FAQs About Goldfish Disease/Health 59 Related Articles: Goldfish Systems, Goldfish 101: Goldfish May Be Popular, And They May Be Cheap, But That Doesn't Make Them Easy Aquarium Fish by Neale Monks, Goldfish Disease, Goldfish, Goldfish Varieties, Koi/Pond Fish Disease, Livestock Treatment System, Bloaty, Floaty Goldfish, Gas Bubble Disease/Emphysematosis, Pond Parasite Control with DTHP, Hole in the Side Disease/Furunculosis, Related FAQs: Goldfish Disease 1, Goldfish Disease 2, Goldfish Disease 3, Goldfish Disease 4, Goldfish Disease 5, Goldfish Disease 6, Goldfish Disease 7, Goldfish Disease 8, Goldfish Disease 9, Goldfish Disease 10, Goldfish Disease 11, Goldfish Disease 12, Goldfish Disease 13, Goldfish Disease 14, Goldfish Disease 15, Goldfish Disease 16, Goldfish Disease 17, Goldfish Disease 18, Goldfish Disease 19, Goldfish Disease 20, Goldfish Disease 21, Goldfish Health 22, Goldfish Health 23, Goldfish Disease 24, Goldfish Health 25, Goldfish Disease 26, Goldfish Disease 27, Goldfish Disease 28, Goldfish Disease 29, Goldfish Disease 30, Goldfish Disease 31, Goldfish Disease 32, Goldfish Disease 33, Goldfish Disease 34, Goldfish Disease 35, Goldfish Health 36, Goldfish Health 37, Goldfish Disease 38, Goldfish Disease 39 Goldfish Disease 39, Goldfish Disease 40, Goldfish Disease 41, Goldfish Disease 42, Goldfish Disease 43, Goldfish Disease 44, Goldfish Disease 45, Goldfish Disease 46, Goldfish Disease 47, Goldfish Disease 48, Goldfish Disease 49, Goldfish Disease 50, Goldfish Disease 51, Goldfish Disease 52, Goldfish Disease 53, Goldfish Disease 54, Goldfish Disease 55, Goldfish Disease 56, Goldfish Disease 57, Goldfish Disease 58, Goldfish Disease 59, FAQs on Goldfish Medicines Antifungals, Antibacterials, Anti-protozoals ( Copper, eSHa, Metronidazole, Formalin, Copper, Malachite Green), Dewormers, Organophosphates, Salts, Mela- et al. non-fixes, Misc. Med.s,

Goldfish Disease by "Types", Causes: Environmental 1, Environmental 2, Environmental 3, Environmental 4, Environmental 5, Environmental , (Absolutely the Biggest Category) Floaty Bloaty Goldfish Nutritional (Second Largest) Genetic/Developmental Eye Troubles Lumps/Bumps/Growths (including idiopathic tumors) Behavioral/Social Viral and Bacterial, Fungal Infectious Parasitic: (Ich, Protozoans, Flukes, Worms, Crustacean/ Anchorworms/Lernaeids, ) Fish Lice (Argulus), Goldfish Swim Bladder Problems Anomalous (Misc., Injuries, etc.)

My golf fish seems to have fin rot but I don’t know exactly      3/31/20 At first my golf fish started to get a few pieces of its rear tail being torn off it looked like. <Golf fish? Torn its tail? Should have used a five iron maybe, instead of a driver...> I quickly blamed my other fish I just got from a local stream. <This is certainly possible. Fancy Goldfish (so, pretty much anything other than your Commons or Comets) are incapable of doing well with things like Minnows and Shiners. Even with the best will in the world, these more active wild-type fish will simply view the long fins of Fancy Goldfish as either toys or meals. Often both. Commons and Comets are simply carp with different colours, and, in the case of Comets, longer, but not disabling, finnage. So they usually do fine with native fish, size and temperament allowing, but if combined with aggressive or snappy fish, they'll be damaged as easily as any other inoffensive schooling fish.> I don’t know exactly what fish they are but they have a blue rear fin and a yellow belly. I looked up a few fishes that looked similar but the closest one was a molly. <Really do need a decent photo. And to know what country you're in! If you're in the US, what state you're in makes a big difference too, the fish faunas of the Southeast being entirely different to those of the Pacific Northwest. But broadly, if you're in the US, there are likely two sorts of fish you'll catch easily outside of the warm Southeastern states: various cyprinids (minnows and shiners) and then the various sunfishes (such as pumpkinseeds, sunfish, and bass). Cyprinids tend to be active schooling fish, with pelvic fins set well back along the body, rather like your Goldfish. Sunfish are typical perciform fish, with their pelvic fins more or less underneath the pectoral fins. They are less active, more like lurking predators really, and tend to be territorial and nippy.> This is the fish. <Your photo is much too small to be of much use. The long body is cyprinid-like, vaguely like Nocomis spp., but then again, the longitudinal stripes remind me of the Umbridae, such as the Eastern Mudminnow. But really, no idea without a proper photo.> But then I started to speculate it was fin rot. But I am not completely sure of it here is a picture of the golf fish. Also I have separated the golf fish and the other fish. <Wise. Goldfish recover well from this sort of injury given good water quality (zero ammonia and nitrite); but feel free to use a commercial fin rot medication if you have one. Cheers, Neale.> Re: My golf fish seems to have fin rot but I don’t know exactly       4/1/20 Okay I’m glad to know that the photos were too small I had a feeling they were here are some original sized pictures of both fish <Right, the greenish fish with the dark stripes -- it's a Sailfin Molly of some kind. Poecilia latipinna more than likely. A more or less strictly herbivorous fish, so therefore eats much the same things as Goldfish. Needs hard, alkaline water to do well; some salt is often recommended, though not strictly necessary. Would suggest you do some reading, here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/mollies.htm No particular reason it can't cohabit with Goldfish, but some male Mollies can be aggressive, so best watch how they interact. Cheers, Neale.>

