Help! Sick goldfish

[thegrandpoohbah]

My little white and red ryukin (or maybe it's a fantail) is hiding at the top corner of the tank with the tail fin all clamped and there are lots of red streaks in it. Is this finrot and what should I treat it with? Also, should I remove the other healthy goldfish to a 10G or just treat them both?

[Katalyst]

My little white and red ryukin (or maybe it's a fantail) is hiding at the top corner of the tank with the tail fin all clamped and there are lots of red streaks in it. Is this finrot and what should I treat it with? Also, should I remove the other healthy goldfish to a 10G or just treat them both?

What are your water params? I'd check those out first. Ammonia spikes can cause fin clamping/hiding. And nitrite poisoning can cause the streaking in the tail. I'd do a very large water change.

What size tank are they in? What type of filtration (gph) are you using?

[thegrandpoohbah]

Tank size: 29G
Filtration: Aqua-Tech 30-60 HOB (should be around 300 GPH)
pH: 7.6
Temp: 76F (unheated tank)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10 mg/L

Should I do a waterchange and treat with Melafix?

[Katalyst]

Tank size: 29G
Filtration: Aqua-Tech 30-60 HOB (should be around 300 GPH)
pH: 7.6
Temp: 76F (unheated tank)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10 mg/L

Should I do a waterchange and treat with Melafix?

Tank params sound perfect. You've had them 2 weeks now right? Hmmmm I'd watch for the colour and consistancy of their poop.

I'd do 50% water change and add salt 1 teaspoon per gallon. I'd hold off on the melafix, I find goldies don't always take to it very well and you don't want to stress an already stressed out fish even more.

[thegrandpoohbah]

So a 50% waterchange and then add 29 teaspoons of aquarium salt? That sounds like a lot!

[Katalyst]

So a 50% waterchange and then add 29 teaspoons of aquarium salt? That sounds like a lot!

Yep a 50% water change you can even do 70%. 29 teaspoons isn't a lot. It will take you to 0.1% salinity solution. When treating goldfish for parasites, or nitrite poisioning the reccomended dosage from goldfish vets, breeders across the board is 0.3.% percent. Which is acheived by adding 1 teaspoon per gallon 3 times over a period of 72 hours. If you feel more comfortable you can do 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons as a tonic. I prefer salt before meds 9 out of 10 times it rectifies the problem as well as waterchanges.

http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/articles_results.php?article_id=41&category=13&search_term=salt

[Melody]

Doesn't look like its Nitrite poisoning. The bloodstreaks indicate Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia, which if I'm recalling correctly, is reasonably common in Goldfish. Since its bacterial and internal, an antibiotic would probably be the only course of action. And we all know what I think of antibiotics and their lack of impact.

It is a slow killer and contagious, so isolate the fish if you haven't already done so.

That's only my opinion of course. :smile: Give it a Google and see if it looks right.

[Katalyst]

Doesn't look like its Nitrite poisoning. The bloodstreaks indicate Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia, which if I'm recalling correctly, is reasonably common in Goldfish. Since its bacterial and internal, an antibiotic would probably be the only course of action. And we all know what I think of antibiotics and their lack of impact.

It is a slow killer and contagious, so isolate the fish if you haven't already done so.

That's only my opinion of course. :smile: Give it a Google and see if it looks right. It can be either or, I haven't had a lot of luck with antibiotics treating septcemia other then medi gold medicated food. Antibiotics more often then not kill the cycle putting the fish in a even more weakened state. I wouldn't rule out nitrite poisioning since we have no idea what conditions the fish were living in and for how long. But that's just my 2 cents.

[Melody]

I've yet to see antibiotics cure anything, and would go so far as to say that when it looks like they do, its a coincidence. If you can get it ingested it could do the trick, but I think the water treatments are all but useless. I'm with you on that one all the way!

The reason I don't think its Nitrite poisoning, other than the present conditions, is because the fish should have showed signs of it from the beginning to an experienced eye. Certainly the conditions could have been bad before and a secondary infection has been brewing though. Just my best guess, one never knows.

Either way, the bacterial infection is now present so you can decide if you want to treat it or not. Salt and a big waterchange never hurts, in my opinion. :yes:

[thegrandpoohbah]

Well I did the big water change and added salt. I used all that I had but it wasn't quite enough (about 20 teaspoons) so hopefully it's better than nothing. Then I read Melody's post and got scared so I am now moving the healthy one into the 10G. We'll see I guess...

[Melody]

There's lots on the net about it so now that you've done what you can for tonight, have a read. I can't remember where I read that Goldfish are prone to it, so if you find information regarding that, I'd like to hear about it. I could be way out in left field... sometimes I think I live in left field :laugh: .

Whatever the problem, I'm sorry to hear that its happening & I hope he gets better very soon. I know how you fret over your creatures so I'm sure you're driving yourself nuts. Try not to. :smile:

[Katalyst]

What I completely forgot to ask you last night was what color your goldies tail? Fish with white tails can have red streaking without it meaning a thing. Which is even more confusing. Obviously if the fish is hiding and has clamped fins, something is wrong. Any idea what colour its poop is?

[thegrandpoohbah]

It has a white tail but it is very clamped. No idea what colour the poo is.

[Katalyst]

Any change today? Is the fish still eating?

[ChrissyFishy]

Oh shes so pretty thats too bad. If you have had fish for a long time you can probably tell the colour from the streaks because the streaks will look like blood kind of in their tail. My friends guppy had that and it sounded the same. If its nitrites their gills should be brown and they will have trouble breathing. They get tired easy so they aren't as active as a healthy fish. She should have been like that when you got her because that is the first damage you see and it would be done by then. You might not see the septicema at first because it could take time to show up.:no:

[thegrandpoohbah]

No change. The white one is still lethargic and didn't eat at all. The red one has been moved to a 10G and looks fine so far.

[Katalyst]

No change. The white one is still lethargic and didn't eat at all. The red one has been moved to a 10G and looks fine so far.

If you want to go the antibiotic route you can try either Maracyn 1 or 2. I prefer Maracyn 2 as it seems to be much more gentle on the fish and the cycle. M2 is also reccomended for the treatment of septecemia. With white fish its hard to determine if in fact it is septecemia or not but Maracyn is a broad spectrum antibiotic and will treat a number of ailments.

[thegrandpoohbah]

Looks like a losing battle. The fish is now at the surface behind the filter, barely moving. I doubt I'll bother with antibiotics at this point.

[thegrandpoohbah]

Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia - 1

thegrandpoohbah - 0

:mad:

[Katalyst]

Awww I'm sorry to hear the news. Its hard with goldies, they pack so many of them together during shipping. So if one has something they are all exposed to it. Sounds like the little guy had a great home, at least he spent his final time in a good home. Keep your eye on the other little one. Wish I could have been more help. :(

[CACAdmin]

Sorry to hear the bad news. Keep in mind, you did what you could. How's the other one doing?

[ChrissyFishy]

:( Thats so sad.

[Melody]

Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia - 1

thegrandpoohbah - 0

:mad:

That's a shame, poor thing. I hope that's the last you see of it. :hugs: