Sick fantail  08/28/08 Hi WWM Crew, There is something seriously wrong with my fantail goldfish. She started getting red streaks around her gills. I found out this might be a bacterial infection, so I took out the carbon filter and gave her a 5 day treatment with Maracyn-Two. I just finished the treatment and she doesn't seem to be any better. In fact, I think she's just getting worse; she's hiding in a decorative arch in her tank and won't come out to eat. Right now, I can only see her tail. It looks like she is kind of floating in the top of the arch. I don't know what to do! Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated. This fantail means a lot to me, and I really don't want to loose her! Thanks for your time and all you do. <Greetings, and thanks for the kind words. Right, what I'd do first is switch to a different medication. Maracyn and Maracyn-2 have different antibiotics (Erythromycin vs. Minocycline) so tend to treat different strains of bacteria with different levels of success. But the bigger picture is that we need to know information about the aquarium. Bacterial infections are caused (mostly) by opportunistic bacteria such as Aeromonas and Pseudomonas that are sitting about doing their thing in all fish tanks. Only when conditions are so poor that the immune system of the fishes gets compromised are they able to switch from doing their normal thing (consuming decaying organic matter) to causing disease (attacking living cells). Contrary to popular belief, Goldfish are not indestructible, and they do need very specific conditions to do well. So, let us know how big the tank is, what filter you are using (in particular its turnover in litres- or gallons-per-hour), and what the nitrite and pH levels are. All these are critical to understanding the conditions in the tank. If the conditions are poor, you can throw all the medications you want at the fish, and it won't get better. Cheers, Neale.>

Goldfish With Fin Rot  10/15/06 Hi Bob, I'll get right to the point so I don't waste your time.  I have a 20  gal tank.  Two small (approx. 1.5'') goldfish.  An orange fantail  "Crazy" (named by my six yr. old) and a black moor (Shadow). I realize the  tank is too small and I will be getting a larger one soon.  I have provided  extra oxygen with a bubble wall.  But I did a stupid thing after getting  some bad info on the net. Not from your site of course.  I've had my  tank for about 6 months.  All was well except I noticed Crazy wasn't so  crazy for a few days.  She had been resting on the bottom way more than  usual.  Other than that, no visible (physical) signs of distress.  I  have never put any chemicals in the tank.  I let it cycle and put the fish  in. But after a few days, I started to get a little worried as she started  to isolate herself.  I got online and started to do research.  Found a  site that said I needed to clean out the tank and put in new water.   UGH!  (You can imagine the fiasco I started.)  I removed the  fish.   Saved about 25% of the water.  Cleaned out the tank (did not  use any chemical cleaners), put in all new rocks etc., fresh (tap) water, and  the old water and fish right back in.  Well, they started with the gasping  and being in "shock" behavior.  Realizing I had screwed up and trying to  correct my own stupidity, I started testing everything.  Chlorine level way  to high.  Rectified that.  All other levels are good (according to what I read.  General hardness-low-around 30, KH-120, Nitrite-0,  Nitrate-0.5, pH-7.0, Amonia-0, however...Crazy has developed (from what I read)  a bacterial infection, and fin-rot.  Her tail is almost completely  gone.  She is near death and is in a hospital tank now.  Shadow  looks like Mr. Magoo and like she's been splashed with white paint and her  beautiful tail has red streaks and is frayed as well.  I have used  Maracyn-two for 7 days.  This seemed to make them worse.  This has  been going on for about 4 weeks.  I can't believe they are still alive  (we've prayed really hard over them) The water seems to be about cycled now but  the fish are still in poor health.  This morning Crazy is a little more  perky and she did eat where she had not been.  Shadow is very frisky, has  been eating the whole time, still looks like she's been splashed with paint and  her tail is in bad shape.  I've tried the chat forum but one of the first  things I was told was to put in salt (which I read on your site, you don't  recommend).  I need expert advise, which is why I'm writing you.  I  apologize if I was too long winded.   Do you think I can save the  fish? Thanks! Marcella < Take an Exacto knife or very sharp single edged razor blade. Catch the sick fish and lay him on paper towels that have been wetted with the aquarium water. Cut off the infected part of the fins down to healthy fins. Do not cut into the meat of the fish at the base of the fins! If you do then the fins will not grow back! Then place back in the hospital tank with Nitrofuranace and treat as per the directions on the package. Fin rot can be very stubborn to treat. By removing the infected part of the fin your fish will have a better chance at a full recovery. The fins will grow back but not as straight or as long.-Chuck>
Re: Fin Rot Better  - 10/15/06 Dear Chuck, Wow, when I first started reading this I thought you were being  sarcastic. But, as I continued, I realized you were not joking. I am  not so sure I can do this but will see if maybe my husband will give it a  shot. Since it has been several days since I wrote to you, I have received some good advice from a few people in the forum. Both of the fish are better. Crazy's tail stopped disintegrating and she seems to have  recovered very nicely. The "paint splashes," (which you did not comment  on) are starting to go away. I am still concerned about Shadow's tail, but  the "sloughing" does not seem to be progressing. We did find some  antibiotic food and they are eating it well. If I see signs of the fin rot continuing I will be sure to attempt the tail amputation you described. Thank you so much for getting back to me. You guys have a cool web site and as a first time tank owner, I have learned a plethora of information which  has been very useful. Thanks again, Marcella < Sometimes it takes awhile to get a hold of these stubborn infections. You don't amputate the tail, you just clip off the damaged fins down to unaffected fin tissue. If it was just a little at the tips you could use toe nail clippers. The color splashing goes hand in hand with the bacterial infection. The Nitrofurazone would take care of both. Glad to hear things are getting better.-Chuck>
Re: Fin Rot Getting Better II  - 10/15/06 Chuck, Okay, I have a better understanding of it now. Well, my fantail's tail seems to have done that on it's own, but the moors tail is still questionable. I'm not so sure where I would stop clipping/cutting as her tail seems to be blood streaked down to the body (not sure what that is all about). It has stopped sloughing as I said, and they are very active and  playful today. < The bloody streaks that run through the tail fin that run parallel to the filaments is a different bacterial infection and technically isn't considered tail rot. The burning or eating away of the edge of the fins is considered tail or fin rot.> My husbands fear is squishing the fish as he tries to hold it in place. And fish seem to be quite panicked when they are out of the water even for a few seconds. I would imagine you have to be quick, no? However, I will do what I have to do. What do you  think? Thanks, Marcella <If the fin infection is so bad that it doesn't respond to medication then you need to remove the infected tissue. Get a dish towel wet with the aquarium water. Catch the infected fish and place him in the wet towel. Fold the towel over to just expose the infected part of the fin. Cut the fin down just past the ragged infected area. The fin should now be neat and clean across the edge. The edge could be dabbed with a bit of iodine on the end of a Q-tip. Replace the fish in a clean hospital tank and treat with Nitrofurazone. When the fins start to grow back he can be placed back into the original tank.-Chuck>

