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

New fish owner- sick goldfish     9/26/14
Hello,
<Hello Christina,>
I checked your FAQs first, but did not find a post that I was sure addressed my issue.
<Really?>
My veiltail goldfish (Norman) has a white/see-through growth on his head (more cotton than waxy). I thought it would get better when we bought him a 20 gallon tank, but it is still spreading.
<In all honesty, 20 gallons is too small for Goldfish, and certainly a potential source of problems once they're above, say, 8 cm/3 inches in length.>
Initially, he developed a blood red spot on his head that cleared up after every water change, but came back after about 3 days. He has not had the red spot since we bought the new tank, but now the white patch has grown near the same area and spread to his entire head.
<Likely an ulcer of some sort, with a subsequent bacterial infection spreading outwards. Irritation causes mucous production, and dead skin goes white. Could well explain the symptoms.>
Please help. He is active and eats fine. No other fish live in his tank and I use My veiltail goldfish (Norman) has a white/see-through growth on his head (more cotton than waxy). I thought it would get better when we bought him a 20 gallon tank, but it is still spreading. Initially, he developed a blood red spot on his head that cleared up after every water change, but came back after about 3 days. He has not had the red spot since we bought the new tank, but now the white patch has grown near the same area and spread to his entire head. Please help. He is active and eats fine.
<This is a good sign.>
No other fish live in his tank and I use well water to fill it. I do a 30% water replacement every week and his tank also has a filter.
<Good. But do review water chemistry (hard and alkaline is best).>
I do not know his age. Any idea what this could be and how I can treat it? I have attached some photos.
<Well, they didn't come through.>
Any help would be greatly appreciated. We love our Norman and I would hate for him to suffer due to my inexperience as a fish owner.
<Do start by reading here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm
My first action here would be to get an antibiotic or antibacterial medication, something fairly general like Seachem KanaPlex or the popular combination of using Maracyn 1 and 2 together (the two products treat
different bacteria, so used together, work even better than singly). Avoid tea-tree oil medications like Melafix that promise a lot but don't consistently deliver. Do test water quality regularly, any nitrite or ammonia above zero will be a problem. If in doubt, buy a bigger filter:
Goldfish are heavy polluters, so a filter recommended for a 20 gallon tank will be insufficient for a 20 gallon tank because such a filter is actually designed for small fish like Guppies and Neons. Instead buy the model a size or two up the range, so a 30 or 40 gallon filter for a 20 gallon tank.
If necessary, adjust the flow rate to avoid too much turbulence, but otherwise a bigger filter will always be better. Cheers, Neale.>

