Black Moor with fungus above his mouth? (HELP!)

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twistedauthor

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 29, 2013
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14
Location
New Jersey
Hello, I recently moved into college, and I brought my black moor with me. A few days after the move, I noticed some weird fungus growing on his upper lip and nose. I do have medicine *the Stuff that gets rid of ick* and it went away for a bit but now it's back full force. I moved in last Tuesday, and my mom is bringing down his tank Saturday. *right now he is in a small transportation tank that's 1.5 gallons, compared to his usual 10 gallon.* I am really really worried because this fish was a gift from my best friend and I've had him for a few months now. The whiteness on his upper lip looks to be very puffy, and stringy almost *it looks like the skin is peeling away* he was doing ok, but then I changed the water like my friend said and now he's back to having his whole lip swollen with white puffy stuff. I have photos if I'm not being too clear. I apologize, I am just very concerned. I know the move might have stressed him out but can anyone tell me what's going on? The tank coming on saturday will have all his filters and everything. Please help me. And thank you
 

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Do you have a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph? What do these read for where he is now? The tap water of where you came from? The tap water of where you are now?

A moor in a 1g bowl is very bad news. He has severe ammonia burns based on the pic and likely is suffering from improper acclimation to the new water at your school. He needs LOTS of healthy water (as in 20-30g) and wcs daily in order to recover. The damage to his eyes,however, will likely be permanent.
 
I do not have a liquid test kit, and I used the water from water bottles for the second change because I knew the water here was bad...he will be out of the 1g soon...please I can't do anything for him...I have something that makes tap water clean but I dont know if that would work...and what is WCS? I go to school up in the mountains...theres not much I can do without a car and the nearest town 30 min away....is there any way I can help him? :(
 
Do you have a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph? What do these read for where he is now? The tap water of where you came from? The tap water of where you are now?

A moor in a 1g bowl is very bad news. He has severe ammonia burns based on the pic and likely is suffering from improper acclimation to the new water at your school. He needs LOTS of healthy water (as in 20-30g) and wcs daily in order to recover. The damage to his eyes,however, will likely be permanent.

Thank you so much for telling me whats wrong with him. My mom will be bringing his tank down tomorrow, along with API Quick Start Water Conditioner for Aquariums, Mardel Maracyn-Two Powder Packets Water Treament (Freshwater), 24ct, and PondCare Melafix Antibacterial Fish Remedy. Do you think that would be good? I'm willing to spend the money to save my baby. He's basically my only friend here...I don't want to lose him.
 
No meds. He just needs lots and lots of healthy water right now. If his condition does not improve with constant wcs (water changes), then we can consider other options once his tank conditions are stable.
 
No meds. He just needs lots and lots of healthy water right now. If his condition does not improve with constant wcs (water changes), then we can consider other options once his tank conditions are stable.

ok, thank you again so much. ^^ Should I still get the API water conditioner? also, I will let you know his condition when his tank comes in tomorrow.
 
You will need some type of water conditioner. I would suggest Prime or Amquel Plus if you do not have one already. Either of these will help to detox ammonia, nitrite and nitrate but Prime is more concentrated thus lasts longer. Please ask if you have any questions!
 
You will need some type of water conditioner. I would suggest Prime or Amquel Plus if you do not have one already. Either of these will help to detox ammonia, nitrite and nitrate but Prime is more concentrated thus lasts longer. Please ask if you have any questions!

Well I do have one question. I am really worried about my fish, and I just came back from class and now his mouth is a bit worse *shown in pic* what should I do until the tank comes tomorrow? Also...will he die? it'll break my heart if he does, but if it is going to happen I would probably need a heads up.
 

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Is he swimming? Interested in food? Aware of your presence? These are big indicators of how he feels. The only thing you can do right now is do water changes if you have some more bottled spring water until you are able to get the rest of your things tomorrow.
 
Is he swimming? Interested in food? Aware of your presence? These are big indicators of how he feels. The only thing you can do right now is do water changes if you have some more bottled spring water until you are able to get the rest of your things tomorrow.