Battling Ich and Septicemia Re: goldfish - using antibiotic and antifungal simultaneously  - 04/15/06 Dear WetWebMedia Crew, I have two fish with severe Ick and also early stage hemorrhagic septicemia (possibly due to reduced immune system caused by the Ick) <Maybe, but more likely caused by too much organic matter in the system>. I have bought an Ick treatment and also an anti internal bacteria treatment. They are both from the same company (Interpet) and no ingredient list is given with them. <Return or throw away. Don't need or want them> It warns that the Ick treatment contains formaldehyde and methanol (and I suspect Methylene blue also due to the blue colour and staining warnings). No such warnings are given with the antibiotic which is colourless. There is no specific information in the booklet about whether these products are compatible and Interpet appear not to have a website. Can you please give me some advice on whether I should use these treatments can be used together, and if not advise me on a course of action (i.e. which problem to treat for first). Thank you very much, Lewis. <Lets treat both at once. It would be helpful to know what species of fish we are dealing with here, but the vast majority of FW fish can tolerate this approach. You will need aquarium salt (and a scale to weigh out the proper dose), heat, a few buckets and a gravel vac. Start with a big 50% water change using the gravel vac to get as much of the organic matter out of the system as possible. Then measure out 76 grams of salt per 10 gallons of water. Put the salt in a jar, fill with tank water and shake to dissolve as much as possible. Pour the brine (only) into the tank, then refill the jar with more tank water. Repeat over the course of a day or two until all the salt has been added. Then crank up the temp to around 86 degrees. Now comes the fun part. You will need to do water changes daily, always with the gravel vac, replacing the water with water salted to the same concentration. It's best to dissolve the salt in the water before adding to the tank, therefore the need for a few buckets. The heat will speed up the Ich lifecycle and clear your fish in a few days. The salt will kill the parasites in their free swimming stage and stop reinfection. The water changes will reduce the organics in the system and allow the fish to fight off the septicemia. I would not use an antibiotic. They tend to kill off the good bacteria in the tank that control your water quality. If the septicemia does not improve then the fish must be moved to a QT tank for treatment. You should never treat in the main. A sick fish in bad water is not a good thing. You can lower the temp a bit when the Ich clears the fish, but keep the salt in the water for at least two weeks after the last spot drops. You can reduce the water changes when you see the septicemia improving. This approach is a sure fire way to remove Ich from your system. Unless reintroduced you will never see a spot again. Keeping up with water changes, always siphoning with a gravel vac, will greatly reduce the chance of seeing the septicemia again. Good luck. Don>  

