orange bubble thing on goldfish

[Skyclad8]

Hello. I was hoping somebody here would be able to help me out. I have not been able to find the answer searching on the internet. One of my fancy goldfish seemed to develop a bubble on his back overnight. I'll try to provide you with as much information as i can.

Tank history: kids talked me into buying them 2 fancy goldfish on a trip to the pet store about 7 months ago. They live in a 29 gallon tank with a cascade 150 filter. I am completely new to owning fish, therefor the fish had to endure the tank cycling. I was having very bad algae problems and high nitrate levels about 3.5 months in. I kept doing a full clean out of the tank and the algae would just come back faster then the last time. Finally i read online that the kind of algae i was getting was normal and had to get past that cycle point on its own so i quit fully wiping the tank. About a month ago i purchased 5 nerite snails and they cleaned up the tank beautifully.

During my high nitrate problem, one of my fish(the one who now has the bubble on his back) developed popeye in one of his eyes. I went to a stand up pet store near home for medication for the popeye. They said they didn't really have anything that would cure popeye but gave me Binox and said it may help. It did not, it just turned my tank water very yellow. I was also told that it was likey my fist would not live. That was about 3 months ago . He is still extremely active, eats well, and continues to be as playful as the day i brought him home. Then last month i read that there is no real medical cure for popeye, that i just need to make sure the water is changed regularly and maybe bring in a live plant for oxygen.

I put a trident fern in about 3 weeks ago. It's not doing too good and my fish like to nibble on it. Then i read about something called Maracyn Plus and it and the reviews said that it would get rid of the popeye. I ordered it and began the treatment last Monday and ended treatment this past Friday. Still my fish has popeye. Also about a week ago i purchased some algae waffers for my snails (since they have eaten just about all the natural algae). I dropped one waffer in the tank and my fish ate it before the snails could even know it was there. I haven't bothered putting anymore in the tank. Then today my fish had that bubble on his back.

I feed them 1 cube of tubifex worms a day.
nitrate = 5
nitrite = 0
i am waiting for my ph and ammonia kits to arrive in the mail
temp ranges between 70-75
both fish are about 3in.
25-50% water change/gravel vac every 1-2weeks

I have grown very fond of him, he has a great personality and does not shy away from me or my kids, instead he seems like he is always trying to get our attn. I hope somebody can tell me what this bubble thing on his back is so i can then learn how to help him.

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[jlk]

Hi! Welcome to AA!! Unfortunately, your pic links are coming as 'invalid'. A pic would be very helpful in figuring out what is going on here. Heres the easy way to upload pics!

From computer:
Click on the 'go advanced' reply button below. A new screen will pop up with a msg box. On the top of the msg box are small icons. One icon is a 'paperclip'. Click this and you can browse your computer files for pics to upload. Click the pic you want and hit attach/upload.

From cell app:
Click the arrow button to reply to a thread. On the top right side of your screen is a '+' sign. Click this and you can either upload pics from cell library or take a new pic. The pic will not show up on your msg box on your cell but will on the thread once the reply is submitted.

Hope this helps!

 

[Skyclad8]

My pictures are coming out blurry so i took a short video while giving him a salt dip today. Yesterday I began giving him 2 salt dips a day for 5-10 mins. His behavior has still remained the same, as in he is active and not acting unusual. Actually i don't see the video. Lemme try again.

 

[Skyclad8]

let's hope these pics work. \o/ thanks for the help getting those up/

 

[Skyclad8]

Update: my test kits just came in.

pH 8.0
Ammonia 0

 

[jlk]

Thanks for the pics! Can you touch the bubble (not poke or prod, just gently push on it)? Is it fluid-filled and soft like a blister or is it firm like wart? Do either of your fish display any other symptoms such as yawning or gulping, heavy/rapid breathing, red gills, flashing/rubbing, any other sores or spots or anything at all unusual?