Orandas with raw reddish patches and white bumps    /RMF     12/6/19 <Edward, hi; am unable to either download your zip, nor open the indiv. jpegs here. Would you place them on the net and send the link along?> I’ve spent hours looking through your site, (THANK YOU for it’s existence!), but couldn’t find any images with descriptions that I could be sure matched mine. So, I’ll give writing in a try! <Ah, good> Several weeks ago I thought I noticed the beginnings of an inch infection and treated the entire tank with salt. I added a tablespoon for every 5 gallons, then repeated two days later. The white spots seemed to have gotten better, but there’s been a raw “meaty” outbreak on the tail of one for a while now that has gotten worse, and another has a white round eruption and is hanging out at the bottom of the tank more than usual. The third seems fine. I have a 65 gallon tank with a 406 Fluval and have under gravel filters with 2 power heads. The air pump is for a 100 gallon tank and the tank has plenty of aeration. I used to feed them Tetra Goldfish Flakes and sometimes frozen brine shrimp, but I thought I might be introducing disease with the shrimp and stopped that. <Actually, the frozen Artemia shouldn't harbor any goldfish pathogens. I would supplement the flake food for sure> Now I feed them North Fin Premium Goldfish pellets that sink. (I haven’t noticed any difference in the fish with the change of food and it’s been almost a year.) <Unfamiliar w/ this brand, and their site doesn't offer specifics as to formulation, guaranteed analysis.> I measured the ammonia levels and they are zero. There are 3 goldfish, two of which I need help with. I have sharpened the images so their scales appear more pronounced in some images more than they actually are, but I wanted the outbreaks to be well defined. <Need to see these pix> Fish one has had a reddish outbreak for months now and it’s getting worse. Changing the tank water and using Melafix alone, then later Melafix with Pimafix, hasn’t cured it. <Am decidedly NOT a fan of these plant extracts. Google WWM re> About a year or so ago I had another fish that was also having eruptions and treated the tank with Amoxicillin. I used 1 Capsule (500mg.) per 20 gallons every day for 7 days. Overall, there seemed to be improvement, however one fish may have had some kind of scale damage that could not be repaired and had a large, cottony “growth” on it’s side. It behaved normally and seemed unaffected by it. Fish one behaves normally, but the red and raw looking patches are getting worse. Did the salt make it worse? <Can't say; but I would (again) augment this food... with a mix of frozen that has a good deal of plant material (or fresh, blanched/microwaved fresh; see WWM re GF nutrition), and mix in some (to me known) dried prepared of good value (Hikari, Spectrum)> Fish two was fine, except that now it appears that a white growth is appearing on it’s side. There appears to be some white on it’s head too. Is that ich? <Doubtful; Ich appears as discrete pin-head size white dots... more on the fins than the bodies in goldfish> However, this is the one that’s bothering me because it suddenly is spending lots of time on the bottom of the tank and none of them have ever done that before without dire consequences. (The end is near.) Tomorrow I’ll change the tank water. I was thinking of leaving the charcoal out of the fluvial and treating with the Amoxicillin again. <Mmm; I'd give up on antibiotic use. This situation is environmental, nutritional in etiology. Water changes and food additions is the route I'd go> All of their fins appear pretty normal. No pronounced red streaks or tears. I am desperate to get my fish healthy and happy again. I’ve kept fancy goldfish for about 40 years and I’ve never had struggles like this before. <Ahh, I too am a giant fan of fancies... for more than this duration. They are "not what they used to be" health/quality wise; nor is the water in many places.> I do believe there might be something in the tap water, but I don’t know for sure. I always use AmQuel Plus and NovAqua when I change the water and add 5 tablespoons of aquarium salt for every 5 gallons of new water. <I'd cut back the salt by half, but the water treatments you list are good> My fish and I thank you in advance for any expert advice we can get! Thank you SO much! Fish 1: Fish 2: <Bob Fenner> Orandas with raw reddish patches and white bumps       12/7/19 I’ve spent hours looking through your site, (THANK YOU for it’s existence!), but couldn’t find any images with descriptions that I could be sure matched mine. So, I’ll give writing in a try! <Sure thing, and thanks for the kind words.> Several weeks ago I thought I noticed the beginnings of an inch infection and treated the entire tank with salt. I added a tablespoon for every 5 gallons, then repeated two days later. The white spots seemed to have gotten better, but there’s been a raw “meaty” outbreak on the tail of one for a while now that has gotten worse, and another has a white round eruption and is hanging out at the bottom of the tank more than usual. The third seems fine. I have a 65 gallon tank with a 406 Fluval and have under gravel filters with 2 power heads. The air pump is for a 100 gallon tank and the tank has plenty of aeration. I used to feed them Tetra Goldfish Flakes and sometimes frozen brine shrimp, but I thought I might be introducing disease with the shrimp and stopped that. Now I feed them North Fin Premium Goldfish pellets that sink. (I haven’t noticed any difference in the fish with the change of food and it’s been almost a year.) I measured the ammonia levels and they are zero. There are 3 goldfish, two of which I need help with. I have sharpened the images so their scales appear more pronounced in some images more than they actually are, but I wanted the outbreaks to be well defined. Fish one has had a reddish outbreak for months now and it’s getting worse. Changing the tank water and using Melafix alone, then later Melafix with Pimafix, hasn’t cured it. <Indeed; both are fairly useless, or at least, unreliable.> About a year or so ago I had another fish that was also having eruptions and treated the tank with Amoxicillin. I used 1 Capsule (500mg.) per 20 gallons every day for 7 days. Overall, there seemed to be improvement, however one fish may have had some kind of scale damage that could not be repaired and had a large, cottony “growth” on it’s side. It behaved normally and seemed unaffected by it. Fish one behaves normally, but the red and raw looking patches are getting worse. Did the salt make it worse? <Nope. Low salt concentrations are completely harmless to Carassius auratus.> Fish two was fine, except that now it appears that a white growth is appearing on it’s side. There appears to be some white on it’s head too. Is that ich? However, this is the one that’s bothering me because it suddenly is spending lots of time on the bottom of the tank and none of them have ever done that before without dire consequences. (The end is near.) Tomorrow I’ll change the tank water. I was thinking of leaving the charcoal out of the fluvial and treating with the Amoxicillin again. <Which won't help if the problem is viral, which is what I suspect.> All of their fins appear pretty normal. No pronounced red streaks or tears. I am desperate to get my fish healthy and happy again. I’ve kept fancy goldfish for about 40 years and I’ve never had struggles like this before. I do believe there might be something in the tap water, but I don’t know for sure. I always use AmQuel Plus and NovAqua when I change the water and add 5 tablespoons of aquarium salt for every 5 gallons of new water. My fish and I thank you in advance for any expert advice we can get! Thank you SO much! <Do look at photos of Carp Pox on Goldfish. This is moderately common, but alas, there's no treatment. A vet may be able to remove some lesions, but beyond that, it's a case of waiting for the immune system to deal with it. Under good conditions, that can happen, but it will take months, even years, of good care. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Orandas with raw reddish patches and white bumps       12/7/19 Hi Neale. Thank you SO much for your kind and generous response. Does this reply mean that you were able to open the jpegs? <Yes, no problem opening and examining the images. The thing is, bloody sores and white growths are actually characteristic of a range of diseases. Bacterial infections including plain old Finrot on the one hand, and the much more sinister Septicaemia on the other. Viral infections, notably Carp Pox, can produce pinkish-white growths on the body too, though usually without obvious evidence of bleeding. So to some extent I can point you in the right direction, but you need to look at those possibilities, compare them with images online, and study things like the behaviour of your fish, and whether the tissue looks actively flaking and bleeding (bacteria infection more likely) or simply wart- or tumour-like (in which case a viral cause might be suspected). It's really difficult to diagnose viral infections in fish, with only one or two having obvious symptoms (Lymphocystis springs to mind).> If not, I wonder where I would post the images? Would it be helpful to resend them at a smaller size? I’m a photographer and spent some time getting the best images I could. I will search for Carp pox on goldfish. And, yes, I have wondered if some of the issues were viral. I suspect for sure that was true on one fish I had that never got better no matter what I did. I hate to admit it, and still feel horrible about it to this day, but he was so unsightly with a large growth on his side that I euthanized him, even though he wasn’t bothered by it and in face seemed kind of happy. Oh Lord… I’m a murderer! <Yikes!> So - if you have time to let me know if you were able to see the images and if not, if it would help to resend them smaller, please let me know. Otherwise, I’ll just work on keeping the water as clean as possible and monitor carefully. Thank you again! Edward <Glad to help, and feel free to keep us posted with any further changes or symptoms you come across. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Orandas with raw reddish patches and white bumps       12/7/19 Hi again. I looked at images of Carp pox, and that is what I concluded the fish I euthanized had. <Understood.> However, the sores the two fish have now don’t have the same look as he did, but I know that that virus could be contagious. <Tricky this one. Yes, viruses should be contagious. But in reality, with most if not all of the fish virus infections we encounter, they are unlikely to transfer to otherwise healthy fish. For some reason there needs to be a stress factor at work, such as inappropriate water chemistry or acute physical trauma (such as fish tattooing) before the virus 'jumps across' to other fish.> That could explain why two have sores and one doesn’t. Perhaps that one is immune to it? <Exactly so.> And maybe there is a secondary infection on top of it in the one fish with the red sores? <Certainly possible, and treating as per a systemic bacteria infection is worth a shot. There is a form of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia occasionally seen in fish that does seem to be a combination of virus and bacterial agents, so the use of antibiotics can help. Symptoms include reddish patches on the body, bloating, disinterest in food, and eventually death. There isn't a known cure as such, but thankfully it's pretty rare. Caught early on, as I say, antibiotics may help, and the fish's own immune system kick in strongly enough to remove the virus. But with most of these viral infections that's about all we can do, because there are no commercially available antiviral medicines useful on fish. Fortunately, they are rarely contagious, so we don't encounter them very often.> Doing all that I can. Thanks again! Edward <The best you can do is all you can do. Good luck, Neale.>