Goldfish With problems  12/24/05 I just took another look at the spots on the fish. The one on the tail has "popped" and there is a slight tear in the tail where it was.  The spot on the bottom fin is now red and looks irritated. I think things are worse than I originally thought - is this the start of fin and tail rot?  I should mention that if I do need to medicate I have 2 large golden snails so I can't use something toxic to them (I don't know if the Fungus Clear that was suggested by the fish store is or not).  Thanks in advance for your help! < I am more convinced now than before you have a nitrate problem. The bacterial infection you are seeing thrives in water high in nitrogenous wastes. If the water changes don't help then treat with Nitrofuranace. Remove the Bio-wheel and the snails before treatment. At the end of the treatment replace the cartridge and put the bio-wheel and snails back in.-Chuck>
Goldfish With Problems II   1/4/06 Chuck, thank you so much for your help - my fish are fine now and I didn't need to use the medication.  The information you give on your site is so much better than anywhere else I have looked and I really appreciate it. < Thanks. We all try to do what we can.> To help me better understand for future reference - the nitrate level was listed as between 20-40ppm before I did the water change.  On the indicator box this level is listed as "safe".  Is this not true or is the indicator not all that accurate? < Not all fish have the same tolerances to nitrates. Some fish can take levels up to 100 ppm plus and show no effects at all. Other fish start to get sick at levels as low as 5 ppm. Most fish in the hobby can handles levels of at least 20 with 40 probably being the extreme upper limit.> Also why do you prefer Nitrofuranace (I have never heard of this) as opposed to Kanacyn or the Fungus Clear that was originally recommended to me?  Thanks again. < I have books that refer to actual testing done with Nitrofuranace on fish diseases. These tests have shown that this antibiotic is extremely effective against many different types of bacteria and even fungus. The only problem with it is that over many years it has been abused and many bacteria have become resistant to it. Now you can find spin offs like Furan-2. I get many fish from the wild and they have not been overly exposed by antibiotics.-Chuck>

Goldfish with Columnaris  9/5/05 Hello, My name is Anam. I have 6 Goldfish. They are suffering from some disease. There is no vet around. Symptoms are. 1.They settle at the bottom of aquarium with the fins on back settled down. 2.They have red spots on their body esp. around eyes , on back tails. 3. They have spikes on the spots. I went to pet shop he gave me Methylene blue to add to the aquarium and take them out one by one and keep them in concentrated salt solution for 15 sec and then take them out. They are taking there feed, on Methylene blue it was written add no antibiotic and it was for fungal disease. Please help me out. Please please. thanks Anam < The spikes on the spots are the indicator for the disease. Columnaris describes the column like growths on the affected areas. Do a 30% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with Erythromycin or Nitrofuranace as per the directions on the package. These medications will probably affect the good bacteria that break down fish waste so watch for ammonia spikes.-Chuck>

Chronic or perhaps unresponsive septicemia in goldfish 7/7/05 Hello! I've been for another long dive through your archives searching desperately for info. to help my ailing goldfish! Nothing I've tried from reading through the various FAQs has help, so here's the scenario:        Gobo is a 4-5 inch Oranda who has had red streaking in her tail for over a month now. I believe it started when the nitrate levels in her tank went sky-high after the tank was horribly overfed while her primary caretakers were on vacation. (Perhaps I should mention that she lives in a restaurant in a 72 gal. tank with 3 other fancy goldfish who are all smaller than her by an inch or two.) However, she has been in my care in a 10 gal. quarantine tank for 3+ weeks. She has been treated with Maracyn2 (two successive courses, following guidelines to the "t"), Furan 2 (two successive courses, following instructions), and has been receiving increased plant material in the form of aquatic plants and duckweed. Water has been getting changed fairly frequently due to the medication regimes, but the tank seems to be struggling a little when it comes to stable water quality. <For these reasons I would return this fish to the larger, 72 gallon tank... the bacteria in the blood problem will very likely clear on its own there... though you could try adding other antibiotics, anti-microbials to its/their foods...> Maybe it's her size, maybe the meds. I don't want to change too much water while medicating, though. <You are wise here>        Most recently, in hopes that maybe it was the medications that were stressing her out, I stopped all treatment for 3 days, performing a 25% water change and adding fresh charcoal and went on a brief vacation, leaving her with strict feeding instructions (2-3 medium pellets Hikari gold, 2X a day). I came home to find her floating upside down with some bubbly poo floating nearby, so treated her with 1 teaspoon Epsom salts and some nice crunchy duckweed for constipation. 12 hours later she is no longer floating. However, throughout all of this, the streaking has never left her tail, and even has gotten more pronounced during some of the medicating. <Not a real problem of and by itself... as you say, the nitrate... environmental more than infectious>        So, after all of that does anyone know anything that can help this poor valiant fish? <... could be injected... with Chloramphenicol/Chloromycetin...> Please, I hope someone can help us, she's VERY popular at the restaurant and her many fans will be devastated if we can't cure her and return her to them. Also, how do I go about removing the salts from my Q. tank? <Successive water changes> I assume she should keep swimming in them once her problem has passed. Do you think that changing to a BioWheel on that tank will help keep the water quality more stable during these processes? I would run the new filter in concert with the existing one until I was satisfied the new one was populated with beneficials. <Could help>        Thanks, I'm keeping my fingers crossed while I wait for your reply! Sincerely, Sarah Orris <Sarah, if all that appears amiss is the red streaking in the fish's tail, I would return it to the main tank. Bob Fenner>
Re: Chronic or perhaps unresponsive septicemia in goldfish 7/7/05 > <Sarah, if all that appears amiss is the red streaking in the fish's tail, I > would return it to the main tank. Bob Fenner> Hi again! Thank you for your advice! It's reassuring to have someone to back up my efforts, if nothing else. I just have to tell you that everything I have learned about fish tanks, fish health, and fish types I have learned from your website. I still feel I have much to learn, though, and I return frequently even when I don't have an emergency. So thanks! Perhaps I will go there now and see if I can't glean something new about septicemia... Sarah Orris <Do take a look a bit further, perhaps on the Net itself, goldfish books. Bob Fenner>

