concentrate on the Septicemia. This, frankly, I might expect to see on the body of the fish as opposed to the tail.>> I am treating him with gold "disease safe" but he does not appear to be getting any better. <<Not likely to be effectual given what you've described.>> I have had him for about 3 years and he has always been fine. A few weeks ago I bought 2 new white clouds but they both died within a week or 2 with no apparent markings they just stopped eating were found floating. <<First, not a good idea to mix Tropicals with Goldfish. Second, it doesn't sound like you quarantined the White Clouds. Please research this for the future. Very important for all hobbyists!>> Please, can you suggest something I can do to make him better. <<The sooner, the better here, Katy.>> Many Thanks Katy Wilkinson <<Keeping my fingers crossed for both of you. Tom>>

Problem with Fish's Tail Fins    6/4/06 Hi People <<Hello, Brad. Tom>> I have a black fantail (among other fish) in my 50 gallon tank. <<Hopefully only other Goldfish, Brad. These shouldn't be mixed with Tropicals.>> He seems to be bloated - almost egg-like in proportion. Recently I've noticed that the rays on his tail fins seem to be disappearing while the "film" between the rays remains. Sorry for my lack of knowledge of the technical terms. Any suggestions as to what this could be or what can be done to improve the situation would be greatly appreciated. <<Research the appropriate diet for Goldfish. It's possible that your Fantail is simply constipated but without more detailed information regarding behavior/condition it's difficult to nail down an exact reason for the bloating. If the fish's scales aren't raised, I would not suspect an internal infection at this stage. Limit feeding to vegetable matter for the time being. Plenty of good information on Goldfish diet here on WWM.>> Thanks Brad <<You're welcome, Brad. Tom>>

Help please... with? Goldfish, env., poss. other disease   6/3/06 I have searched your site and cannot decide the best plan. Help would be gratefully received.  Having checked water quality, changed 3/4 of tank, reduced feeding we still have goldfish with small white dots on fins, also tail fin blood vessels very red and one looks as though blood vessels are bursting.  They are active and feeding. Unsure of appropriate treatment and local aquarium no help at all.  Many thanks! <... need useful info. on the make-up of their system, its history of operation, water quality, feeding... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Black Moor with strange problems ... not... four goldfish in 2.5 gallons...   6/3/06 Hi! We have a 10 litre tank, which I know is too small for 4 small goldfish. <A scant 2.5 gallons is too small for one...> We have a Black Moor, Red Cap, Orange Bubble Eye and a normal orange/white goldfish. We do a fortnightly full tank clean (due to the small size) <A very poor idea to change all at once...> and add all the necessary chemicals. We do not use detergent. <... good!> Our Black Moor has recently had problems. He lies on the bottom of the tank in a strange arched position and his scales are raised. He barely moves and when he does it seems as though he is trying to straighten his back. Is there a cure to get his back straight? <Yes... a system of much larger (at least ten times) volume for more stability> He finds it difficult to swim. I am very worried about him and I am unsure how much he is suffering. All of the other fish are perfectly healthy and I was wondering if the tank size was the reason and if it is how big does the tank have to be? We have live plants in there which doesn't seem to make a difference. PLEASE HELP!!! <Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm This world is too tiny for them to be lived in... Bob Fenner>

Re: Black Moor Acting Strangely II    6/4/06 Hi! <<Good morning - here anyway. Tom with you.>> I sent you an email 2 days ago about my Black Moor acting strangely. He (or she) was lying on the bottom of the tank in an arched position looking dead. He couldn't swim properly and his scales were raised. Unfortunately on the night that I sent the  email he died. I found him dead in the morning (2nd June 2006). <<Sorry to hear this.>> There was another question I needed and answer for. We have a 10 litre tank with 3 small goldfish in it, a fantail, a red cap and an orange bubble eye. They are all acting normally and we have recently cured the fantail of swim bladder disease. <<I'll repeat the advice Bob Fenner gave you. You need 38-40L per fish. Bob suggested 10 times the size of tank that you have these animals in and I would recommend going to 120L.>> What was my Black Moor's disease? <<Impossible to pinpoint this. A possibility? An internal bacterial/parasitic infection that affected one, or more, of the internal organs which might be responsible for the scales being "raised".>> How could we have treated it? <<Research "Dropsy" in Goldfish. A generic term for the condition I described above.>> Another question is what is the smallest tank possible for 3 small goldfish? My mum doesn't want to buy another tank because we also have a 90-litre tank with 12 small tropical fish and have been having problems, which are slowly going. She doesn't want to go through the same problems again. <<Explain to your mum that a larger tank will provide a more stable environment for your Goldfish. I/we can't stress strongly enough that these fish are not going to fare well in a 10L aquarium. It's not big enough for one of these fish let alone three.>> Is it really necessary to buy a bigger tank? <<Goldfish produce a great deal of waste. They would be as well off living in a sewer as to continue living in a tank this small.>> Please help, as me and my dad want a bigger tank and I need a few reasons to convince my mum. Sorry for the confusing letter but I have a lot of questions and really want answers! PLEASE REPLY SOON - AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!! <<For the sakes, and lives, of your pets, I hope you follow our recommendation. Tom>>

Re: Goldfish salt exposure  - 06/02/2006 Hello, Tom. <<Hi, Alfredo.>> Sorry to bother you; just a quick question about goldfish and salinity. I added a tablespoon of Epsom to my tank about 4 days ago and I was wondering if this is too long a period to expose the fish to the salt. <<Alfredo, Epsom salt isn't a "salt" in the conventional sense that we think of. We think of "salt", in aquaria use, as either calcium chloride (CaCl) or sodium chloride (NaCl). Actually, Epsom salt is Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4). It's the Chloride (in this context) that's beneficial to our fish, to a limited extent. Epsom salts don't have this element. Personally, I wouldn't expose a fish to any "introduced" chemical for longer than four or five days but, not to worry.>> Thank you for your time, Alfredo Echeverria <<Alfredo, we're on a "first-name only" basis. :) Tom>>