Reggie 10 year old Goldfish; env. dis.        10/22/19
Hi,
<Hello>
We have had Reggie for a very long time. He has lived in his 10 gallon tank alone for all this time and has been quite healthy.
<Yikes; even a single goldfish needs more room than this... Likely this fish has been "Bonsai'd", its life foreshortened by long-exposure to its own metabolites. SEE, as in READ on WWM re gf care.>
He has eaten only Spectrum pellets for years now and would normally get maybe 6-7 per day.
<Am a huge fan of the Spectrum line; fed it for years to my fancy goldfish, and to tropicals>
Recently he has been having a hard time getting his pellets. He would always come to the top and we would try to get them as close to his mouth as possible. Sometimes he would even come up and take right from you. Other times they would fall and he would end up searching them out. Lately I would drop in the food always one at a time and he would go for it but keeps missing it. Eventually with much patience would keep trying and he would get. In the past week he would go for the food but go right by it. My son came home from college and said he thinks he got a tumor or something because there appears to be a bulge under his skin near his back.
<Possible>
Hard to really even see it. He thought he was dying but he hasn’t. Was still swimming around until a few days ago when he would try to come up to get food and totally miss it and drop back down to the bottom and stay there.
<Perhaps blind?>
He moves a bit and seems to be breathing but gasping a bit. I decided to do a water change since it had been close to a month and did so.
<... should be done weekly. READ: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm
and the linked files above>
I took out maybe a third or less of the water. I read on the internet to make the water a little warmer so that’s what I did.
<Good technique, percentage>
Now he is really on the bottom and not moving around very much. I took the water to the aquarium store yesterday and she said she thinks I cleaned it too much and the ammonia level is too high
<... any (appreciable, measurable) is too high, toxic>
so she said to scoop out some of the water from the top and add room temperature water and a few drops of the water conditioner as I always do. I also always add aquarium salt but she said not necessary now. Is there anything else I can do?
<A bigger world (at least twenty gallons), more (redundant) filtration, frequent partial water changes (25% weekly)...>
We are going away next week and out of the country to visit our daughter at school for over a week and concerned how someone else will be able to care for him. Even concerned for now! Can you offer any suggestions??
<The reading...>
Thanks Olivia
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Re: Reggie 10 year old Goldfish... deflection      10/23/19
Hi
So my question about him sitting on the floor of the tank wasn’t addressed. What do you do?
<Umm, as stated...>
From reading what you said to read about goldfish care it says constipation can be an issue? How would you even know that?
<Not constipation w/ the food you're using>
I am not clear about what I can do to help.
<Please re-read the previous message. BobF>
There has always been a filter in the tank. He has lives so many years in the 12 gallon tank don’t really think he has a problem with this.
Please reply.
Thanks
Olivia

