sick goldfish

[lorihallfrisch]

I picked out a calico fantail because it was pretty. I didn't like how it was hanging at the top of the tank, and did not swim and had the guy working there check it out. He said it looked fine.I wasn't so sure but brought it home.
the first day it just sat at the top of the tank. wouldnt eat. When it did try to swim it acted funny..like it couldnt control its up and downs. I thought maybe swim bladder problem. stopped food and tried peas. Wouldnt eat. It was looking pretty bad so I figured nothing lost and added fish zole to the tank. today was day 2 of the zole and it acts much better. I see a long white stringy thing in the tank and it just passed a brownish thing that may be poo. I really don't know squat about fish. I do not know whats wrong with it, but figure if I see improvements just keep doing what I am doing.? It did eat today and is swimming a bit.Thats a lot better then no movement for several days. Anyone have ideas of what I am dealing with.how many days of fish zole? thanks

 

[jlk]

Hi! Did you just set this tank up or was it cycled before you added this fish? What size tank is it? Are there any other fish? Do you know your numbers for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & ph? Let's start with the basics & go from there!

 

[lorihallfrisch]

hi JLK
Well the fish was very ill when i brought it home.I did know better...but. It does look 95 percent better now. It was an uncycled 10 gallon tank. Just tap water with a dechlorintoer and heavy metal remover stuff added. I bought 3 more fancy goldfish that I put in my regular tank. I know its awful but I do not know my water paremeters. I bought a testing kit when I bought the gold fish but cannot find it. It is alone now in the 10 gallon.I have a bubble wand and a stone and a i think its a penquin 200 filter with a new bio wheel (it was a used filter and did not have a biowheel. at all)and a filter pad from my older tank. I pulled out the carbon and pu tin some quilting type material./I am doing water changes..maybe 30% every other day. So with out knowing my water guess I can't be very helpful. Do know that my other goldfish has done fine wih the water just as I did for this one. Thanks for any help. I wonder if she were plugged or if it was a worm pr parasite or something. The meds seem to behelping. I am putting 1 tab..250 mg in 10 gallon tank as per the bottle directions 1 time a day.

 

[jlk]

Thanks! A test kit would be good idea for both this tank & because you added new fish to your other tank. I am guessing the fish zole is metronizadole? It's effective for some internal bugs but not all of them. Keep up the good work with water changes in the meantime & let's see how he does. Buying a sick fish probably wasn't the best idea but let's try to get him healthy. Make sure you do atleast 7 days of treatment with the metro. If you do feed him, offer him only plain cooked veggies for now. He may have some white stringy poop but you should also see green strands of poop if he's eating his veggies. Bits of spinach, broccoli florets & peas are easy ones. Good luck & keep us posted!

 

[lorihallfrisch]

oh dear i fed it today. I will stop and get frozen veggies from my freezer and cook some up for him. Can I give my other gold fish some too? how many days should I feed just veggies? His quarantee runs out sunday. Guess we will just takeour chances since he looks so inproved.

 

[jlk]

Thats ok! Stick to the veggies for atleast the next 3-4days and yes everyone should be having some! Daily veggies go a long ways to keep goldies healthy & their digestive tracts in order. They also satisfy their constant need to munch on stuff due to their lack of a 'true' stomach. Keep us posted!

 

[lorihallfrisch]

s/he is better today. Eating brocolli and swimming like nothing was ever wrong with her. I would like to put her in my regular tank as soon as safe.shehas 3 to 4 more days of the meds, so she will be isolated that long i gues. Other fish liked some brocoli too.thank you for your help

 

[jlk]

The longer you can keep her qt'd, the better. I would go less than 4wks especially because she was not well when you purchased her. I would not risk introducing possible disease to your other fish. I am glad though your seeing improvement & everyone is enjoying their veggies!!

 

[lorihallfrisch]

anchor worm?

How sick can a few anchor worms make a gold fish? I just removed 2 from my fish. ..still eating, and occasionally unclamps fins, but also spends time on the bottom and just seems so less energetic then my others. what is the safest and best med for this worm? I am going to treat all the tanks as before she was in qt she was exposed to some of the others.
not sur eif her probablem has been these worms all along or if she has somethig else as well>?>

 

[jlk]

If you have anchor worms, you need to treat anywhere this fish may have been or is. The easiest treatment available right now is a product called Cyropro. It dosent have the toxicity of some of the older treatments. Its available online & some lfs carry it (though not the chain stores). Just make sure you follow the directions exactly as they are listed. Good luck!