Help with Black Moor

[Sbjames]

I am new to fish and to this site. We got this Black Moor about 6-8 months ago and have only changed the water by adding new water when it has evaporated.

About a week ago, my fish started staying on the bottom of the tank. It occasionally swam around to eat food or grab some air at the top of the tank. After buying fish disease tablets and water conditioner and still seeing no change, I changed 50% of the tanks water (maybe more) and cleaned out the gravel (the water was very brownish green with the gravel).

After the water change my fish was curved at the end of it's body as it's seen in the photo and moves even less. I also can't tell if those are specks on it's tail fins or not.

I've tried to look up solutions and found this site. I would appreciate any help.

Also, when we first got this fish, we bought a gold fantail and an additional black moor with it. Both died within a week or two but this one survived and has been with us since.

Thanks!

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[meegosh]

You should be cleaning your tank regularly and changing your water, not topping it off. Do you have a test kit? What are your parameters? Your moor has ich, and it looks pretty bad to be honest. You need to slowly raise your tank's temperature to 86°F and keep it there for two weeks after the last white spot has disappeared. Then slowly bring your tank's temperature back down to normal and do a good gravel cleaning.

 

[Sbjames]

You should be cleaning your tank regularly and changing your water, not topping it off. Do you have a test kit? What are your parameters? Your moor has ich, and it looks pretty bad to be honest. You need to slowly raise your tank's temperature to 86°F and keep it there for two weeks after the last white spot has disappeared. Then slowly bring your tank's temperature back down to normal and do a good gravel cleaning.

Thanks for your help Steve.

By parameters do you mean the size of the tank? I do not have a test kit. My fish is in a 10 gallon tank.

I was afraid of changing the water completely before this because I wasn't sure how to and didn't want to stress the fish out. I figured this was my last shot either way it went.

Will the temperature raise alone kill the ich or do I need to do something in addition to this? How regularly should I change the water and what is the process? How do I clean the gravel? I completely emptied out the tank today (leaving the fish in about 50% of it's water), and ran water through the gravel.

Also, can I raise the temperature by just adding warm water?

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[jinchi]

Thanks for your help Steve.

By parameters do you mean the size of the tank? I do not have a test kit. My fish is in a 10 gallon tank.

I was afraid of changing the water completely before this because I wasn't sure how to and didn't want to stress the fish out. I figured this was my last shot either way it went.

Will the temperature raise alone kill the ich or do I need to do something in addition to this? How regularly should I change the water and what is the process? How do I clean the gravel? I completely emptied out the tank today (leaving the fish in about 50% of it's water), and ran water through the gravel.

Also, can I raise the temperature by just adding warm water?

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

SBJames, parameters = ammonia, nitrate, and nitrate levels, (get an API Master Test Kit) it uses liquid color changes to achieve more accurate test results.

Simply adding warm water will not do a good job of slowly raising temp, you need a heater, also when you do this you will want to have the bubbler going or if you have a hang on back type heater, lower the water level so you get more splash.

Your Morr has Ich probably because of you not testing/changing water. Common newbie mistake. I was there at one time, let it be a learning

Raising the temp alone will kill the ICH as they cannot survive the temperature. As stated leave the temp up until last white speck falls off. Also you will have to do more frequent water changes while treating ich.

Best of luck

 

[Sbjames]

How often will I have to change the water while treating Ich and how often should I change the water once the Ich is cleared? How often should I test the parameters? Will Ich kill my fish?

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[Sbjames]

Also, by "bubbler" do you mean the water filter system? I have a filter system that is pouring water back into the tank making bubbles.

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[jinchi]

How often will I have to change the water while treating Ich and how often should I change the water once the Ich is cleared? How often should I test the parameters? Will Ich kill my fish?

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

The Ich can kill your fish (its a parasite)

While treating Ich, I'd suggest at least a 30% water change everyday.
When Ich is gone 10% is good.
Do a search for "cycling the water" or just try cycling.
Do a parameter test as soon as you can and post the results here so we can go through them to suggest action steps, but when all is clear you can check params every week

Since you have a "hang - on - back" type filter thats good, as the water spills back into the tank it makes bubbles, but I would suggest you keep the water level 2 inches or so under the top of the tank to get more splash. As you raise the temp to 86 you are also depleting much needed oxygen faster

 

[Sbjames]

Thank you so much for your help!! I really appreciate it!! I will post as I get more information on parameters and the heater. We didn't buy a heater because I didn't think we needed one for goldfish. I wish I would have known!