To sanitize or not sanitize?      7/21/14
Background: I have a 50 gal freshwater tank (with a 70-gal canister filter)
that happily housed three goldfish until we moved about a year ago. When I set up the tank again, I struggled with water quality issues/bacterial infections (I assume, based on the symptoms) and ultimately lost the goldfish.
<Yikes; am wondering what the cause/s were here>
I know goldfish have their challenges--which is why when I decided to start again with new stock a few months ago, I went for tetras to start. Things were stable for a while, then I started losing them with similar symptoms: general lethargy followed by difficulty swimming, no signs of external parasites. On advice of the local aquarium shop guys, I treated the whole tank with a broad-spectrum antibiotic to try to kill whatever bugs were lurking.
<Mmm>
That worked until a few days ago, when another tetra died following a similar pattern. This is getting to be pretty crazy-making for me, and I imagine the fish aren't especially thrilled either.
At this point, I'm contemplating breaking down the whole tank and trying to sterilize everything, which brings me to my question: should I?
<Possibly; do have some fish-friends come by and look... am wondering if there's something toxic in your system. Perhaps a geode... or metal containing something>
And if so, what method would you recommend to make sure I really, really get all the bugs--
<Bleach washing... here is an SOP: http://wetwebmedia.com/clnornart.htm
The same procedure applies for sterilizing a complete system. DO read through this thoroughly and get some help... Take CARE to not splash bleach on you or the surroundings>
because the only thing that might make me crazier would be going through that monumental effort and then having the problem crop up again.
Final note: current stock is 7 tetras, one angelfish, water parameters are good last I checked, and I do 25% water changes every 2 weeks.
Thanks!
<Ah, welcome. Bob Fenner>
Re: To sanitize or not sanitize?      7/21/14
Thanks for the quick reply-- a couple more questions (below in red):
<Ahh, the webmail program removes such (color) coding>
> Subject: To sanitize or not sanitize?
> Background: I have a 50 gal freshwater tank (with a 70-gal canister filter)
> that happily housed three goldfish until we moved about a year ago. When I
> set up the tank again, I struggled with water quality issues/bacterial
> infections (I assume, based on the symptoms) and ultimately lost the goldfish.
> <Yikes; am wondering what the cause/s were here>**I was having trouble
> getting the tank to cycle when I set it up again, though the system had
> been stable before. I assume that had something to do with it**
> I know goldfish have their challenges--which is why when I decided to start
> again with new stock a few months ago, I went for tetras to start.
Things were stable for a while, then I started losing them with similar symptoms:
> general lethargy followed by difficulty swimming, no signs of external
> parasites. On advice of the local aquarium shop guys, I treated the whole
> tank with a broad-spectrum antibiotic to try to kill whatever bugs were lurking.
> <Mmm>
**I'm willing to try that again as an alternative to bleaching. I don't want to lose any more fish, but (aside from the epic work of taking apart the tank) I'm a bit concerned that I'd just be swapping one problem (possible bacteria) for another (non-cycled tank, stress of moving fish).**
<<Okay>>
> That worked until a few days ago, when another tetra died following a
> similar pattern. This is getting to be pretty crazy-making for me, and I
> imagine the fish aren't especially thrilled either.
> At this point, I'm contemplating breaking down the whole tank and trying to
> sterilize everything, which brings me to my question: should I?
> <Possibly; do have some fish-friends come by and look...**Guess I need to
> make some fish friends?** am wondering if
> there's something toxic in your system. Perhaps a geode... or metal containing something>
**Interesting thought. I have had the same things in the tank the entire time I've owned it (4+ years) with the exception of the heater and thermometer I bought when I got the tetras...unless something was
introduced inadvertently during the move (can't think what that would be?). Any input on what sort of symptoms would I be seeing in the fish if this was the case? Would they be any different than what I might see with an internal bacterial infection?**
<<Not necessarily... and there are such things as "olde tank syndromes"...
What seems to happen as systems age, they become more depauperate (less speciose) and even toxic; with some few microbes overpopulating and poisoning their own world w/ metabolites... An important human lesson as well>>
> And if so, what method would you recommend to make sure I really, really get all the bugs--
> <Bleach washing... here is an SOP: http://wetwebmedia.com/clnornart.htm
> The same procedure applies for sterilizing a complete system. DO read
> through this thoroughly and get some help... Take CARE to not splash bleach
> on you or the surroundings>
**Thanks for the link, a couple additional questions about bleach washing an entire system: Would you recommend bleaching the gravel I have for the tank bottom, or dumping it? What about the ceramic rings in the canister filter?**
<<I would bleach all, in place... sans livestock... filter, media, all>>
> because the only thing that might make me crazier would be going
> through that monumental effort and then having the problem crop up again.
> Final note: current stock is 7 tetras, one angelfish, water parameters are
> good last I checked, and I do 25% water changes every 2 weeks.
> Thanks!
**I checked the water parameters again and notice that the pH is a bit elevated (7.6 maybe?). Could this be the issue?**
<<Not likely; unless it's wildly vacillating (too little alkalinity).
BobF>>
> <Ah, welcome. Bob Fenner>

