Sick Fantail Goldfish

[Water Baby]

Hi goldfish experts
I have a sick fantail. Started off about 2 months a go with a small ulcer-looking thing just below Daisy's dorsal fin on one side. I bumped up the stress coat and this seemed to help the skin heal but then I noticed a little swelling around one side of her abdomen. Have been soaking her food in some liquid garlic (from petshop) as a natural anti-viral remedy (thinking this could be an ulcer) and also adding tonic salt once a week, during every water change. Also been giving her peas in case it is a swim-bladder issue as she became a little unbalanced and now sleeps upside-down on the bottom. She can right herself and was looking happy and eating until this morning but has not eaten tonight and is looking more agitated now - like something is annoying her and breathing is becoming more laboured-looking. Nothing visibly wrong on the outside, just slightly swollen on one side (not as bad as it was) and can see where the ulcer-like thing was but has healed to what it was at first. I have 3 other fish who are all healthy. pH in tank is normal, ammonia levels good, I have a 120 litre tank - 4 large fish. Anyone any idea what this could be?

 

[Matt68005]

No idea. A picture helps.

 

[Water Baby]

Picture attached

Hi

Here is a picture, as I said, nothing visibly wrong except she's upside down, and you can see a tiny mark where the spot was below her dorsal fin.

 

[Matt68005]

Looks like a major swim bladder problem. Try epsom salt baths, see if you can get some metronidazole, (in NZ probab cant)
Feed only deshelled peas only if it will eat.
Others may chime in more but this is from too much "gulping" air, goldfish should be fed sinking pellets in small amounts 2-3 times a day only.

 

[Water Baby]

Thanks for your advice. I have put Pimafix in the tank which is antibacterial (same as metronidazole) and also added Epsom salts and fed deshelled peas soaked in garlic. She seemed to pick up a bit this afternoon, was sitting upright instead of upside down but tonight her breathing is looking more laboured. My fishes diet is good, very varied between frozen foods (bloodworms etc) and sinking pellets. I don't use floating food at all and only feed twice a day, small amounts so no issues there. The other 3 are healthy thank goodness. I will keep up with the Pimafix and Epsom salts and peas and see how she goes but it's a worry.

 

[Delapool]

Hi, metro and pima I'd classify as separate meds. Metro I'd rank as a more effective med. Copied a few links below for interest.


http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumMedication2.html

http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Pimafix

 

[Water Baby]

Sick Fantail

Hi Again

Found out that metro is only available by prescription from a vet here Daisy is still battling on, tried squeezing her gently this morning in case she is egg-bound but nothing was released. Keeping up with the pima-fix in the meantime. Notice redness now around where the little pimple was below her dorsal fin. Still no other external signs of a problem though. Tried feeding her by hand this morning but she spits the food out! Breathing is still more rapid than usual and she spends most of her time upside-down. Will keep googling I think.

 

[Matt68005]

Theres really nothing to google. And what is the primafix suppose to do?
It does not "enter" the fish to work tea tree oils on internal bacterial infections.
Keep up epsom salt bath and dont feed.

 

[Coursair]

120 litres is only 31.7gallons. Call it a 30g tank. That's room for 1-2 Gfish.

She may be suffering from stunting from too small a tank.

I'm sorry she's having trouble. Make sure Ammonia is at Zero. Nitrates 20

PH doesn't matter much.

Fancy GF are prone to swim bladder issues. Did you feed sinking food or pre soak all food prior to this ??

Consider moving fish to larger quarters to keep the others healthy. 3 Fish ? I'd recommend 60g min
4 I'd recommend 75-100g min with a lot of filtration.

SolidGold has a lot of good GF vids on YouTube. She breeds GF.

I hope she recovers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Water Baby]

Hi
Googling is a good way of researching info Matt.

Pimafix states on the bottle that it treats internal bacterial infections.

The Epsom salts made her poop (long and stringy) but with no further improvement and the fish not eating, I want to try other options.

I have now changed the tank water and am trying a course of Furan 2 to see if that will help.

 

[Water Baby]

Hi Coursair

My tank is actually 150 litres as I just measured before adding the Furan 2 dosage so slightly larger than I thought. I think this is sufficient for 4 goldfish.

pH, ammonia and nitrate levels are all good.