Can a goldfish grow a new tail   6/1/06 Hi Crew, <Sue> Can my goldfish regrow her tail after a fungal infection? <If not "down to the nub" (hypurals), yes> It went white and then came off. She is eating well and does move around down the bottom. She did have a couple of days (in the last 3 weeks) where she got her balance and managed to float up at the top of the pond. Have changed the water and medicated it and we have two fish that survived and are looking great. Kind regards, Sue <Life to you my friend. Bob Fenner>

Fantail dis.  5/31/06 Hi there; < Hi Vicky! > I just acquired 3 goldfish. Two of them 1 year old and the other is a 5 year old fantail. The two young ones are fine but the fantail has lost a couple sections of his tail. At first it looked he had a small cut on it but it quickly grew until that section fell off. Now another piece is starting to fall off. What should I do? < The first step is to test the water. If you do not have test kits, find a local fish store that will test it for you. You should check pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and carbonate hardness. With these readings, you will then be able to determine how to treat the situation. > If there is a way to help and things work out, will his beautiful tail grow back normally? < If the cause of the malady is rectified, the tail should grow back. Most people would immediately tell you to run out and buy anti-bacterial medication. I am not one of those people! If the water is the cause, unnecessary medication could only make the problem much worse! How long has the body of water the fish are now in been set up? Are you on city water or well water? How large is the tank, and what type of filtration do you have on it? The questions can be endless...> He swims fine and doesn't have a problem swimming but he is not a big eater. He seems healthy otherwise? < It could be possible the uneaten food could be encouraging the problem we are discussing. Goldfish have extremely simple digestive tracts, and only need a couple of bites of food a day. Any more than that, and they will simply pass it, polluting the water! > Please help... < I will try! > Thank you, Vicky < You are very welcome! RichardB >
Re: Fantail - 06/01/2006 Thank you for your rapid response. I will have my water tested by the local fish store. The body of water he is in has been set up for about two weeks. < The tank is probably going through a nitrogen cycle. This is where, after an accumulation of waste (to deadly levels) occurs, then the colonization of beneficial bacteria form. These bacteria will break down the fish waste into less toxic substances. It is most likely having a nitrite spike as we speak. Nitrites can toxify the bloodstream, and prevent oxygen from reaching the extremities. This could be why the goldfish is losing part of it's tail. The tank should be fully cycled within about four more weeks. > The tank size is 100 gallons. I am on city water and as I am unfamiliar with filtration systems, I am confident I have the proper ones. I have two for this tank. < When it comes time to clean them, only clean one filter at a time. This should prevent over-cleaning, and potentially removing the beneficial bacteria, causing the tank to cycle all over again. > In the meantime should I see to it that "Papa" (this is his name) is placed in another tank on his own for a while? < I would not move "Papa", it might stress "him" too much. Have you been adding any aquarium salt? I would add one tablespoon per five gallons, and maintain this ratio whenever changing water. Not only will the addition of salt reduce stress, it is an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal agent, it also will reduce the uptake of nitrites! > As I mentioned previously, the other two goldfish are doing wonderfully! Thankfully. Just so you know, I have seen some waste at the bottom of the tank. I will cut back on the amount of food I give to them. I have been feeding them twice a day, as recommended by their previous owners. < Twice a day is not bad, if it is only as much as the fish can consume in about 20-30 seconds. > I really have quite the liking for these fish and I want to do right by them. < They can be wonderful pets, and may live for many, many years. > Thank you again for your help. Vicky < You are very welcome! Good luck, and best wishes! RichardB >

Floating goldfish, non-reader  - 05/29/06 Hey, my Oranda is floating! it has been doing this for months and doesn't have any other problems. I have a 95litre corner tank and 5 other similar fish and a really good filter, I have had the water tested and it was fine. do I give  it peas or can you suggest anything else as it is looking weaker by the day!  Louise x <Uhh, please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish... dis., beh.... no useful info.  5/29/06 Hello. I am very worried about my black moor. He has been laying at the bottom of the tank for a couple of days now, and today I just noticed that his eyes look cloudy and one of them seems to have a pool of blood in it. <... not good> Please let me know if there is anything I can do. I am desperate and nervous because the area fish stores will be closed tomorrow for Memorial Day and don't know if they will be able to help! Thanks so much! Pam <... Read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisease.htm and the linked files above... likely environmental cause/trouble here, but insufficient info. to state more. Bob Fenner> More useless info.  5/29/06 Hello again! I wrote in about my black moor with a bloody eye. I wanted to tell you that I've tested the water and all levels are great! I haven't been overfeeding so I don't know what to do! Pam <... Read>
Re: Black Moor Mystery Death  - 05/29/06 Thanks Mr. Fenner for your reply. Sorry I left out some information. But nevertheless, my black moor died this afternoon. I am just chalking it up to bad genes, as I know the water quality, space, and all other factors were fine. He was in a 29 gallon tank, by himself; not overfed; and the water was tested by myself and a local fish store and all was perfect. I just don't know what it could've been. As sad as all this is, I am going to make another go at it, but buy my fish from someplace else- and of course let my tank sit a week before adding new fish. Any suggestions would be great. Until my next question/concern, take care and thanks a bunch for trying to help! Pam < If indeed all other factors were OK then I would look at diet. This is the only thing that you added to the tank. Foods too rich for goldfish sometimes cause long-term aliments. This is why I always recommend a varied diet. This way if something is too rich for them it won't last too long. Just a suggestion.-Chuck>

Goldfish ... env. dis.  5/29/06 Hello,  I hope you can help me.  One of my goldfish, who is approx. 9" in length has a large red bump on her nose, she has just recently got this and I am unsure of how to treat it, and even if it is life threatening.  However it appears under the skin.  I'm also noticed another goldfish is acting odd, and just swims in one area she is also 10" in length.  The water levels and pH's are fine.  I hope you can help me, or at least point me in the right direction.  These fish have been with me for over 6 years. Tara. <Do monitor your water quality through-out the day... Likely the seasonal (warming weather) temperature, lighting change is causing too much environmental vacillation... and this is likely a/the larger cause of trouble. Otherwise, small, frequent water changes, backwashing your filter... will all help. I would not add more than aquarium salt here as an actual cathartic. Bob Fenner>

Water quality? Mmm, yes... and goldfish health   5/28/06 Good morning, I've been reading your wonderful website for a few months.   I'm having trouble keeping goldfish alive, and it's time to admit I need help.    I have a small tank (Eclipse 3), but it has only one "feeder" goldfish about 2" long in it.   I have only plastic plants, and some tumbled glass in the bottom (the package said "safe for aquariums" even though it was in a home decor store).   <Is safe, as in being non-toxic, not too sharp... but does little to help your water quality, encourage biological cycling...> I set up the tank, used Amquel to treat the tap water, added "Cycle" to help it establish healthy bacteria, <Actually a very poor product for this job. BioSpira is about the best here> and after two weeks, added a goldfish (calico Shubunkin). <This system is too small...>    All seemed well, I made 1/3 (less than 1 gallon, given displacement) water changes.   Then the fish developed Ich.   I treated it with a dose of the med that comes in discs and fizzes blue in the tank.   That fish died.   (I noticed when I went back to the store, the entire tank from which I'd selected my fish was empty--they said they'd sold them all, but I wonder....)   Anyway,   I changed out half the water to get rid of the Ich med, and went through the "Cycle" process again.    The next fish (another calico Shubunkin) seemed happy, then after a couple weeks, became lethargic, flattened its dorsal fin, and stayed on the bottom.    This is the point at which I discovered your website. I had already been doing regular (weekly) small water changes, and was feeding flakes alternately with floating pellets, and only a very small amount once a day. <... need other foods, more frequently...>   I tried the peeled peas, the blanched spinach--the fish was not interested.   <As your title states, speculates... the environment is/was so "far off", unstable...>   I mentioned that I wanted to offer greens at my local aquarium store (not the one with the Ich fish), and the clerk said their goldfish enjoyed algae wafers.   So I bought a small package and added a tiny piece.   The fish did like it, but it didn't relieve the symptoms.   Within a few days, it died. I replaced the filter pad, did a water change, added more Cycle, and bought a test kit.   Here's what I've discovered:   the pH seems fine (7.0), the alkalinity is low (70), the hardness is high (200), nitrites are zero, ammonia is zero, but nitrates are 40.   <Too high by at least twice> Yesterday I did a very small water change (1/2 gallon) and replaced it with distilled water to try to lower the hardness without adding still more chemicals. I want to get another fish, but not until I find out what's up with the tank.   Is the nitrate level high because I don't have live plants? <In part, yes... but really due to the small volume (no dilution effect) and lack of complete cycling (the improper substrate principally here)>   Is it possible that in such a small tank, the little bit of morning sun it catches causes the water to become too warm?   <Possibly a factor. You don't want too much daily/diurnal change here... a handful of degrees F. maximum> I don't have a heater at all, and I've been leaving the light off because the ballast seemed warm. <Good> On top of all this, I have to tell you that I agreed to take the tank home with me when our office closed for a few months.   When it was in the office on someone's desk, there were two goldfish in it, the water came straight from the tap (no treatment at all), they got only flakes and the light stayed on for 12 or more hours a day.   Those fish were completely happy for many months (until they got to my house). I'm really grateful for your patience, and will welcome any suggestions you may have. Thank you, Penny Yorke <Let's see... I would also "just use tapwater", rather than any other source (not distilled)... And I'd switch out the substrate for more fine, natural gravel... and... consider something other than goldfish... which can't live for long or well in such a small system as this. Bob Fenner>
Re: Water quality? Mmm, yes... and goldfish health  5/29/06 Thank you, Mr. Fenner.   I'll get a larger tank, put in the proper substrate and look for BioSpira. <Ah, good>   Is there anything I can do to lower the nitrates in my current tank while I wait for the larger tank to cycle? <A few things, yes. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwnitrates.htm and the linked file at top...> Once I've moved the goldfish to their larger home, is the Eclipse 3 I now have appropriate for any type of fish other than a Betta?    Thank you again, Penny Yorke <Yes... there are some other small-ish fishes, non-fishes that can do well here. Whiteclouds, smaller Gourami species... many others... searchable... Bob Fenner>

Re: Jungle Medicated Goldfish Food   5/28/06 Hello, Tom. <<Greetings, Alfredo.>> I have given the Jungle Antiparasite food to Mimi and Lucy for three days now but their feces remain the same (transparent, long segments that seem to be filled with air). Is it strange that they don't show an improvement?   <<Not really. Note that the directions call for three days on the medicated food followed by four days of regular food. This regimen is to be repeated over a four-week period according to the manufacturer. In my case, my Angelfish both showed an improvement after about one week. In fact, it wasn't until they were both on "regular" food that their feces started to return to normal. It's still early yet, Alfredo. >> Mimi has been having trouble with swimming into deeper levels of the tank again today. She is mostly staying near the top and seems to be making an effort balancing herself. Last time this happened she got better with Epsom salts, so I have given her a half a table spoon( plus another tablespoon that has been in the tank for 3 days now). Is this the right thing to do with her? Should I be giving them the Jungle antibacterial medicated food instead? <<The Epsom salts will help with constipation/gas but won't treat the infection. My concern here is that in cleaning out their systems, as it were, we're also purging them of the medication. I'd give the medicine some more time to do its job.>> As always, I appreciate your kindness and look forward to your reply. Thanks, Alfredo <<Hang in there, my friend. Tom>>

Lethargic goldfish hanging around vertically   4/30/06 Hi. <<Hello, Linda. Tom>> I've been reading through some of the posts, and I don't see anything about this.   I've had two common goldfish (the kind given away at carnivals and such) for about 7 years.  One is golden orange, and the other is almost all white.  They have been doing very well (except for a few bouts of high nitrates) in a 25-gallon tank with a TopFin 40 filter, a six-inch airstone, and a lot of frilly live plants.  They've grown to about a foot long each.  I hang a Nitrazorb packet under the flow from the filter to counteract the nitrates. I also replace about 5 or 6 gallons of water every week or two and replace the filter about once a month.  I feed them BioBlend goldfish food twice a day. <<First of all, congratulations on your fishkeeping skills. Generally, I would recommend a tank twice the size of yours for two fish of this size which speaks well of the care you've given your pets. That said, there's something here that caught my attention. When you say that you "replace" the filter about once a month, I normally advise against this opting, rather, to "clean" the media in used tank water to preserve the beneficial bacteria contained in the filter media. Replacing the media outright requires re-seeding the filter with the bio-colonies needed to maintain optimum water conditions and can lead to spikes in ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels, if only over a short period of time.>> Whitey often gets red spots and streaks and becomes lethargic - just hanging around vertically, nose up, swimming around a few seconds occasionally (especially after a nudge by Goldie) and then returning to the vertical hang.  I've found that using StressZyme usually clears up those symptoms.  But after I've used it a few days, and Whitey is doing fine, Goldie starts hanging around vertically instead.  This has gone back and forth several times over the past year.  Although it's not hindering their appetites, I'm assuming the lethargy (and the red spots and streaks) means they are not feeling well.  Unfortunately, I can't seem to make them both happy at the same time. <<You don't include specific water condition readings with your posting and these are always important to us when trying to help with problems. Because of the "legendary" hardiness of Goldfish, I suspect that you're experiencing water quality variances that have, within the last year, begun to display themselves. What you describe is almost certainly bacterial hemorrhagic septicemia which is being "cleared up" temporarily by the addition of the water conditioner. Commonly this situation is caused by organics in the water and might easily be expected given the size of your fish in a 25-gallon tank. I would suggest that you stick with 20% water changes each week and clean your filter media rather than replacing it.>> Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks. <<Hope this helps, Linda. Tom>>
Re: Tom: Lethargic goldfish hanging around vertically   5/28/06 Thanks for your help, Tom.   <<Glad to do so, Linda.>> The fish are both doing better.  I've followed your suggestions, and I've also made one other change after reading some other posts on your site that I think may have made a difference. <<Good to hear about your fish. I'm glad you continued researching, as well.>> My son is a bit of a night owl.  He frequently stays up all night with all the lights turned on.   <<Uh oh...>> I hadn't thought about it before, but something in one of the posts gave me the idea that, since fish don't close their eyes, they probably need some dark time every day in order to rest.  My son had been home on vacation when I wrote to you, and had probably been up all night with all the lights turned on every night that week.  It's no wonder the goldfish were lethargic!   <<No wonder, indeed, Linda!>> Now I'm wrapping black trash bags around the sides of the tank by 10 at night, just in case the lights stay on. <<Good move. You might also ask your son for some financial help with the electric bill! :)>> I am also cleaning the filter in water siphoned from the tank, as you suggested, but the media is getting rather frayed and the charcoal is not likely to keep the water clean if I don't replace it every few weeks.  Is there something I can do ahead of time to condition the fresh charcoal and filter before I change it? <<As to the charcoal, no. Normally we don't recommend the use of charcoal unless it's used to remove medications from the tank after a session of treatment(s). Also, if you choose to continue using it and, there are some credible sources who advocate it's use all the time, you should replace it every few weeks, anyway. The old charcoal can't be reactivated, for those readers who're taking notes. Depending on the design of your filter, my recommendation would be to insert the new media next to the old media in the filter housing to ensure that the new media gets properly "seeded" before giving the old stuff the "heave-ho". If this isn't possible and, you can get your hands on a bottle of Bio-Spira (Marineland), you could simply insert the new media and dose the tank with beneficial bacteria to provide an alternate means of seeding the new filter. If this, too, isn't possible, put the new media in the filter and monitor your water parameters very closely for a couple of weeks.>> Thanks again for your assistance. Linda <<Happy to be of assistance, Linda. Tom>>

Goldfish With Fungus Problem   5/27/06 Hi, Your Web site is very informative.  Thanks for posting all of the information.  I've learned a lot! I have two small fantail goldfish in a 10 gallon tank (I know it will need to larger when they grow).   One had a lose scale hanging on him which turned into a little white cotton ball that is hanging from him for about 5 days.  The other one now has a little white ball at the end of his tail fin (in the middle section).  This goldie had this about a month ago and I put a Fungus Clear Tank Buddies tablet in which worked great, but killed my "good bugs".  The fish were sick with parasites or maybe flukes as well, so I used Jungle's Parasite Clear and anti-parasite food which seemed to help but they were still thin and didn't swim around much so I started feeding them Medi-Gold about a week ago.  They are plump again and swim all around, but now have the fungus spots. The tank water info--the tank has been running for about 9 weeks and was cycled with perfect levels until I used the Fungus Clear four weeks ago.  Now the levels are 0 ammonia, 20 ppm nitrates, 1.0 ppm nitrites (I can't get this back down--been doing daily 25% water changes and adding 1/2 t. aquarium salt for two weeks), had added Bio Spira again too), 150 hardness, 120 alkalinity, 7.8--8.4 pH.   My two questions--do you have any other suggestions for getting the nitrites to come down?  I use spring water from the store with Aqua conditioner (I tested it just to be sure and it has 0 nitrites) because we have a water softener and very high ph (off the chart on the quick dip tester). < Vacum the gravel. Make sure you get under all the ornaments and rocks. Don't do this too quickly or you will lose the good bacteria once again. Clean the filter more often. You may have a big filter that collects the waste but does not remove it from the system. You have to do that by clean the filter.>   Can I put the fish in a small hospital tank with Fungus Clear and how long would they have to be in there?  Or will the fungus still be in the original tank and everything needs to be treated?  Or is there something better for me to do? Thanks!  I appreciate any suggestions! Jill < The fungus is a secondary infection. The initial parasite attacks the fish and causes the initial wound. The fungus feeds on dead tissue from the first infection. Treating the fungus does no good whatsoever , but there must be some antibacterial properties in the medication to affect the biological filtration. I would go with a stronger antibiotic like Nitrofuranace that has some antifungal properties. Goldfish come in with many different parasites. It sounds like the initial problem is a bacterial one. This medication with turn the water very green and will affect the biological filtration once again , but I think it will finally clear up your problem.-Chuck>