Fungus Among us, GF dis.      9/24/19
Hello everyone. I would just like to say your site is the absolute BEST!
I have shamelessly stalked your content for anything related to goldfish and can honestly say that my finned babies would not have survived more than a few months at best had I not done so. Thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge with us. Having goldfish as pets is a lot harder than most people realize. That said...
<Ahh!>
My apologies in advance for the mini-novel but I'm not sure where to begin.
Let me start by providing what I hope will be some useful background information. I currently have two fish tanks- a 20-gallon heated, filtered, moderately planted tank that houses a seemingly bored betta named Milo and a 40-gallon tank that houses three regular goldfish, the oldest of whom, Morgan, has been in my care for a little over nine years now. The goldfish tank was heavily planted once or twice, but it's tough keeping live plants around goldfish because, well, they eat absolutely everything.
Now they have what I like to call a water bush that quietly floats from one side of the tank to the other (likely to avoid being eaten). The 40-gallon tank has two hang on the back filters- one for tanks that are up to 50 gallons and a second for tanks that are up to 90 gallons.
<Good to have such over-filtration and redundancy>
I do this for two reasons: 1) goldfish are very messy little creatures and 2) if one filter fails, I will have a backup to ensure that the tank remains cycled until the new filter has a chance to get established. There
is also a pond pump with an ultraviolet light lurking in one of the back corners of the tank. I check the filters once a week when I clean the tank, however I only replace the filters approximately every other month or so unless otherwise indicated. The tank is fully cycled and has been for many years now. The ammonia and nitrite levels consistently stay at zero and the nitrate levels toggle between 10 ppm (at the beginning of the week) and 20 ppm (which is where I usually am at the end of the week when I clean the tank). I have never had a pH reading other than 7.4 on this tank.
<So far, great>
The fish are fed a diet that consists mostly of homemade gel food consisting of shrimp, raw garlic and fresh spinach that is supplemented with a variety of fruits (usually oranges) and things like sweet peas,
boiled sweet potatoes, roasted seaweed, etc. Loads of Anacharis are added to the tank once a quarter or so which the fish usually decimate over the course of a week. Once or twice a year the goldfish will get Life Spectrum pellets.
<Am a huge fan>
I am thoroughly convinced that this diet has not only kept my fish relatively healthy over the years, but that it plays a crucial role in allowing me to keep my tank parameters in check (along with the weekly
cleanings, that is). And now onto my problem...
Nearly four weeks ago, I noticed that my oldest fish, Morgan, had reddened gills (it was only visible to me when he was swimming away from me, though). The gill panels appeared to be perfectly fine, and everything else on this fish appeared to be completely normal including his appetite and behavior. It was the flesh underneath the gill panels that had me concerned. The color reminded me of either a ruby red grapefruit or a blood orange. A quick water check revealed that the parameters were fine:
ammonia:0 ppm, nitrites: 0 ppm, nitrates: 20 ppm with a pH of 7.4. The temperature was a little high (~81 degrees- I live in the high desert so there is not much I can do about that aside from setting my thermostat for 78 degrees for the entire summer). Erring on the side of caution, I did a partial water change taking great care to thoroughly vacuum every inch of the gravel and reprogrammed the lights on the tank to only come on for 6 hours of the day so that they won't overheat the tank.
<Good moves. I'd leave the lights off during all daylight hours>
I also made a note to keep an eye on the tank in preparation for whatever was about to come next (because I just knew it would be something!).
I didn't have to wait long. Less than a week later, I noticed that Morgan was sitting near the bottom of the tank breathing a little faster than usual. I also noticed that his left gill was inflamed. A quick glance
around the tank revealed that the other fish were looking and behaving normally. Morgan didn't appear to be in any other distress aside from being a little quiet (and to this day continues to eat like a pig), but I
knew this swollen gill wasn't normal. I immediately got out my API kit and checked the parameters which were exactly the same as they'd been the week before. It was another hot day though so I did a partial water change of 50% and started dosing with Tetracycline in case this was the beginning of
something bacterial. Once the treatment was completed, Morgan was a little perkier but he was still breathing faster than I would have liked. Not knowing the exact nature of his ailment, I opted to wait a day or so to see if more symptoms would present themselves so I'd have a better idea on how to treat this issue.
Approximately one week later, I walked by the tank and noticed that Morgan had a long ribbon of something that looked like cotton coming from this inflamed gill. I knew it was a fungus of some type but I didn't know whether it was a true fungus or one that was caused by a bacterial infection. Once again I immediately checked the water parameters (okay, after I stopped cussing like a sailor), and once again the water parameters were exactly as they had been the previous weeks. I conducted two water
changes to get the nitrates down to 10 ppm, then I dosed the tank with API's E.M. Erythromycin. I had planned to also run API's Fungus Cure simultaneously in case this turned out to be a true fungus but the only medication my local fish stores carried was that herbal stuff Pimafix and Kordon's Rid Fungus which did not interest me (I thought they would make things worse).
Within the first 24 hours of dosing the tank with E.M. Erythromycin, the trail of fungus disappeared. I thought I was on the right track with the Erythromycin but at the end of the treatment the gill was still inflamed.
I saw no clear evidence of parasites (i.e. flashing, thickening slime coat, raggedy fins and/or damage to the body) and didn't want to further stress him for treating him for a phantom ailment. Do keep in mind that I am no expert on fish-keeping so I could very easily be wrong about this not being a parasite. It's just that my previous experience with parasites (ich) is that they breed like roaches. For every one you see, a million more are hiding in the tank- most of whom tend to make their presences known over
the course of hours and not weeks.
A few days ago I grabbed a flashlight to see if I could better determine why Morgan's gill was still swollen despite all the antibiotic therapy. In the left gill just under the upper part of the panel is what appears to be a speck of something a little larger than the head of a pin that looks like a clump of white, fuzzy cotton or a spider's web. It looks like the mold you would see on old cheese or bread except it is white in color. Could this be a true fungus?
<Possibly... I suspect it is secondary... >
(And if so, how did it get in this tank?
<Mmm; funguses are all about... from the air likely>
I only ask because if there's one thing I've learned about fish care it's that prevention is the best medicine). I have ordered API's Fungus Cure online which should be arriving sometime today just in case. I have no other idea what this could possibly be.
That's all I have to report for now. Aside from the fact that Morgan's breathing is still a little fast, he continues to eat normally. He even scavenges for food like his tank mates. Any assistance you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Tracy
<My best guess is that this fish's trouble originated w/ a physical trauma... bumping in to something hard... the fungus/bacteria a result of opportunity. I'd stop the medicines you list and try simple salt treatment.
See Neale's piece here re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/SaltUseFWArtNeale.htm
Bob Fenner>
Fungus Among us /Neale       9/25/19
Hello everyone. I would just like to say your site is the absolute BEST!
I have shamelessly stalked your content for anything related to goldfish and can honestly say that my finned babies would not have survived more than a few months at best had I not done so. Thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge with us. Having goldfish as pets is a lot harder than most people realize. That said...
<Thanks for these kind words.>
My apologies in advance for the mini-novel but I'm not sure where to begin.
Let me start by providing what I hope will be some useful background information. I currently have two fish tanks- a 20-gallon heated, filtered, moderately planted tank that houses a seemingly bored betta named Milo and a 40-gallon tank that houses three regular goldfish, the oldest of whom, Morgan, has been in my care for a little over nine years now.
<Understood.>
The goldfish tank was heavily planted once or twice, but it's tough keeping live plants around goldfish because, well, they eat absolutely everything.
<Correct. Can be worth the effort, but these fish (and Carp generally) are natural bulldozers in the wild, uprooting plants and creating so much silt by their snuffling about the water gets too murky for light to penetrate.
So yep, mixing Goldfish with plants is a challenge, whether in the wild or in captivity. Floating plants (like water lilies) work best.>
Now they have what I like to call a water bush that quietly floats from one side of the tank to the other (likely to avoid being eaten). The 40-gallon tank has two hang on the back filters- one for tanks that are up to 50 gallons and a second for tanks that are up to 90 gallons. I do this for two reasons: 1) goldfish are very messy little creatures and 2) if one filter fails, I will have a backup to ensure that the tank remains cycled until the new filter has a chance to get established.
<Sounds wise.>
There is also a pond pump with an ultraviolet light lurking in one of the back corners of the tank. I check the filters once a week when I clean the tank, however I only replace the filters approximately every other month or so unless otherwise indicated.
<All sounds fine so far.>
The tank is fully cycled and has been for many years now. The ammonia and nitrite levels consistently stay at zero and the nitrate levels toggle between 10 ppm (at the beginning of the week) and 20 ppm (which is where I usually am at the end of the week when I clean the tank). I have never had
a pH reading other than 7.4 on this tank.
<Cool. Goldfish do prefer basic water chemistry, so around 7 to 8 is ideal.>
The fish are fed a diet that consists mostly of homemade gel food consisting of shrimp, raw garlic and fresh spinach that is supplemented with a variety of fruits (usually oranges) and things like sweet peas,
boiled sweet potatoes, roasted seaweed, etc.
<All sounds good. Probably better than what I eat!>
Loads of Anacharis are added to the tank once a quarter or so which the fish usually decimate over the course of a week. Once or twice a year the goldfish will get Life Spectrum pellets. I am thoroughly convinced that this diet has not only kept my fish relatively healthy over the years, but that it plays a crucial role in allowing me to keep my tank parameters in check (along with the weekly cleanings, that is). And now onto my problem...
<Yes...>
Nearly four weeks ago, I noticed that my oldest fish, Morgan, had reddened gills (it was only visible to me when he was swimming away from me, though). The gill panels appeared to be perfectly fine, and everything else on this fish appeared to be completely normal including his appetite and behavior. It was the flesh underneath the gill panels that had me concerned. The color reminded me of either a ruby red grapefruit or a blood orange.
<The gill filaments themselves should look bright, almost cardinal red. Diseases gills tend to look paler, even grey or white.>
A quick water check revealed that the parameters were fine: ammonia:0 ppm, nitrites: 0 ppm, nitrates: 20 ppm with a pH of 7.4. The temperature was a little high (~81 degrees- I live in the high desert so there is not much I can do about that aside from setting my thermostat for 78 degrees for the entire summer). Erring on the side of caution, I did a partial water change taking great care to thoroughly vacuum every inch of the gravel and reprogrammed the lights on the tank to only come on for 6 hours of the day so that they won't overheat the tank. I also made a note to keep an eye on the tank in preparation for whatever was about to come next (because I just knew it would be something!).
<Oh dear...>
I didn't have to wait long. Less than a week later, I noticed that Morgan was sitting near the bottom of the tank breathing a little faster than usual. I also noticed that his left gill was inflamed. A quick glance
around the tank revealed that the other fish were looking and behaving normally. Morgan didn't appear to be in any other distress aside from being a little quiet (and to this day continues to eat like a pig), but I
knew this swollen gill wasn't normal. I immediately got out my API kit and checked the parameters which were exactly the same as they'd been the week before. It was another hot day though so I did a partial water change of 50% and started dosing with Tetracycline in case this was the beginning of
something bacterial. Once the treatment was completed, Morgan was a little perkier but he was still breathing faster than I would have liked. Not knowing the exact nature of his ailment, I opted to wait a day or so to see if more symptoms would present themselves so I'd have a better idea on how to treat this issue.
<Indeed; the right approach.>
Approximately one week later, I walked by the tank and noticed that Morgan had a long ribbon of something that looked like cotton coming from this inflamed gill.
<Yikes.>
I knew it was a fungus of some type but I didn't know whether it was a true fungus or one that was caused by a bacterial infection. Once again I immediately checked the water parameters (okay, after I stopped cussing like a sailor), and once again the water parameters were exactly as they had been the previous weeks. I conducted two water changes to get the nitrates down to 10 ppm, then I dosed the tank with API's E.M. Erythromycin. I had planned to also run API's Fungus Cure simultaneously
in case this turned out to be a true fungus but the only medication my local fish stores carried was that herbal stuff Pimafix and Kordon's Rid Fungus which did not interest me (I thought they would make things worse).
Within the first 24 hours of dosing the tank with E.M. Erythromycin, the trail of fungus disappeared.
<Odd. Fungal infections don't often respond to antibiotics.>
I thought I was on the right track with the Erythromycin but at the end of the treatment the gill was still inflamed. I saw no clear evidence of parasites (i.e. flashing, thickening slime coat, raggedy fins and/or damage to the body) and didn't want to further stress him for treating him for a phantom ailment. Do keep in mind that I am no expert on fish-keeping so I could very easily be wrong about this not being a parasite. It's just that my previous experience with parasites (ich) is that they breed like roaches. For every one you see, a million more are hiding in the tank- most of whom tend to make their presences known over the course of hours and not weeks.
<Whitespot/Ick is usually quite easy to treat. Salt/heat works well with salt-tolerant fish like Goldfish. Otherwise reliable Whitespot medications like eSHa EXIT are reliable and easy to use.>
A few days ago I grabbed a flashlight to see if I could better determine why Morgan's gill was still swollen despite all the antibiotic therapy. In the left gill just under the upper part of the panel is what appears to be a speck of something a little larger than the head of a pin that looks like a clump of white, fuzzy cotton or a spider's web. It looks like the mold you would see on old cheese or bread except it is white in color. Could this be a true fungus? (And if so, how did it get in this tank? I only ask because if there's one thing I've learned about fish care it's that prevention is the best medicine). I have ordered API's Fungus Cure online which should be arriving sometime today just in case. I have no other idea
what this could possibly be.
That's all I have to report for now. Aside from the fact that Morgan's breathing is still a little fast, he continues to eat normally. He even scavenges for food like his tank mates. Any assistance you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Tracy
<I'm thinking that Branchiomycosis is the culprit here. It's a fungus, and probably latent in most fish tanks. Ordinarily it doesn't infect healthy fish. But at unusually high temperatures, possibly also in situations where nitrite or ammonia are too high, or the tank overstocked, the Branchiomyces spores infect the gills of the fish, causing death of the surrounding tissue. Unfortunately there are no tried-and-trusted treatments.
Phenoxyethanol is probably the best bet, but any decent proprietary anti-fungal medication is worth a shot (though things like Melafix aren't).
Commercially, medications like Malachite Green are used to disinfect new stock, but honestly, treating fish once they actually get sick is very hit-and-miss. Isolation of infected fish is normally recommended to prevent infection of other fish, but that may or not be practical here, in which can prophylactic treatment as per Fungus may minimise the risk. FWIW, Branchiomycosis is quite common in farmed Carp and Goldfish, and you can find many photos (and doubtless horror stories) online. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fungus Among us (RMF, Branchiomycosis?)<<Maybe>>       9/25/19
Thank you Neale and Bob for responding to me so quickly. I went ahead and dosed the tank with API's Fungus Cure last night before I received your response because I was just so anxious to do something to help Morgan, as he's been afflicted with this ailment for about a month now ( I have indeed seen all the pictures of fish who are afflicted with Branchiomycosis and I am keeping my fingers crossed that my little one does not have that).
<Let's hope!>
He's still breathing a little faster than I like but the inflammation has gone down quite a bit and today he was more active than I've seen him in weeks.
<Positive.>
I guess all I can really do now is wait and see what happens next. If this treatment doesn't work then I will definitely try the aquarium salt.
<Salt for Whitespot; has no impact on fungal infections.>
Thanks, again for your responses. You guys totally ROCK!
Tracy
<Glad to help. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fungus Among us (RMF, Branchiomycosis?)      10/1/19
Hello, everyone. Morgan's energy level has returned to normal. His fins are no longer clamped and the only time he stays put is when he's sleeping.
There is no further evidence of fungus in the afflicted gill that I can see, however I am concerned because the gill in question no longer moves when he breathes. Do you think the tissue will rejuvenate/recover with time or has it been permanently damaged? This is likely going to be one of
those wait and see moments. It's just that even in the best of circumstances, a fish with one active gill concerns me. Is there anything more I should do for him?
Thanks, again.
Tracy
<Gill tissue can regrow, but it takes a while. Good water quality will help, but in the meantime, extra oxygen in the water would help the fish.
Cheers, Neale.>

