Goldfish has spots on its body

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bpch2o

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 22, 2017
Messages
11
Hello everyone,

I have a goldfish that lives in a 50-gallon tank with two koi fish and two other goldfish. I noticed lately he has developed round spots on his body that appears to look like tumors. At first, I thought it was Dropsy disease but it does not appear so since he is not bloated. All is normal otherwise, he does not display abnormal behavior symptoms--he is eating normal and has a lot of energy to swim around.

I treated the entire tank with Tetra Lifeguard All-In-One Freshwater Aquarium Treatment using the recommended dosage and treated the tank for 5 days, added some aquarium salt, and Melafix. I decided to treat the whole tank because I was worried the whole tank might be infected. He does not appear to be healing.

I attached a couple of photos to this post. Apologies for the poor quality, the lighting on my camera was not good and the fish was moving around.

If anyone could provide more information, it would be much appreciated.
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Hello bp...

Tank problems are basically water problems. There's more water associated with a tank than anything else, so all you need to do to keep the tank healthy is to remove and replace the water. Goldfish tanks are different than standard tropical tanks, the fish are larger and produce more waste. You should be removing and replacing at least 75 percent of the water every week. If you don't the fishes' immune system doesn't do it's job and the fish can be infected. Salt is a good additive. A heaping teaspoon in every 5 gallons of new, treated tap water is enough to discourage the growth of a pathogen or parasite. Neither will tolerate the salt or pure water conditions. Add some organic minced garlic to the menu. it's high in nutrients.

Keep the medications and other additives like this out of the tank water. They'll do more harm than good, because you don't know how the fish will react. Keep the water free of dissolved fish wastes and you'll have no tank problems.

B
 
Very well side B, always test your water first thing before guessing anything. The test will answer the problems of fish 9 out of 10 times.
 
That looks like "Lymphocystis" a non lethal viral growth; much like a cold sore. There is no med treatment for the virus, but it often goes away on its own, with improved water conditions
and diet.
Consider following BB's noted water management suggestion. It will work for you.
 
Hello bp...

Tank problems are basically water problems. There's more water associated with a tank than anything else, so all you need to do to keep the tank healthy is to remove and replace the water. Goldfish tanks are different than standard tropical tanks, the fish are larger and produce more waste. You should be removing and replacing at least 75 percent of the water every week. If you don't the fishes' immune system doesn't do it's job and the fish can be infected. Salt is a good additive. A heaping teaspoon in every 5 gallons of new, treated tap water is enough to discourage the growth of a pathogen or parasite. Neither will tolerate the salt or pure water conditions. Add some organic minced garlic to the menu. it's high in nutrients.

Keep the medications and other additives like this out of the tank water. They'll do more harm than good, because you don't know how the fish will react. Keep the water free of dissolved fish wastes and you'll have no tank problems.

B

Thank you BBradbury and everyone else for your input. I stopped by a local aquarium shop and they suggested to maintain water quality, as well. I have since changed the water and adjusted it accordingly to make a comfortable environment for the fishes. I use Seachem Prime and pH regulator, do you have suggestions of products to maintain good water quality?
 
Thank you BBradbury and everyone else for your input. I stopped by a local aquarium shop and they suggested to maintain water quality, as well. I have since changed the water and adjusted it accordingly to make a comfortable environment for the fishes. I use Seachem Prime and pH regulator, do you have suggestions of products to maintain good water quality?
Ditch the pH regulator and just use prime to treat the water during changes. The pH of the water coming straight out the tap is just fine 99% of the time. Changing water, limiting excessive feeding, sufficient filtration, and reasonable stocking levels are the "key points"of maintaining water quality.

You are going to have trouble maintaining water quality with your current stock and tank size. If you take the koi out of the equation then the situation gets better, but you are still looking at changing a lot of water in a regular basis to keep the water clean.
 
Hello again bp...

I can only recommend the things I do for my Goldfish tank. I remove and replace 75 percent of the water weekly, no excuses. I feed them a balanced diet of flakes and freeze dried foods. I also feed pellets and wafers. This time of year an occasional earthworm cut into very small pieces is a treat and good for the fish. A variety is important for any fish. I heavily plant the tank with Anacharis (Elodea) and Hornwort. Goldfish like vegetable matter and the Anacharis is a good supplement to their diet. I use a couple of dual sponge filters, these work great to aerate the tank water.

Remember, the key to success in this hobby is keeping the tank water clear of dissolved fish waste all the time. Large, weekly water changes will maintain a steady, healthy water chemistry. This is the most important aspect of the hobby.

B
 
I agree lympho or a tumor.
Also agree on large water changes and a variety of feeds.
I change 75-90 on my fry grow out tanks ..
I also agree DITCH the ph regulator also . Messing with your water will be more trouble and possibly worse for fish then just using the tap that is always the same..
 
Remember, the key to success in this hobby is keeping the tank water clear of dissolved fish waste all the time. Large, weekly water changes will maintain a steady, healthy water chemistry. This is the most important aspect of the hobby.

B

Even though I just have a small 5 gallon Betta tank, I can 100% agree with this!

Large frequent water changes are the best for fish health! I've proven that to myself a time or two. And read about it more times than I can remember!

Good luck to you and your goldfish! :fish2:
 
Even though I just have a small 5 gallon Betta tank, I can 100% agree with this!

Large frequent water changes are the best for fish health! I've proven that to myself a time or two. And read about it more times than I can remember!

Good luck to you and your goldfish! :fish2:

Got it, thank you! Been maintaining the water quality for the tanks with more frequent water changes.
 
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