Goldfish has Red like bruise     8/31/15 Hello, <MC> Saw your site and its really helping a lot like me a hobbyist to take care properly my goldfish...but this time I got some health issues with my Pearlscale goldfish and seems he/she got some red skin bruises like and notice he/she was gasping for some air for sometime but the rest of his friends are not gasping for air.. <What other fish/es are present here? Any sucker mouth catfish?> thinking might my fish is looking for food but this only happens lately... my fish is more than 2 months with me and only this time i noticed that that it has different behavior which is gasping for air outside the water....I name my fish Barbie :)) but not sure if its male or female but i feel it was a female...I test my tank nitrate is ok and KH, GH is fine Ph is little bt 16.4 <Mmm; no.... but I would be re-checking, making sure it's on the positive side of 7.0> ut it seems my fish can carry it.. I have good filter and cleans it every other day ....what else did I made mistake? am so worried for Barbie coz I lost already one goldfish which is a Ryukin.... hope you can help me please...last time I treat my tank with my fish with JBL EKTOL CRYSTAL for parasite as what the petshop advise n sell me that's for more than 7 days.... Thanking you, *Maria Celeste * United Arab Emirates <This bruise may be due to a simple physical trauma... do you have sharp objects in this system? I would NOT treat the water (too many potential downsides), but do your best to ensure consistent, high water quality and good nutrition. Again; I do hope you don't have a Plecostomus or Chinese Algae Eater present here. Bob Fenner>

Re: Goldfish has Red like bruise... Env.      9/1/15 Hello, thank you for the kind reply...I separated my Pearlscale to hospital tank and put water conditioner in the water then after 2 hours i add a little 1/16 tsp. of JBL crystal the next day I notice my fish left bodies reddening skin little bit diminish hope it will change overnight... You stated earlier that I should try to make the Ph balance somewhat 7.0 am having a hard time to make that reach what should I do? <Read. Here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwph,alk.htm and the linked files above> there is one site saying add more airstone in ur <...> tank while others say it will decrease the Ph level ...is there any natural way to increase the PH level I have shells in d home but worry to add them in d tank as it will over crowd my tank .. <Sodium bicarbonate will likely work; added to new water ahead of change outs> My tank is 63L and I have total 6 Goldfish and 10 guppies <What? This is WAY too small a world for these fishes. READ here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/GldfshTksF.htm Your problem is at least environmental. I'd guess nitrate is sky high.... Your fishes need a few times more space. > ...due to guppies I was forced to put heater in it I know it is overcrowded so am planning to separate my guppies to my 63L and put them to 7L with little driftwood and java moss. <You need about this amount of room for ONE goldfish of size> My goldfish tank has no decorations except for gravels and the filter with attached air stone d another air stone bubble disk. Also is it e to off the light of my tank in the night? <Yes> Now once the guppies separated can I totally take off the heater in my goldfish tank? <Depends on how much the temperature fluctuates in the room with the gf tank. I'd use a heater w/ my fancies> Also I kept water in our big bucket for a week for the 63L tank...but whenever am transferring water in fish tank and test the water the chlorine is still high? how can I totally get rid of the chlorine in water despite keeping the water in the bucket for 1 week already thinking the chlorine will diminish into the air...oh by the way the bucket is not lid close its fully open for a week. <Leaving the new water exposed to the air for a week should remove all chlorine. If not, the use of a dechlorinator/dechloraminator is required> Again thanks a lot for your quick reply. Thanking you, *Maria Celeste * United Arab Emirates <Let's keep talking, having you read till you understand what is happening here, and what your probable course of action is. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish breathless and at the bottom of the tank; env.        8/15/15
I have a goldfish that is breathless and at the bottom of the tank he kind of moves a little but stays in one place the whole day. The fish is in a 20 gallon tank with another fish. The other fish seems to be ok but there is one sick only. The sick fish is around 8 inches long
<... in a twenty gallon...>
and the other fish is 5 inches long both fishs are goldfish. I have a air pump for 20 gallons and a filter.
<Can't live here; need more room. MUCH>
I change the water monthly 50 percent.
<I'd be changing about a quarter/25 percent a week>
When i give the sick fish pellet food he eat a little but not normally like he use to eat he wont eat as much because the fish is sick. The fish has been like this like for 4 days. I have changed the water but its still l dirty. Should i give them pees?
<No.... a better world. MOVE these fish>
Is there a type of medication i can use that could help them. What can i do to fix my fish to breath normally and swim around the tank. My fish looks really sick. I hope i can save my fish. Thank you for your help.
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Desperate Help Needed    7/25/15 I have two 13 year old goldfish in my tank. One is experiencing a good bit of illness. Symptoms of ONE of the two goldfish only: Bloated belly (no pineconing) Some red streaks in fins that comes and goes for no apparent reason Gasping at bottom No scratching Some recent sideways swimming Not eating for 3-4 days <Something wrong w/ the env. here> Tank Info: 75G 2 goldfish that are 13 years old, only and EVER… nothing else alive ever presented to tank Both are about 1ft long from nose to tip of tail. 1 large canister filter with foam and bio ceramics 1 HOB filter with ammonia chips 2 pond pumps for water circulation KH 120ppm GH 360ppm PH 8+ Nitrite – 0ppm Nitrate – about 5ppm Ammonia - about 5ppm <This IS it. SEE WWM RE AMMONIA. Make a massive water change now; and prepare water to change out tomorrow. STOP ALL FEEDING> (putting daily Prime in to help neutralize) <Won't fix this> Substrate – white pebble gravel <Perhaps a reason why the system is not cycling enough> One fake plant Food – one fish eats the Repashy Soilent green. The sick fish will not eat that but has eaten algae pellets soaked with water and peas. Temp about 77degrees F 25% change daily for over a month now. Any ideas of what is happening. <Ammonia poisoning> Pretty sure he is getting worse at this point. He has been hanging in for months waiting for me to handle this issue but I have had no luck. <READ, understand, act. Bob Fenner> Desperate Help Needed I have two 13 year old goldfish in my tank. One is experiencing a good bit of illness. Symptoms of ONE of the two goldfish only: Bloated belly (no pineconing) Some red streaks in fins that comes and goes for no apparent reason Gasping at bottom No scratching Some recent sideways swimming Not eating for 3-4 days Tank Info: 75G 2 goldfish that are 13 years old, only and EVER… nothing else alive ever presented to tank Both are about 1ft long from nose to tip of tail. 1 large canister filter with foam and bio ceramics 1 HOB filter with ammonia chips 2 pond pumps for water circulation KH 120ppm GH 360ppm PH 8+ Nitrite – 0ppm Nitrate – about 5ppm Ammonia - about 5ppm (putting daily Prime in to help neutralize) <Are you sure about this? 5 ppm is lethal. 0.5 ppm would be "normal" for a tank with inadequate filtration, and while not immediately lethal, can lead to a variety of serious health problems within a few days of exposure. More than a few days, and yes, many of the symptoms you describe would be visible.