# Sick goldfish



## oldnickb (May 7, 2015)

Hi

I have 6 goldfish abour 5 - 6 inches long
Tank is 120 litres
I clean the filters every week and change the pads and sponges about every couple of months.
I use two filters a Fluval u3 and another that has a bar.

A couple of days ago I noticed a lump on the side of one of the fishes. At first I thought it was a graze but on close inspection I saw a similar but smaller mark on another fish.

My local petshop said to post pictures here as members here were much more knowledgeable than she was.

Hope some body can steer me in the right direction.

























Hope somebody can help

Cheers Nick


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## vreugy (May 1, 2013)

I am sorry I can't help you, but for what it is worth, the spots look like swellings to me. Maybe a tumor or parasite. Sorry I can't be of more help.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Does look like tumors. How are you cleaning the filters? tank water or tap water. Don't change filters till they are falling apart and when you do. don't do all at once. Tank is only about 30 gal and there is probably a lot of waste for that many goldfish. It is recommended 30 gal for one goldie and 10 gal for each one added. That is for fancy goldfish. Those look like comets and actually need a pond as they will get a foot long.


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## oldnickb (May 7, 2015)

susankat said:


> Does look like tumors. How are you cleaning the filters? tank water or tap water. Don't change filters till they are falling apart and when you do. don't do all at once. Tank is only about 30 gal and there is probably a lot of waste for that many goldfish. It is recommended 30 gal for one goldie and 10 gal for each one added. That is for fancy goldfish. Those look like comets and actually need a pond as they will get a foot long.


That's a lot of water. Petsmart told me 20 litres + 10 for each fish, so 80 litres for 6 fish. My local fish shop said I needed 120 litres, now you are saying I need 360 litres.

How am I meant to know which is right?


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## Marshall (Jul 8, 2013)

Susankat is right, don't trust the pet shop to know whats best.

you have pond fish in a tiny tank


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## Matt68005 (Mar 3, 2012)

umm, okay, its not a tumor because he has it on like 3 fish.
Looks like a pretty common bacterial lesion
You need a real antibiotic and anti-fungal used together
But since your talking in "liters" and not gallons, i assume your not in the states and thus cant get any good meds.


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## oldnickb (May 7, 2015)

No I'm in the UK. Local fish shop thought same and recommended Methylene Blue but it doesn't seem to be making any difference, saying that, it's certainly not getting any worse. Did ask at local vet but they said impossible to diagnose unless they did lab tests and frankly £86 for tests is way out of my pocket.

Otherwise fish seem healthy, active and hungry.

Am re-homing two to a friends pond to cut the numbers a bit. Just hope a heron doesn't get them!


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## Matt68005 (Mar 3, 2012)

I can tell you right now its one of 3 bacteria
Flexibacteria columnare
Aeromonas hydrophillia
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Treatment of all three would be quite easy with methylene and Oxytetracycline.
I wish they would all you guys to have fish antibiotics!
So silly, whos gonna take a goldfish to the vet unless its like a 20 year old huge fancy....


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

I heard about a woman who had a surgery on her goldfish......


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## oldnickb (May 7, 2015)

Matt68005 said:


> I can tell you right now its one of 3 bacteria
> Flexibacteria columnare
> Aeromonas hydrophillia
> Pseudomonas aeruginosa
> ...


Thanks for the info. I'll keep going with the Methylene Blue and keep my fingers crossed. The fish seems to be slightly off keel now, ever so little but a definite tilt, so it's not looking good. It's not even six years old yet.

Incidentally my niece is a vet, unfortunately at the other end of the country, but she has had all sorts of fish brought in, even a piranha!


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## Matt68005 (Mar 3, 2012)

YA unfortunately, nothing is gonna stop that from killing your fish execpt an antibiotic at this point. Might consider putting it down they dont get the other fish sick either.


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## oldnickb (May 7, 2015)

Managed to find somebody local who knows about goldfish. Three of mine have now gone to her pond.

The two sick ones according to her have suffered ammonia burns from my tank spiking, although water quality is good now.

The one that was tilting and had the small lesion was being treated with methyl blue and daily change of 1/3rd of the water has completely recovered with the bump gone and only slightly different coloured scales to show where it was.

The other one with the bigger bump is now in the methyl tank and is improving as well. Swelling going down and scales appear to be regrowing.


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