I only feed my fish sinking food.

This fish is about 8-9 years old and this is her first illness. As you say, fantails are prone to swim bladder issues so this could just be an unfortunate problem that was unpreventable but I'll try everything I can to fix her anyway

Thanks for the goodl wishes

 

[Delapool]

Hope your fish recovers.

Pimafix on the bottle notes that it "aids" healing of internal/bacterial infections. I'm assuming the med laws in NZ are as tight as they are in Australia, thus there is a reason why pimafix is available and metro isn't (easily). Over the last year or so I have seen some of the better meds start to creep into Australia.

So I find Pimafix to be a good first resort, especially in large tanks as it is cheap, but will then go for stronger meds. This isn't to stop you using Pimafix or if you get a win with it, fantastic news. Simply that the US has a wider range of meds than we do. So just in case, if the lfs does have a product that will treat hexamita - it may also cover internal bacterial infections as well.

What are your tank readings for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph? The sulpha and tetracycline antibacterials / antibiotics should be available where you are however tetracycline doesn't work well in high ph water and a lot of bacteria are resistant to it now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitroimidazole


How does the ulcer look? Is there anything in the centre of the ulcer that may indicate a parasite. I missed the salt was just at tonic levels.

 

[Water Baby]

My tank readings for ammonia is very close to zero, pH is around 6.8 - 7 and the nitrites and nitrates were within normal range. Considering the other 3 fish are perfectly healthy I doubt that any of these levels have anything to do with this illness.

The ulcer just looks like a red spot really - only about 0.8cm in diameter, nothing in the middle of it, just a reddish bump.

I'm now half way through the Furan 2 treatment which states it is for bacterial infections and open red sores so hoping this may help her.

She still isn't eating but I'm hoping when she ate and spat out food 2 days a go that some may have stayed inside her

Thanks for your help

 

[Matt68005]

So why are you asking peoples advice, and then not listening to it, and then tellin US to google something?
That was quite smug on your part, and i was offended that someone would right my advice off as stupid advice so quickly! I know my fish disease better than 90% of people on this forum, its what i am very good at.
I found your comment very insulting , i am not stupid and i know what google is!
Primafix is a waste of money, and it does not treat internal bacterial infections.
If you dont know that primafix is a waste of money, or what furan 2 is, then id say your 31 years were not enough to gain knowledge at all about fish diseases, which i find very odd.

 

[Autumnsky]

When your GF did the long stringy poo was it clear or white or brownish or some of both?

 

[Water Baby]

So why are you asking peoples advice, and then not listening to it, and then tellin US to google something?
That was quite smug on your part, and i was offended that someone would right my advice off as stupid advice so quickly! I know my fish disease better than 90% of people on this forum, its what i am very good at.
I found your comment very insulting , i am not stupid and i know what google is!
Primafix is a waste of money, and it does not treat internal bacterial infections.
If you dont know that primafix is a waste of money, or what furan 2 is, then id say your 31 years were not enough to gain knowledge at all about fish diseases, which i find very odd.

Matt

1. I am listening to helpful people's advice-just not able to get the meds here n NZ
2. I did try your advice but it didn't work so tried something else
3. I know you're not stupid but you asked me why google? So I told you
4. That's your opinion on Pimafix, another helpful person on here has had success with it as you will see in a previous post on this trail
5. I don't think Pimafix is a waste of money or I wouldn't have bought it as I'm not stupid either - same goes for Furan 2
6. I find you very rude so please don't post again unless you've got anything nice to say

Thanks

 

[Water Baby]

Hi Autumnsky

It was clear/white and stringy. I think the darker the healthier usually.

 

[Delapool]

Any improvement?

 

[Autumnsky]

That usually indicates parasites - clear to white stringy poo. If possible see what meds are available for the fish.

There is a variety - Praziquantel, Levimasole, piperazine, Fenbendazole. I like that you can sometimes find medicated flake.

Also just in case you could get some or hatch some, Baby Brine Shrimp your fish might really like it and it does help aid in good digestion.

Maybe if she can get the internal parasites fixed she would have a better chance at getting well.

 

[Delapool]

I like the idea of brine shrimp as well and would swap to more of these / less bloodworms.