Goldfish with bright Red and white spots- Help Please!

[akraini5]

Hello, One of my 4 yr. old Goldfishes has developed what I think to be a bacterial infection as well as Ick??? He has Bright red patches/ spots and soft white patches all over his body, some of the red ones look like they are internal (under the skin) and the white ones look to be soft and fluffy ( like bits of cotton) this started about 5-6 days ago while I was on vacation. He is still eating and is acting normal. We did have a problem with Nitrates a few months ago due to the two fancy Goldfish outgrowing their 20 gal. tank but I moved them to a 45 Gal. about 6 weeks ago. I did a 40 percent water change today. Any help/ ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Water Testing Kit: API Freshwater Master Test Kit -Liquid test
Tank size: 45 long
Cleaning: 30-40 % weekly ( Use Seachem Prime)
Filtration: Tetra Whisper Power Filter- up to 60 Gal.
Lighting: Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Plus - (8-10 hr. per day)
Plants: Water Sprite
PH: 7.4
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrites:0 ppm
Nitrates: 20 ppm
Temp: about 68
Food type/ amount: TetraFin Goldfish Flakes - 2 small pinches per night
Recent changes:
Moved fish from a 20 gal. to a 45 Gal. 5-6 weeks ago
Added Water Sprite 5-6 weeks ago ( Using Flourish & Flourish Excel)
Tried adding Tetra Fin floating variety pellets 4 wks ago but stopped due to both fish getting constipated.

 

[Roz]

Hello,

Poor little guy looks like he is quite poorly.

I wonder whether it is a fungal type infection. Is / are the other fish sick, too?

Could you try and do some large water changes - say 50% a day? This may help with his recovery.

You could also see whether he will eat some peas with the skin removed - his diet of flakes may be part of the problem, as they aren't very nutritious when the only food offered. Frozen brine shrimps, blood worms, and gel foods would add nutrients, and veggies and the occasional fruit such as orange or banana.

I really hope your goldfish starts to recover - please keep us posted.


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[akraini5]

Roz, Thank you for the food advice there are just two fish in the tank, the other one is still healthy so far. I set up a 20 gal. sick tank with "Mardel Quick cure" last night and some of the white and red spots are already fading... I use to feed them Blood worms 1-2 per week but they would not eat them, so I think I will see if they will eat frozen brine worms, I never even thought of fruit and veggies I will keep you posted with his progress

 

[Roz]

Hi there, I'm sending positive vibes from Melbourne (Australia). So pleased to hear the little guy is improving. He's in good hands

Please keep us posted of his progress.

By the way, most of my fish aren't too crazy about the blood worms either, but they love repashy gel good. A few of my fish love banana


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[Roz]

How's the little guy going?


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[akraini5]

He is doing great! the red is completely gone today. He still has a bit of the white patches but they are fading and he is much more active, his fins are also no longer clamped. I fed him some peas and a little bit of spinach yesterday and he loved them.... I think our little guy is going to make it. I will try and post another picture today or tomorrow Thank you again Roz for the food advice!

 

[Roz]

I'm so please to hear it




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[Roz]

Ps can't wait to see his pics of him perky and happy


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[akraini5]

Goldfish getting better

Hi Roz, just thought you would want to see a few pictures of our little one getting better, he is in a 20 gal. sick tank right now but is looking a million times better. He still has a little bit of the off white fuzzy stuff on his tail but all the red is gone and the whitish spots on his body are gone as well.... he loves his new diet with the mixed veggies

 

[Roz]

He's looking so much better!!

You must be relieved! You've done a fantastic job of nursing him back to perky health.

Love his Star Wars-like landscape on the back.

Thanks for sending me pics - has made me smile




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[akraini5]

Hi Roz, I was wondering if you have any experience using API Melafix or Pimafix? Our goldfish is doing so much better but his tail/ fins still have the off white splotches, I was thinking of using one or both of these to see if it helps but the reviews are very mixed on how goldfish react to it... I have also read that aquarium salt treatments might be beneficial. I have used salt treatments on other types of fish but not goldfish.... any thoughts on what the off white patches might be or what might help get rid of them?

 

[Roz]

Hi Roz, I was wondering if you have any experience using API Melafix or Pimafix? Our goldfish is doing so much better but his tail/ fins still have the off white splotches, I was thinking of using one or both of these to see if it helps but the reviews are very mixed on how goldfish react to it... I have also read that aquarium salt treatments might be beneficial. I have used salt treatments on other types of fish but not goldfish.... any thoughts on what the off white patches might be or what might help get rid of them?

Hi there, I haven't used either. I have read that Melafix is basically useless for goldfish.

I think that if your little guy is recovering with lots of lovely fresh water, then I would just press on with that, and be patient that he will get better over time.