lump on a shebunkin... Rdg.       7/19/14
Help!
<Vic>
We have an otherwise healthy shebunkin about 4 inches long, living alone in a 55 gal aquarium with 2 strong filtration systems and 2 water changes a month.
He developed a large lump on his side that slowly protruded more and more.
At its peak we saw a few wispy spider web like strings coming from the lump, about 1 or 2 inches long.
<Umm; water quality tests?>
Later the lump erupted and stuff that we could not identify what protruded a little bit from the wound. but it quickly receded and healed up and now is completely gone. But then maybe 2 weeks later it started happening again in a different spot, closer to the head, but still behind the gill. The bump is now very obvious and the fish seems to be slowed down by it somewhat.
No wispy strings seen yet, looks like it may erupt soon.
<Foods, feeding?>
The closest I can figure from online research is anchor worm, but it doesn't quite look like anchor worm. I ordered a commercial anchor worm med and was about to try it when we decided to give you guys a try.
Is this a parasite that will be treated by anchor worm meds, or is this a bacterial infection that requires an antibiotic?
Regards,
Victor
<Uhh, read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/GFGrowthsF5.htm
and the linked files above... till you receive total enlightenment. Bob Fenner>

Question About Goldfish... no data    6/17/14 Hi, I found this e-mail address at wetwebmedia.com, and I was hoping you could help me. <Will try> 11 years ago, I inherited a comet goldfish from my grandfather who passed away. My grandfather had the fish for awhile, so I’m guessing the fish must be at least 13 years old. <Ok> The goldfish has always been very healthy up until last year, when he started having buoyancy issues every now and then after eating. <... likely mis-fed too much flake/dry food... have you done any searching, reading on WWM?> We adjusted the way we fed him though, and the swim bladder issue seemed to be resolved. <...> Then, a few months back, the nitrate level had crept up, <? To what level?> and my goldfish was laying on his stomach on the bottom of the aquarium. We resolved this issue by doing frequent water changes and testing the water everyday until the nitrate level was brought down. Since then, he had been back to normal until a couple of weeks ago when his swim bladder issue returned. <... need to tell you; there is no such thing... environmental stress is the root cause.> We assumed he would only be bloated for a few hours like he used to be, but after an entire day of laying upside down, we realized something was wrong. We noticed he hadn’t been expelling waste so we assumed he was constipated, and fed him peas for a couple of days. During this time however, the area around his anus had become swollen and red and the scales were sticking out. It appeared to be dropsy, so we treated him with a little Epsom salt, and the dropsy went away very quickly. He was able to excrete as well, but he still had buoyancy issues, and his back end still looked very full or bloated. We searched around online, and went to a fish store near us, and it was decided that he probably had some kind of infection. We bought an antibiotic for the goldfish at the fish store, and the after one dose he appeared to be 100% better. The next day however, he didn’t look as good, but we continued the treatment as directed. From there, his health has declined, and he now spends a lot of his time curled over on the bottom, and although he seems a bit off balance at times, can still swim and eat normally like he used to. My biggest concern right now, for which I can find no answer, is a symptom that developed just this morning. The underside of his jaw is now protruding. I don’t know what caused this, and I don’t know if he’ll be able to eat tonight when I feed him. He didn’t have it this morning when I first woke up, but just before lunch I noticed the underside of his jaw sticking out. He also appears to be breathing a little more heavily. Is there anything I can do for him? I’d like to help him if possible. I’ve attached some pictures of the underside of his chin for you to look at. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me! --Katie <Mmm; where to begin... You've presented little useful data... water quality test results, system make-up, maintenance... foods/feeding... Let's have you start reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm and the linked files above. Send data... quanta... Bob Fenner>

Question About Goldfish... no data    6/18/14 Sorry. I thought it would be useful to include his health history. However, my main question was just regarding the underside of his head. If you haven’t seen that before though, it’s okay. I just wanted to know if it was serious or if it could be treated at all. <Can't be treated... other than improving the env. and nutr. as previously stated> I’ve taken care of the fish for 11 years now, so I’m familiar with the information on the page you’ve sent. I’m sorry I’ve taken up your time. <Why I/we're here; to help if we can> I just haven’t found any answers elsewhere on the internet, so I thought it’d be worth a try to ask. Thanks anyway. --Katie <Welcome. BobF>

Moor goldfish fish missing eye   6/17/14
Hello,
I was feeding my fish and I notice one fish was missing his whole big eye.
We have cats in the area so that might have caught it. It seems a little weak and slower than usual but I don't know what I should do Thank you,
Jessica
<Remove the source of the trauma... and keep on w/ regular maintenance. Can live w/ a single eye.
Bob Fenner>