Abnormal eye in one of my goldfish   5/27/06 Hi Crew <<Hello, Tim. Tom again.>> One of my goldfish has a strange looking eye. I recently got this from the LFS, so I am not sure whether it was born like this or if it had developed this condition at some stage. <<I "snagged" your second post because your first stated that you had only a 'tropical' tank, Tim. This leads me to be concerned that you've either added a Goldfish to a tropical environment - not good - or, you've purchased a new tank and added your Goldfish to a yet-uncycled aquarium - also, not good - but, back to your question...>> Its left eye is like any other, black pupil surrounded by white. Its right eye on the other hand is completely lacking the white part, i.e. completely black. Is this a disease, and if so, what is it? It does not appear to be cloudy eye from the online descriptions - is it? <<Likely just genetic coloration from what you describe, Tim. 'Cloudy eye' would have the appearance of a milky film covering the eye. Doesn't mean that a "condition" isn't there but, based on what you've shared, I wouldn't be concerned at this time. The best preventive measure you can take is to make sure that your Goldfish is in an appropriate environment with optimum water conditions.>> Many thanks Tim <<Happy to help, Tim. Tom>> ..... Thanks very much Tom. <<You're welcome, Tim.>> I do have a second tank, but it is for Goldfish, which of course cannot be used to separate out the Gouramis! <<Good to hear, Tim, and, you're quite correct. You've done some homework, which I always like to see.>> Best regards Tim <<My best to you, as well. Tom>>

Gas Bubble Trouble... Goldfish   5/27/06 Dear Mr. Fenner, <<Bob's enjoying a "swim-about" right now, Victoria. Tom with you.>> After reading through as much of your helpful website as possible, I believe that my fancy goldfish Mr. Kiko is suffering terribly from Gas Bubble Disease [Emphysematosis] but I am unsure and I would desperately like to help him. Here are the facts: - 1 x fancy goldfish (have had him in this tank for about 2 years now...his mate passed away about 1 year ago, I think, in retrospect, due to changing too much water too often and pH differences but Mr. Kiko survived, thankfully.) - Home: Reef One Bio Orb 10 gallon aquarium (30 litres) which seems to be running as per normal with 1 live standard green aquarium plant which the fish nibbles on or pulls out from time to time. - Filter: Normal bubbling up through central tube.  Some bubbles sitting on surface but no scum or fine bubbles appear to be forming on Plexiglas surface. <<The bubbles "sitting" on the surface should break very quickly - within seconds. If not, this might be an indication of dissolved organics in the water. You might try feeling the surface water with your fingers to see if it has a "soapy" feel to it.>> - Location: Melbourne, Australia where it is currently winter and water is cooler then normal. <<This can contribute since gases are more soluble in colder water.>> - Feeding: 2 x sinking pink pellets daily in evening or substitute with 1 x thawed green pea at least once a week. - pH: Reading just over 7 - No other accurate measurements currently available as local fish store staff sadly lack knowledge and any 'care factor'. - Maintenance: includes regular replacement of cartridge as specified by manufacturer as well as regular partial water changes. <<All sounds pretty standard, Victoria, though I do wish you had access to readings for your water parameters. Having read through your post, they may, or may not, be of real help but it's always nice to have them available. Let's go on...> Symptoms: - Has been floating upside down at surface for a few months now when no one is around to bother him but if you come near the tank he rights himself and swims around just fine. <<This would seem to rule out swim bladder problems.>> - Particularly after feeding, fish is often last seen gasping at surface before flipping over to float upside down. - A couple of small clear bubbles protruding from sides of body underneath scales.  Similar bubbles appeared about 3 months ago.  I put a general aquarium antibiotic treatment in (half a crushed dissolved pill) as well as Epsom salts which seemed to get rid of bubbles temporarily however they are back again and the swimming issues are perpetuating. <<These last two symptoms are, indeed, consistent with Gas Bubble Disease.>> - Generally appears a bit pine-cone like but has for some time now (more than a year and local fish store tells me this is normal for fancies). <<Well, if this has existed for a year, I would concur with your LFS...to an extent.>> - Still always keen to eat. - Breathing appears to be normal - no other obvious symptoms. I hope this is enough detail to assist you.  I would be very grateful for your thoughts on what the problem is and advice on how I may remedy.  I feel so terrible thinking that this little creature is in a lot of pain. <<The quick remedy for the "tank" is more aeration. An air pump with one or two airstones will help "de-saturate" the tank of undissolved gases, which appear to be causing the original problem. A second method would be to prepare water for water changes and let it sit for a day, or so, to allow these undissolved gases to dissipate prior to adding the water to the tank. You can also, gradually, raise the temperature of the water that your pet is living in to about the mid-70's F. (24 degrees C.). Air/gases are less soluble in warm water than in cold and Goldfish can do very well in temperatures in this range. (72-76 degrees F./22-24 degrees C. is really a good range for Goldfish and, by "tropical fish" standards, this is cold.) Now, the important issue is Mr. Kiko. We can't "decompress" him by any method that I'm aware of but we must take the pressure off of him internally until he naturally "out-gasses", i.e. reaches equilibrium pressure with his tank. I'd like you to "fast" your pet for three days. No food whatsoever. Also, no water changes. He'll be fine without either for this time. I'm hoping that he'll "skinny down" a bit to relieve the pressure placed on his bloodstream and organs and, just perhaps, lose the pine-cone appearance. Obviously, I want you to keep a close eye on him and, if all seems well, feed him a thawed/shelled pea the first day back on food. (Shouldn't stay with him long.) After this, if all seems well, start him, slowly, back on his normal diet. Implement the aeration/water change procedures I spoke of and, I'm confident (with a little "good luck" mixed in) that Mr. Kiko will be good as new.>> Thank you very much in advance for your kind dedication to the little guys. <<I can't say I don't have my fingers crossed for both you and your pet, Victoria, but that's my best advice.>> Victoria <<Tom>> Re: Gas Bubble Trouble  5/27/06 Hi again Tom. <<Hello, Victoria.>> Thought I should let you know that unfortunately Mr Kiko didn't make it.   <<I'm very sorry to hear this, Victoria.>> I think you were right in that he must have been suffering from some form of internal infection which was definitely compounding the gas bubble disease. The large bubble continued to grow in his final days and a few more started to appear on his other side despite implementing treatments for GBD.  Also thought I would let you know that it would seem Metronidazole is not available through any pet stores here in Australia.  Instead the fish store provided me with Aqua Master Aquari-Cycline tablets which is a broad spectrum antibiotic for the 'treatment of diseases caused by tetracycline sensitive bacteria'.  The main ingredient is tetracycline hydrochloride. <<I thank you for sharing this with me/us. It's frustrating when we recommend medications to our friends overseas only to find that these are unavailable to them. Will make a mental note of this.>>   Unfortunately this medication didn't appear to assist Mr Kiko; I suspect he was already too ill.  Maybe this information will come in handy to you guys or someone else though. <<It will help, indeed, Victoria.>> Anyway, thank you so much again.  I really would not have known what to do at all without your help and I feel much better for at least trying.  You guys provide a really great service. <<I/we appreciate your kind words as well as the effort you put in to save your pet. Despite the sad outcome, the credit for trying to save a life belongs to you.>> Cheers Victoria <<My very best, Victoria. Tom>>