Fancy Goldfish question....White bumps on the Wen?        6/15/19
Hi again,
<Sass>
I am looking for someone to tell me that white growths on my huge Oranda's Wen are not ICK.
<Mmm; not likely they are ich at all, IF this is the only site where the spots are. Instead these are discrete body slime accumulations. Nothing to worry about>
I see people who say that it's normal for these fish to get some lumps and bumps of a whitish nature on their Wens as they grow.
<This is so>
But this white spot looked like 3 little lumps in a group which have how irrupted and are hallow holes, like the tops blew off and something came out!
There are more spots on the Wen, but I don't see any spots on the rest of the fish. Except for his male spots on his gill covers. He's definitely a boy.
But now I am concerned that if the spots opened something that came out is now in my pond and looking for more fish to get onto. I have 5 three inch fancies and the 1 six inch one,....in a big pond, with water lilies, pond hyacinth and pond poppies. If I put salt in it will kill the plants!
<Too likely to hurt them, yes>
We have 2 Pond Air stones going, and a nice full waterfall, for oxygenation.
We clean the overflow filter box every 2 days, it get dirty fast, but is easy to clean. I have a UV light in the pond, but it doesn't seem to do much ....still have lots of algae growing in it. Not green water though, just on the sides of the pond, and since I know goldfish should eat greens I am not too worried about the algae. In my mind green algae means healthy water!
LOL!
Because our water tends to get acidic quickly I have the waterfall coming down on a nice piece of Texas Holey Rock to keep the minerals in there for buffering. It has been raining a lot, so I haven't done any water changes,.. .since the pond gets full and then water trickles out between the top stones on the edges. Would you do 50% water changes on pond goldfish too?
<Only 20, 25% intervals; during the summers, once a week; none when the water temp. falls below 55 F.>
I don't mind, I'm home all the time, so if it needs to be done, I'll do it! In the house we did 20-25% water changes per week regularly.
<Ah, good>
The water may not be as warm as it should be for fancy goldfish,....it's been a very cold spring and early summer. For a few days it got hot here and we thought it would stay warm, so we put them back in from being indoors for the winter. I suppose we could ad a heater to the pond if you think it might have caused the problem. If it even is a problem. I don't know what to think He is happy, active, eating well and swimming normally. None of the other seem to have white bumps yet.
We have been feeding them Goldfish Crisps,...but after reading on your goldfish site, i have ordered the Spectrum Goldfish pellets and will use those instead.
(I use spectrum for my reef tanks too.)
<I do as well; a fine product>
Unfortunately I can't get good pictures of it now in the pond. I hope my description helps.
So, is this a normal thing that happens on Wens sometimes? Or is it a nasty
bug that I need to kill off?
<The former>
This same fish had some red lines in his tail while he was in the tank for the winter,....we thought he had caught it on something and had bruised it, but now after reading your site it looks like it was fin rot? Or a Fungus?
<Likely septicemia of a sort from simple stress>
It seemed to resolve on it's own though. The 6 were in a 75 gallon tank, and we tested regularly, so I don't believe it was water quality.
These chubby goldfish are like the Golden Retrievers of the fish world, I'd be very sad if we lost one of them. They have so much personality!
Amanda Wilson in NJ, USA
<I would do nothing (overt) here. NOT treat, but be patient. Enjoy your system, pets. Bob Fenner>
Re: Fancy Goldfish question....White bumps on the Wen?        6/15/19
Thanks again Bob! It's a zoo over here! LOL!
<My fave Mandy. BobF>
Mandy

Help with my fish telescope please      6/5/19 Hello, <Raul> I wanted to ask for help with my telescope fish, which had a small point that moves during the day. <A small point? I see murky/cloudy eyes... Likely due to issue/s w/ the environment. Do you have water quality tests, data to share? What re the set up, history of operation?> I am enclosing a picture of my fish, please help me know what I can have and what remedy I can treat. (in the lower part of his right eye) <Please respond with useful information. Bob Fenner, Athens> Attentative To your comments. Raúl Núñez - Chile

Re: Help with my fish telescope please     6/6/19 Hello, I wanted to ask for help with my telescope fish, which had a small point that moves during the day. <A small point? I see murky/cloudy eyes... Likely due to issue/s w/ the environment. Do you have water quality tests, data to share? What re the set up, history of operation?> I am enclosing a picture of my fish, please help me know what I can have and what remedy I can treat. (in the lower part of his right eye) Thank you. Regards. Raúl N. <This appears to be an inclusion of some sort.... does happen. Nothing to do re... not to treat. BobF> Re: Help with my fish telescope please        6/8/19 Dear, <This appears to be an inclusion of some sort.... does happen. Nothing to do re... not to treat. BobF> R: There is no remedy that can help eliminate these balls? already has 2 in one eye and 1 in another eye. <... one last time hopefully: What are your water quality measures? What re the set up here? Filtration in particular, the history of the set up? BobF> Please your help, I will appreciate it. Attentative to your comments. Raúl N.