Evil Goldfish, or Fin Rot? I've recently re-housed my 6 gold fish (two fan tails, two black moors, and two plain) into a new and much bigger tank with all mod cons, new plants etc. Gave them a settling down period  and then introduced two new redcaps to complete the group. <And how big is the tank?  We're up to eight goldfish, now....> Hey ho and all looking nice ......but!!! 1) the new fish appear to have brought with them a rather nasty case of white spot! <Never fun.> Which I am treating with a proper treatment ... the new fish appear oblivious and happily healthy!!! <Much info on this illness at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm > 2) One of the redcaps is now snapping at all the other fish (except the other redcap) to such an extent that one of the black moors has little tail flesh left but just the 'spikes' of the bones!!!! <Are you certain this one red cap is actually biting/causing harm to the other fish?  That's very bizarre behavior for a goldfish, certainly not normal.  As for the other goldfish, it sounds like he's got a bacterial fin rot problem, not an injury.  What are your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH)?  Illnesses like fin rot are usually brought about by one of these values being out of whack.> Is my redcap a cannibal and do you have any recommendations to stop his behavior?! <I really think your problems are more attributable to water quality, originally, and then to bacterial infection, rather than the red cap's attentions - though there are exceptions to every rule, I somewhat doubt that any real harm is coming from him.  It is normal for goldfish to chase each other to some extent, but if he really is causing harm to the other fish, it would be best to remove him right away, to prevent any further harm to the other fish.> They are fed on dry food, blood worms, daphnia, and also some greens i.e. lettuce, peas etc. <Wonderful.> The tank has plants and hiding places and lots of space. I'm new to all this fish keeping so would value any hints and advice on the above and any other general info.   <The best suggestion I can give you is to get test kits for ammonia, pH, nitrite, and nitrate if you don't already have them.  Then test your water regularly, and do water changes when necessary, and as often as necessary (weekly, perhaps, depending on tank size).  Goldfish are very messy fish and are capable of making the aquarium very toxic very quickly (uh, they poop a lot).  Maintain as pristine of water conditions as you can.  For the fellah with the ragged, yucky tail, please consider treating with Kanamycin sulfate, available from Aquatronics under the name "Kanacyn".  However, it might be very inadvisable to combine this with whatever you're using to treat the Ich, so you might want to treat him in a separate quarantine tank.> With thanks for you time and help, Cathy <I do hope your fellah improves, and that the red cap calms down for you.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Black moor, missing scale? Hi My black moor goldfish is about 4years old. It's tail has recently started to turn white and on each side of it there are white spots that look like the scales are being eaten away. I have attached two pics. of it. <I can't tell very well from the pictures, but the description sounds like a bacterial infection.> I had the water tested at a fish store and the ammonia is high. I did a 50% water change. <Great.  Please keep up with water changes, this is very urgent, especially if the fish has an infection.  Be sure to use a dechlorinator with your tapwater, and make sure the new water is the same temperature as the water in his tank.> I was wondering if this is what is wrong with my fish. Please help. <The high ammonia probably was what brought the illness on, but if he does have an infection, it will probably have to be treated with an antibiotic.  I'd recommend using Aquatronics "Kanacyn" (Kanamycin sulfate) or "Spectrogram" (Kanamycin sulfate and Nitrofurazone).> Julie <Wishing you and your fish well, Julie!  -Sabrina>

Goldfish, meet Filter. Hey A couple of days ago my fantail goldfish was partially sucked up in the filter (that filter was replaced so the incident would not happen to the other fish in the tank).   <Ouch!> A lot of his fins were sucked off and only the ridges are left of the tail, the small "threadlike" things that run through the tail and hold the webbing I think.   <The 'rays', yes.> He's been isolated and seems to be doing better, I know his tail will grow back but I'm not sure how long I need to keep him in isolation (I don't want the others to pick on him while he's still trying to recover).   <Until he is back to normal, or nearly so, I would keep him separate, for sure.> By reading some of the FAQs I learned that I should put in some medication to help him heal but I'm not sure what it is or how much.   <I have found Kanamycin and/or Nitrofurazone to be quite useful in treating fin rot, and preventing/eliminating bacterial infection.  Aquatronics manufactures these as "Kanacyn" (Kanamycin sulfate) and "Spectrogram" (Nitrofurazone/Kanamycin combo).> Also, I am at college and have to go home soon, I can't leave the fish in my dorm because there is no one to check in on them and all sorts of maintenance work has to be done to the room over the month long break, so I need to take them home with me.  What is the best way to transport all of them and especially the weak one?  Its a four and half hour drive, and I'm not quite sure the way to give them the most stress free ride.   <I have transported fish long-distance (four days' travel, at the longest) using Styrofoam crates lined with clean, unscented, watertight trash bags, filled partway with aquarium water (and treated tapwater as necessary), and aerated with battery-operated aerators.  For a (comparably) short drive such as yours, you could probably get by quite well with a large bucket with a battery-operated aerator.  A five gallon bucket filled halfway would do nicely; keep it covered so it'll be dark for the fish.  The sick fish, if still undergoing treatment, should be transported in a separate container.  Try to avoid bumps, don't drive like a maniac, etc., etc., and always wear your seatbelt ;) > Appreciate your advice,  Jessie Howard <Hope all goes well,  -Sabrina>

