i think hes part goldfish?

[lomeli562]

I have this fish I have no idea what he is I've had him for about a year and he's always had these ulcers on him he swim in one spot most of the time he seems a little off but I think its normal for how he is can someone help me figure it out?

 

[pip walters]

That is a golden barb Barbodes semifasciolatus The fish has small barbules on its mouth, which goldfish don't posess. He looks loke a very old fish, or maybe a little deformed. As long as he is healthy and your water is good quality, then he should be fine, although they are really a shoaling fish, so he may be better with a few more of the same.

 

[Delapool]

Hi Pip, welcome - haven't heard you for a bit. What would you suggest for fish ulcers? Even in general? On the research I did it seemed goldfish commonly got them ( or there were more products for goldfish !).

 

[pip walters]

Hi Pip, welcome - haven't heard you for a bit. What would you suggest for fish ulcers? Even in general? On the research I did it seemed goldfish commonly got them ( or there were more products for goldfish !).

Hi delapool. I haven't been on for a while - got a little tired of tit-for-taty arguments with certain posters.

Ulcers can be difficult to treat and are often best dealt with with antibiotics, but I did have some success a couple of times with some very deep ulcers on some broodstock shubunkins. I removed them from the water (I actually anaesthetised them as I did when spawning) and dried the area with paper towel. Then I rubbed in some iodine based disinfectant that we used at work, dabbed it dry, then 'sealed' with vaseline. A week later, you wouldn't have thought there had been any problem - and, as I say, the ulcers were pretty severe!

There are some products on the market that treat internal bacterial problems and these can sometimes work.

Ulcers often heal well as long as water quality is first class and the fish get a good balanced diet with plenty of vitamin C, which is vital for a healthy immune system. I once saw a goldfish which had virtually half of one side of the body eaten away by an ulcerative lesion. That fish should have 'drowned' and died of kidney failure, but amazingly, it healed completely!

 

[Delapool]

Many thanks for the information - I got a funny look when I got asked what book I I wanted for Xmas and said one on fish diseases with big pictures would be useful... Must get out more

Fish are so expensive over here (well I find) that I don't want 'off' ones.

 

[Roz]

The book you were after for Christmas sounds really useful!! I would love to have something like that