> Substrate – white pebble gravel One fake plant Food – one fish eats the Repashy Soilent green. The sick fish will not eat that but has eaten algae pellets soaked with water and peas. Temp about 77degrees F 25% change daily for over a month now. Any ideas of what is happening. Pretty sure he is getting worse at this point. He has been hanging in for months waiting for me to handle this issue but I have had no luck. <Check what the ammonia reading in your tap water is. To be clear: some tap water contains ammonia, and many contain Chloramine, and both can/will register as ammonia with your fish tank test kit. Once neutralised with a suitable water conditioner, the ammonia reading will usually still be present, but it's a "false positive" that doesn't mean there's a problem for your fish. However, if the ammonia reading for the tap water is zero, but the ammonia reading for the fish tank is not zero, then there's a source of ammonia in the tank, i.e., the fish, that the filter cannot handle. Adding Prime (or any other water conditioner that treats ammonia and Chloramine) is only relevant for neutralizing ammonia in tap water. Let me state that again. It only neutralises tap water ammonia. Once in the aquarium it serves no useful role in handling the ammonia excreted by the fish. That's the filter's job. If you have a reasonably big filter, but ammonia isn't at zero, then you need to review the choices of media, maintenance, flow rate, oxygenation, and the amount of food being given. Ammonia chips (basically Zeolite with a fancy name) are pretty useless with big fish. You'd need a bucket of them, and then you'd need to change them daily. So they can go. What you need is plenty of good quality biological media, something like Siporax, Ehfisubstrat, etc., that you can stuff into the chambers of your filters. You need plenty of oxygen as well, since the bacteria are highly aerobic, and plenty of water turnover, I'd say 6-8 times the volume of the tank given the tank is quite big and not heavily stocked. Existing bacteria in the tank should quickly colonise the media, and you should see ammonia dropping to zero (or at least, not higher than any false positive values you get from conditioned tap water). Alongside all of this, you would probably want to treat as per Finrot, and switching to a fresh greens-only diet (no pellets/flake) for a few weeks would help eliminate any problems from bloating that could be exacerbating the situation while also minimising the rate of ammonia production in the tank. Indeed, if you have a large clump of floating Indian Fern to hand, that'll both feed the goldfish while removing ammonia and seeding extra bacteria from its roots into the filter -- it's not a silver bullet, but it's darn useful stuff. Generic pond weed for Goldfish tanks will do if you can't get Indian Fern, though it's more demanding of light and won't grow well/at all without bright light. I've cc'ed our resident Goldfish expert Bob F in case I've missed anything. Cheers, Neale.> re: Desperate Help Needed HI everyone, Thank you for your reply.. I am sorry I couldn't see the reply on my iPhone for some reason when I checked this morning. I may not have realized it was intertwined into my conversation. Sorry about that. <No problem.> I have updated a few things since my last email: 1) I checked for ammonia today and finally after 1 month of trying to get the ammonia out of the tank with 20% daily water changes, I finally got a reading of 0ppm! Yes, I am sorry, the ppm was actually .25ppm, not .5ppm. <Actually, you wrote 5 ppm, not point-five, and 5 ppm would kill an elephant, let alone a Goldfish!> I was exhausted when I wrote you. The nitrates for some reason have dropped to 0 or close to it but the nitrites are at 0. <Good.> 2) I tried to put Maracyn two in the tank (if it was dropsy, septicemia etc). Not sure if it is related to the Maracyn two first treatment but he is now basically permanently upside down where earlier last night he was starting to flip upside down but was still resting on his bottom at some points. I wasn't sure if I should continue the Maracyn two treatment or not. What do you think? <Always complete course of antibiotics. Not doing so is where antibiotic resistance comes from. There's no debate or discussion on this. While you're instinct might be that such medicine would be wasted or do harm, there's actually little risk to the fish, and "saving" half a course of antibiotic is worthless.> Also, he is getting more red streaking in his tail since yesterday and he is still VERY bloated. <Doesn't sound good. For what it's worth, Maracyn is erythromycin, which kills many bacteria but not all. Hence standard operating procedure is to run Maracyn 1 and Maracyn 2 (tetracycline) alongside each other because they kill different, but complementary, sets of bacteria.> 3) I have moved the sick fish into a smaller 10gallon hospital tank that will be easier for me to treat. I have added 3tsp of aquarium salt since I read that it is good for nitrite regulation when there is nitrite damage done to the fish already. Also I read it helps with oxygenation in the blood. <Uh, no. Salt will actually lower the amount of oxygen water can hold. Think of it this way: water has only so many gaps into which a solute can go. If you fill some of them with salt, there are no fewer gaps for oxygen. There are benefits to adding salt, such as reduces loss of tissue fluid and (slightly) reducing the toxicity of nitrite and nitrate, but it's arguable whether any of these are massively beneficial to freshwater fish except in very specific situations (treating Whitespot for example). For the most part, people add salt because (a) it's cheap and (b) there isn't a (b). Goldfish have a high tolerance for salt, by freshwater fish standards, so you aren't doing any harm. But you're unlikely to be doing any good, either.> 4) I have performed a Epsom salt bath at a power of 1tsp/gallon in a separate bucket for about 20 minutes. I read two times a day would be good. <Let me have you read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/SaltUseFWArtNeale.htm Covers both salt and Epsom salt; random additions/concentrations aren't helpful. Do read, employ the concentrations stated.> He has still not eaten in about 4 days now. :( <Probably won't until at least halfway better.> I thank you a lot for any advice you can give me. I have literally been doing nothing besides research this issue and how to fix it. I hope I am making the correct decisions. <Cheers, Neale.> re: Desperate Help Needed Ok, will think about adding the next dose.. I'm a day late but I guess I can treat it as a "missed dose" as long as my water parameters stay ok in the next 4 days. <Seems reasonable.> I may have enough to put both in this new hospital tank since it is only 10gal. I didn't have enough for my 75 gal. Do we think it could be a bacterial issue? <Symptoms such as bloody streaks on skin and fins can be caused a Finrot-type bacteria, yes. Aeromonas, Pseudomonas spp., etc.> These two fish actually lived in a low salt environment (.25tsp/gal) for their whole 13 or so year lives. I only recently removed it since I was discussing treatment with another site who said I should because that is probably one reason my fish is sick. I only added a very small amount (3tsp/10gal). Maybe I will leave it at that. <If you wish. Unlikely to any good or any harm.> Seems the concentrations are similar. Your document says 1-3 per 5 gallons. On the high side of that reading it would be about .6tsp/gallon. It does not state a time but it seems from the other salt treatments that 15-30 min is useful. <No. Salt concentrations in the 1-3 teaspoons/5 US gallons are permanent, i.e., you add to the water and leave the fish in those conditions for days, weeks as necessary. Dips, i.e., you immerse a fish for a short period of time, 2-20 minutes typically, are much higher concentrations, up to 35 gram/litre (full strength seawater).> How would I know if it is constipation if he isn't eating? He isn't floating but is still belly up at the bottom. <Indeed. You aren't going to know in this situation. Do read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm And follow the links there to the relevant FAQs.> Is force feeding ever a good option? Is 5 days too much for not eating? <If you're an expert fish keeper with some understanding of fish jaw anatomy, it can be an option if a fish is severely underweight. But otherwise, no, not a good idea. Fish jaws are delicate, and if you dislocate them the fish can't feed again and will starve to death.> OTHER UPDATE FOR 7/25 After the work I did yesterday with hospital tank, minor addition of salt and Epsom dip, (and maybe due to the addition of the Maracyn 2 from the previous day), some of the redness on his belly seems to have gone away and his fins might look a little better. Still belly up on the bottom breathing heavy but seems to be a minor improvement. <Indeed, is promising at least. Good luck, Neale.>

Goldfish - Worried!          5/12/15
Hi there,
<Monica>
I got a goldfish (chowder) about a month ago. "He" came with blackness on his dorsal fin and fin tips that went away a few days after I got him. He is in a 5gallon tank (which I now know is too small),
<.... ah yes>
and has a power filter (the one with sponge, carbon, then rocks). He was vibrant orange and happy for about a week when his mood changed. He was darting around the tank, and eventually developed a patch that looked like it was missing a couple scales. I was mostly concerned about the white dot - which I promptly decided was ich,
<Mmm; likely not if just one spot... the trouble really: environment>
and went to buy a treatment from a pet store, ignorant to better remedies. Bought: liquid "Super Ick Cure". Before using it, I tried to make sure it was ich. To take a closer look, I grabbed a flashlight, and saw more white spots.
