fish doctor?

Question

I have a freshwater aquarium filled with different tropical fish. Oir first fish was a gold fish and he has been with us over a year. He looks unhealthy, and has red blood type stripes in his fins. He also looks bloated. My water tests good. Any help would be appreciated.

I know it is just a .15 cent Goldfish, But he was our canary in the coal mine when we fired it up, well now he is huge and the kids love him. Didnt realize he would last, but he is the biggest and brightest in our tank of 20 fish. When I told my son this moring that he had issues he wanted me to take him down to our local fish shop for treatment. Anyway thats the reason I need to save him.... Oh and he is way to big to flush>

One more to add after the resp. Our tank is 80 gallons

OK after some more of the responses. I change the water weekly 25%, I buy the water. All of my fish have been around for a long time. I also change filter etc. Water tests fine!

Answer 1

The combination of bloody looking stripes in the fins and a bloated body indicates an internal bacterial infection, probably involving the liver. I would suggest you treat the fish with an antibiotic sold under the brand name Furanace (generic name Nifurpirinol). This is the first choice for me in treating such infections because it is better absorbed by the fish than many other antibiotics. My second choice would be any brand of Tetracycline, following that the brand name Maracyn 2. Treat at the recommended dosage level for 14 days with any of the above medications.

NOTE: Nifurpirinol is a known carcinogen. Handle with care and wash your hands well after any potential exposure.

Best of luck with him and if I can help further feel free to email me.

MM

Answer 2

Since none of the other fish are suffering from this, and only he is he could be suffering from a number of different things.

One being the begining of dropsy (which goldfish are prone to get). However this is usually caused by poor water conditions and your tank does not sound like that is the case. That doesn't mean it cannot happen.

Septicemia is another possiablity this is when the bacteria enter the goldfish's circulatory system, they are able to travel throughout the fish's body very quickly, causing damage to body tissue, blood vessel, and the fish's heart. This often results in internal bleeding. Because these fluids may fill the fish's abdomen, dropsy may also result. This is a very serious condition and must be treated immediately. One of the antibiotics MM mentioned earlier.

Remember when using antibiotics, never overdose in an attempt to Speed up the process. Overdosing can lead to your biofilter crashing.

As for the bloating, are you adding salt to the tank water? Goldfish really should not have salt added to water. This actually can do more harm than good by retaining water. It could also be from any of the above mentioned problems. If your goldfish is retaining water, which is creating his bloating, feeding him green veggies like peas, green beans spinach etc. It is good for his diet and help with the water retention as well.

Answer 3

It could be a disease called Septicemia. I would watch touching the fish until you know for sure. Humans can get this disease and it is possibly fatal. Here is some info I have gathered on this disease.
Septicemia:
A fairly rare to common in all tropical and coldwater fish. It is caused by bad tank conditions and is very hard to cure if not impossible. This condition can follow on from skin infections such as fin rot or may occur independently as a result of dirty
conditions. Bacteria enter the blood stream and circulate through the tissues causing inflammation and damage. Blood vessel and heart tissue damage result in leakage of fluids into the abdomen, producing dropsy. Inflamed blood vessels in the skin and at fin bases stand out. Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia can be diagnosed by red streaking of the fins and body and once this disease progresses, ulcerations and body sores start to appear. There is Significant loss of appetite, lethargy, loss of motor functions in
the later stages of the disease. Things To Look Out For
Reddening at the bases of the fins Small hemorrhages around the eyes Very dull, listless behaviors Lack of appetite
Treatment. Seek vetinary guidance. The vet will prescribe antibiotics. I recommend using Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride Powder obtained from a vet to cure this disease. Check the aquarium for the cause and eliminate it. You can also go to your local pet store and they may be able to help.

Answer 4

Sounds like it could be ammonia poisoning to me. You don't say what you tested for... was it ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, or something else?

Because ammonia toxicity is linked to the pH, testing of both ammonia and pH levels are critical. Ammonia becomes increasingly toxic as the pH rises above 7.0. Anytime a fish appears to be ill, test for ammonia to rule out ammonia poisoning. If the filter stops, test for ammonia twenty-four hours later to ensure that the bacterial colonies that eliminate wastes were not affected.

Ammonia poisoning presents as bloody streaks or spots on the body or in the fins combined with lethargic (not moving) behavior and not eating. Here is a good site to check and see if the symptoms fit your fish:

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/ammoniapoison.htm?nl=1

If you are not doing regular weekly 25-30% water changes, ammonia could be the problem.

Answer 5

A goldfish shouldn't be together with tropicals. The tropicals may be picking at the goldfish's fins.

Answer 6

i would just get another fish, they're not that much money. supposebly you fed the goldfish to much, thats why hes bloated and has stretch marks. goldfish should only be fed once a day.

Answer 7

Um, i dont think you would want to spend money on medication on a goldfish, when its must cheaper to get a new one. I think you might have a Nitrite or Ammonia problem. If he is bloated its a bacterial problem, you need to buy Furan-2 and feed him pees to get rid of the bloating. hope this helps

Answer 8

relax, its only a goldfish...