Antibiotics and biofilters >I've been reading your site for some time now....and this is the first time I haven't been able to find my answer already posted, so I decided to ask.    >>Great, that's what we're here for. >I removed a goldfish ("Goldie") from my main 50 gallon tank because of Popeye (protruding, cloudy eye).  We left the fish in the tank for awhile to see if it would clear up on its own, but it didn't.   >>They tend not to. >We then moved Goldie into the QT tank (a very established Eclipse 6)and started treatment with salt.  Tested the waters...conditions fine.  About a week later, nothing had changed, so I went to the LFS and came home with penicillin tablets, which claimed the most treatable eye ailments on its label.  Goldie has had 3 treatments now (every other day), and the eye is no better.  But now the ammonia and nitrites in the tank are rising....very unusual for this tank.   >>The problem with antibiotics is that they are indiscriminate in what they kill.   >Main Question:  Do antibiotics kill the bacteria in the biofilter (causing bad water conditions)?  If so, which is better for Goldie....antibiotics with bad water conditions or better water with no antibiotics?   >>Part of the problem here is that, even though the tank (quarantine, yes?) is "established, it isn't so with the addition of the new fish, so it's had a double-whammy, so to speak.  You've added the fish, which would cause a spike anyway (especially with goldies), and then you've killed off at least some of your nitrifying bacteria with the antibiotic. >Also, Goldie is a "hand me down" fish...I'm owner #3 that I know of, and Goldie is at least 6 years old (no one can remember back further than that....she may be older).  She is a basic veil-tail goldfish (about 4 in.) with some missing scales and little gold color left.  Is it possible she is just an old, declining fish?  Any advice would be appreciated. >>6 years is still relatively young for a goldfish.  I'm amazed she has survived all these people!  Y'all must love her, that's for sure.  So, what you need to do is simply start some water changes (first).  If the ammonia and nitrites are very high, then 50% is in order, then small, frequent water changes (5%-10%/day is good when medicating).  Then, stop the penicillin, and start her on Melafix (you could also use another good antibiotic--Spectrogram).  During treatment, because this *is* an antibiotic (meaning it kills bacteria), you'll have to continue the water changes to avoid the spikes in these readings.  After a couple of weeks I would expect to see good improvement.  If you can, during this time of stress, give Goldie some live mosquito larvae or daphnia, as well as frozen green peas squeezed out of their skins.  Spirulina algae (usually best for her in flake form) is another excellent, nutritious food.  Good luck!  Marina Melissa

Black Moor and Severe Pop-Eye I read all of your FAQ on pop-eye, but still have some answered questions. As a result of us going on vacation, my mother-in-law innocently overfed my 9 year old Black Moor, Midnight, resulting in the death of the algae eater.  Also, during our vacation the filter went out.  To say the least the water became very toxic.  As a result of all these changes, Midnight got pop-eye.  I have been performing frequent water changes for approximately a week and a half now.  Today, it appears 75% of Midnight's eye literally separated from his body, resulting in my 20 gallon aquarium immediately turning brown and murky.  I performed a 50% water change and started an antibiotic capsule, Oxytetracycline, along with adding two teaspoons of Epsom Salt.   <Ooh, the poor thing!> His spirits seem to be doing fine, to say the least.  He still has an appetite (if you can believe that).   <That's very good. It shows that he's not really in pain.> But there is a lot of white tissue and blood surrounding the eye.  My questions would be, 1) am I using the right antibiotic, <Probably not. Try switching to Maracyn.> 2) will his eye miraculously reattach itself, <I'm not really sure since I've never seen this before but I would have to say no.> 3) if not, should I remove all obstacles from the aquarium so he can't further injure himself (or will this throw my water levels off again), <I would, just to be on the safe side.> 4) what is the average length of time for the whole eye to fall off, <As above, I really have no idea> 5) will his body heal after the loss of the eye? <Yes, it should heal just fine. My LFS currently has a blind goldfish. I'm not sure what happened to him but he doesn't have any eyes. His body has healed over the sockets and he gets around just fine.> Thank you for your immediate response. <You're welcome! Ronni>
Re: Black Moor and Severe Pop-Eye Ronni, thank you so much for your response.   <You're very welcome> It has been three days since his eye partially detached itself.  The tissue still attached doesn't look any closer to tearing away, yet the eyeball is deteriorating and floating vertical to his body.  It is so disturbing to me.   <I can imagine. If the fish was acting like he's suffering I'd suggest euthanizing him but since he's still eating and acting pretty much normal I'd keep working at it.> I feel so helpless, not to mention, responsible in knowing this happened because of the water going toxic while on vacation.   <Don't feel too badly, things like this happen sometimes. At least you're doing the best you can to remedy the situation> Anyway, the PH was at 6.6 this morning, with the water being of a brown color (possibly from his injury bleeding or because the previous antibiotic was of a brown color).   <Probably from the previous medication.> Should I do a partial water change today? <Yes, change 25%> If so, how much Epsom salt would you suggest I add?  Also, I will begin using Maracyn today.   <I wouldn't add any Epsom salts right now, just stick with the Maracyn and see if it helps. You might also consider adding a medication for wounds but be sure to find one that is compatible with the Maracyn, look for one made by Mardel.> Again, thank you for your support during this most troubling time.  It's comforting in knowing I'm not in this all alone. <Not at all, I do hope things improve for you. Ronni>
Re: Black Moor and Severe Pop-Eye Hi Ronni, <Good morning!> Great news!  My Black Moor's pop-eye is almost completely healed, with the exception of a tiny part.  But other than that, it looks great!  I now own a Black Moor with one eye and it doesn't look that bad at all (considering what it did look like)!  After the eye completely detached itself from the body, the piece flapping re-attached itself over the hole (within a 24 hour period).  Anyway, the whole process took about 3 weeks.  So, it is possible for fish to survive through the worse case scenario of pop-eye.   <That is wonderful news! I suspected that this would be the outcome and while it's unfortunate that your fish had to go thru the trauma of it and has to readjust to being blind on one side I think he'll do fine now and you did a wonderful job for him.> I haven't put any of the plants or large rock back in the tank, out of consideration to his sight.  I thought I would wait another week or two so he can get used to maneuvering with one eye.  Any thoughts on this?  <I think this is a very good plan. No doubt it's going to take some getting used to for him and the less obstacles he has to worry about the better.> I thought it important to share the complete story and happy ending, since you had little experience with this type of incident.  You can then pass on this information to others who may be seeking advice for the same thing.  Again, thank you for all your help. <Thank you very much for sharing. This was definitely a first for me and I'm glad the outcome was such good news. Ronni>