Goldfish has bumps; a paucity of useful information      4/26/19
I have a 10 year old goldfish that showed signs of these bumps a couple years ago.
Seem to progressively get worse, as in more prominent, and addition of newer ones.
<Happens; mostly from too small confines, negative feedback from... metabolite poisoning. Lack of sufficient filtration, water changes... >
Now some of the older ones look as though they’re a pimple that’s ready to burst, with a white head sticking out.
<Uhh.... data please... the system, water quality tests.... foods/feeding>
One new one appeared on the edge of it’s “cheek” - the thing that covers the gills. I either never noticed the bump, or its been there and it too looks like something white sticking out. They’re not worms.
Fish acts perfectly fine, hardy appetite, active, the biggest of the three.
Do you know what these bumps are? Any treatment? I thought they might be warts, but I don’t think so.
Thank you
Marsha
<... see/search WWM re... MANY inputs already archived there. Otherwise, GIGO... Information. Bob Fenner>

Help! Swollen goldfish lip      3/24/19 Hi, <Ave Maria> I’m in desperate need of advice. I have a goldfish, Kyle, who is approximately 14 years old. A couple of years ago he injured his lip. I ended up removing all decorative rocks from his tank because it seemed like at least once a month he would re-traumatize it. Unfortunately that did not stop it from happening. It will get very bruised (pictures attached) and after about a week the busing subsides but his lip remains swollen. For the past year he has now formed a giant bump on his lip which sometimes swells with fluid and will eventually pop. Whenever it becomes an open sore or gets really bruised, I treat his tank with Melafix and stress coat+ for at least a week. <The Melafix is worse than worthless...> The ammonia levels in his tank are low as well. <Needs to be 0.0...> This time I have noticed that it has become more difficult for him to suck food off the bottom of the tank, which normally isn’t an issue. I’ve been hand feeding him the past week hoping he’ll get better. He definitely has not been his perky self lately. Is there anything else I should be doing? Could this possibly be a tumor or is it from all of the traumatization that has been done? <The "Fix" is likely poisoning the fish, along w/ any ammonia... but; older gold/fish DO have (more) persistent "growth" problems with age (along w/ challenging environments, lack of nutrition factors)> I’m in desperate need of help or advise. This little guy has been with me for a long time and I don’t want him to be in pain. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Maria Holland <Please read here re others gf experiences of similar kind: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GFGrowthsF7.htm and the linked files above... Bob Fenner>

Ebony, a fish with fin slits This is Ebony, she is a sweetheart. <Hi Jade; the file/image isn't coming up. Would you please attach it here/ with your mail?> I got her from Wal-Mart. She lives in a ten gallon tank with a larger fish and another very small fish. I feed her pellets and fish flakes. I sometimes hand feed them. There's only fake plants. I do a 25% water change every two days and I clean the entire tank at least once every two months. She has a water filter and bubblier. I use a water clarifier and a stress coat as directed. I currently do not have a water heater. I am afraid that there is something wrong with her. She appears to have some slits (2) in her tail and her entire left fin seems to have many slits throughout it and its worn down around the outside. What do you think is wrong with her and what can I do to help her at home? Thanks. Preview attachment 20190220_135632.jpg <https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=3bdbb8b10a&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg  -f:1626016752841302489&th=1690c59f27f0a1d9&view=att&disp=safe&realattid=1690 c5894843e971e0e1> 20190220_135632.jpg 3.9 MB Re: Ebony, a fish with fin slits Is this good? <Yes; other than the file being an order of magnitude too large. I see your goldfish... Likely the issue here is environmental. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/gldfshsystems.htm and the linked files above. It is very hard to keep a small system stable and optimized for goldfish. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish Listless need help /RMF     2/19/19
Hi and thanks for your help,
I have a 22 year old goldfish who has been very listless at bottom of tank for about 1 week. He will eat if encouraged but does not come to eat unless encouraged. He's in a 55 gallon tank had ph 7.5 I buy spring water for his tank have for 8 years.
<Mmm; does this store-bought water have sufficient hardness, alkalinity?>
no nitrite or ammonia in tank. Some nitrate but not above 40ppm.
<Do please see WWM re Nitrate control. I would strive to keep this under 20 ppm>
His scales fins look good and his eyes. His fins are clamped though. I change water every 12 days to two weeks max. I use a bit of aquarium salt but not to excess about 1 tablespoon per ten to 15 gallons.
I treated him for parasites as he had a very long white poop and clamped fins. But the treatment didn't help. ( called general cure by API).
<Am familiar>
Is constipation the problem ?
<Doubtful; almost assuredly environmental; the Nitrate et al.>
I am not feeding him his normal tetra flake food now. I fed him a few baby organic spinach leaves I had boiled first yesterday. Nothing today yet. When he does swim he looks fine. He is not breathing heavily. His gills appear normal. He isn't breathing very obviously. He is normal in color - a large /white fish about the size of my hand. He had seemed slightly bloated but he has never been thin so can't tell if he actually was bloated or not. He ate the spinach offered last night.
Thank you !
Lina and Fishy
<Were it mine, I'd execute a good sized water change (perhaps 15-20 gallons); add some sodium bicarbonate (maybe five teaspoons, mixed in the new water), and (try to) be patient.
<Goldfish do "go through spells" of inactivity at time; though likely metabolite poisoning is at play here a bit... most easily reduced via dilution/water change, addition of a bit of bicarb., and salt.
Bob Fenner>
Goldfish Listless need help /Neale      2/19/19
Hi and thanks for your help, I have a 22 year old goldfish who has been very listless at bottom of tank for about 1 week. He will eat if encouraged but does not come to eat unless encouraged. He's in a 55 gallon tank had ph 7.5 I buy spring water for his tank have for 8 years . no nitrite or ammonia in tank. Some nitrate but not above 40ppm. His scales fins look good and his eyes. His fins are clamped though. I change water every 12 days to two weeks max. I use a bit of aquarium salt but not to excess about 1 tablespoon per ten to 15 gallons. I treated him for parasites as he had a very long white poop and clamped fins. But the treatment didn't help. (
called general cure by API). Is constipation the problem ?
<Certainly sounds like one possibility. Listlessness, lack of appetite, and long stringy faeces can be indicators of constipation. Do read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm
Going to suggest some further reading, re: diet, housing, etc., here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm
Most problems with Goldfish are caused by diet and environment; while infections do occur, they're rare, and when they do happen, there's usually some environmental or dietary cause.>
I am not feeding him his normal tetra flake food now. I fed him a few baby organic spinach leaves I had boiled first yesterday. Nothing today yet.
When he does swim he looks fine. He is not breathing heavily. His gills appear normal. He isn't breathing very obviously. He is normal in color - a large /white fish about the size of my hand. He had seemed slightly bloated but he has never been thin so can't tell if he actually was bloated or not.
He ate the spinach offered last night.
<Well, that's promising! Do also try cooked peas, squished to make them easier to eat. Many other green foods will be eaten; see above links.>
Thank you !
Lina and Fishy
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Goldfish Listless need help     2/19/19
Thank you so much !! He is better this afternoon so I fed him his usual but not as much as usual. I will start adding greens with his food a few times per week
<Real good>
The water has never been a problem but air am testing it now for alkalinity. I had added some more aquarium salt this morning. Thank you Thank you thank you ! PS I've added a Nitrazorb pouch to his filter to
bring the nitrates down. Lina
<Very good indeed. Thank you DW II! BobF>
Re: Goldfish Listless need help     2/19/19
Hi Bob I tested the tank water for KH it is 5 degrees or about 100ppm according to the test kit and the GH is 11 degrees or about 200ppm. but Every time I do test the PH it is 7.4 exactly. What do you think ?
<These values are okay... Is your tap/source water not suitable by itself?
Bottled water is not only inconvenient and expensive, but often unnecessary. DO you drink, cook w/ your tap water? If so, it is fine for your aquarium use. DO read on WWM re water treatment>
My 22 year old gold fish has revived a lot today. Don't want to mess up his health as it seems improving from yesterday and last week. The tap water here is terrible so I have been buying natural spring water which I always test called Earth20. Supposedly it is 100 percent natural spring water from Opal Springs Culver Oregon. Have been using this same brand for 8 years in the tank with fine result.
Thanks again for your input !
Luna ( dancer and fish enthusiast. - but I am not a scientist although I do try !)
<Cheers Lina. BobF>
Re: Goldfish Listless need help      2/19/19
Thank you No I don't drink the tapwater it is 14 ph !
<.... Mmm; not this basic I'd warrant... Like drinking drain or oven cleaner... but you make the point>
It's an old well. I drink what the fish drinks. Thank you for the input on those values.
Cheers.! Lina Downes
<Cheers Lina. BobF>
Re: Goldfish Listless need help       3/5/19
Hi Bob. - Hope you are well. Lina here again.
<Yes Lina; thank you>
My fish tank water reads perfectly and my goldfish of 22 years is getting better slowly. But that's because I gave up on just salt and water changes and added Maracyn 2 as directed.
<Ah good>
My fish had a couple symptoms that I didn't see right away - one of his front fins looks like it is partially
torn and his left eye has a whitish circular discoloration where the iris would be. He is eating now is no longer listless but his 2 above symptoms look almost the same after the 5 th day of Maracyn 2 treatment. I am changing out the water tonight putting in new filters etc. should I wait a few days and try the Maracyn 2 again or just stop meds altogether and wait longer ?
<I would use either/both Maracyn products for three consecutive treatments, three days apart, with substantial water changes twixt re-treatments>
Also I am feeding him small bits of some boiled organic spinach to supplement his regular flake food. ( He likes it.) Unfortunately I have to travel to Dubai and Nepal from March 11 to April 4 to work and Fishy will be in the hands of a pet minder so I am desperately trying to get his health back up to normal before my trip. The Maracyn 2 seemed to help. - he is better But not 100 per cent. But the little white bit on his eye is still there. I think his fin will heal I have stress coat and will use it with this 25 per cent H20 change tonight.
Thank you for your advice !!! Lina
<I say steady on w/ this plan. BobF>

