White ryukin sore with black margins

[Cybergypsy]

Have fantails in well balanced outdoor pond in Maryland; my white ryukin got sore at the base of her/his tail that was white with red margins; treated with pimafix and melafix for 7 days. The fish seems OK but saw sore place today and sore seems smaller but has black around it. No other fish seem affected and have thriving hatchlings and bigger babies, as well as small green frogs. What does the black around the sore mean?

 

[Sharpchick]

A photo would help.

Is there anything in the pond - like a jagged rock sticking out into the water - that the ryukin could have caught his tail on to make an injury? How big is the pond? How many fish? Is this a female who might have been injured by a male during spawning?

When you say "well-balanced," what are the results of water chemistry tests?

It's hard to answer your question without more information.

 

[Cybergypsy]

Things have changed slightly because of so much rain, but here are today's values. According to test strips:

Nitrates 0 Safe Range
Nitrites 0 Safe Range
H2O Hardness 75 (Soft)
Total Alkalinity 80 (Moderate)
pH Level 7.0 (Between Acceptable and Ideal)

I do have flat rocks propped at an angle on their sides like tunnels to give the fish more places to hide, but all edges are very smooth and rounded. They do go behind them. We have a hawk that tries to raid the pond occasionally, as well as a heron, so they do need lots of shelter. I have 2 waterfalls for better oxygenation, and a 33" deep hole below that where they love to hang out. I would think if they were sick, they would hang out near the top either lethargically or gasping for air, which isn't happening. I keep a screen over one corner of the pond where a big water lily is to give them sanctuary from predators.

I do wonder about it being a spawning injury because Fearless Leader was really being bumped by another fish before I noticed the sore. I had thought Fearless was a male until then. However, some of the small and not so small fry look just like him/her, so I am unsure of sex. But rough bumping was going on in the time before spawning.

The fish seem fine; they've slowed a bit, but in 100 degree ++ weather, everything slows down. Are eating summer pellet food supplemented by fresh, organic cucumber and corn from my garden. As for population; I have 3 4" ryukins (2 calico, 1 white ryukin). Then, I have 5 2" fantails - 2 calico, one orange red, and one blue calicos and 1 black/bronze one. In the baby department; probably 7 youngsters 1" or so. My pond is about 1300 gallons with 2 water lilies, a large parrot feather, water irises, blue pickerel rush, umbrella plant, and corkscrew rush. I have both mechanical filter and separate biologiacal filters. I also have 4 little green frogs. It is really my love, so I take very good care of it.

I read that the black could be where the fish is healing. I hope so. Do you have any ideas? Fearless hides uner water lily when I try to photograph her boo boo, but I'll try to get a picture..

 

[Sharpchick]

If it's ammonia burns, then yes, the black can be a sign of healing.

You didn't post your ammonia reading. Has the ammonia been high?

 

[jlk]

+1

Your ammonia levels will help as well but your pond seems well established and theres lots of plants and filtration so I suspect your ammonia is at zero, too. Did you treat this fish separately or did you add melafix to the pond? Melafix is a useless product and the black on the wound may be burns from this. If you added it to the pond, have you removed it since using it? A pic would really help to see what is going on here!

 

[Cybergypsy]

Sorry to be so long - found 2 birds needing attention...then took water sample in to be tested to make sure my readings were correct. The values were even better there. My actual ammonia level reading is 0. Sorry I forgot to include it. More and more I am beginning to think it was an injury as opposed to illness. Fearless went from magnificent and perfect to that big sore overnight. Being white and my favorite fish, I would have noticed it if that spot had been brewing. He is the easiest to see, so he/she is the one I always check for any ragged fins, sores, dots, etc. Fearless is the self proclaimed leader of the pack. All the others seem very healthy, although with the calicos it is hard to tell, and Fearless is back in front again instead of under the waterlily. The black around the injury does still worry me some though. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

[Cybergypsy]

+1

Your ammonia levels will help as well but your pond seems well established and theres lots of plants and filtration so I suspect your ammonia is at zero, too. Did you treat this fish separately or did you add melafix to the pond? Melafix is a useless product and the black on the wound may be burns from this. If you added it to the pond, have you removed it since using it? A pic would really help to see what is going on here!

I was going to do a partial water change today but haven't yet. I'm a little afraid to mess with it too much. So many people told me melafix and pimafix, and yes, I did treat the pond with it. So do a water change? 1/4 of water? I'm trying to get a picture but he guards that side very well.

 

[Cybergypsy]

Just wanted to get back to the people kind enough to help me....it turns out that my 3 year old white ryukin has developed some color, more precisely, he has an orange spot with black margins around it. Perhaps the food had color enhancers in it. I feel silly that I thought it was a sore, but I am so glad he is okay. You just never know what it is going to be with fish! Has anyone else experienced color changes in their fish after several years?

 

[jlk]

Just wanted to get back to the people kind enough to help me....it turns out that my 3 year old white ryukin has developed some color, more precisely, he has an orange spot with black margins around it. Perhaps the food had color enhancers in it. I feel silly that I thought it was a sore, but I am so glad he is okay. You just never know what it is going to be with fish! Has anyone else experienced color changes in their fish after several years?

Color change (in the majority of situations, not all though!) in goldfish is pretty normal! Most goldfish colors are not static and color morphing is an ongoing process throughout their lives.

 

[Sharpchick]

There's a very good article about understanding color in goldfish, here.

I found it when I was researching if the gel food I'm feeding my pond goldfish could change the white color in my male calico ryukin.

 

[Cybergypsy]

Thanks! That is a really informative article. Some of the things I have noticed in my young goldfish make alot more sense after reading the article. I appreciate your sharing it with me. My fish are all flourishing, as well as my green frogs, birds and plants. I hope yours are too.