Anyone able to diagnose my Goldfish?
- Thread starter Mcor
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jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hi! Can you please provide some more info so we can help? Tank size? Stocking? Water parameters (amm, nitrite, nitrate, ph)? Water change schedule (%/#wk)? Di this appear overnight or has it been been slowly growing? Is this fish or any other fish new (past few mths) and was not qt'd? Thanks!
He's a new fish, just got the tank almost 2 weeks ago and moved him in last week. It's a 28l tank, tested water this morning (ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates <50 -don't know exact level as shop tested my water for me). Did 30% water change yesterday morning and did two smaller changes last week. Didn't notice the spot until this evening, however he has been clamped and lethargic since Sunday. Thanks in advance!
jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Please invest in a good liquid test kit such as the API fw master test kit. I suspect there are some water qualit issues that you are unaware of because of your fishs behavior/fin clamping and because a tank would not have cycled yet at only 2wks. You really need to know exactly what your water parameters are, especially with a goldie in a 7g tank. I am not sure how big he is right now but he needs an upgrade sooner rather than later.
Ok, the bump is too large to be ich. What it looks like to me is a fish louse. The tank will need to be treated but I am not sure what country your in to make med recommendations.
Ok, the bump is too large to be ich. What it looks like to me is a fish louse. The tank will need to be treated but I am not sure what country your in to make med recommendations.
Thanks for your response! The shop used the API master test on my sample. I will get them to test again tomorrow and have ordered the kit on amazon - cheaper than in store. (I'm in UK). I suspected it didn't look or sound like Ich. He's only a little fellow, maybe 2 inches from nose to tail fin tip. Any suggestions for helping him out would be excellent.
As a side note, I was rather shocked at the test results this morning. I thought we were in an ammonia spike or something - there was a high ammonia reading last week. However, I did use a large piece of wood and plants from an established tank. Would this have somehow sped up the cycling process if I have indeed cycled already?
As a side note, I was rather shocked at the test results this morning. I thought we were in an ammonia spike or something - there was a high ammonia reading last week. However, I did use a large piece of wood and plants from an established tank. Would this have somehow sped up the cycling process if I have indeed cycled already?
jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes, using plants/decor from a cycled tank would have helped! Ok, Im going to have to do a bit of looking for whats available to you & Ill get back to you. I would check with your lfs or online to see if they carry any of these products: Cyropro, Dimilin or Clout. Cyropro is the least toxic by far.
jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hmm....learn something new everyday! You apparently have a product called 'Lice-Solve' available to you. I dont believe you need a script to purchase it. Its active ingredient is emamectin which is an insecticide although not in the same classes as Dimilin, Clout or Cyropro. It appears be very safe and is widely used for commercial fish farms (salmon). Wish this was something available in the US (need a script)! Heres a link to the website in your coutry that sells it: Fish Treatment Ltd – Specialist Fish medicines Solupraz, Fluke-solve, Lice-solve and Chanaverm
I've got a better photo. I don't think it's lice. First off, it is white, not green or brownish. Seems more a collection of tiny white spots in a clump than anything. Anyone able to shed some light? Water test again came back perfect. No ammonia, no nitrites, some nitrates and good Ph.
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jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Keep us posted! If you use the Licesolve product, I would like to know how it works for you! Good luck!!!
You have been so very helpful! Thanks so much! I have one further question/dilemma. I got some medicine (unfortunately couldn't get hold of the one you suggested) and it requires me to remove the carbon from my filter. My filter has the carbon impregnated black sponge. I assume I must remove this as per instructions, but my question is, do I need to put anything in there as a temporary replacement, or run the filter minus the sponge? Also, how will I keep the bacteria alive on the sponge if I have to remove it for several days? Won't this completely undo all the good work we've just done!? If you can help me with this I'd be eternally grateful!
jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Is the carbon mixed throughout the sponge or is it inside a pouch that you can cut open & dump it out? Is there a plastic back or plastic insert? What type of med did you get? It needs to be an insecticide base or it will not help here.
Mcor said:
I don't know exactly what type of filter your referring to. My filters are white sponges with carbon inside, I cut a hole in it and remove as much of the carbon inside as I can then put the sponge back in, if I need too.
Ok, I don't think they advised me correctly at the fish shop. I now have a lovely bottle of white spot & parasite treatment which I doubt will do anything for the lice. So, I've taken your advice further and ordered the lice-solve. Hoping that comes sooner as opposed to later as my poor fish is beginning to list and wasn't interested in food today. If he dies then ill still need to treat the tank to prevent infecting any replacement. Thanks for your advice on the matter. With regards to my filter - the sponge is impregnated with the carbon so the whole thing has to come out. Lets hope the lice-clear doesn't require that to be removed!
jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Do a water change now & again in a few hours. Make sure you temperature match & properly condition all new water. Feed him some cooked, mashed deshelled peas if he is interested.
He's passed away. I got him on Friday so less than a week. I'll never be going back to that particular fish shop, I'll tell you that for certain. I went there asking for help this morning and was met with an aggressive, confrontational man who insisted the problem was my water quality (nope! Somehow I successfully cycled my tank in under a fortnight). The lice came from his shop and I dare not imagine how all those other poor fish in that tank are doing now! Any way, here is my final question: considering the lice were tiny - it was only through me attempting to get some good macro photos of my fish that I even saw something to begin with, do you think the infection was still contained on the fish? As in, the lice were not adult yet so no eggs/mating etc occured? Or do I treat the tank with the lice-solve any way and then buy my replacement?
jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
I am so sorry 
Your options are to either treat the tank or remove everything & sterilize. I wouldnt personally risk the possibilty that there may be eggs or lice that fell off before you noticed. Please ask if you need help!
Your options are to either treat the tank or remove everything & sterilize. I wouldnt personally risk the possibilty that there may be eggs or lice that fell off before you noticed. Please ask if you need help!
Thank you for your help! I'll treat the tank, as I have live plants and wood and everything in balance so I won't disrupt it by sterilising. Hopefully I'll have nipped in all in the bud now. I had to order the lice-solve online as it wasn't in my local pet shops. I'll treat the tank as soon as it arrives and then hopefully add a new inhabitant. Thanks, and maybe one day I shall be of some help to you in return!
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