<Oh! You should know... that the env. is still the root cause of troubles here. And by adding the medicine; you've further poisoned the water... Is this system, was this system "cycled"?>
So I treated the tank for ich, following the instructions (remove carbon, treat every 48 hrs, replace carbon in 2 days, 25% water change). He looked worse for a day or two and then I couldn't see any whiteness, so I did a water change, vacuumed the rocks, etc. He seemed happy again until the *blackness* came back (it also appeared as if he was *bruised* where the initial scaling and white spot appeared). When the blackness reappeared, I did a 50% water change, and bought him a 2nd type of food to alternate with (I thought maybe his diet of flakes was affecting him). I've been feeding him a mix of pellet and flake now. 2-3 days after I bought pellets, he is *not eating* much of anything, he is very inactive now, and spends a lot of time "kissing" the corner of his tank (which has been dyed blue from super ick cure). He seems quite unhappy and looks *fatter* too. His blackness is definitely getting better now, but I fear the *whiteness* is reappearing! It is so hard to check. He is so inactive and near the bottom until I go check and then he darts to the opposite end of the tank and darts around really quickly. Can I salinate the water?
<Of no use>
Will this help his ailments? ...can I use my kosher sea salt, or do I have to buy aquarium salt? Or should I just heat up his
water gradually, to prevent ich while I treat his environment to cure the blackness? ( I would have to go get a heater). I would love some help!!
-Monica
<Stop feeding for now; and when you can make time, yourself calm, read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
Your system likely has too much ammonia and or nitrite, nitrate present... Need to understand; get this fish to a better (larger) world. Bob Fenner>
Re: Goldfish - Worried!          5/12/15
Thanks for your help. I would say that I probably stopped the cycling process when I treated the water for ich.
<Ah yes; highly likely>
Though, there is some green growth at the bottom of my filter. I am going to go get a larger tank for Chowder. Until then, I will do more and larger water changes to keep him healthy, and feed him the pellets I guess, since they have lower
protein and higher veggie content (and they float... easy for clean-up).
<This is a good plan. DO monitor the nitrogen cycling process here>
How should I go about transferring him to his new home?
<Move most of the old water into the new system; use the current filter, media, substrate and decor>
Thanks,
-Monica
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Sick Goldfish      /RMF        4/24/15 <... 12 megs of pix... why didn't our program send your mail to trash?> Hello, I came upon your website while trying to determine what is wrong with my goldfish. <Have you searched, read on WWM re its symptoms?> As of yesterday afternoon it began spending time on the bottom of the twenty gallon tank it shares with a Pleco. <A poor idea. READ re this and the GFs incompatibility> The Pleco was a recent addition, purchased roughly about three weeks to a month ago. It was added because I thought there was a large buildup of algae in the tank, and it did it's job well, the tank was algae free by the end of the first week. The two fish seemed to have no issues with each other. However because there was no algae I felt the Pleco would not have anything to eat, and in searching their care I found they eat veggies, so I parboiled a few pieces of organic spinach and added them to the tank. This seemed to not bother either fish. At first my worry was that the goldfish had swallowed a piece of the gravel substrate as he has always picked up pieces, usually spitting them out. Through your site I learned they grub for food in the gravel and my goldfish can be greedy for food, I'd always thought it just a quirk previously. I separated the goldfish into the 2.5 gallon tank <... too small; even the twenty> I had originally bought when it was significantly smaller for fear of contaminating the larger tank. The goldfish will sometimes swim around, and still eats the goldfish pellets I have always fed him. I brought over a piece of spinach to the small tank but it appears untouched. He does exhibit clamped fins (dorsal and ventral only, side fins and tail seem fine). I had attempted to catch the goldfish to see if it did indeed have a stuck pebble, but I finally stopped trying for fear of stressing it too much. Included pictures: 2.5 gal tank, 20 gal tank, chemicals used since first getting the goldfish. It has always been hardy previously, including making many trips back and forth to my college dorm with no ill effects. Both filters for each tank use charcoal. I do not currently have test kits for ammonia, nitrites or nitrates. <.... dismal. This fish's problems are environmental; your doing. It's chemically burned...> Water temperature is room temp. Any help would be appreciated, Amanda <Reading. Now; later. Bob Fenner. READ>

Sick Goldfish      /Neale       4/26/15 Hello, I came upon your website while trying to determine what is wrong with my goldfish. As of yesterday afternoon it began spending time on the bottom of the twenty gallon tank it shares with a Pleco. The Pleco was a recent addition, purchased roughly about three weeks to a month ago. It was added because I thought there was a large buildup of algae in the tank, and it did it's job well, the tank was algae free by the end of the first week. The two fish seemed to have no issues with each other. However because there was no algae I felt the Pleco would not have anything to eat, and in searching their care I found they eat veggies, so I parboiled a few pieces of organic spinach and added them to the tank. This seemed to not bother either fish. At first my worry was that the goldfish had swallowed a piece of the gravel substrate as he has always picked up pieces, usually spitting them out. Through your site I learned they grub for food in the gravel and my goldfish can be greedy for food, I'd always thought it just a quirk previously. I separated the goldfish into the 2.5 gallon tank I had originally bought when it was significantly smaller for fear of contaminating the larger tank. The goldfish will sometimes swim around, and still eats the goldfish pellets I have always fed him. I brought over a piece of spinach to the small tank but it appears untouched. He does exhibit clamped fins (dorsal and ventral only, side fins and tail seem fine). I had attempted to catch the goldfish to see