Reoccurring Finrot in goldfish (bad immune system?)

[ayumieguy]

Hey guys, new to the forum, I'm going to break down my situation real quick and feel free to ask for more info.

I have a tank, 3 live plants, gravel, florescent light 8 hours, 10 gallon tank.

I have
1 fantail goldfish
1 angelfish
2 corydoras

Now I know what your thinking. Tropicals mixed with goldfish? The water stays at 70 degrees a little over that sometimes. They are as healthy as can be. They are all very tiny, have plenty of room, and when they grow up I plan on upgrading the space of the tank. But anyways, my goldfish, sadly, keeps getting very minor finrot.

I've prowled the web, and a lot of advice is inconstant.I've had the tank for 6 months. I have very minor algae (tiny dot here and there) and I heard that this is a good sign of the cycling process doing its job. I have the water tested at petco, twice a month they told me the water is healthy, the ph is slightly high but not to worry (maybe there is something I can change to lower ph?) I do not overfeed, I water change about 10-15% of the water PER DAY, I vacuum the gravel every 2 weeks. The fish all play nice with each other, no nipping or fighting for food.

I've tried feeding the goldfish a more diverse diet to boost his immune system. No matter what, he gets a small amount of finrot on the end of his long tail like twice a week. It grows back and everything, but I hate the fact that the poor thing is sick so often to begin with. I think aquarium salt will harm corydoras, but I could be wrong.

I can't seem to find the root cause. I was wondering what other ways I could build up his immune system.

PS: there is aeration, it's a bubbler.

 

[Alyxx]

Hey guys, new to the forum, I'm going to break down my situation real quick and feel free to ask for more info.

I have a tank, 3 live plants, gravel, florescent light 8 hours, 10 gallon tank.

I have
1 fantail goldfish
1 angelfish
2 corydoras

Now I know what your thinking. Tropicals mixed with goldfish? The water stays at 70 degrees a little over that sometimes. They are as healthy as can be. They are all very tiny, have plenty of room, and when they grow up I plan on upgrading the space of the tank. But anyways, my goldfish, sadly, keeps getting very minor finrot.

I've prowled the web, and a lot of advice is inconstant.I've had the tank for 6 months. I have very minor algae (tiny dot here and there) and I heard that this is a good sign of the cycling process doing its job. I have the water tested at petco, twice a month they told me the water is healthy, the ph is slightly high but not to worry (maybe there is something I can change to lower ph?) I do not overfeed, I water change about 10-15% of the water PER DAY, I vacuum the gravel every 2 weeks. The fish all play nice with each other, no nipping or fighting for food.

I've tried feeding the goldfish a more diverse diet to boost his immune system. No matter what, he gets a small amount of finrot on the end of his long tail like twice a week. It grows back and everything, but I hate the fact that the poor thing is sick so often to begin with. I think aquarium salt will harm corydoras, but I could be wrong.

I can't seem to find the root cause. I was wondering what other ways I could build up his immune system.

PS: there is aeration, it's a bubbler.

Welcome to the forum!
Salt will harm cories! Also, fantails need at least 20 gallons just for one by itself. They have a huge bioload. I'm sure the daily water changes help, but it still isn't good for the Goldie. Angels need at least a 20 tall as well. They get pretty big. I also wouldnt be surprised if the angel is nipping the goldfish's fins in the night or when you aren't looking, they can be nippy fish and somewhat territorial. You should upgrade as soon as you can seeing as the fish won't grow well in too small of a tank, and the damage of stunting can begin very early, especially with goldfish. They do most of their growing in the first couple years of their life. I would also advise getting at least two different larger tanks, one for tropical and one for cold water. The Cories and the angel will do much better in warmer water and the goldfish will do better in cooler water. I also recommend that you get your own test kit, you can get an API master kit for maybe $20 on amazon. This way you can monitor your water more consistently. Also, when you take it to your LFS ask for the exact values not just "good" or not. Maybe try larger water changes daily for now. With a 10 gallon tank, a 50% change isn't too bad. Just 5 gallons. Do you feed any fresh veggies like broccoli to your goldfish? That is very good for them. Just lightly boil some veggies like cucumber or broccoli and drop it in the tank, then remove what isn't eaten by the end of the day. Remember, clean water is the key to solving minor fin rot.

 

[corinne118s]

I agree. Invest in a $20 liquid test kit and you will quickly realize how quickly ammonia builds up with the bioload of those fish. I had 2 goldies in a 10g for a few weeks And It didn't take me long to realize my mistake.. Luckily fantails will be ok in 20g. The ones I had needed 40-50 so I had to rehome them. 20g is easier to manage anyways!

 

[jlk]

+1
I agree completely with everything Alyxx has stated. The 'root cause' of your problems with your sick goldfish is basically your tank size & stocking. Goldfish are coldwater species while the rest of your fish are tropicals- the different species have different needs for housing, diet, & temperature. 10g is too small for even a single goldfish let alone a goldfish with multiple other fish (which need a larger tank as well).

The finrot is indicative of poor water quality- your tank will not properly cycle being so heavily stocked in such a small tank. I def agree to up your water changes to atleast 50% a day with weekly grav vacs until you can properly house (or rehome) the fish that you have. The goldfish needs atleast 20gal to himself (no other fish). You really need to invest in API fw test kit so you can monitor your water yourself- you may actually need to do more than one 50% wc a day until you resolve your situation. FYI, gravel with a goldfish is not the best option either unless its very large (quarter-size) because they are prone to choking on anything that can fit in their mouths.

Healthy water, proper stocking, correct diet & appropriate tank size/conditions are the keys here to keeping your fish healthy & ensuring they live happy, long lives. Please dont hesitate to ask any questions!

 

[ayumieguy]

Thanks for all the great advice. I will be upgrading to a 20g as soon as I can, and wc accordingly. Everyone seems concerned about my tropical cold water mix. The tropicals don't seem to mind room temp ( not one case of minor finrot from any of them ) and it is more ideal for the goldfish ( who is sick all the time ). Stuff like that really confused me.

 

[corinne118s]

They will most likely look and act fine but in the long run it will hurt their
Organs and will not live as long. It's like throwing someone to a very high mountain- they will survive for a while but eventually the altitude will destroy their lungs and body

 

[Alyxx]

They will most likely look and act fine but in the long run it will hurt their
Organs and will not live as long. It's like throwing someone to a very high mountain- they will survive for a while but eventually the altitude will destroy their lungs and body

Good analogy. Remember that angels are amazonian fish, and water temperatures there are pretty high. They like water in the high 70's - low 80's.