Parasite On A Goldfish   5/26/06 Hello, I am really hoping you could help me. I was unhappy to discover that we have parasites on our gold fish (of all the fish to get sick). I noticed two kinds and I have no clue how to treat them besides with Ich medicines and healthy diets. I don't have any pics but I can describe it as best I can. The first looks like little plants growing out of the fish. At the base of these little "trees" the scales are stained blood red. I have been treating this by taking tweezers and pulling them out. Unfortunately, this takes a scale off with it but it works. I can only do this on the big ones and need help badly to cure it. I do constant gravel cleans and have taken out all the rocks and stuff and have cleaned them. The second parasite looks like a 3-D Ich. Like little white balls all over all the fins and body. The medicines don't have any affect on this. I don't know how I figured this out but if I take a scrubbing pad to the fins of the fish they just come off! But they're back the next day or two.. Please help me. It's a 300 gallon system made up of four small tanks. I still haven't tried copper but I think that's my next step. Any help would be great, thanks! <Sounds like Anchorworm and fish lice. Treat with Fluke-Tabs as per the directions on the package. This will kill snails so be warned.-Chuck>

Goldfish With Possible Internal Infection   5/26/06 Hi, I'm still relatively new to fish keeping, and I am exceedingly worried that I'm not doing something right.  I bought a black moor back in January and recently bought a silver Lionhead to keep him company.   They're housed in a twelve gallon acrylic tank with an Eclipse hood with a BIO-Wheel.  I was doing about 40% water changes every other week, but was told by one of the people at the local fish store that I should do 25% water changes about twice a week, which I will start doing. I usually feed them Tetra sinking mini sticks, but will occasionally feed flake food (maybe once a week, if even that often) as the moor seems to have an easier time getting to the flake food. The moor is probably about 1 1/2" (not including his tailfin) and the Lionhead is around 1". I check the levels every couple of days.  When I checked them today, they were as follows: Nitrates: Somewhere between 0-20ppm Nitrites: 0ppm Hardness: 120ppm Alkalinity: 120ppm pH: 7.2 My problem is that this morning I found my moor floating listlessly around in the tank.  He was doing fine last night when I went to bed.   He isn't swimming around like he normally does, and when he does make an attempt to swim, it looks very uncoordinated and wobbly.  He mainly just lies at the bottom of the tank on his side.  His fins are looking pretty ragged, and whereas he typically looks almost a velvety black color, he has taken on more of a goldish sheen.  He isn't bloated or anything, but there is definitely something wrong. I stopped by the local fish store to ask if they could give me any suggestions and the guy there suggested that I use aquarium salt to reduce stress.  I followed those directions and am now just waiting. I read in the FAQs that changing his diet to include more green would probably be a good idea.  I tried feeding him some frozen peas (thawed, taken out of the shell and smashed just a little bit), but he showed absolutely no interest in eating.  The Lionhead, however, seemed to enjoy them.  I also read that you can treat them with Epsom salt.  Would that be the next course of action?  If so, do I do that in a separate tank or can I do that in the main tank?  I don't want to cause problems for the Lionhead, who is still doing just fine. I apologize for the lengthy email and I hope I gave you enough information.  If you need more, just let me know.  Thank you so much and I appreciate any help you can give. Take care, Heather. <Do a 50% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the gravel. Your fish probably has an internal protozoan infection and needs to be treated with Metronidazole. When your fish starts to eat then it is feeling better. Feed only once a day and only enough so that all of the food is gone in two minutes.-Chuck>