if it did indeed have a stuck pebble, but I finally stopped trying for fear of stressing it too much. Included pictures: 2.5 gal tank, 20 gal tank, chemicals used since first getting the goldfish. It has always been hardy previously, including making many trips back and forth to my college dorm with no ill effects. Both filters for each tank use charcoal. I do not currently have test kits for ammonia, nitrites or nitrates. Water temperature is room temp. Any help would be appreciated, Amanda <Hello Amanda. Bob's put this message in my folder for some reason. For what it's worth, your Goldfish looks, to me, to be suffering from bacterial septicaemia. The small blood blisters all over the body and fins are haemorrhages, typically infected with Aeromonas or Pseudomonas spp. bacteria. This problem is not uncommon in Goldfish, and almost always environmental. Sometimes because they're too cold (an issue with fancy varieties kept outdoors) but more often than not, plain vanilla water quality problems. Twenty gallons is about right for Danios. Or Guppies. But not Goldfish, let alone a Plec. Bear in mind Goldfish are (a) big and (b) messy, and really, 30 gallons is the minimum for trouble-free Goldfish keeping. Plecs, well, I wouldn't keep one in less than 55 gallons, and even that'd be a push. So, some rehoming is in order here. As far as treatment goes, septicaemia is difficult to treat without antibiotics (essentially, impossible). You will need a decent antibiotic to have any chance of success. Nitrofurazone (such as Furan-2) is probably the drug of choice, but Minocycline (as in Maracyn 2) can work. Some folks have added a little salt to the water alongside the antibiotic, maybe 2-3 gram/litre, but can I please stress that this is merely to reduce fluid loss from the blood blisters -- salt has no antibiotic properties at all and is NOT a treatment in itself, merely something that works alongside the antibiotic to reduce stress a little bit. Finally, as Bob alluded to, a 2.5 gallon hospital tank is a contradiction in terms. There's no point moving a sick fish to a WORSE aquarium than the one he came from. That's very much a "just kill me now" kind of thing, so far as the fish is concerned. Your 20 gallon, without the Plec, might just be viable as a hospital tank with tiptop water quality and the right antibiotics (don't forget to remove carbon while using them) and a bit of luck. Long term though, you will need a better home for this chap. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm Cheers, Neale.> Re: Sick Goldfish       4/27/15 Evening Neale, <Amanda,> As an update, I've put the goldfish back into the twenty, (I used the 2.5 to separate it as that was the only other tank I had) after a 50% water change, and reduced how often they get fed to once a day to cut down on waste. <Wise.> And the goldfish is no longer on the bottom and seems significantly more active. Thanks for the information about the antibiotics I will look into that now. Amanda <Glad to help. Neale.>

Black Moor Goldfish Problems /RMF   Not willing to read     4/8/15
I've had a black moor since end of January. In the past few days to 1wk he has started having problems. Trouble swimming, one eye looks different, difficulty breathing, now tail looks shredded.
<Environmental almost assuredly.... what re nitrogenous waste measures?>
Have separated him into a breeder box.
<A poor idea... will die there>
I have done all the water tests.
<? So; where are the results>
Have added ph decreaser,
<... For what reason?>
ammonia diminish,
<Of no use>
MelaFix
<Worthless. Had you followed directions on writing us; read....>
(all at separate times).
Nothing seems to help.
I keep thinking each time I check on him he will have taken his last breathe.
Is there any hope to save this little fish?
<IF you'll read.... Bob Fenner>
Any assistance is appreciated.
<All archived on WWM>
Re: Black Moor Goldfish Problems       4/8/15
Thank you for the links, I will read them shortly.
<Read then write back>
More information: Have had him since end of January. Currently in heated 20gal tank
<... what else in here?>
with Filter rated 20 to 40 gallons.
Have had No problems with anything else in the tank.
Know that high ph should not matter, but since he had quickly became ill, I started with the first thing the store employees ask. High ph. Hence reason I added the ph decreaser.
<See WWM re...>
Next thing they usually ask is about ammonia. Checked slightly high,
<Toxic. Stop writing; READ>
so added ammonia remover.
Decided to add Melafix because I didn't know what else to do. (have been told to use this before with an ill looking fish)
After none of this worked (and I couldn't remember your website information) that's when I sent the email.
Re: Black Moor Goldfish Problems /Neale
Sorry, I do not know how to get back to your website information.
<Hello Carol. In short, start reading here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm
Bob asked about aquarium size and water chemistry. Goldfish need space, 30 gallons would be the minimum, and a filter is essential. Water chemistry should be hard and alkaline for Goldfish, hence Bob's query about why you were adding pH-down chemicals. Absolutely no reason to do so. Now also, have a peruse here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshdisease.htm
Lots of links at the top of both, including links to Bob's downloadable and inexpensive Goldfish Keeping book. Well worth the $6 or whatever. Looking over the stuff in your previous message, there's a bunch of points we could address. But to begin. When eyes pop out of their sockets, we call that Pop-Eye, and it's pretty always caused by physical damage and/or poor
environment. It simply doesn't happen for other reasons. Goldfish sickness is generally down to a set of three parameters: too little space, too little filtration, and poor diet. Review, and act accordingly. Honestly, sometimes we do come across a little grumpy when dealing with Goldfish and Betta queries because they really are the same things again and Again and
AGAIN. It's quiet depressing knowing that (a) people still buy pet animals without researching their needs first; and (b) pet store staff don't flag up the fact Goldfish and Bettas can't be kept in unheated, unfiltered bowls. So, send us some information about the size of your aquarium, filtration type, and crucially, if can state some water quality and chemistry values, we can talk some more. Meantime, as Bob said, "read"!
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Black Moor Goldfish Problems       4/8/15
Tank does have an aerator.