My goldfish Dennis, has a bruise/tear on his tail (I think Colin bumped him as he gets frazzled at meal times), and it is getting better with daily 80% water changes.

I think you are doing a fantastic job - I personally wouldn't add chemicals, but I'm no expert and just basing that advice on what I've read.

Would love to see another pic of how he is going


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[akraini5]

Thanks Roz, I bought the API Melafix, Pimafix and Aquarium salt just in case but I think you are right, I hate medicating when not needed. I will just wait and keep doing water changes his buddy for the last 4-5 years is getting lonely and depressed in the 45 gal. without him , hope he gets completely better soon... lol all the red and white spots on his body are still gone, just need the strange off white patches on his tail/ fins to go away then he can move back into the reg. tank, I finally told my kids that he should make it, it is amazing how attached we have become to our fish..

 

[akraini5]

Hi Roz I am at a loss again, I put our goldfish back in with his buddy last night, they where very happy to see each other and acting like normal.... this morning I looked at them and the red streaks are now coming back on the tail of the Gold one that had been in the sick tank, I have no idea what might be causing this? The water parameters are the same in both tanks.... Same gravel, same filter, heat is 74-75, Amm. is at 0, nitrites are 0, nitrates are about 5-10 right now.... the only difference between the 2 tanks are that the 45 gal. has water sprite plants and I add Seachem's Flourish and Flourish excel. Have you had or heard of issues with these with Goldfish? it seems odd that they have never really had issues until I added the plants and the Seachem's....

 

[Roz]

I'm sorry to hear that :-(

I'm not an expert, particularly with the different products on the market, and so what I'll suggest here is what I'd be trying myself:

You could do a 50% water change at the start of the day and another at night - i.e. replace all water and not add back the plant products. Then monitor how your little guys go. Perhaps they have a sensitivity towards the plant chemicals?

I know my goldfish weren't overjoyed when I changed from API water conditioner to Prime. They seem ok with it now, but they let their opinions be known at the time (LM sulked and the others gave me looks).

Fingers crossed ?


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[Roz]

PS

Another goldfish being posted about at the moment has septicaemia - he has some of the same symptoms as your little guy (red patches and streaks), although I think your goldfish doesn't look as poorly.

You might follow that post to see whether you treat your fish in the same way.


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[Tank Girl]

There's a very good chance you have a parasitic infection at work here. According to your posts, there was noticeable improvement after adding Quick Cure, then later on a relapse. Some parasites take much longer to eradicate than others. For example, egg-laying flukes take longer to eradicate than live-bearers. You might want to try Prazi, it's safe and gentle on the fish. Treat for a month to be sure you get rid of it. If you don't, it will just keep coming back.


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[Roz]

Thanks, Tankgirl


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[akraini5]

Thank you Tank girl/ Roz... Yes there was a great improvement when I had him in the sick tank, ( no plants, ect) just fresh water daily and the Mardel quick cure... all the red splotches on his body/fins disappeared within a day or two and most of the white spots disappeared as well. I did find out a few days ago that the heater temp (in the Reg. tank) was at the right temp but it had slightly melted the bottom suction cup, I cleaned it and it is back to normal but I am wondering if maybe the melted plastic leached something into the tank? with all the daily water changes I cant see how any plastic could be left but at this point I am trying to look at anything that could be causing these issues. I should also say that the 45 ga. tank ( The reg. tank) used use to be used for a gerbil along time ago. I did a lot of reading and cleaned/ heavily scrubbing the tank with both aquarium salt and vinegar repeatedly over a period of 3 weeks plus cut out all the old sealant and resealed the tank with aquarium sealant... maybe another source of contamination? We really love these little guys and if we have to buy another tank we will... NOTE: the other fantail goldfish/ tank mate is still acting/ eating like normal. When I put the Goldfish back into the reg. tank yesterday I also started using API Pimafix just in case, do you guys think I should move them both into the sick tank with the quick cure or leave them in the reg. tank and continue the Pimafix for the full treatment cycle?

 

[Tank Girl]

When you hear hoofbeats, think horses before you think zebras. It is very unlikely to be suction cups, gerbils or aquarium sealant.

Parasites are extremely common in fish. Healthy fish in a proper environment usually aren't bothered by a minimal presence of them. However, poor conditions allow them to proliferate. Overcrowding, infrequent/insufficient water changes, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate build up, etc., cause a lot of stress and will greatly impact a fish's ability to defend themselves.

I would treat both fish with Prazi in the main tank since they are together. The fish that seems fine is the simply the stronger one, but it has been exposed nonetheless. Pimafix won't do anything for parasites. Sometimes fish get secondary bacterial or fungal infections from the damage caused by parasites, so you may want to pick up a medication such as Kanaplex in case they need it.


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