Red mark on goldfish tail    5/24/06 Hello, it is a very long time since I contacted yourselves. <<Hello, Lynn. Tom with you today.>> Over the years any problems I have had have been remedied by your wonderful website. <<I'm very happy to know we've been of help to you.>> Briefly, I have 3 large goldfish in a large tank with the correct water, hiding places, temperatures, etc. I have noticed that one of the goldfish has developed a red mark on its back tail. There are no other symptoms to show the goldfish is unwell, and the other two are also healthy looking. The tail has not been bitten or damaged, it just looks in a small area red coloured. Your advice would be very much appreciated. <<Lynn, Goldfish tend to go through coloration changes from time to time and this may be as simple as that. I would be concerned if the red coloration were in the form of "streaking". I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a problem but, my feeling, based on what you've shared here, is that this is quite probably temporary and not a sign of disease or infection. Just as a "heads up", the streaking I spoke of is indicative of hemorrhagic septicemia which is bacterial in nature and requires treatment with Tetracycline. I mention this quite in passing because I know you folks in the UK don't always have access to the same medications that we have in the States. Improbable as it is, I just wanted to make you aware.>> Thanks once again. Lynn <<My pleasure to help, Lynn. Tom>>
Red mark on goldfish tail - II - Tetracycline   5/25/06 Hello <<Hello again, Lynn. Tom>> My daughter takes tetracycline for teenage acne, 250mg strength. I hope you don't think I am stupid, but I was advised to use this product for my goldfish. Does it have to be goldfish friendly from a pet shop, or can I use part of a tablet? <<Nothing "stupid" about your question in the least. Actually, it makes perfect sense to ask this and it isn't that uncommon a question. Do not use a medication formulated for humans on your fish. The main reason is that it would be nearly impossible for you to derive the proper dosage for your fish from a 250mg tablet. Secondly, this tablet would contain buffers and other inert and/or active ingredients along with the Tetracycline. Without a detailed chemical breakdown of the medication, you'd have no idea in the world what you might be introducing into the aquarium. Use only medications, from reputable sources, that are designed to be used with fish. Side note: By way of clarification, I suggested to you that the red mark on your pet's tail was nothing to be concerned about as long as it wasn't in the form of red "streaks". The advice about the Tetracycline was in case of septicemia, which is not indicated by what you described in your original post. We never want to treat a fish unless we're as sure as humanly possible as to what it's suffering from. If you want to purchase the medication just to have it on hand, that's fine but, please, get back to one of us with an update on your Goldfish before taking a chance on treating for something it may not have.>> Thanks very much. Lynn <<You're more than welcome, Lynn. Tom>>  

Re: New goldfish owners, further health issues  - 05/22/2006 Dear Bob: <A & C> Thanks so much for the response -- I think we might watch our fish too closely! We're going to put some salt in, as recommended, and when all the black's grown out of Mojo's tail, we'll put them back together. <Real good> Thanks again, Anne & Craig <Cheers, Bob Fenner>

 Goldfish In Greece - A Rescue Operation, Questions - 05/19/2006 Dearest crew, First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your absolutely fantastic site and your great job. You have already been a great help. <Thank you very much for these kind words!  We really appreciate it.> Ok, there's my story: After pressing a family who was abusing a fish (was living for a month in a box around 10 cm.s x 7 cm.s with no gravel just the dirty water, it was underfed too, I have freaked you out I know, sorry) <Yikes!> to hand it over to me and managing that, I became the happy but completely ignorant owner of this poor goldfish. <Kudos to you for this!> I have had only cats and dogs all my life. I figured out that he certainly needs a bigger tank (new house is about 15 ltrs probably a 5 gallon one ), <About four gallons, still drastically small for a goldfish, but a big improvement for sure.> with gravel, a plastic plant attached in artificial rock, a real plant and a companion goldfish. <So....  two goldfish, now?> It's got a filter (carbon and sponge) and I make 30% partial water changes twice a week. I am a bit confused though with feeding. I fed them last Sunday frozen beans ( boiled and left to cool down ) and they went berserk, loved it. <Yeah, veggies are good for 'em.> The next day got their flakes and some pear (tiny tiny crumbs). Yesterday, I changed the water but today just something looked wrong, they were too mobile, checked their water and yuckies, too much nitrates and ammonia. (Needless to say , I check their water twice a week and so far ammonia was zero, pH 7.2 ) it is sooo frustrating. I have probably overfed them. <Actually, the real answer here is that they are in just too small a space for two goldfish.  We typically recommend about 10 gallons per goldfish, so the two should be in a tank of roughly 75 liters, ideally.> Pleeeeese, how often should I give them beans or fruit or shrimps or their flakes? <I'd actually suggest to skip fruit, and take a look here:   http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm .> I do know that their tank is small but I am planning to move house in the next months and then I will buy them a bigger one. <Excellent!  You may need to do more frequent water changes until then.  Also, please take a look here, too:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm .> A last question, I have put them a couple of metres away from sunny balcony door and window, no immediate light but plenty of light in general during the day. At night, (their house is in my bedroom) there is no light as I am sleeping of course! Is this alright for them though? <Perfectly fine.  They need day/night cycles, just like us.> Thank you once again,  Greek fish! <And thank you for taking on these fish - this will be a great adventure for you.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>
Goldfish In Greece - A Rescue Operation, Questions - II - 05/19/2006 I forgot to tell you that my two goldfish both the abused one and the purchased one have been living with me for a month now and they look bright orange gold, they are vigorous and swimming all the time and I love and care for them as much as my cats. <Sounds great!> Just a note : ). Thank you again,  -Evgenia <All the best to you in your new fishy endeavor,  -Sabrina>
Greek Goldfish - III - 05/22/2006 Dear Crew, Sabrina perhaps? <Ask and ye shall receive!  Sabrina with you, today.> Hope you are doing well! <Very well indeed, thank you!  I hope you are well, also.> I have become a frequent now, don't even read the paper that often! OK, I'll keep my problem short and that is: The temperature has risen something like 10 C up here, which is like 33 C today, going 36 tomorrow. <Yowch!!> I smelled my tank and noticed a mould smell (bugger!). I changed the carbon of the filter, washed the sponge with tank water and tomorrow morning I am doing a partial water change. <Good plan.  The sooner, the better.> (water is resting in the living room for the chlorine to go away). <Please look into getting some chlorine/Chloramine neutralizer - there are several such products on the market.  Your local fish store is sure to have some.  Then you won't have to wait to do your water changes.> The last one was on Saturday (tomorrow Tuesday). Tested the water NO3=around 25mg/l (according to the colouring of the strip), <A touch high.> NO2 = 1 mg/l <Should be zero....> GH = between 6 & 7 , KH = 3d and PH 7.4 or 7.6 sth in between). Are my poor fish suffering? <Probably not badly, but be sure to test ammonia as well; this also should be zero.> They are behaving normally, hungry and swimming around. <Sounds good.> I do need to buy this bigger tank but I am looking for a house and it would be such a problem moving with the big one. I saw today a 60 ltr one, longish , a jolly nice tank?. <Indeed!  Ultimately, you'll want something larger for the two goldfish when they get big, but the 60 liter tank will be great for *quite* some time.> Ok, thank you again for the attention <Any time.> and wish you all well, <You too!> Evgenia <All the best to you,  -Sabrina>
Greek Goldfish - IV - 05/23/2006 Dear Sabrina, <Hi, Evgenia!> Nice to get you again! Thank you once more for the help. <I'm glad to help out.> So, is the moldy smell normal because of the heat? <A tank generally shouldn't smell, or so they say.  I've always been able to detect a refreshing, clean, wet smell from most any aquarium - not sure how else to describe it.  But, as a general rule, if it smells bad, there's something wrong.> Should I made more frequent changes like every two days? <Possibly.> And what percentage would you recommend? <As much as is necessary to keep ammonia and nitrite at zero, nitrate below 20ppm.  That may mean you'll have to do a LOT of water changes these first couple of weeks as your nitrifying bacteria begin to establish themselves.> I do use dechlorinate ( is this correctly spelled? ) <Close enough :)  You use a dechlorinator for the water.> but I let the water sit anyway just out of precaution. <It won't hurt anything to let it sit as you've done, but it's probably unnecessary.  While you've got this heat wave going on, a couple of things you can do is change water with slightly cooler water (don't make it too much cooler than the tank, though!) and you can also make some ice cubes in your freezer using aquarium water, and drop a few in if it gets too warm.  Again, though, be cautious that you don't cool the tank too quickly.> Ammonia is zero thank goodness. <Yay!> I wish you a pleasant day,   <You as well,  thank you.> Cheers,  -Evgenia <Take care,  -Sabrina>