<But what about a filter? And how big is the tank? Let's be clear, an aerator achieves almost nothing. All it does is help circulate the water a bit. Even when people do buy air pumps, they often buy the smallest, cheapest one they can find, which achieves even less than almost nothing. So a $5 air pump is really just a token effort at aeration, not a genuine solution. Might be adequate for powering a sponge filter in a 5-8 gallon breeding tank, but that's about it. Air pumps also wear out, and need to have components replaced every year or so, something a lot of folks don't know. If you don't do this, the air intake filter clogs up and the rubber diaphragm wears out, resulting in steadily less and less air being moved. Really, air pumps are obsolete in the hobby, and I can't think of any real use for one in a Goldfish aquarium. Some value in breeding tanks still, or nano tanks with fish that require very gentle air powered filtration. But with Goldfish, which are big and messy, you need a filter. Some sort of internal canister filter at minimum. Something like the $50 Fluval U3 (155 gallons/hour turnover) would be about right for a minimum size Goldfish tank around the 30 gallon mark. Because Goldfish are so messy, there's no point scrimping here; get a filter for a tank "the next size up" in the range, so it doesn't clog up too quickly. This filter is for tanks 24 to 40 gallons in size, rather than the smaller U2 filter which is for 12 to 30 gallons, which I can assure you would be overwhelmed by all the muck Goldfish produce. Do bear in mind filters are "rated" for use with small fish like Neons, rather than heavy polluters such as Goldfish, Plecos and large Cichlids. Hence getting the next size up in the range. I like internal canisters because they're extremely easy to maintain, and the Fluval brand is reasonably good in terms of quality and longevity, and should easily last 5-10 years. Eheim make similar internal canisters, but they're a bit more expensive but better designed and likely to last even longer, so if you're not on a tight budget, Eheim's the best. Cheaper brands are available, but trust me, these tend not to last as long. Still, if you don't mind replacing these when they break, they can be serviceable enough.>
Although typically fed koi/goldfish pellets and flakes - also fed frozen mysis/vegetation mixes and tubix worms along with the occasional peas. (Would like to provide Nori, but do not know where to locate it.)
<Any Asian food market. Sold in packs of 5-10 sheets, in the UK at least for around £1-1.50.>
Have now read the first link. Can not access the second. It will not open. Have finally been able to access through the original link and follow to the "diseases".
<Hmm... odd, works for me: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshdisease.htm
In any case, good, you can read it.>
Have found info regarding relocating to another space and treat with Epsom salt. Also feeding peas.
<Ah yes, floaty bloaty goldfish syndrome...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm
Do bear in mind this is a treatment for constipation, which typically manifests itself as the Goldfish otherwise being healthy and alert, but just can't swim normally. It's not a cure all. It won't treat bacterial infections, Pop-Eye (though Epsom salt does help with this), and other environmentally-caused problems.>
Will or can it eat canned spinach?
<Safe, and some fish do eat it.>
Should these things help my fish?
<Can't say Carol because you've studiously avoided telling me the stuff I need to know, such as the size of the tank and the water quality parameters.>
Thank you.
<Welcome, Neale.>
Re: Black Moor Goldfish Problems.... induced        4/8/15
I'm sorry, guess you missed the second message above (2:41pm yesterday):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for the links, I will read them shortly. More information: Have had him since end of January. *Currently in heated 20gal tank with Filter rated 20 to 40 gallons.* Have had No problems with anything else in the tank. Know that high ph should not matter, but since he had quickly became ill, *I started with the first thing the store employees ask. High ph*.
Hence reason I added the ph decreaser. *Next thing they usually ask is about ammonia. Checked slightly high, so added ammonia remover.* Decided to add Melafix because I didn't know what else to do. (have been told to use this before with an ill looking fish)
After none of this worked (and I couldn't remember your website information) that's when I sent the email.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Changed some of the water yesterday afternoon. Let him out of the breeder box (as you suggested).
Every tank I own is equipped with a filter a step above the gallons of the tank. Adjustable, high power aerators are included purely to provide extra oxygen (if required) and for the pretty bubbles. Other fish in tank include an Oranda, Butterfly Koi, and Cordy Catfish.
He has just been floating around the tank (belly up) with the current. Not sure if this is the same thing as the 'bloaty' syndrome.
(I was just able to access the link for disease above). From the picture of the bloaty goldfish; this is not his problem.
Reading down further it appears it may be the swim bladder problem. He is only floating at the top of the water. This bothers me that he does not seem to be able to eat upside down and would be unable to eat sinking food.
Sounds like I Need to locate another space for him to be secluded and try the Epsom salt and possibly tetracycline.
I do plan to move the Butterfly Koi soon, just need to figure out if this guy is going to make it or not.
Thank you Neale, for your assistance.
<Hi Carol. If I'm reading this right, you have another Goldfish, a Koi of some sort, and what I assume is a Corydoras catfish (a tropical, schooling species) all in the same 20 gallon tank as this sick fish. This pretty much tells me all I need to know. Your tank is grossly overstocked, and poorly stocked in terms of species choices. Koi are pond fish. Indoors, they need (seriously) 100s of gallons. These fish get huge! Have you seen an adult Koi? They're the size of salmon! The Butterfly Koi isn't a separate species, but merely a long-finned variety (and both the Japanese and British Koi associations consider them deformed and highly inbred, and pretty much the only market for them is the US for some reason, which is
why the Japanese call them "American Koi"). So, right out the starting gate you have a fish here that's considered even less hardy than standard Koi, but just as big, and definitely unsuitable to a 20 gallon tank. Then you've got a tropical schooling catfish, and then two Goldfish, presumably both fancy varieties (again, inbred, which means they're less hardy and more
prone to problems). Even if you had 200 gallons I'd be rolling my eyes (you may even have heard me "tutting" a bit, clear across the Atlantic) but 20 gallons... nope. Not going to work. The fact you have ammonia in the water proves that ammonia is being produced by the fish (as waste) faster than the filter can cope. Even if you doubled the size of this filter, it's not
going to cope with an adult Koi, let alone an adult Koi, two Goldfish, and a poor unfortunate Amazonian catfish that got dumped into a room-temperature tank (I'm assuming you're in the US, in which case outside of Hawaii, room temperature isn't warm enough). Ammonia remover is designed to remove ammonia from tap water. It's a one-trick pony. Once used up, it's done. It's not, repeat NOT, a long-term solution to the ammonia produced by the fish. That's what a biological filter is for. If it was as simple as adding a few drops of magic potion to our tanks, instead of spending 10s if not 100s of dollars on filtration, we'd all be doing it. But we don't. Unscrupulous (or ignorant) retailers will sell you this stuff, but doesn't mean it works. Likewise, changing water chemistry is the last thing you should be doing now. Choose fish happy in your local water conditions.
Goldfish and Koi are just fine and dandy in hard water, even "liquid rock", 20 degrees dH, pH 8. Changing the water chemistry is an advanced skill. Wait until you get some experience before reading up on this topic, let alone actually doing it. Not worth it. No benefits to you, and much scope to go wrong. Do I think the Melafix or the pH-down products are killing
your fish? No, I do not. But I don't think they're useful to you or even likely to improve the health of this sick fish. Hmm... what to say...? You need a much bigger aquarium, 30 gallons minimum for the two Goldfish, and honestly I'd rehome the Koi, you shouldn't be keeping one until you have a pond or a really big tank. You need serious filtration, and you need
perfect water quality; for a 30 gallon tank, look for a filter offering at least 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour, i.e., at least 30 x 6 = 180 gallons per hour, and honestly, 200, 250 gal/hr wouldn't be out of line. Ignore water chemistry. Medicate with an antibiotic. Epsom salt may help with the Popeye, but won't cure the bacterial infection, so it's an addition to the antibiotic, not an alternative. Does this help?
