ArtesiaWells
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2012
- Messages
- 1,392
Well, unfortunately everyone, we recently lost our beloved Black (Gold) Moor "Ebony" to some kind of -- yet again -- bacterial infection, or so it seemed. Though none of the other three remaining goldfish appear to be showing any kinds of likewise signs, what began as "pimples" on her body that went away as quickly as they appeared evolved into "humps" and "lumps" on her backside to the point she eventually stopped eating; I found her face down in a plant and that was the end...
This fish meant the world to us -- for those of you who didn't know the situation, Ebony came into the last tank we had as a baby Moor, still black with the velvety scales...when the last bacterial infection in the previous 60 gallon broke out, killing a Red Cap Oranda and Chocolate Oranda, we were able to save Ebony by scooping her out and putting her in an emergency holding "tank" (which was actually a plastic Marina "goldfish starter kit") where she appeared to "shake off" the disgusting infected water from the 60. Once I cleaned out the larger tank and disinfected it for the infection, she went back in when the water was ready (Stability treatments, etc.) and was doing fine until that tank developed a crack and spilled all over the carpet, flooding the downstairs of our home as well. So Ebony -- along with another Red Cap Oranda -- was again transferred to an emergency 10 gallon starter kit we bought where she lived for nearly a year with three other goldies (kept alive by doing DAILY 50% water changes).
We finally got enough money together to purchase a new Marineland 60 gallon "Heartland Ensemble," and Ebony appeared happy to finally be back in a new, big home. She was apparently growing and doing well, with her black scales now a rich golden hue, but all of a sudden we noticed these "lumps" coming out on her body seemingly out of nowhere -- I was ABSOLUTELY RELIGIOUS with water maintenance, doing the weekly 50% and mid-week 30-gallon exchange for added cleanliness, and according to regular API test results, we were fully cycled. I just don't know where we went wrong; I don't know whether it was the change of diet to the Omega One Goldfish Flakes, the exhausted carbon in my Aqueon filter, something in our tap water, pockets of toxic elements in the substrate (though I gravel vacuumed) or maybe the stress of all these moves...but this manifested MUCH later as this new tank has been up and running for a few months now, so I don't see how that can be...
Here were the test results the DAY I took Ebony from the tank, deceased:
Ammonia: 0ppm
NitrIte: 0ppm
NitrAte: Around, approximately, 20ppm; DEFINITELY not in the "unsafe" dark orange/red zone...more in the light orange/"safe" area...
Aren't these numbers considered "safe" and good?
Does anyone have any clue, insight or thoughts regarding what could have killed this fish? I have read that these "cysts" and "tumors" can pop out at any time on fancy goldfish, usually killing them, but does anyone suspect this is what happened?
Now, if my Aqueon QuietFlow 55 and its carbon cartridge maintenance is the suspected culprit, what should I do about this? I have been rinsing and dunking the cartridges originally put in the filter when I set this new 60 gallon up during water changes (when they get a bit nasty looking) to remove loose debris while keeping the bacteria colonies, not touching the blue bio grids that are supposed to house them, but recently I did a "staggered" replacement -- that is, I swapped out one of the cartridges for a new one while leaving the other one in there (this HOB takes two carts), then waited a few weeks and just swapped the other one out for replacement...I am worried now that something in the exhausted carbon may have lead to her death, based on the discussions we were having in here about this some time back...does anyone think this is even possible? If this is the case, why haven't the other fish gotten sick?
What should I be doing with these Aqueon cartridges? Should I continue to rinse them off in removed tank water after awhile regardless of the exhausted carbon that may be in them and possibly harboring pathogens? Or, should I keep "staggering" the replacements as I just did, changing one at a time? I know this kind of gets expensive and most hobbyists like you guys and gals don't recommend keeping the filter manufacturers in business like that, but honestly I can afford, right now at least, to buy the occasional six-pack of cartridges from Petsmart that this filter takes, if not on a CONSTANT basis...
Any assistance and/or insight would be greatly appreciated here...thank you in advance!
This fish meant the world to us -- for those of you who didn't know the situation, Ebony came into the last tank we had as a baby Moor, still black with the velvety scales...when the last bacterial infection in the previous 60 gallon broke out, killing a Red Cap Oranda and Chocolate Oranda, we were able to save Ebony by scooping her out and putting her in an emergency holding "tank" (which was actually a plastic Marina "goldfish starter kit") where she appeared to "shake off" the disgusting infected water from the 60. Once I cleaned out the larger tank and disinfected it for the infection, she went back in when the water was ready (Stability treatments, etc.) and was doing fine until that tank developed a crack and spilled all over the carpet, flooding the downstairs of our home as well. So Ebony -- along with another Red Cap Oranda -- was again transferred to an emergency 10 gallon starter kit we bought where she lived for nearly a year with three other goldies (kept alive by doing DAILY 50% water changes).
We finally got enough money together to purchase a new Marineland 60 gallon "Heartland Ensemble," and Ebony appeared happy to finally be back in a new, big home. She was apparently growing and doing well, with her black scales now a rich golden hue, but all of a sudden we noticed these "lumps" coming out on her body seemingly out of nowhere -- I was ABSOLUTELY RELIGIOUS with water maintenance, doing the weekly 50% and mid-week 30-gallon exchange for added cleanliness, and according to regular API test results, we were fully cycled. I just don't know where we went wrong; I don't know whether it was the change of diet to the Omega One Goldfish Flakes, the exhausted carbon in my Aqueon filter, something in our tap water, pockets of toxic elements in the substrate (though I gravel vacuumed) or maybe the stress of all these moves...but this manifested MUCH later as this new tank has been up and running for a few months now, so I don't see how that can be...
Here were the test results the DAY I took Ebony from the tank, deceased:
Ammonia: 0ppm
NitrIte: 0ppm
NitrAte: Around, approximately, 20ppm; DEFINITELY not in the "unsafe" dark orange/red zone...more in the light orange/"safe" area...
Aren't these numbers considered "safe" and good?
Does anyone have any clue, insight or thoughts regarding what could have killed this fish? I have read that these "cysts" and "tumors" can pop out at any time on fancy goldfish, usually killing them, but does anyone suspect this is what happened?
Now, if my Aqueon QuietFlow 55 and its carbon cartridge maintenance is the suspected culprit, what should I do about this? I have been rinsing and dunking the cartridges originally put in the filter when I set this new 60 gallon up during water changes (when they get a bit nasty looking) to remove loose debris while keeping the bacteria colonies, not touching the blue bio grids that are supposed to house them, but recently I did a "staggered" replacement -- that is, I swapped out one of the cartridges for a new one while leaving the other one in there (this HOB takes two carts), then waited a few weeks and just swapped the other one out for replacement...I am worried now that something in the exhausted carbon may have lead to her death, based on the discussions we were having in here about this some time back...does anyone think this is even possible? If this is the case, why haven't the other fish gotten sick?
What should I be doing with these Aqueon cartridges? Should I continue to rinse them off in removed tank water after awhile regardless of the exhausted carbon that may be in them and possibly harboring pathogens? Or, should I keep "staggering" the replacements as I just did, changing one at a time? I know this kind of gets expensive and most hobbyists like you guys and gals don't recommend keeping the filter manufacturers in business like that, but honestly I can afford, right now at least, to buy the occasional six-pack of cartridges from Petsmart that this filter takes, if not on a CONSTANT basis...
Any assistance and/or insight would be greatly appreciated here...thank you in advance!