Mystery White Things On Tail Fins; no data     6/16/14 Hi. This morning I noticed some mysterious white things on the low tail fins of my Oranda's fins. The fins are also crinkled looking. Not smooth like usual. <I see this, these... usually either evidence of a physical trauma (bending, breaking of fin spines) or resultant from some aspect/s of poor water quality (of course aided by genetic, nutritional inputs)> I have seen Ich before. <Not Ich> It dose not appear to be any sort of Ich I have seen before. I have seen fin rot too. It dose not appear to be fin rot that I have ever seen before. I included some photos where you can see the mystery white things on her bottom tail fins. My fish will sometimes rest on the bottom of the tank for some reason, if this helps. Here is the best picture of the strange white patches. If not Ich or fin rot, what do you think these white patches could be? Bacterial? Carp pox? Any help here is appreciated. Thank you. <Water quality tests, maintenance, foods/feeding...? Bob Fenner>

Please help!! GF rdg       5/30/14 Hi please can you help my little sweetheart Cream, who seems to have problems passing faeces. <Looks fine in these pix... I might try a bit of Epsom Salt... search/read on WWM re. Bob Fenner> This has been occurring for a week. The tank is cleaned once a week with a 15% water change. Any help you can offer would be gratefully appreciated. Ps. Sorry for quality of photos Cream likes hiding!! Many thanks K. Riley

My goldfish is really bloated.      4/3/14
I cleaned the tank recently and the next day when I went to feed them I noticed he was looking a little bloated but it is getting worse. There are three other fish in there. These fish have been together for four years.
The tank is 15 gallons and it has a filter to clean a 20 gallon tank. He is acting like he normally does. And eats as usual. I am getting really worried. He is getting so bloated it looks like he could pop.
<Could I direct you to following articles:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm
Both will answer your questions, tell you what you need to do, and provide you with a checklist for proper care -- for example, 15 gallons is too small, crazy small if there are 4 goldfish in there! Cheers, Neale.>

Sick Black Moor. reading...     4/1/14 So I bought my new black moor on Friday and now it looks like this. I'm not sure what's wrong and I'm starting to worry about it. Can you tell me what's wrong or what I should do? <This poor chap is in a very bad way! I'd do two things here. First I'd medicate as per Finrot, using a reliable medication (not Melafix, Pimafix, or anything else involving plant extracts). Here in the UK my recommendation would be eSHa 2000; in the US, Kanaplex or the Maracyn + Maracyn 2 combination seem very highly regarded. Next up, I'd add salt to the water, at a dosage of about 2-3 gram per litre of water (that's about 0.4 oz per US gallon). I'd also raise the temperature a couple degrees. Salt/heat work well together against Whitespot, which my guess is the "key" that unlocked the door to massive Finrot and other bacterial infections of the skin. So dealing with both the Finrot and the Whitespot will be helpful here. Goldfish have a high tolerance for salt so don't worry about causing stress using salt. With a bit of luck, this chap should recover without problems. Meantime, do read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm   Quite a few things necessary to successful Goldfish keeping. Cheers, Neale.>

Gold fish emergency... 12 MEGs of nothing useful   3/22/14 <Why have you exceeded our file size requirement... sending 12 Megs?> I have had an orange fan tail gold fish for 2 years. He has a very large tank - 13" x 19" x 23" and is the only fish in the tank. It has a good sponge type filter. <This is neither a very large system nor a good solo type of GF filtration. HAD you followed directions, and searched, read ahead of writing; you would know this> He always had a small slightly red spot on his head but it has developed into a white sore on his head. (see photos) And, the sore develops clear blisters at times. He eats and seems to be ok but weak. I can't keep the filter on too long or he stresses and hides under a plant since the current is stronger than he is - one time he got sucked onto the intake of the filter. He has also had swim bladder disease <There is no such thing> which after I feed him peas he seems to do better. Please help. Thanks, Elle <Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/faqstips.htm FOLLOW directions if you want our help. Bob Fenner>

Same ole genetic, env., nutr. GF mess