Goldfish problems - 4 fish and a shoehorn 7/10/03 - (AKA- my goldfish has a shoeprint on its face) Hi there <Howdy> I have 4 goldfish, approx. 6-7 inches in length each, living in a 10 gallon tank with an underwater filter. <good heavens... that is overstocked!!! Really sad to hear. The tank can barely hold one at this size responsibly> I have tested all my water levels (nitrate ammonia etc) and the water quality seems to be within limits. <ahhh... no comment> I do not know the sex of any of my goldfish but they are all 7 years old and  were bought when they were approx. 1 inch <interesting> 1 of my fish is bloated but is not showing symptoms of dropsy and has now developed a mouth condition. <water quality (bacterial count, other un-testables) is a challenge here I'm sure> It looks like the skin is shredding from its lips and they are swollen. It also has what looks like a bubble of air or fluid at the tip of 1 of its fins. I would be grateful if u could advise me as to exactly what might be wrong with it and how to treat it. Thank you Dawn <these fish really need a larger aquarium to be held properly if not ethically. The sickness is no surprise considering the living conditions. Yikes... Imagine living in an elevator for 7 years with 3 people... who ate beans all day long... and sang campfire songs... off key. Quality of life issues here have manifested into a real issue of pathology. My advice is to remove the other 3 fishes (sell, trade or upgrade to a larger aquarium) and treat the afflicted one in the 10 gallon tank as if it was a QT vessel. Use a Furazolidone and Nitrofurazone mixed drug. Best regards, Anthony>

Bubble Eye Goldfish - Bacterial Infection 7/11/03 I need some help immediately. My goldfish, a bubble eye, appears to have an infection with its bubble. One of the bubble seems to be congested with orange stuff. Please help me identify this disease and guide me on what to do. My other bubble eye have already died due to the same illness. Thank you. <if it is a pathological concern, it will almost certainly be bacterial in nature. Use a Furazolidone and Nitrofurazone (mixed) based medication like Jungle brand "Fungus Eliminator" (ignore the name). It would also be best to treat it as with all fishes, in a proper and separate bare-bottomed hospital tank. Best regards, Anthony>

Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia I have a small orange goldfish that I moved to a 44 gal. tank about a week ago, along with a small comet. I had just set up this tank, which only contained two platys and an algae eater. I've had both of the goldfish for several months, and they have been very healthy. The orange goldfish still seems to be healthy, except for the fact that one side of his mouth is turning inward. I can see no sign of mouth fungus or fin rot or anything that looks abnormal. He is eating and using the bathroom fine and has plenty of energy. Before I moved him and the comet, I had them in a 10 gal. with two small Orandas that I had bought a few weeks ago. The Orandas had damaged fins when I bought them, but they were fine for about a week and I thought they were going to be ok. Then they started to develop red around the bases of their fins and red streaks under their chins, so I moved the two other goldfish to the new tank and treated the Orandas (which didn't survive) with fungus clear. I don't think the water in my tank caused the infection, because the two other goldfish had been living in it for months, and it had clean water and more than adequate filtration. The orange goldfish and comet have been doing great in the new tank for the past week, except that this morning I noticed that the orange fish's mouth is turning inward. Is that a sign of fungus, or could it have been damaged another way? Jacqulin <The red streaks mean your fish are affected by bacterial hemorrhagic septicemia. Treat with Oxytetracycline. Usually caused by poor water conditions such as high nitrates. My guess is that we have the same underlying agent causing the mouth problem. The antibiotic should help both. I suggest you treat in a small tank as the meds will nuke the bio filtration in your main. Don>