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[jinchi]

Thank you so much for your help!! I really appreciate it!! I will post as I get more information on parameters and the heater. We didn't buy a heater because I didn't think we needed one for goldfish. I wish I would have known!

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

I understand, heaters are good to have when dealing with ich

And youre welcome

Lookin forward to the test readings, also you might consider (future) getting a bigger tank as moors do get bigger and also get a gravel vacuum because they do alotta pooping, and the poop could be whats messing up your tank parameters.

Get some water conditioner too (that will take care of removing the chlorine from your tap water)

 

[Sbjames]

Good to know. I did put some water conditioner in it along with some water treatment with Nitraban. I also had been putting lifeguard tablets in case the fish did indeed have a disease. Was it wrong to use all of that at the same time?

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[jinchi]

If your water conditioner had Nitraban in it, thats fine. As you are doing your water changes while your fish is sick, I would suggest you do so as not to further induce stress to your fish, go easy with it.

You are prob safe using the lifeguard tablets (per instructions) while you are combatting the Ich prob.

Another sugg. Search this board or google for the lifestages of Ich, and you will be better prepared to deal with Ich if you understand it.

As a note of caution, do not expect to see immediate results, it will take some time (maybe 3 days).

 

[meegosh]

I'd recommend reading through an article we have posted here.

Freshwater Ich? Yuck!

 

[Sbjames]

Thank you so much for all your help. I will keep you posted.

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[Sbjames]

I was deterred from buying a heater and test kit from the pet store today and instead was told to buy aquarium salt and API Ick Cure. I am so afraid I made a mistake!! After following the directions it seems our fish is swimming just a tad more (it swam to the glass when it saw me) but it looks a lot worse than it did yesterday. I will attach a before and after shot and also a shot of it's tail fins. Can it have that fin rot disease AND Ich at the same time?!

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[Sbjames]

Before and after photo of head. It looks like an open wound. Is the Ich dying and leaving open wounds? Why is it's head whiter than it was yesterday? Is it getting worse?

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[Sbjames]

Black Moor tail. Could this be fin rot?!

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[Sbjames]

Better photos of it's tail

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[Sbjames]

Other views of it's head

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[jinchi]

I was deterred from buying a heater and test kit from the pet store today and instead was told to buy aquarium salt and API Ick Cure. I am so afraid I made a mistake!! After following the directions it seems our fish is swimming just a tad more (it swam to the glass when it saw me) but it looks a lot worse than it did yesterday. I will attach a before and after shot and also a shot of it's tail fins. Can it have that fin rot disease AND Ich at the same time?!

Owner/Photographer - SBJamesPhotography - Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

You read the article that was posted about the lifestages of Ich. The heater is critical in raising the temp of your water to speed up the life process of the Ich so that you can deal with it in a short period of time and so that your fish does not have to deal with it for longer.

The aquarium salt is ok and so is the Ich Cure, and yes, here it comes, BUT without the heater it will take you and your fish longer to deal with this.

Because of the stress your fish has/is going thru, he is more susceptible to other diseases such as fin rot.

The API Freshwater Test Kit (the one with the test tubes) is necessary to test the parameters of the water, with the data that the test provides we can eliminate other things that are causing stress to your fish, such as a high concentration of ammonia and to make sure that the biological process of the filter is doings it job.

Because all Goldfish in general are poop machines, the gravel vacuum is necessary to clean out the gravel. The poop decays and just adds to your ammonia levels, which is not good.

 

[DA fisherman]

You read the article that was posted about the lifestages of Ich. The heater is critical in raising the temp of your water to speed up the life process of the Ich so that you can deal with it in a short period of time and so that your fish does not have to deal with it for longer.

The aquarium salt is ok and so is the Ich Cure, and yes, here it comes, BUT without the heater it will take you and your fish longer to deal with this.

Because of the stress your fish has/is going thru, he is more susceptible to other diseases such as fin rot.

The API Freshwater Test Kit (the one with the test tubes) is necessary to test the parameters of the water, with the data that the test provides we can eliminate other things that are causing stress to your fish, such as a high concentration of ammonia and to make sure that the biological process of the filter is doings it job.

Because all Goldfish in general are poop machines, the gravel vacuum is necessary to clean out the gravel. The poop decays and just adds to your ammonia levels, which is not good.

+1

Plus once the ich reaches a fish gill it will be to late.........