Neale.>
Re: Black Moor Goldfish Problems        4/8/15
I have since cleaned and rehomed the Black Moor into a 1gallon (only other tank I had), Alone where I can keep him much cleaner and keep an even closer eye on him.
<I doubt this will help. How to make this clear? A hospital tank must have better water quality than the main tank. An aquarium containing 1 gallon (even with a filter) won't have very good water quality with an adult Goldfish in it. So it's kind of like taking a sick person to a sewage farm. Do notice how clean hospitals are; there's a reason for that!>
Added 1/2 teaspoon Epsom salt to the water. It does have a small filter, but I can easily keep it much cleaner than the larger tank that has the other fish. Already have a gallon of water ready for a change.
<Which is a plus. But I think you mistake water clarity with water quality.
Water clarity is how much muck you can see. Fish faeces for example. Oddly enough, though unsightly, physical, solid wastes like these actually don't affect water quality much. Water quality is the dissolved (and invisible) nitrogenous wastes: ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. In theory, you could have a big, mature (6 week old) filter attached to a small tank, and by doing
daily water changes, keep water quality good. But this is so impractical it's never recommended.>
Where do I find the (?tetracycline) antibiotics(assuming he needs this)?
Don't believe I have seen them at any of the fish stores around here.
<Where do you live? In the US, aquarium-use antibiotics such as Maracyn and Kanamycin are widely sold in good aquarium shops, indeed, I've even seen them in the "big box" pet shops such as PetSmart. Elsewhere antibiotics are through a vet (which is awkward, but actually makes more scientific sense in terms of safety and dosages). So here in the UK, you either get antibiotics from a vet, or more commonly, use an alternative medication. I recommend eSHa 2000 as a useful alternative.>
All the fish in this tank were babies back in January. I knew they would not be able to live together for long. (I guess they grew faster than I thought possible.) Yes, I have upped the water temperature for the cordy, but do understand I must acclimate the different fish to the various water qualities when separated.
<Indeed, and do understand that as water temperature goes up, oxygen content goes down. It's why mixing coldwater and tropicals is usually a bad idea. Goldfish and Koi can live in tropical temperatures, but they need to be kept at even lower stocking density to compensate for less oxygen in the water. Similarly, filtration and water circulation rates must go up.>
I do have a pond with koi (since 2005). The young koi in the tank is just now large enough that it will be moving outside to start an adjustment period (in the 20 gallon) then will be added with our large koi.
<Understood.>
The Oranda and Black Moor (if he survives) will be moving into a 30gallon tank. The Cordy will be moving into a 30 gallon with other tropicals.
<Both these moves sound sensible. Indeed, I'd be moving the Corydoras into the tropical tank ASAP, and if practical, putting the Oranda outdoors if it's warm enough. Both would be exposed to improved living conditions. Then the 20 gallon would become a much more sensible hospital tank. In due course the Oranda and the Moor could be put back into the 30 gallon tank, and the 20 set aside for other projects, such as a breeding tank, or better still, reserved for hospital and quarantine purposes.>
Thank you for your time.
<Welcome. Neale.>

Yawning Goldfish!        3/31/15
Hi, I've had my common goldfish for six years now. He's (yes it is a male I'm pretty sure, he has the midline ridge and a concave vent)
<News to me that these are useful for sexing Carassius auratus... usually it's the tubercles on the males that's used for this.>
in a ten gallon aquarium by himself,
<Too small.>
and I have plenty of bubbles and a power filter for the tank- he's thriving obviously, since I've had him for so long!
<Call me back when he's 20 years old and we'll agree. Seriously, while 6 years isn't terrible, and a lot better than most Goldfish kept in small tanks enjoy, it's still a long, LONG ways off being a Methuselah among Goldfish!>
Out of nowhere for the past two days he's been "yawning" a lot. I've been keeping an eye on him and I don't see any signs of distress, flashing, gasping for air at all, but like clockwork, every five or ten minutes, he does a great big "yawn". I can't see anything on his body either, nothing wrong with his gills and no sign of flukes with a magnifying glass. I've looked for everything I could possibly think of, but I can't find anything wrong with him! I've tested the water, looked for something stuck in his mouth, it's all fine too. Everything is as it should be- So why is my Taco yawning all the time?
<Goldfish do "yawn", and it's something assumed to reflect their normal feeding behaviour. In the wild they commonly sift silt and detritus, and yawning is a way to flush particles off the gill filaments that might be causing irritation or damage. So it's a cleaning trick. Excessive yawning, on the other hand, can suggest underlying problems. Since fish don't always
discriminate between problems, they'll work through a bunch of these "cleaning behaviours" any time they're being irritated by something in the environment: yawning, flashing, etc. Check the nitrite and ammonia levels, check the pH is where it should be (stable, around 7-8), and generally review aquarium conditions. The fact it's a 10 gallon tank is a worry; an
adult Goldfish six years old should be, what, 8-12 inches/20-30 cm long, which would barely fit in 10 gallons. If it's smaller than that, it's stunted, and that in turn is evidence aquarium conditions aren't good.
Review, and act accordingly. Cheers, Neale.>

Goldfish query /Neale        3/9/15
hi
Are you still doing advice pages?
<Yes indeed.>
I have a 9 year old goldfish. After struggling through a couple bad illnesses over time she recovered each time, but developed a cloudy eye (like scarring?).
<Does sound like environmental stress. How frequently do you do water changes? How big its its aquarium? Repeated eye infections and swellings are usually a sign that something is wrong with the water quality and/or aquarium. Review, and act accordingly.>
I believe she also developed tumours after being ill too - maybe viral related?
<Possible, but unlikely. Yes, there are viral infections that affect Goldfish, Carp Pox in particular, but almost always these are seen in ponds rather than aquaria.>
She developed a large cyst (?) on her midsection, which has grown to be over an inch long and almost as wide, Consisting of lumpy bumpy mass on her exterior. Started as white and multiple-lumpy (like chewed gum), but the exterior edges of it turned grey. A second one developed nearby - again white, waxy & lumpy. It's growing but not too fast, and is bigger than a
marble. Small one also where tail joins body but not yet growing.
<Again, while this sounds like a viral infection, there's a good chance we're talking about Coldwater Whitespot, a disease closely related to the tropical fish Whitespot (or Ick) commonly seen in community tanks.