Ailing Goldfish Hi,<Hi, MikeD here> We have two goldfish in a 40 gallon tank. They've been very happy, getting along for about 6 months now
<It's refreshing to see a tank not loaded to it's maximum capacity>.
Yesterday we noticed the one's tail is all chewed up and pieces of it are in the filter. We assumed he got caught in the filter cause we've never seen them fight at all
<Logical. Goldfish aren't noted for fighting>.
We cleaned out the whole tank and put them back in. This morning the fish with the chewed tail is on his side at the top of the tank. He's still swimming but only in one spot and he's on his side. He looks so sad. Is there anything we can do to help him?<About the only thing I can truly think of would to remove him to a separate hospital tank and treat with an antibiotic, such as Maracyn. Normally I wouldn't suggest treating without knowing exactly what's being treated for, but with the damage you imply and obvious stress it sounds like this guy is a prime candidate to be taken out by a secondary bacterial infection> Michelle<Good luck to you>

Goldfish in Trouble! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this e-mail. I hope that you can help me with my goldfish!! I have had him for a year, and I recently introduced a new goldfish to his bowl (not for breeding). <I really think that bowls shouldn't be used for goldfish.  Both you and the fish would be much happier if you set up a tank for it.  They aren't that expensive and the fish are much happier.  Not to mention the larger the tank the healthier the fish are.  Goldfish are so messy that their water quality goes down hill quickly and the fish will get sick fast!  Out of curiosity did you have filtration system in your bowl for these fish?  They are extremely dirty fish and need to be in heavily filtered water.> She is orange-colored, and shortly after I added her, a black splotch appeared on her "forehead." She began to spend more of her time close to the bottom of the bowl, appearing strangely interested in the rocks; and I sometimes found her with her head in her castle and her "bottom" higher than the rest of her. I noticed the silver fish beginning to turn more gold-colored. Then suddenly the orange-colored fish, which I had recently introduced, died. <Do you have any water testing kits? Kits that test for Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates, are extremely helpful to let you know what is going on with your tank.  The dark spot on the fish might have been the start of ammonia burn.  The fish's waste was breaking down and the ammonia levels were rising.  this is extremely toxic to your fish.  That is the most likely reason why the goldfish had died.  from a build-up of toxins in the bowl. If you do decided to keep the goldfish in a bowl, then you will have to start doing daily water changes to keep the waste down. I suggest upgrading to a something larger ASAP, the larger the tank the better the chances of survival are for goldfish.> Now, the silver fish, which I have kept for so long, is turning red, particularly on his fins. I fear that it is his blood rising to the surface, and this evening I was shocked to find that his top fins are missing! From what I have ascertained through the internet, I think it may be fin rot, but that does not explain this possible internal bleeding. I have been using a mixture of bottled water and water purified through reverse osmosis. Could the reverse osmosis be causing internal bleeding by pulling out the salt in his body or through some other means?   <The red on the fins is a medical condition called Septicemia, which is red spots, red streaks or bleeding on body areas.  I suggest you go to the store and look at the Mardel medicine products.  I would treat the fish with "Maracyn-Two". Read the packages carefully and follow the directions. This will also help with the fin rot.> Do you think my fish will make it? I don't want him to suffer if he is most likely going to die. <If you offer him a larger tank for a home, with filtration, Make sure to treat the current illness and nice clean water then I see no reason why the goldfish shouldn't make it. I've have been given goldfish in worse condition that have pulled out of it and are happy and healthy now!> Thank you for your time. My family and I have become very attached to our goldfish, and we fear for his life.   <No problem, I just hope that the goldfish gets better.  Good luck! -Magnus>

Celestial goldfish looking ill Hi guys, great site. I have a celestial goldfish, about 5 months old, in a 5 litre bowl by himself with some plastic plants, and gravel. I change 60% of the water on average every 2 weeks, using tap water to which water conditioner has been added the day before. I live in Sydney, Australia. About a month ago - at the beginning of winter - my celestial started turning black from a small spot on his head. The black marking now almost covers his body (including tips of the fins), but aren't raised or fungus-looking. a week ago I noticed a red ulcerated patch at the base of his tail, and straightaway treated it with a solution containing eucalyptus that commonly used for fin-rot in Betta fish (on the recommendation of the pet store owner). I did a 75% water change as well, and moved him to a slightly warmer spot (1-2 C higher) in the house. I did another 60% water change a couple of days ago when I noticed the fish looking lethargic and a white scummy substance on the top of the water. while the fish has never been very active and continues to feed well, he's looking lethargic, often swimming at the top of the bowl (but not gasping). his tail fin appears to be less red, but the iris in one of his eyes is larger than the other and appears to have a small red spot in it. please help! I'm doing all I can think of, and I'd hate to have him die needlessly! Thanks very much. < If it is bacterial I would change half the water and treat with Furanace. That should take care of the red patches. The black thing could just be genetic but the Furanace should take care of that too.-Chuck>