What’s wrong with my fantail goldfish?     1/29/19 Hey there, <Hi Liam> A couple of weeks ago i noticed a biggish lump coming out of the back of my fantail. <I see this in your excellent photo> I thought it may have been a tumor or Lymphocystis at first however within a couple days it had disappeared and i thought it had gone away. Yesterday, the lump came back out of nowhere bigger than ever, and it slower started to pierce the fish’s skin. As you can see in the photo below, a large white mass appeared and it hung on to the fish for a while. I separated the fish into a spawning net so that the other fish wouldn't try to attack it. After a while i decided to see if it was going to all come out so i tried to remove it with tweezers, however before i got a chance to the fish was swimming erratically and it came off by itself, leaving a large hole in the fish. I tried to remove the soft white lump however the fish ate it before i got the chance!! I was looking around on the internet and in my aquarium books for possible explanations to why this had happened and the conclusion i have come to is that it is caused by a bacteria. <May be> im currently performing 50% water changes each day for the rest of the week to help clear the water. I have a 110 litre Juwel fish tank with a medium cirax filter and a medium bioplus fine filter. I have 1 Plecostomus <Keep your eye on this suckermouth catfish. They have a penchant for "riding"/sucking on the sides of goldfish, other slow fishes> and 6 goldfish; 2 are about 3 inches, 3 are about 2 inches and 1 is about an inch. <Mmm; well; you're going to need more room as these goldfish (and Pleco) get larger> I also have plenty of live plants to help keep nitrates and ammonia low. <Ammonia (and nitrite) MUST be kept at zero. DO cut back/out feeding, remove some fishes, look to adding filtration, getting a larger system if NH3/NH4OH can't be kept at zip.> It was very hard to find info about this and i have ordered some bacterial treatment so if you know anything that could help i would appreciate it :) I hope to hear back from you soon! Liam Wigmore <Well, this growth might be viral in origin; mediated (as always) by factors in the environment, nutrition. Have you read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GFGrowthsF7.htm and the linked files above in the same FAQs series? Please do so for review. Bob Fenner>

Re: What’s wrong with my fantail goldfish?     1/31/19 Thanks for getting back to me so quick! <Welcome Liam> Since the pus eruption the wound seems to have healed perfectly and there are no signs of a fungal infection yet. I had a look at the webpage you recommended and the original lump look like the post from 9/17/16 called ‘can goldfish develop tumors’. In that case i saw that the goldfish was substantially older, mine is around 2 years old and there's was 16/17. However i noticed that it was the same type of goldfish so perhaps there's some correlation? <Mmm; well; "fancier" goldfish varieties do seem to incur these issues more readily> I've have ordered the interpret goldfish disease treatment which says that it’s an all in one treatment for fungi, bacteria and parasites. Im going to treat the whole aquarium with this is that recommended? <If you like. Am not a fan, promoter of "shot gun approaches" to medicine application. I am a user of such when the actual pathogen is identifiable, identified> Furthermore, i have ordered some test tubes so that i can test my ammonia again. <Good> I have an API test kit. Also, i know that my nitrite is always at zero as i test the water once a week after water changes. If there is any other advice you can offer such as medicines i would be grateful. Im from the UK so i know that some treatments are restricted here. <I am going to ask friend and fellow WWM crew member, Neale Monks to chime in here. He too lives in the UK> Thanks again :) Liam Wigmore <Welcome. Bob Fenner> Re: What’s wrong with my fantail goldfish?     1/31/19 Thanks, i hope to hear from you soon :) Liam <IF it were mine, I'd simply look to provide/maintain good water quality and nutrition. NOT treat with medicines. Cheers Liam. BobF> Re: What’s wrong with my fantail goldfish? /Neale      1/31/19 Thanks for getting back to me so quick! Since the pus eruption the wound seems to have healed perfectly and there are no signs of a fungal infection yet. I had a look at the webpage you recommended and the original lump look like the post from 9/17/16 called ‘can goldfish develop tumors’. In that case i saw that the goldfish was substantially older, mine is around 2 years old and there's was 16/17. However i noticed that it was the same type of goldfish so perhaps there's some correlation? I've have ordered the interpret goldfish disease treatment which says that it’s an all in one treatment for fungi, bacteria and parasites. Im going to treat the whole aquarium with this is that recommended? Furthermore, i have ordered some test tubes so that I can test my ammonia again. I have an API test kit. Also, i know that my nitrite is always at zero as i test the water once a week after water changes. If there is any other advice you can offer such as medicines i would be grateful. Im from the UK so i know that some treatments are restricted here. Thanks again :) Liam <<Nothing much to add to BobF's comments. Hard to know if the growth is viral, cancerous or other. So far as UK medications go, there isn't anything for viral infections that I'm aware of. Viral infections either heal by themselves or they don't. There is something called Carp Pox that sometimes affects Goldfish. Forms lesions or sores. No treatment as such, but usually self-heals. Some aquarists treat as per Finrot (e.g., using eSHa 2000 or similar) but that shouldn't be necessary if conditions and diet are good. Carp Pox is mildly contagious, but like a lot of viral infections is more likely when the fish are stressed: in particular low temperatures can trigger it. Keeping the tank at 18-22 C will help the fish's immune system get rid of the virus. Carp Pox is sometimes contrasted with the KHV virus an extremely aggressive and almost always fatal vial disease of Carp and related fishes, including Goldfish. Cheers, Neale.>> Re: What’s wrong with my fantail goldfish?      2/1/19 Thanks for getting back to me so quick! <Welcome.> Since the pus eruption the wound seems to have healed perfectly and there are no signs of a fungal infection yet. I had a look at the webpage you recommended and the original lump look like the post from 9/17/16 called ‘can goldfish develop tumors’. In that case i saw that the goldfish was substantially older, mine is around 2 years old and there's was 16/17. However i noticed that it was the same type of goldfish so perhaps there's some correlation? <Unlikely. They're all the same species. But possible I suppose.> I've have ordered the interpret goldfish disease treatment which says that it’s an all in one treatment for fungi, bacteria and parasites. <It's a fairly generic medication for Whitespot and Finrot. Wouldn't put a lot of faith in it, but it might just prevent secondary infections.> Im going to treat the whole aquarium with this is that recommended? <Not really, but shouldn't do any harm. Generally, we don't recommend medicating unless you [a] know what disease you're dealing with; and [b] know the best medication for that disease. The problem with the scattergun approach is there's a real risk of poisoning the fish if medications are used too often, or in combination with each other.> Furthermore, i have ordered some test tubes so that I can test my ammonia again. I have an API test kit. Also, i know that my nitrite is always at zero as i test the water once a week after water changes. <If nitrite is zero, ammonia is probably zero, though do of course check for "false positive" ammonia readings by looking to see if your tap water has ammonia in it. If it does, then make sure your water condition neutralises ammonia (most do) and you can then ignore low levels of ammonia in the tank if nitrite is zero and the fish are otherwise fine.> If there is any other advice you can offer such as medicines i would be grateful. Im from the UK so i know that some treatments are restricted here. Thanks again :) Liam <Hope this helps. Neale.>