Treatment is relatively straightforward: addition of salt at 2 gram/litre and (gradually, across a few days) raising the temperature to at least 25 C/77 F. Use a standard tropical aquarium heater to warm up the tank, leaving it in the tank, switched off, for a few hours first, then turning it to 18 C for the first day day, 20 C the next, 22C the next, then 24 C,
and so on until you reach the required temperature. Alternatively, you can use standard Whitespot medications, though do follow the instructions carefully and remember to remove carbon during use.>
Not counting tail, her body length is approx 3 inches or so (I'm pretty bad at guessing size), so these are obviously significant on her.
<Indeed, and that's a pretty small Goldfish for 9 years, which suggests she's either generally "limited" somehow (essentially, the "runt" of her litter) or else the environment was in some way detrimental to normal growth rates, hence she remained rather smaller than she should be (essentially, stunted, though this isn't really a precise term when discussing fish biology).>
Whilst we have used antibiotics to clear up occasional bleeding from the main cyst (perhaps bumped it) or when the eye(s) cloud more than the permanent cloudy patch, or the grey edges needed clearing (the exterior 'dead' bits drop off & the cyst protrudes less;) Generally she has been happy, assertive, social & eating well.
<All good signs. So long as she's swimming and feeding, there's a good chance for recovery. Medicate, optimise environment, review past maintenance.>
Now however she appears to have swim bladder issues - avoids going to top, burps when she does, tends to stay & drag a little on the bottom. Is eating well (prawns, peas), will socialise but far less than normal, & is puffing a bit. As well, whilst it doesn't look obvious, her eyes must be cloudy etc as she can barely see & tends to find her food by scent.
I am guessing the cysts/tumours are now pressing on the swim bladder?
<Possibly, but do also read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm
Floaty, bloaty goldfish are most commonly suffering constipation.>
I am guessing also, that the news may not be good?
<See above.>
Having said that, any advice?
<Ditto.>
We have another fish in the tank (she's had the tumours way before he came along), so don't like to go too heavy handed medicating the tank. She's also not the worlds best patient & hates both the scooper & the hospital tank, so we tend to not bother separating her to a treatment tank unless we really really have to.
Cheers
Serena
<Quite so. Best to keep her with her tankmates. Cheers, Neale.>
Goldfish query /RMF       3/9/15
hi
<Serena>
Are you still doing advice pages?
<Mmm; more like proffering folks input re what I/we might do given similar circumstances; yes>
I have a 9 year old goldfish.
After struggling through a couple bad illnesses over time she recovered each time, but developed a cloudy eye (like scarring?).
<Mmmm>
I believe she also developed tumours after being ill too - maybe viral related?
<Many types are>
She developed a large cyst (?) on her midsection, which has grown to be over an inch long and almost as wide,
Consisting of lumpy bumpy mass on her exterior. Started as white and multiple-lumpy (like chewed gum), but the exterior edges of it turned grey.
A second one developed nearby - again white, waxy & lumpy. It's growing but not too fast, and is bigger than a marble.
Small one also where tail joins body but not yet growing.
Not counting tail, her body length is approx 3 inches or so (I'm pretty bad at guessing size), so these are obviously significant on her.
<Yes>
Whilst we have used antibiotics to clear up occasional bleeding from the main cyst (perhaps bumped it) or when the eye(s) cloud more than the permanent cloudy patch, or the grey edges needed clearing (the exterior 'dead' bits drop off & the cyst protrudes less;)
Generally she has been happy, assertive, social & eating well.
Now however she appears to have swim bladder issues - avoids going to top, burps when she does, tends to stay & drag a little on the bottom. Is eating well (prawns, peas), will socialise but far less than normal, & is puffing a bit.
As well, whilst it doesn't look obvious, her eyes must be cloudy etc as she can barely see & tends to find her food by scent.
I am guessing the cysts/tumours are now pressing on the swim bladder?
I am guessing also, that the news may not be good?
<Mmm, maybe>
Having said that, any advice?
<A "standard" response: the choice rests with you re keeping this fish (very likely the growths are untreatable) or destroying it (see Neale's piece on WWM, Euthanizing... The fish is probably not suffering... >
We have another fish in the tank (she's had the tumours way before he came along), so don't like to go too heavy handed medicating the tank. She's also not the worlds best patient & hates both the scooper & the hospital tank, so we tend to not bother separating her to a treatment tank unless we really really have to.
Cheers
Serena
<Thank you for sharing. Your situation; with older goldfish and such health condition is quite common.... I've seen the end of the world, and this isn't it. Bob Fenner>
Re: Goldfish query (RMF, any other ideas?)     3/11/15
thanks Neale.
<Most welcome, Serena.>
Will try the Epsom salts to see if that helps.
<Sounds like a plan.>
We did avoid feeding her few a few days which often our first action when they appear under the weather, but that only seemed to make her more listless, and since she is eating well and clearly hungry we have been feeding her again. Have been giving her prawn the last couple days as a treat for the patient (and the fact that our other fishy does not like
eating his vege's) but will put them back on peas for a few days and cut rations down again.
<Quite so. Goldfish will gladly take meaty foods, but they're not really good for them. They're omnivores, but with a strongly herbivorous requirement, much like humans. So just the same way humans like steak and fried chicken, neither are particularly important parts of the human diet when compared to green vegetables and salads. Force your Goldfish to eat more greens. It really is the key to long-term success. Don't offer meaty foods more than once a week, and minimise the use of "regular" flake foods (algae-based herbivore flake is better). Best of all, dump edible greens in the tank, such as Elodea ("pond weed"), Duckweed, floating Indian Fern, even softened human foods such as lettuce, cooked peas and slivers of
cucumber. Leave these in the tank for your Goldfish to graze, if necessary the only food for as many days as it takes to get them grazing. They will do so eventually.>
Re the other queries:
- It is a 200 litre tank
<Excellent size.>
- We don't measure water temp, but live in a warm area where it's been 30-36 degrees Celsius each day lately so I don't imagine water temp would be a key issue?
<Could be overheating. Try increasing circulation and/or adding an airstone. Optimal water temperature for Goldfish is about 18-22 C, particularly the "fancy" varieties which can be sensitive if chilled. While Goldfish can handle tropical temperatures just fine, their metabolic rate goes up, and that means they need more oxygen (and more filtration) than otherwise. Since warm water holds less oxygen than colder water, you have a problem if the water gets excessively warm. "Gasping" at the surface is a sign Goldfish are oxygen-deprived.>
- Only the 2 fish; her partner died last year (an accident on our part) and he was 8 years old. Current one is younger and smaller.
- They have each been pond-fish who were babies born into my family's pond and we have adopted them so I don't know about runt of litter or not? (we actually find the pond fish tougher than store bought tank fish).
<Agreed.>
The tank size might restrict her growth perhaps? I could also be really really bad at Maths and she may be bigger than what I said? That was only the body size not the tail included - her tail is the same length again.