 

[Skyclad8]

Thanks for helping me out The bubble on his back is very soft and fluid filled. Their gills do not look red while they are just swimming around, so i gave them some food because they seem to breath more or something when eating and it makes it easier to see inside of their gills and yes they may be a little red on the inside. I looked up red gills on the net to see some examples and the pics that popped up you could see the red gills very easily and red irritation around the gills. This is not the case with mine. Had to really look down in there to see any red. Also neither fish is itching, flashing, or gulping for air.
It's hard to get a good picture inside their gills so you could judge for yourself. I would love to get a video up of them eating so it would be easier to show you, but i can't seem to get a video to post.

 

[jlk]

Thanks! Healthy gills should look reddish and kind of 'meaty' but not swollen/inflamed or pale. Is the fish with the blister the same one you mentioned had some issues with popeye? Just making sure, but he does not have any rough or lifted scales or abdominal swelling? Eating and swimming normally?

 

[Skyclad8]

He is the same one with Popeye. His scales look good. I've seen many of the diagnose your fish pages but he doesn't fit any of those symptoms. None of the common issues I've seen involve a blister or bubble. So I'm stumped. I'm wondering if it is possible for the Maracyn to have burned his skin, since the blister showed up a few days after the five day treatment. Should I just pop it and put him in a salt bath? Also the blister is staying the same size.

 

[jlk]

Nope, no popping. Appearance-wise, it resembles carp pox but as its soft and fluid-filled, I am not positive it is. Infection is a possibility but I would be surprised to see an infection show up after treatment with the MP. So, for now, lets just keep an eye on it, keep their water pristine and see if it resolves itself on its own. If it changes for the worse or he develops other symptoms, please let us know asap. I would like for you to consider treating these guys with praziquantel to rule out possible skin/body flukes though. Please ask if you have questions!

 

[Skyclad8]

Would this be what i am looking for, it says it is 1 fluid oz. Would that be enough?

Amazon.com: Hikari Usa AHK73251 Prazipro for Aquarium, 1-Ounce: Pet Supplies

Also i am lacking a quarantine tank, i could go buy a 10g one for pretty cheap but it would not by cycled. Should i just add the medicine into my main tank?

 

[jlk]

Yep, Prazipro is fine but I would get atleast a 4oz bottle. Prazipro makes it easier to dose as its liquid. Powdered prazi is difficult to dissolve and needs to be mixed with alcohol (ie, vodka). No need for a qt either. Its extremely safe, does not affect your good bacteria or inverts or plants and is very simple to use. Let us know when you get it and we can go through how to use it- bit different than the directions on the bottle.

 

[Skyclad8]

sure thing thank you.

 

[Skyclad8]

Got the PraziPro in the mail today. Awaiting further instructions

 

[jlk]

How is he doing?

Prazi is easy. Shake the bottle VERY well before use every time. Do a big wc and dose at 1tsp/10g. You may notice a bit of foaminess in the water- no worries! Then, depending on your normal wc schedule, you simply need to do a big wc and redose to your tank size. So, if you do wcs every 3-4 days, follow this regimen. If you do wcs every 6-7 days, follow the same regimen. Doesn't make a big difference but wcs 2x a week are suggested. Continue everything else as normal. Continue this for atleast 3wks though 4wks would be better. Some people cycle prazi instead (ie, 3wks on, 1 wk off, 3wks on) or do lengthy prazi courses (6+wks). Debatable if one method is more effective than another. Please ask if you have questions!

 

[Skyclad8]

Not sure if he is tired today or what but he seems very lazy. Just floating at the top for a few mins then swimming around. I'm about to go to work so i will begin the process tomarrow. He has continued to be active except the past couple hours. when you say a big wc, what percent are you suggesting?

 

[jlk]

His behavior is a bit concerning. Is he still eating and interested in food? Big wc as in 60+%. I believe the prazi directions recommend larger than this as well.

 

[Skyclad8]

Just an update for you. That bubble seems to be shrinking. It's almost completely gone. It is about as small as a head of a pin now. Seems to be taking a long time but I am glad it's going away Also his odd behavior i mentioned before was only for that day, he has been his normal self everyday since. Thank you for helping us out.