Lionhead Goldfish with Ulcers I was hoping to share a bit of information on a recent illness my Lionhead, Peewee, experienced.  About two and a half weeks ago I noticed Peewee hanging back from the crowd (he lives with three other small goldfish in a 10 gallon tank), <Just wanted to say that a 10 gallon tank is a bit small for goldfish, you will need to think about upgrading to a larger size down the road.  Goldfish are quite messy and water parameters can get bad quickly.  When that happens fishes health can become compromised.> he was eating normally but staying in the middle region of the tank and acting somewhat standoffish. <It's a weird thing with Lionheads, one of mine always is that way.  Not sure what causes the Lionheads to be the "standoffish" of the goldfish breeds, but if you see a fish being a loner in a tank, chances are good that it will be a Lionhead.> I decided this was worthy of keeping an eye on <Very true, any chance in a fishes normal routine or behavior is cause for a peak in interest.> and sure enough, one or two days later I noticed that what had originally seemed as a strange pointiness to his side had erupted into a red, open wound and was attended by at least three other such sores.   <ouch... sores that erupt, this can be one of two things.  The first might be internal tumors in the fish that became large enough to rupture the side.  This is normally only seen with one large sore on the body rather than multiple ones, unless the other three sores seem more like secondary infections rather than ulcerated sores from the inside.  The second possibility is "Ulcer disease".  Not a very clever name but sums it up.  The signs of this are shallow, open sores, usually of a reddish color.  They appear on the body of the fish, and the problem is that the fish then is susceptible to secondary infections from things like Saprolegnia.  The lesions will increase in size and even merge as the disease progresses.  This is seen predominately in coldwater fish like goldfish and Koi.> I set up a small (one gallon) quarantine tank with a filter and heater as I suspected these sores to be Furunculosis - this being the closest disease description I could find in my book - and had read that heat could be used in treatment. <It's a good plan to separate the fish.  If it is caused by an infection, then it's transferable to other fish. (if it is cancerous in nature then it isn't).  The ulcers could be caused not by Furunculosis, but by Aeromonas and Pseudomonas.  Meaning it's spreadable...  Raising the temperature and adding a broad based medicine will help fight off any parasites.  This is important because in goldfish suffering from ulcers disease, chronic Septicaemia often occurs, which can lead to dropsy and death.>   The book stated that fish with this type of bacterial infection were not likely to survive and would most certainly suffer massive scarring.  Miraculously, Peewee has indeed survived and been returned to the main tank with little evidence of ever having been sick (he is still regrowing some fins that were damaged in the final stages of his treatment).  The treatment went something like this: 1) Heater set for high 70's 2) Tetracycline administered once a day 3) Fed sinking/soft pellets and peas - and all this lasted one week.  During this time the initial sores became white and began to heal; a new round of pimple-like bumps developed and healed more quickly than the first; the set of fins on his belly shriveled on the edges and deteriorated slightly; and he gradually stopped hiding on the other side of the bowl during feeding (his appetite remained healthy throughout).   <wow, way to go peewee!  That's really incredible!  Few aquarists have this sort of results.  Kudos for you and your research!  We need more hobbyists like you in this world.> I also treated the main tank for five days with antibiotics (no sign of the problem ever showed up on any of the other fish). I'm thrilled to say that as of yet he has shown no further sign of sickness or distress however I'm still puzzled as to what was ailing him and how it showed up.   <The problem could have been that in such a small tank some parasites which are normally found in a tank could quickly spawn and get out of control quickly.  This could be due to accidental over feeding which quickly can effect small tanks, or a fish who had a drop in his immune system and the parasites could get a foothold in the tank.  I would keep the Quarantine tank on hand and the medicines and make sure that you are ready in case the condition should come back.> I had recently introduced two new plants (Anacharis and a moss ball) that I bought at a local store.  I was wary of these purchases however since they were sold to me right out of store tanks ridden with snails and who knows what else.  So the plants were quarantined for three weeks before they went into my tank.   <Excellent procedure!  Not many people quarantine their plants.  Typically those people are the ones that are suppressed when they suddenly have weird snails or other pests in their tank "seemingly out of nowhere.> Prior to introduction I rid the Anacharis of snails and eggs and the moss ball of red worms that I suspected to be Tubifex worms but I'm not sure of that.  Still they were all gone by the time the plants were introduced.  Any ideas on theses mysterious sores?  Might they show up again? <Truth be told, they might show up again.  It could have simply been a bloom of the bacteria for a reason like high nutrients in the water, or the fish had become sick from other conditions and they had a chance to attack.  The best way to stop sores on goldfish is to be sure to keep the water as clean as possible and highly filtered.  I would suggest you think about getting your guys into a larger tank when have the room and money to do so.  Both you and your fish will be happier. -Magnus>

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