<Stunting is difficult to pin down with fish. All fish grow continually through their lives, unlike mammals. However, the rate of their grown declines with age -- they grow quickly when young, but in the case of Goldfish for example after the first year their growth rate slows down dramatically. If something prevented them growing properly when young, even if moved to a perfect pond or aquarium, such Goldfish may never reach full size because their growth rate has declined so much. The idea "fish grow to the size of the tank" is a myth and a misleading one at that. Better to say that in too-small tanks some fish will die, while the hardiest may survive, but their growth rate will be slowed down and even if conditions improve will never recover. Does that make sense?>
- We change the water every 1-3 weeks, add salt each time, and the green multi-cure all medication purpose every few water changes and/or when she appears a little unwell.
<Not a huge fan of randomly adding salt and/or cure-alls. Salt is pretty harmless to Goldfish, but cure-alls are all poisons to some degree (by definition, they kill cells, albeit over the short term pathogen cells rather than healthy cells) and unlike true antibiotics aren't specific to bacteria cells (so there's nothing to stop them harming fish cells). Some of these cure-alls contain copper, formalin, and various organic dyes -- all of which are known toxins.>
- We have also used the anti-biotics as treatment too.
<A better bet, but of course specific to bacteria, and won't treat anything else. Can harm filter bacteria in some cases.>
- their regular diet is peas, with fresh prawn also. They did get zucchini but became fussier as they prefer the prawn and peas! They also have weed - the other fishy eats that but our little patient doesn't go for it.
<"Hunger makes the best appetite... feel free to "starve" your fish for 2, 3 even 4 weeks *if* you have greens in there for your Goldfish to eat.
They'll do just fine. It'd be no more dangerous than a human at a health farm being give salads and vegetable soup! Not very exciting, but certainly not starvation.>
Will try the fasting and Epsom salts.
Cheers
Serena
<Good luck. Neale.>

Killing Bob the GF; no rdg.      2/11/15
Hi, I am new to fish care. I have a pond goldfish, Bob, and have had him almost a year now. He is 5 inches long and I have him in a 5 gallon tank by himself.
<... dismal>
I changed his food from flakes to pellets two weeks ago. I have a filter system with aqua safe maintenance that I change every two weeks. I noticed yesterday that he is spending a lot of time on the bottom of the tank, just hanging out. He just started this behavior. What's up with him?
<You're killing Bob. Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
Laurie
Re: re:     2/11/15
<... why are you writing? READ>
So.. Bigger tank? And more frequent water changes? Would it be possible to return him to the pond, or would he get eaten by the bigger fish already there? How much should I actually be feeding him?
Thank you for your help.
Laurie

IS MY FISH DYING? PLEASE HELP. GF        2/8/15 Hello! Long story, so I'll try and make it as quick as possible. Before I begin,, this is my first goldfish and up until now, I've been extremely ignorant in goldfish care. <Forgive me Father, for I have sinned... I have kept a Goldfish in a bowl...> My Common Goldfish is a little over 4 years old. He lived (seemingly happily) in a 1 gallon BOWL for the first 4 years of his life. No problems (to my knowledge) until I noticed his eyes growing cloudy. <Indeed! Rather like the drunk man who tells the police officer he was driving fine until he hit the tree.> After a little research I figured he was going blind. He eyes soon started to "pop out". It looks like he has two half crystal balls as eyes. <Yikes!> He then began "curling" to one side (always the left) after each feeding. He is lethargic and can not swim to the surface any longer. I placed him in a 5.5 gallon tank (by himself, always) and began feeding him cooked, mashed peas. <Helpful, certainly 5 gallons is better than a 1 gallon bowl, but still not "ideal" or even close.> I have been treating him with powdered Erythromycin as recommended from a local aquarium store. <Possibly helpful, but as an antibiotic, it won't do much to cure physical stresses (such as lack of oxygen) or poisoning (e.g., by ammonia).> I added aquarium salt as well. <Doesn't really do much for Goldfish. Not a cure-all.> Nothing is seeming to help. His scales are NOT pine-coning. <Good.> I have included several pictures. <Quite so. Not promising.> I don't want to euthanize, I have obviously failed him and would love the chance to give him a happy, healthy life. Thank you so much, KéLee Marie =) <Would have you read, first: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm Spot-check what you're not doing. Fix those things. Short term, optimise water quality. Probably daily water changes until the aquarium size is much increased. Do a nitrite test. Check the filter is working. This fish isn't sick from some random disease, but chronically stressed from its environment... the sad fate of most Goldies kept in bowls and tanks below the 20 gallon mark. Write back if you have specific queries, but READ FIRST and REFLECT on what you learn. Good luck, Neale.> Re: IS MY FISH DYING? PLEASE HELP. GF...         2/9/15 I thank you immensely for your time and expertise! <Most welcome.> I learned a lot from the link you provided....wow..I really had it all wrong. I feel terrible. <We all make mistakes. What matters is learning from them.> One question I did still have is what exactly is your opinion on his issue? I'm desperately trying to figure out his illness so I can begin proper treatment (i.e. medicines) if required. <I can't see any obvious disease here. The fish doesn't look bloated. Lethargy, lack of normal responses, weakness, rolling over and not being able to swim properly all typically indicate a fish that is severely stressed. They can recover from such things. But it's about improving their environment.> I'm most concerned about his eyes. Is it dropsy possibly? From research, the curled up position he's in has led me to believe it is swim bladder problems due to me unknowingly stunting the growth of his body whilst his internal organs continued to grow. <This is often reported but there's little/no science behind it. Stunting isn't a good thing for sure, but it doesn't deform the swim bladder. It's not like the insides keep growing while the outsides stop growing, as is often said on tropical fish forums. Stunting is an overall thing, and actually quite "normal" for Carps of all sorts when introduced to habitats that aren't particularly good. It lets them survive, even at the costs of things like reduced fertility or reduced ability to escape predators. Goldfish are commonly stunted in aquaria -- they're really pond fish -- but if all else is favourable, they can still have long, happy lives. So, focus on optimising living conditions. Big tank (20 gallons is really the absolute minimum for Goldfish, and 25-30 gallons infinitely better. Regular water changes are important too (especially if the tank is smaller than 20 gallons, in which case even daily water changes wouldn't be out of order -- though don't forget to keep temperature steady, don't add dramatically colder water, and use a good dechlorinator each time). Check the water quality using a nitrite or ammonia test kit, and improve/increase filtration as necessary.> Any thoughts would be appreciated and again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for replying is such great detail (it was kind of funny too). Thanks SO much. KéLee Marie =] <Glad to help. Neale.>

Re: IS MY FISH DYING? PLEASE HELP.       2/10/15 YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!!! <Modesty forbids...> Really, thanks from the bottom of my heart, I'm feeling optimistic about saving Goldie now =) I'm following all the steps set forth in the link..crossing fingers. You are appreciated!!!! <Good luck with your future fishkeeping. Cheers, Neale.>