Help! Nemo's got something on his...butt??

[kelleyincolorad]

Well, I'm back with another question...the kids noticed Nemo has this red area near his tail and above his lower fin that looks like a sore?? I am attaching pictures, but please bear with me...he's FAST and I did the best I could.

Nemo is still zipping around like crazy, though he almost seems to be more aggressive towards the other fish. Could it be because he hurt himself?! Would some sort of infection look like this so fast?! Nothing was there this morning.
He's eating fine, swimming fine...I've felt the edges of everything to see if there's a rough spot he might have hit- (one area on the top of a rock is questionable). I'm at a loss, but stuck Mela-fix the super-medicine in there, just in case.

So, help!:D and thank you all AGAIN

Kelley in Colorado

[kelleyincolorad]

Here's a little better shot of Nemo, our dear birthday-party fish.
Hope this one is clearer and you all can help me figure this one out.

Kelley in Colorado

[kelleyincolorad]

Just noticed that one of our fancy goldfish has a similar, but much smaller, red sore looking thing surrounding the base of one of it's front fins! Now I'm really freaking out...what do I do?? I'm going right now to do a water change and add Mela-Fix and check the ammonia.

Here's new stuff I've learned...eliminate all but 1/4 inch of gravel..I'm going that, too.

I fed them peas (cooked and peeled like I've read around here) yesterday...now that couldn't have done anything, could it???

Jeez....
Kelley in Colorado

[Harry Tolen]

The cooked peas would not have caused your problem, unless they wound up in the gravel and created a water quality problem.

Looks like hemorrhagic septicemia to me. It is recommended that you feed the fish with an antibiotic-laced fishfood (they sell this pre-made in the stores) if they are still eating, or treat with antibiotics in the water if they are not. Melafix, by the way, is not suitable for this purpose. It can't hurt, but it won't help, either. If you can't just use medicated flakes, then Maracyn I and II would be OK.

Also, since this problem comes from overcrowding or poor water quality, you will need to increase the size and frequency of your water changes. I would also add a bit of crushed coral or aragonite to your filter in a media bag, to slowly raise the KH of your tank. PH fluctuations could have been a contributing factor.

Are your fish in their new 20 gallon home yet? If not, this would be a good time to make the change.