is my goldfish sick?

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fishyfishyfishy

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
48
Location
Massachusetts
About a week and a half ago I put 3 small (2-3 inch) fantail goldfish in my empty, cycled 30 gallon tank. One fantail, who is bright orange/red with white patches, had some bits of black coloring on the tips of some of his fins, which is now spreading to his body. He is eating normally and swimming around most of the time, except for a few occasions the past few days when I have found him resting on the bottom of the tank. I know that goldfish can change color, but I am not convinced that this is what is happening with my fantail. (also, one of his tail fins seems to look a bit "wilted" but this may be my imagination)

Water conditions:
ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-5ppm
I just finished treating for ich with heat and salt, and I used a product called "Ick Guard" last weekend.

I did some searches online and found "Myxobacteriosis" which is described as black patches on the body caused by poor water conditions (which i don't have) and which is best treated with a product called "Phenocide" by Aquatronics which i can't seem to find.

what do you think???
 
I feed them wardley goldfish slow sinking crumbles or flakes and frozen peas. I don't think this food affects the coloration of the fish.

The black seems to be spreading very rapidly... i think it has double since this morning!
 
I've never heard of an illness or disease in fish that was black. I'm quite interested now though, any updates on the fish?
 
Does the black look like coloration on the fish or is it fuzzy like a fungus? Goldies tend to change colors all throughout their lives, so it could be normal color change due to your food and tank lighting. My first thought was that it was ammonia burn, but you say that your water params are fine.
 
I just spent 15 minutes trying to get a decent picture, but mr. fantail just won't hold still long enough. I guess that's a good sign...

The black patches look like coloration, not fuzzy, but it looks like the areas of the fins that are black are also somewhat wilted, like soggy lettuce.

His behavior is good today, I haven't seen him on the bottom at all. Appearance seems the same as last night, maybe slightly more black on the fins. The other two fish in the tank seem unaffected, tho one is calico colored so it might be difficult to detect.

[*edit* I just noticed some bits of black on the tail fins of my other gold-colored fantail. :( ]

I hope this is just a color change, but the fact the the fins seem wilted makes me think it might not be.

Would a color change happen this fast??
 
"Some good & very common causes include:

#1 cause: High Ammonia concentration in water
Low pH causes irritation
Fluke parasitism causes trauma
Ich or Costia infestation causes trauma

*HOWEVER*- the black color does not come until the irritant is REMOVED and the healing process begins."

Sounds like you might have nailed it, poikilotherm! When I got my fish, this one had a pretty good case of Ich, and the black didn't show up until after the ich had healed!


thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
 
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