Goldfish Bubbles-Scales        12/13/18
My goldfish summer in a 100+ gal ornamental pond, and winter in a 55 gal aquarium.
I have 4 fish about 4" long body.
In Oct. I brought them in - one was bloated and had several clear bubbles on each side the size of a small pea. The bubbles could be a puffed out scale - hard to tell.
He did not get better, so I isolated him in a 5 gal bucket and added 1/8 tablespoon of Epsom salt.
Anything else i can do?
Thanks! Scot
<At this juncture, no... best to keep up water quality by frequent partial water changes (a couple times weekly), with pre-stored water. The bubbles?
Perhaps Emphysematosis, gas-bubble disease... environmental. Do use the search tool on WWM to read a bit about. Bob Fenner>
Re: Goldfish Bubbles-Scales       1/25/19
Just wanted to thank you for your site!
I put the fish back in with his mates in the aquarium after several days after in the quarantine Epsom-salt bucket. He's much happier there.
Bubbles are gone and he looks normal.
<Ah good. Thank you for this update. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish Urgent Help Needed         12/3/18
Hi - I have a gold fish that has had swim bladder issues. I have a 40 gallon tank with 2 goldish who are about 7 inches each.
<Okay>
We went away for Thanksgiving and when I came back my ornamental goldfish Superfish was super bloated and hanging on the bottom of the tank.
<... Fed what?>
I went to the store and they said my ammonia is too high.
<What sort of filtration do you employ on your 40 gal.?>
I had changed the water and the filters when I got home and apparently took out all of the good bacteria.
<Happens. Do see WWM re goldfish et al. system maintenance, water changes.
Best to not change out more than abut 25% per week, WITH pre-stored treated or not new water>
They gave me some bacteria to put in the tank - and I have also put Epsom salt in the tank. I tried feeding them peas but he has not eaten anything for days.
<Better to not feed when/if ammonia is present>
He is now on his side barely breathing and my heart is breaking. Is there anything I can do?
<Do you have ammonia, nitrite, nitrate test kits? I would get and use simple colorimetric ones. NOT feed flake foods...>
Thank you for your kindness,
Trish
<Very glad to try, help you and your ailing fish. Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm
and search on WWM (tool on every page) for "goldfish ammonia burn". Bob Fenner>
Re: Goldfish Urgent Help Needed    12/4/18
He died last night
<Ahh>
What can I do to save his friend? He is ok now but I guess the water is bad.
<The same as previous sent, test kits, water changes... no flake food>
Should I take him out?
<The dead fish, yes; the live one, no; unless you have another established system of size to place it in alternatively. BobF>

Help please; GF... damage, infection    10/24/18 Hi Support team, You might be able to help me save my Oranda. About a week ago I noticed an unusual wound on my lionhead Oranda, it is right at the end of its spine were the tail starts. The wound is about 8mm in diameter and about 3 mm deep. It is eating well, and hasn't changed behaviour, but I believe he is suffering. I have attached a few pictures of it to this email for your reference. I would really appreciate it if you could help me to save my Oranda. Regards Rahim <I do wonder what caused this damage initially Rahim? A physical trauma? The issue now appears to be bacterial and so I suggest: #1, checking your water quality and gear to keep it up: your water should be at least slightly alkaline, have moderate hardness and a lack of ammonia, nitrite and no more than 20 ppm of nitrate; CLEAN your filters and filter media. 2) Administer an antibiotic; can you get Kanamycin where you are? If not eSHa 2000 product. Given good, clean water and time your Oranda should recover; though the missing fin area looks like it is too far gone to regenerate. Bob Fenner>

GF ish, no data, reading...       10/16/18 Any ideas what is wrong with this fish? Dark spots and hanging out at the bottom. <Mmm; appears to be septicemic... burnt... Water quality issue? What's your test kits readings telling you? What re set up, maintenance, foods, feeding? Have you read re on WWM? Do so. Bob Fenner>

Please help... GF hlth, no data     10/3/18 Could you please tell me he still have chance. [image1.jpeg] His tail suddenly gone bend Kind regards Natalie <... something/s wrong w/ this fish's world. What re water quality (tests) and nutrition? Bob Fenner>

Re: Please help AGAIN       10/4/18 Thank you for getting back to me, he is in a box I called hospital tank, a Interpet mini filter, without carbon foam, in operation, nothing inside, Nitrate and nitrite higher than normal, <? What are the levels, values?> can’t change much water as JUST finished Interpet anti internal bacterial 7 days course treatment, a little bit complicated, treatments as follow About one week after the rescued, found this poor guy slightly bloat with white waste, so I set up a hospital tank and start with: Treatment 1. API General Cure- Not success and condition stay the same. Treatment 2. Interpet Anti internal bacterial - Not success and bloat a bit more. Treatment 3. Waterlife (Hole in the head and bloat) tablets - Not success Treatment 4. Repeat Waterlife medicine, nearly kill her, health condition much worsen (I blamed myself for listening to the Reviews from customer suggested 5 times more dosage.) now, whole body covered with black marks. Treatment 5. Back to Treatment no.2, (Interpet) this time better, 80% marks gone as seen in previous photo I sent you, but his tail bends. I think it is Malawi Bloat not Dropsy because he bloat with white waste, swims well and eat normal, but once again, I do not have any experience, I really rely on Google search. Please help this poor soul, I just rescued him from an extremely poor water quality pond <THIS is the cause of this fish's troubles. NEED good care, water quality, nutrition for weeks, months to recover, NOT treatments/medicines> and the rescuing process broken my heart although I don’t really a fish person, I beg god he deserves a better life after all. Kind regards Natalie <Need data, useful information... as previously requested. BobF> Re: Please help AGAIN... 13 megs of pix....        10/4/18 Sorry but what is nutrition? I really don’t know. <Foods, feeding Nat. What are you using?> Tank water is 35 litre, water depth about 6 inches. I am going to change 100 %water as the NO 2 is at 1 and NO 3 at 5 according to API Test stripe result. <I would skip feeding period if ammonia or nitrite are present> Could you kindly tell me how to add nutrition in the tank? <A low protein staple is best here. Pellets or sticks of small size. You can/could read about this on WWM> As you can see there is another one behind it, it has black marks and cotton mouth, been treating with API PIMAFIX AND MELAFIX together for a month already, symptoms still exist. Regarding to the tank, it has 50 litres water, I change 25% water every other day. Also for both tanks, I put Interpret first aid salt + and API Stress Coat in the water. Apart from the one being murdered by the heron that are the only two trouble ones amongst 60 of them. Kind regards Natalie <This fish simply needs good conditions, no treatments. I'd return it to the system the other goldfish are in. Being kept in a small volume, too much water changing... is not helping. Bob Fenner>

Orange scales now with black tips on goldfish      9/2/18 Dear crew: <Hey Luis> I am writing to ask of is normal that an Orange carassius can turn its scales with black tips?, I don’t really know of it is normal. Please see the attachments. <Have seen your excellent pix; not only the edge-darkened scales, but apparent "pine coning" of the flank scales is worrisome. There are a few possible causes, influences here, but water quality and nutrition I should mention. Your goldfish may have an internal bacterial infection; but this is caused by something/s amiss w/ foods and/or aspects of the environment. Please do check re the presence of ammonia, nitrite in particular, and switch to a near all plant matter diet for the next few weeks. Take a look on WWM and the Net re pine-cone disease as well> Kind regards, Luis Prado <Welcome. Bob Fenner> -- *Biólogo Marino* *Acuarios Chile* Bilbao #3836, Santiago

Re: Orange scales now with black tips on goldfish      9/2/18 Thank you very much for your kind and quick reply. I will proceed following your advice. <Ahh; do take heart Luis. These "dropsy" cases can be cured in time> Kind regards, Luis Prado <And you, Bob Fenner>

Carassius pop eye     5/12/18 Hello, I’m Maite, and I have a fish with a strange bubble in the eye, I search everywhere to know what It is, but I didn't find anything. So I write to You, if You know something about this. It is acting weird this days, it stays hidden behind the filter, and the skin is getting whiter. Thanks. This is an image of my fish <The eyes of fishes are highly vascularized... lots of blood vessels, flow there. This fact is capitalized on in the "breeds" of goldfish with bulbous eyes. Yours here may have suffered an injury, but I suspect it is just of poor genetic stock. There is no sure cure for this condition... You might want to try Epsom Salt (see WWM re). If the fish doesn't cure... it will likely perish. Bob Fenner>