Please help - Urgent... Goldfish, env. dis. - 05/16/2006 Hi! I do hope you can help me. I purchased two goldfish about 3 months ago. They live in a 40 litre filtered tank. About a week and a half ago I noticed one of them had black all around one of his eyes. Other than that he seemed ok. However a few days later his face looked quite unhealthy and he had black colour spreading all on the top of his head. This seems to be getting worse. I took him to the vets who didn't seem to know what to do and suggested I tried some medication called "Sterazin" which is a parasiticide. It doesn't seem to be helping. The infection (I'm assuming it is some kind of infection) seems to be getting worse. <Very unlikely this is a pathogenic disease... perhaps just genetic/developmental color change... maybe environmentally derived... this last the most probable> The other fish has recently started getting the same black colouring on this tail (as you can see from the photo). <No pic attached> They are both still eating although the one with the worse infection is becoming lethargic and starting to spend time resting at the bottom of the tank. I am very worried about them and would be really grateful if you could help diagnose the problem and provide any help as to possible treatments. Hope to hear from you, Best wishes, Craig Holt p.s. I have attached two photos in the hope this will help - as requested I have made them small. <I'd check, improve water quality and leave it at that. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

No one has a answer... I do: Read... on WWM re goldfish sys., CAEs   5/15/06 I have asked a lot of people about these fish and the  condition they have.    I had a Fantail, a common Goldfish.  For a  few days my Fantail wasn't very energetic, but when I purchased 8 new babies <?> including two algae eaters she perked up.   <... Chinese Algae Eaters? This species is incompatible... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/algaeeatersart.htm and the related FAQs file linked at top> Anyways just few days one of the  babies started to get black spots on it fins and then it moved to its side and  with in a few days it died. Then my Fantail died, the one other baby fantail had  black fins when I purchased it the it went to almost a solid black before dying.  It has spread to another fish and I know that it does not have much longer to  live.  I have changed water and moved the bigger one out and into a big  fish bowl.   <... what re water chemistry?> No one seems to have an answer. <You don't provide sufficient information...> I have put a  fungus treatment in the water and everything else is fine.  They eat very  well right up till the end and they swim all the time.   If anyone has  any idea why this is happening then please let me  know <Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm and the linked files above. Your goldfish are likely suffering from an improper, vacillating environment. Bob Fenner>

Re... goldfish dis., CAE, incomp. - 05/16/2006 <I didn't catch your first E-Mail, but I'll take a crack at this one.> Everything with the water is just fine.  I just cleaned  everything and took out the younger goldfish.  The algae eaters are not  exactly trying to suck on the other fish at least yet.  But I believe that  you are right they are the CAE.  I will be removing them ASAP. <If they are CAE, they will try to munch on your Goldfish, just a matter of time.>     But I still don't understand why they got black blotches on them ( young  goldfish). <Water quality!  Likely you have high levels of Ammonia in your tank.  If you don't know about cycling, read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm >   And now my big goldfish has fin rot but I found a good remedy to  cure that up with a peroxide dip. <I don't know if this will hurt your fish, but I don't think it will help.  I wouldn't do it.>   A fish farmer I know told me about this  dip and he says that it works.  Exactly what causes fin rot? <Almost always water quality.  The only real "cure" is to start doing big water changes (30 to 40 percent) every day, maybe even twice a day.  I believe that your tank is cycling.  Please read the article linked above.>    And  is it common for a black moor to have one small fin on the side? I was thinking  that she/he was in a crowded tank at one time and could not develop properly.  Thanks for your reply. <Probably a genetic abnormality, nothing to worry about.  As for your tank, you really need to read about Cycling, get your hands on a test kit and keep your Ammonia and Nitrite levels below 1.0 PPM!  In the future, please give a little "back-story" in your E-Mails -- you may not get the same crew member responding to each E-Mail. Jason N.>

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