Hi from pepperdog. I have a 70 gal. tank with 4 large beautiful goldfish. I have had them 4 years , putting them out in my pond in the summer. All of a sudden One fish started getting white lumps under the skin and soon it started spreading to other fish. I have been everywhere, asking everyone, showing pics. I have gotten so much conflicting advise I am going crazy. Trying every cure on the market hoping I will come across something. My water tested way high for nitrates and nitrites so now I am treating that with bacteria and water changes- 50% each time. So that is where I stand and who I am. My knowledgable fish guy at Petco suggested this site as the best fish site around.
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- Thread starter pepperdog
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Sisserydoo
Aquarium Advice Freak
Welcome! I'm glad to know we've got a good reputation 
I hope you find some answers, but unfortunately I'm not knowledge about goldfish at all, I hope someone chimes in soon.
I hope you find some answers, but unfortunately I'm not knowledge about goldfish at all, I hope someone chimes in soon.
Sisserydoo
Aquarium Advice Freak
How long ago did it start, and how long and how often have you been doing water changes?
Starka
Aquarium Advice FINatic
pepperdog said:
Welcome! Sorry about your goldfish. Could it be ick?
jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hi and welcome!!! We need some more info to better be able to help you. What are your exact water parameters for amm/nitrite/nitrate/ph and what are you using to test (liquid or strips)? How often and how big are your water changes? What meds have you tried using to date? We are here to help!
Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
Hi, could you post some pictures? Are the lumps all over or in certain places?
redsea
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcome! 
Yes, pictures would definitely help. You take a pic of the fish, upload it on your computer, then when posting a new post on this thread, click on the " Go Advanced " button, next to the " Post Quick Reply " button. There you will see manage attachments. Be sure to upload pics that are not bigger than the maximum filesize.
Now let's get back to your fish. Why do you have readings of nitrities? Could you have done anything that could've disturbed the bacteria? And I would not suggest buying meds and using them on your fish, you still don't know what's happening.
Now let's get back to your fish. Why do you have readings of nitrities? Could you have done anything that could've disturbed the bacteria? And I would not suggest buying meds and using them on your fish, you still don't know what's happening.
It started a month or so ago. First one fish an then to others but not all. Now I am doing 50% water change for 5 days as someone told me to do to get the nitrates and nitrites o.k. I have one more day to do thid and they are a lot better Other than that I had been doing 10 gallon change every week or so for 70 gallon tank.
chagoi
Aquarium Advice Activist
Go to the goldfish connection.com He can help.
I greatly feel that I do not know how to use this site. I don't know how to answer or if I ma answering one person or everyone. I can't find what I just wrote and Then I can't find what that person wrote me. I want to add a pic but can't. Someone told me to go to advanced and than to manage something but I didn't see anything like that so if you could tell me where I could go to learn how to use this site I would be very happy. Seems like people do want to help
Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
If your on a computer this will help.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f10/forums-101-posting-accounts-basics-107597.html
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f10/forums-101-posting-accounts-basics-107597.html
Here goes. 70 gal tank. was doing 10 gal change/2 weeks. Tank has always been clean w/clean gravel. Fish started the lump thing. tested water. nitrates and nitrates off the chart. did 50% water change for 5 days and the water is perfect parameters now, get water tested at petsmart with strips. first fish got a lump about 2 months ago. then another one along tail area. then another fish got it and a third. 2 fish are fine. they swim and eat and are active except for hanging at the bottom on a little each day. Have had them over 5 years with no trouble over a period of a month or so I have tried Lifeguard all in one, Tetra parasite tabs for external and internal parasites, melafix for bacteria and pimafix for fungal. I use aquarium salts and water purifier for tap water. I didn't think the meds were all going to work but I felt desparate. All stores and fish places could not identifiy it by description. I think I uploaded a not grear pic but it shows the 1 lump and one ling bump type 'thing'
thanks for any input
thanks for any input
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jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hmm... keep up with aquarium salt for now. I would give Prazipro a try. It seems like it may be some type of parasite because its spread to your other fish & its not isolated to one fish. Good work with the water changes!! Healthy water is a must for any fish especially one that needs to heal.
thanks. I will try to find the Prazipro. I hope I can find it. I don't know of anywhere to get these things but PetCo and PetSmart? I thought parasite for those reasons but I had so many disaggreing with me but they hadn't seen a picture. You didn't say if the pic helped you diagnose. Some of these meds are soo expensive when dealing with a 70 gal. tank. I was going to take the fish(Percy) out and treat in a smaller tank but when it started spreading I gave up on that.Now that the water is reading fine, how often and how much do yu reccomend changing water. Anyway, I have spent so much money on this he is definately my gold plated goldfish. I hope other people look at the pic since I have made so may blunders on this site maybe people have given up on me but I have it down now
thanks
thanks
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jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
I think ALL goldfish are goldplated! lol! My local lfs/petco dont carry prazipro either. Your best bet is to order it off of Amazon or from DrsFoster&Smith. I cant say the pic helped 100%- i have seen similar growths on goldfish (benign tumors) but the fact that it has spread among your fish makes me suspect some type of parasite. The other possibility is a virus which there is no practical treatment for & will usually run its course. Treating with prazi will either rule in or rule out a parasite infection. Fish are a bit of detective work as they can not tell us what is wrong! In respect to your water, just keep an eye on your parameters for now & do weekly maintainenece water changes (1-2x wk 50%) to keep nitrates & other dissolved solids in check. Good luck & let us know how things turn out!
Butterflychild
Aquarium Advice Regular
Im not 100% sure but its a parasite as i have had goldfish and gourmis who both have had this and when it gets worse you will see a small hole and a white worm like thing come out some fish will die others will fight it. I used sea salt and raised the temprature that helps with different ailments in fish. ans i used melafix aswell. But mostly letting it run its course.
