Goldfish Help

[Autumnsky]

I have my BIG Oranda and I think she maybe got a burn from the heater.

She has a rectangular red mark on her belly appx. 1"x .5", and the heater had slid down and was horizontal in the back, is that a possibility?

There doesn't seem to be anything else in there which would cause a mark like that.

Noticed this while doing a pwc (1/3rd). Used Prime for the water this am, and just a little bit ago put in .5 tsp dissolved salt and a dose of stress coat equal for 30 gal.

This is in my 32 gal half hex with her and a small fantail and a feeder, two guppies hanging out for a week of vacation away from the males.

She came up to eat this morning but isn't quite a chipper as previously and looks a little stressed.

I moved the heater back to the upright position in the tank.

Anything else I can do for her?

 

[jlk]

Hi! It does sound like a heater burn. Is it a necessity due to temp fluctuations or because the tank is somewhere cool? It sounds a bit dangerous if its sliding around where it can pose harm to fish. Theres not much else you can do for her beyond what your already doing (some stress coat & bit of salt). Just make extra effort to keep her water pristine while she heals & keep an eye out for any signs of infection.

 

[Autumnsky]

Originally I had the heater unplugged. She just sat on the bottom of the tank and didn't move around much, she's a big girl maybe racket/tennis ball size and I only adopted her a few weeks ago.

So I was told to check the water temp and try adding a little heat, to see if she would be more active and move around and start swimming more to get stronger. I put it in at 74F and she did get more active and started swimming more. That part of the house gets much cooler in the winter, since it is getting to be much warmer temperatures I guess I could take it out.

I had been moving around decor and checking the heaters to see if they were looking alright and had checked to see if it was on any recall lists as was my Stealth (not that tank) so I think when I was moving it around it was loose and slipped out of the suction cup holder.

She is a white fish and I see some reddish in her tail veins, like stress. It isn't ammonia or Nitrates...

My parameters are
Nitrate 5
Nitrite just above 0 but not close to .5
hardness 50
Chlorine 0
Alkalinity 40
pH 7
no ammonia

I think I will change another two buckets of water to get the Nitrite down a little more. What do you think?

 

[Autumnsky]

She's already perked up quite a bit since this morning.

 

[jlk]

Thanks! Using the heater to keep the temp @74 is fine- just make sure it's secure. It's not unusual to see some veins in the tail especially because you don't know much about her prior care, she may be stressed from her transition & there are some detectable toxins. Do your best to keep the water healthy as possible & keep an eye on her. If you notice the veining start hemorrhage, let us know as soon as possible.

 

[Autumnsky]

Thank you JLK. What would a hemorrhage look like? Blood red everywhere? instead of a vein?

 

[jlk]

Hemorrhages look like blood splatters/spills. They are spots where the vein walls have weakened & blood pools in the tissue around the area. Similar to when we get bruise. Hope this helps! Hopefully, you won't see this!

 

[Autumnsky]

Yah, I don't want to see that. I am looking forward to a pretty, healthy, happy, healed BIG baby.

 

[Autumnsky]

As I was looking up some info, I found someone had used the needle point plastic mesh to make a little pocket surrounding the heater to keep it away from the fish so they won't get burned!

It is big enough so that it doesn't touch the heater and hangs inside, since they come in different colors it can be made to blend in to the decor. Interesting idea I will be looking into further. I can see not having a heater in the tank for the cool water fish but my other tropical fish could benefit since it seems a real danger for them. As fish guardians and caretakers we should do what we can to keep them safe.

Anyone use this or another type of set up?

 

[jlk]

That sounds like a smart idea! I would ask in gen discussion or in the gen hardware area to see if anyone has experience with doing this or has other suggestions for a heater cover.

 

[Autumnsky]

Thanks, I will check.

 

[Autumnsky]

HELP HELP HELP HELP!

So this morning she looks much redder her fins have much darker red color and has a blood splotch near her tail. She was laying at the bottom if the tank but came up to eat when she saw me. So I fed her. What can I do the water params are ok.

