# Shubunkin help please



## Deaitaliano (Sep 19, 2021)

I am pretty regular with water changes. These guys have had insane output of ammonia. I am able to keep it to about 1.5ppm the best which still sucks I know!!! Everything else is amazing with water parameters. Back story; I got them from an older man who kept them in a very filthy tank. The water was green. As well as all rims of the tank. Also they were in a 20 gallon tank. Two shubunkins need a lot of space I am aware. I updated to them a 29 gallon tank because I can not go much bigger in my apartment for now! They are supposedly two years old+. Also supposedly two males. Although only the black one gets male like tendencies. Previous owner used well water. I live in the more city area and use tap. With treatment of course. After around couple of weeks having the white one (Goose) started turning pink. I tested waters kept it changing. Pink never went away even tho ammonia was better. Now I am treating them with pimafix because the redness seamed to pick up again this week. Will start melafix today because of now the fins seem to be having major issues. Pretty clear my black one(Maverick) has fin rot now! and the white one looks okay but has white and red dots on tail here and there. Any advice besides treatment, keeping ammonia out, and water changes? I am worried as I absolutely love these guys!


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## Amrys (Sep 19, 2021)

Hi,

I can't claim to be an expert, but I have kept shubunkins for about 8 years. Firstly, the cloudiness of the water in your tank suggests that this is a newly set-up tank that hasn't finished cycling yet, is that the case? If so, things will likely improve once the cycle is done. (Also, it does look like that plane was manufactured to be used as an aquarium decoration, but if it wasn't, I would remove it just to be sure it's not leaching anything into the water. Do check your decor for rough edges in case that is causing/contributing to the fin problems.) In the meantime, a couple suggestions: Firstly, plants will help keep your water quality in check. I know goldfish + plants can be a struggle, but I've had excellent luck with anubias. They are super easy to keep -- they don't need special substrate or root tabs, and may not even need liquid fertilizer, as your goldfish waste may be enough to support them. They are too tough for goldfish to chew up, and if your fish uproot them, it's no big deal -- their roots are tough, unlikely to tear off, and they don't really feed through them anyway, getting their nutrients through the water. Just tuck the roots back into the gravel. You can also attach them to rocks or driftwood. Just don't bury the rhizome (the stem-like part the roots grow from), and they are nearly impossible to kill. Plus they are one of the less expensive aquarium plants. Java ferns are even cheaper, and live the same way as anubias. I had less luck with them, but they are cheap enough you might want to give them a try as well. Having plants around seems to make fish less nervous/stressed, which will make recovering from illness easier. Plus, big water changes, while sometimes necessary, can also cause stress, so if plants can help you cut down how often/how much water you need to change, so much the better.

Secondly, by turning pink, it sounds like the fish is developing inflammation. One of mine has had recurring problems with inflammation, and also developed bumps on his fins and tail that I thought of as warts, which also sounds like it might match what's going on with yours. I tried everything I could think of -- salt, pimafix, melafix, wide-spectrum medication -- with no luck, asked a bunch of people who couldn't give me an answer. Finally I noticed that the inflammation seemed worse after he'd eaten, and I wondered if maybe he had a food allergy. I tried a couple different foods, and did find one that seems to have done the trick. (It was Omega One sinking goldfish pellets, although I assume that if it was a food allergy, what's good and not good is going to be different for every fish just like it is for every person.) It's also possible that it wasn't an allergy, but another illness that passed with time, but it couldn't hurt to try. On a related note, you say that the water they were kept in before was green -- sometimes people keep goldfish in green water on purpose, so the fish can eat the algae present. You don't have to cultivate a green water tank yourself, but you might try getting some algae in their diet, through algae wafers if nothing else. Possibly try feeding whatever their previous owner was giving them if you can. Goldfish are generally very adaptable, but big changes can stress anybody out.

Good luck!


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## Deaitaliano (Sep 19, 2021)

first I want to thank you for replying to me!!! And secondly I have had this tank for about 2 months now?? Is it possible I’m keeping it too clean?! I was so worried about the ammonia that I was clearing the tank by 30-50 percent each time! At least once a week. Using an ammonia neutralizer as well. I did switch their food to one with biotin in it. As I thought maybe they could be happier with more substance. Maybe they hate me for that too. Too much change at once… now I feel horrible I just wanted them to have the space they deserved and be taken care of! The cloudiness I can only assume is because I took the filter out and have been dosing them with melafix and pimafix. His (Mavericks) tail has definitely stopped tearing abd fraying and is growing back it seems! But they have been a little dormant on the bottom today. My last option I’ve been reading is about the plants too. I will have to get some ordered or check out my LFS. And the plane is meant for fish!!! But I thought the same thing that it seems sharp! Would it work to root the plants around and too the plane??? Might look cool and keep them safe.. as I said I really really do love these beautiful fish!! And hey also do you have insight on to their sex??? I was told two males but swear the black one chases the white one around when he’s got his white dots lol jw! I want my white one to be okay. Goose concerns me the most with his behavior but today the pink is turning back metallic too. Although I’ve heard Pimafix and melafix can be totally useless most the time.. i am hopeful it’s working for them!


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## Deaitaliano (Sep 19, 2021)

The pink seems to have gone done severely. And my blacks ones tail seems to be having like a new grey growth in between the part that was disconnecting! I plan on doing a water change tomorrow. Pima fix was done today and mela fix has about 4 days left. I will definitely get some plants in there and pray that helps.
Okay so update… here’s the old tank… it must’ve been green from the move!!! Old stuff kicking up?? Here’s the old tank! And now I’m realizing she was pink before I even got her!!! I thought I caused all that!!!


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## Deaitaliano (Sep 19, 2021)

I did use some old stuff from their tank to help the transfer.. I only Just this week took everything but the plane out. Just to be sure nothing old is causing problems.. the fake plants maybe out of date and going bad on them in the water idk I’m so new to this but want to be so good at it!!! Lol thanks for the help a lot!


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