goldfish scales coming off?

[mle421]

my oranda goldfish looks like he is missing 3 or 4 scales on one side. is that normal? should i be concerned? he doesnt act any different. he's just as happy and playful as always, but i just was a bit worried and wondered if i should just let him be or if i should do something. any advice?

 

[FawnN]

What are your water parameters and what other fish do you have in the tank?

I think if you can give more info on your tank setup, we all could give you more advice.

 

[Menagerie]

Two goldies in a 10 gal can get nippy towards each other. What type of goldie is the other fish?

 

[mle421]

no, there's only one in this tank its 10gal. he's about three inches including tail. my parameters are normal. 0ppm. ph is at 7.6 as usual. nothing new in the tank, and i do 20% water changes every 4 days or so.

 

[Menagerie]

Hmmm, your profile is not current
So, there's no other fish in the tank? Is he acting oddly? Eating well?

my parameters are normal.

What are the exact numbers?

If you had another fish in the tank, I would have the answer

 

[mle421]

will they grow back? could this be bacterial?

 

[Menagerie]

They should grow back. If it is bacterial or fungal, you should see a film/growth over the scaleless area. My advice for now, is to make sure you keep up with PWC and keep the ammonia and nitrites undectable Post back if anything changes.
Another thing you can do is post on a goldfish oriented site (find the top ones on aquarank) and ask for a second opinion. Never hurts to get a second opinion, especially since so few of our members keep goldies.

 

[fishylvr]

my black moore had the same thing happen a while back

- i had thought maybe a fungus or bacteria at first - but it turns out he had just been scraping them on a decoration - it was a cavelike structure that he once could fit through, but since he had grown so much it no longer worked like he thought - i had no idea until one day i found him stuck in the cave with have his dorsal fin broken and half his scales missing - melafix worked wonders (his scales and fin healed withing a couple days) and he's feeling as good as new, but all the decorations have been removed from the tank and replaced with silk plants and a few smooth pots

so check for anything sharp or abrasive he could be rubbing up against

-hope this helps

 

[Menagerie]

one day i found him stuck in the cave with have his dorsal fin broken and half his scales missing - melafix worked wonders (his scales and fin healed withing a couple days) and he's feeling as good as new

Good to hear your goldie is doing well!

 

[mle421]

thanks so much guys! as for sharp objects, all i have in the tank are some smooth glass stones on the bottom and 3 old fashion glass soda bottles. so nothing sharp at all but thanks for the help its greatly appreciated!