He is swimming around like he normally does, and does eat as much as he did before he was sick. He does notice when I'm back in the room because he usually swims to the side where my chair is located, and he tends to be alot more energetic while I'm around. (more than usual) also when I go to check on him, (like taking the photos to see his progress) he is very cooperative, like he knows I'm trying to help. And I have alot of bottled water so I probably will change the water.
 
Update! Cthulu is in his normal tank and is super excited to be home *seriously, he's like a dog smelling everything* his condition isn't any better though, so I'll check again tomorrow since it's really late. But I have a photo!
 

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Is he In cold water? Goldfish like cold water and very very large tanks. Most goldfish need ponds and not aquariums. But like everyone said get the water quality up and temperature down
 
Is he In cold water? Goldfish like cold water and very very large tanks. Most goldfish need ponds and not aquariums. But like everyone said get the water quality up and temperature down

He is in cold water, and is doing a bit better than he was before. I think it's because he has more room now to swim around. But I think he might be blind in one eye, because he keeps knocking into everything. :(
 
If he is blind, he will eventually learn what his environment is like and where things are. I would not move or add anything he can bump into, as it will confuse him.

These fish can live for decades under the right conditions, and grow to a pretty impressive size, by which time a pond will be essential, or else an enormous tank. I understand he is a gift, and you care for him, but you'll have to plan for his future at some point. I had one very like him when I was in high school, but he outgrew his 5G tank in almost no time, and I was fortunate some friends of my Dad had a huge pond where he could live happily with other goldfish.

I sincerely hope the lip heals.. it looks like a fungal infection from the pics.. which may have been secondary to a wound. He could have banged into something during transport quite easily, and both bacteria and fungal spores are in water everywhere, and in air. So they take advantage of any opportunity to invade. Often you will hear them referred to as opportunistic infections.

Since he is eating, reacting to you and lively enough I don't think he is anywhere near death. They are tough fish, but not invulnerable by any means. Clean water, good food, clean water.. the most important thing. A test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate is important, and you need to get those, so you can monitor his water conditions.

The dechlorinator, whichever one you use, should say it will remove both chlorine and chloramines from water. If it is municipal [ city] water, it may have both in it, and both must be removed to avoid harm to the fish. Ammonia is the single worst thing for fish, it can kill in a short time if allowed to accumulate, nitrite is the next most toxic, nitrate the least toxic and it is removed via a WC - water change. WCS - water changes.
 
If he is blind, he will eventually learn what his environment is like and where things are. I would not move or add anything he can bump into, as it will confuse him.

These fish can live for decades under the right conditions, and grow to a pretty impressive size, by which time a pond will be essential, or else an enormous tank. I understand he is a gift, and you care for him, but you'll have to plan for his future at some point. I had one very like him when I was in high school, but he outgrew his 5G tank in almost no time, and I was fortunate some friends of my Dad had a huge pond where he could live happily with other goldfish.

I sincerely hope the lip heals.. it looks like a fungal infection from the pics.. which may have been secondary to a wound. He could have banged into something during transport quite easily, and both bacteria and fungal spores are in water everywhere, and in air. So they take advantage of any opportunity to invade. Often you will hear them referred to as opportunistic infections.

Since he is eating, reacting to you and lively enough I don't think he is anywhere near death. They are tough fish, but not invulnerable by any means. Clean water, good food, clean water.. the most important thing. A test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate is important, and you need to get those, so you can monitor his water conditions.

The dechlorinator, whichever one you use, should say it will remove both chlorine and chloramines from water. If it is municipal [ city] water, it may have both in it, and both must be removed to avoid harm to the fish. Ammonia is the single worst thing for fish, it can kill in a short time if allowed to accumulate, nitrite is the next most toxic, nitrate the least toxic and it is removed via a WC - water change. WCS - water changes.


