Sick goldfish...or is it?

Anusia

Hi there,

I have a fancy goldfish. About two weeks ago I noticed 2 small dark patches on its right side. Shortly after I noticed small white cysts on his pectoral fins.

Please see the blurry photo attached 2014-03-17 11.14.21.jpg. Below is a description of his behaviour (and mine!) in the past few weeks:

After one full water change two weeks previous to noticing discolouration he darted around the tank quite alot. He eventually calmed down. I later learned that I shouldn't be doing full water changes and haven't done since.

I got some floating aquatic plants at the local pet shop, all of which he ate. Maybe they came from an infected tank?

I had been feeding him tiny amounts twice a day. I have reduced to once a day.

He often stays beneath the filter. Though he does alot of intervals of blowing bubbles at the top of the tank

For a couple of days he kept trying to swim upwards in the space between the tank wall and the filter. I thought he was trying to get food stuck in the filter but now think he may have been trying to scratch.

I bought Methylene blue and added the prescribed dose to the tank (as instructed by the enclosed booklet) now thinking I probably shouldn't have but I don't have a second tank.

Initially the tank was so blue I couldn't see the fish unless he was very close to the glass so I performed a 50% water change and have done 20 % changes today and yesterday.

It's been three days and there are still gross white cysts on his fins. Seems like the dark patches are a little smaller but hard to tell with the blue water.

Any ideas of what I should do next? Should I leave the concentration as it is, add more Methylene blue? Or were the cysts just a sign that the fish is a He and so it's just a sign of breeding?

He's about a year and a half old and before I had him he had no filter and was doing fine. I've had him for 6 months and until a couple of weeks ago he was fine.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I've grown quite fond of him.

chopper6

Anusia wrote: »

Hi there,

I have a fancy goldfish. About two weeks ago I noticed 2 small dark patches on its right side. Shortly after I noticed small white cysts on his pectoral fins.

Please see the blurry photo attached 2014-03-17 11.14.21.jpg. Below is a description of his behaviour (and mine!) in the past few weeks:

After one full water change two weeks previous to noticing discolouration he darted around the tank quite alot. He eventually calmed down. I later learned that I shouldn't be doing full water changes and haven't done since.

I got some floating aquatic plants at the local pet shop, all of which he ate. Maybe they came from an infected tank?

I had been feeding him tiny amounts twice a day. I have reduced to once a day.

He often stays beneath the filter. Though he does alot of intervals of blowing bubbles at the top of the tank

For a couple of days he kept trying to swim upwards in the space between the tank wall and the filter. I thought he was trying to get food stuck in the filter but now think he may have been trying to scratch.

I bought Methylene blue and added the prescribed dose to the tank (as instructed by the enclosed booklet) now thinking I probably shouldn't have but I don't have a second tank.

Initially the tank was so blue I couldn't see the fish unless he was very close to the glass so I performed a 50% water change and have done 20 % changes today and yesterday.

It's been three days and there are still gross white cysts on his fins. Seems like the dark patches are a little smaller but hard to tell with the blue water.

Any ideas of what I should do next? Should I leave the concentration as it is, add more Methylene blue? Or were the cysts just a sign that the fish is a He and so it's just a sign of breeding?

He's about a year and a half old and before I had him he had no filter and was doing fine. I've had him for 6 months and until a couple of weeks ago he was fine.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I've grown quite fond of him.

How big is your tank?

Goldfish are a nitrate producing fish and really should be kept in a pond rather than a tank.

From experience you can be lucky or unlucky keeping goldfish in a tank but ideally they should have something like 100 litres each minimum.

CruelCoin

chopper6 wrote: »

How big is your tank?

Goldfish are a nitrate producing fish and really should be kept in a pond rather than a tank.

From experience you can be lucky or unlucky keeping goldfish in a tank but ideally they should have something like 100 litres each minimum.

All fish are nitrate producing fish....Goldfish just more so.

A better guide to literage is 200lts for the first gf, then 100 for each extra.

There is no problem keeping them in aquariums at all, just make sure you have a filter capable of keeping up with the bioload.

chopper6

CruelCoin wrote: »

All fish are nitrate producing fish....Goldfish just more so.

A better guide to literage is 200lts for the first gf, then 100 for each extra.

There is no problem keeping them in aquariums at all, just make sure you have a filter capable of keeping up with the bioload.

With respect,i hve never heard of anybody with a 200lr tank keeping ONE goldfish in it.

CruelCoin

chopper6 wrote: »

With respect,i hve never heard of anybody with a 200lr tank keeping ONE goldfish in it.

With respect, i have. Adults need the room (so i'm told. Goldfish suck in all honesty).

chopper6

CruelCoin wrote: »

With respect, i have. Adults need the room (so i'm told. Goldfish suck in all honesty).

I have a pond

ZiabR

How long is the tank setup? Have you tested your water? Does it feed when you offer food?