Nitrate 10
Nitrite .25

No chlorine
Alkalinity 80
Hardness 70
pH7

I had done pwc 1/3rd yesterday am, then did full 5 gal bucket later in the afternoon, Both times prime water conditioner PLUS a full 30 gal stress coat dose. The first time pwc was 1/2 tsp sea salt no additives. 32 gal half hex

I dosed prime this am jic there was ammonia, I don't have the tester for that, am buying the whole master kit next week.

There shouldn't have been ammonia since the large water change and dosing with API stress coat too

I am moving the other fish out too.

I am going to do a 75% water change while I wait for the response

 

[Autumnsky]

Still need HELP

Heater was taken out yesterday, but the temp is 74F anyway.

All the other fish are out and I am doing 75% pwc.

 

[Autumnsky]

INPUT PLEASE!!!


Refilling tank with prime and full 30 gal dose of API stress coat 1tsp salt so far for total 32 gal

Cooking and cooling peas to feed her.

 

[Autumnsky]

Water is changed...

fed her half of a pea, the other 1.5 fell to the ground where I suspect she'll find them.

She is swimming, she looks better already.

I added an extra air stone to the existing one. 3.1W pump w/48" bubble tube and now air stone with 3.5w pump and 6" stone.

 

[jlk]

I suspect you have ammonia in there especially because she perked up after the water change. Get yourself an ammonia test kit as soon as possible. Red blotching is caused by two things- water quality issues (such as ammonia/nitrite) and septicemia. Blotches from water quality will heal on their own with healthy water. You can add 1 tablespoon per 10g of aquarium salt (premix in tank water & add gradually over 24hrs) to help limit nitrite toxicity issues. Only add back what you remove with water changes (ie- 50% wc, add back 1/2 original dose). You may want to consider increasing the water changes to 2x day as well if you notice her behavior worsening over the course of the day. Keep us posted!

 

[Autumnsky]

Ok, I just read the Mumma post "cry for help!!! Septicemia."

I am going in to mix the salt water. Thank you.


Do you think any antiboitics would be needed? I am headed to the fish store for more stress coat in a few minutes, and more salt this will about use mine up.

 

[Autumnsky]

One additional point ...

there were two other goldfish in there too. One ping pong size body with a orange and clear tail, fantail and a 1.5 inch feeder, neither have the red veins like she does... She has had light pale pink veins in her tail since I adopted had her.

Do you think she might have anything else too?

 

[jlk]

Lets watch her & keep your water very healthy & see if theres any improvement over the next few days. The best meds for speticemia (if this is infact what you are dealing with) are internal ones (either food or injections). You are in the US so your best bet right now is to order some medicated food so you have it in the event you need to treat her. Go to the Goldfish Connection's website & look under their store. They sell a kanamycin-medicated food called Medi-Gold. This will be the best route for treatment unless you can enlist the aid of an aquatic vet who can prescribe stronger meds.

 

[Autumnsky]

Sunday May 6

Did 75% pwc, added back salt, stresscoat for 32 gal.

She looks so tattered, her fins are getting raggedy. She was perky and eating, gave her a couple peas yesterday, she is eating fine, but spit out the pea I gave her today, it could had been too chilly from the fridge yet.

I wanted to see if I can get her medicated food so I was feeding her light. Going to work in a few and be back in 9 hrs.

The blood splotch on her body is fading spreading out lightly. I am still scared for her.

Tonight will do a 50% water change. And give her medicated food if I can get it, or the antibiotics you suggested

I have metro tabs, but how much mg for water, if I can't get the other medicine? and are you supposed to leave the dose in the water for three days and not change the water?

Also I read you can increase the salt to 1 TBL per gallon, slowly, but that seems too much.

I am going from 1 TBL salt per 5 gal now to 2 TBL for 5 gal over the next 24 hours. That is nearly 1tsp per gallon............Should it be more? over a longer period? I have it mixed in a pitcher and am putting in 1/5 dose every 4-6 hours