I understand what you are trying to say about him needing a bigger tank. He isn't that big yet, so the 10g is still comfortable for him. I know what it's like to move tanks, I helped my friend move his Parana from a 10g tank to a 20g because he was just becoming too big. So I understand that one day he will need to get either a bigger tank or a pond.
And I got the Prime Seachem, which states that it removes chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia from the water, as well as detoxifies nitrite and nitrate. It also provides a slime coat. And I'm not really in a city, I am in a college that is far from city life, (there are farms everywhere) and is right on a lake. I will try to get the testing kit as soon as possible, though the only way for me to get it at the moment is from amazon since there is no towns nearby with a pet store (The nearest one I believe is 30 minutes). But I will definitely keep changing his water and giving him food. He's actually doing a lot better. I think he's only blind in one eye, because he is able to maneuver around his tank very well, but if he turns to his side he doesn't really know where he is. Also. I know I was speaking to someone about it before, but if his condition does not get better soon, what should I do?
 
Yes fish fur is correct, they will need ponds or massive tanks. If his condition does not improve try some prima and mela fix. I forget which one is for fungus but get the one that says treats fungus. It healed columiaris from my pearl gourami so yes it works nicely. For now change the water very very often since it's way overstocked and add aquarium salt. You should heavily consider re homing him unless you can provide him with proper quarters in the future. Right now he should be in at least a 55 gallon. Goldfish are very very messy fishes and they need excellent filtration and large tanks, so that's why I say it's overstocked in case you were wonderin'. I know I sound heartless here and sorry but I truly hope he heals and comes out nice, healthy and happy!
 
You can try salt for the fungus before you spend the money on the other items mentioned. Salt is the oldest remedy fish keepers have, but it is still a very useful one, both for aiding to heal wounds and sometimes for fungal problems that are secondary to the wounds.

It is best not to use table salt, as the additives may not be so good for fish, though I've read arguments that make sense that say it is fine too. But most recommend fresh water aquarium salt, or Kosher salt, pickling salt or even sea salt. You add salt to water you plan to add as part of the water change, making sure it is dissolved totally first. No crystals lying on the bottom.

Approximately 5 grams per litre of water. 5 grams is about a level teaspoon, and there are about four litres in a US gallon. It need not be precise at this dosage. Much higher dosage is used to treat things like Ich parasites, and then you do want to be pretty careful with dose.

It may very well clear things up in just a few days. Fish are often remarkably resilient.

And the warnings we all are saying are just because we know how fast these fish can grow. We also know how attached you can get, to any pet, wet or dry, it doesn't matter. If you care for him well, the sad fact is he is capable of outgrowing that tank before you get finish your second year.

If you are near a lake, chances are the water is pretty hard and alkaline and that's fine for a goldfish. Testing will tell you for sure, but that seems likely. What state is your college located in ?
 
Yeah getting rid of a fish isn't easy and it's never fun to hear that you have to get rid of it too. I don't suggest releasing him into waters but taking him to a petstore may not be any better because of the risk of him going to a home no larger than what you already have. So hm yeah I guess a lake is ok or pond but you must test the water, see its temperature and if you can find out if the owner or if it's just a remote lake it there's anything in it. Bass and large catfish can pose big threats too. Some catfish I've seen in lakes down here in Texas are huge, they could swallow a full grown koi if they felt like it. But I'm sure if its a lake on a college campus it most likely will not have anything in it so it should be just fine, if infact you must resort to that.
 
I don't suggest releasing it into native waters either. Though now I reread my post I can see how it might look like that is what I meant. I was referring to an earlier question about the kind of tap water available.

In fact it is quite illegal to release aquarium fish into any native water body, be in the US or Canada. Lake Tahoe is really suffering now thanks to gigantic goldfish, that are totally changing its ecosystem. They were, very probably, put there by aquarists who were either too lazy to bother or too stupid to know how, to do the right thing. A pond is fine, if the owner agrees. Not the lake.
 
Yes I meant also go check with the owner in my last post. Although I'm sure they'll let you. And although I said lake It's a college lake/pond thing whatever you call it but I did not mean for it to be taken to a real live no kidding middle of nowhere lake. I know that snakeheads are taking over because of illegal releasing and also pacu and oscars. Just check with it's owner and make sure you have their consent and then it should be fine.
 
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