12-hour killer disease? (Attention Jeremiah)

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hbeverb

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Apr 7, 2009
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This is my first post to this forum, and I joined to ask if anyone knows what mysterious illness/disease killed my fancy goldfish in approximately 12 hours. I only have one goldfish because my apartment manager won't allow a big enough aquarium for any more. I have had him almost 2 years.

Sometime in the past couple of months, he started having this floating problem that only happened after he ate. So, I switched diets and started giving him more greens, and the problems started going away. His fins started getting bigger, as did he. Another thing I changed within the past few months was his gravel (he was getting big enough that I feared he could choke on the small rocks) and I added some Waterweed (live plants). The plants thrived, and so did the fish. I have test strips to check ammonia, nitrates, nitrates, hardness, and pH, and they have been showing that his water quality is within a normal range (with the hardness always a little high -- Michigan water!).

Last week, I got too busy to clean his aquarium as I usually would have on Sunday. I have skipped a week before and then made up for it by doing a bigger change the next time, so this was nothing unusual. This Sunday, I did a slightly bigger water change than normal. This was also right after we changed the filter on our Brita water pitcher (don't know if this has anything to do with it, but I'm including all the details I can remember!).

Yesterday (the next day), he was swimming happily. I always look at him one last time before I turn his light off and go to bed, and he was perfectly okay then. In the mornings when I get up, the first thing I do is come look at him, but this morning I discovered what I thought was a slight problem. His eyes had a cloudy film over them and his fins were fraying slightly on the ends. I checked the water quality and it showed that the pH was really low (acidic), which I thought was weird given that I just changed the water two days ago. I decided I should do a small water change before going to work, and in the evening I would decide how to proceed and possibly buy some medication for him. I knew I wouldn't be home before 7 pm, but I thought there would still be enough time to save him.

This evening when I walked in, his condition had MAJORLY deteriorated. The film on his eyes appeared to be flaking off, most of his fins were red and damaged, and his gills were red. He was lying on the bottom still breathing but gasping a little. I rushed to Pet Smart to buy some Melafix (from a nice guy named Jeremiah in Ann Arbor). He said that he'd never seen anything like the eye problem and was surprised at how fast whatever it was progressed.

When we arrived home 45 minutes later and put the Melafix in, he had noticeably deteriorated EVEN MORE! Now his mouth was stuck open and his whole body looked white and crusty, but he was still breathing a little. Within another hour he was dead.

All of this happened within 12-24 hours, depending on how early in the night his symptoms originally started. Does anyone know what this is? I posted a few pictures of him showing the advancement of the illness. The first two are when I got home this evening around 7:30, the next two are from when I returned from Pet Smart around 8:45, and the final two are from 10:00, the time of death.

Please let me know if anyone knows what this is!

Thanks,
hbeverb

golfish 7 pm.JPG golfish 7 pm - closeup of eyes.JPG goldfish 9 pm.JPG goldfish 9 pm - eyes and mouth.JPG dead goldfish 10 pm - body.JPG dead goldfish 10 pm - front on.JPG
 

hbeverb

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Apr 7, 2009
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the goldfish yesterday

I just remembered that I actually took photos of my goldfish just yesterday! It snowed here in Michigan, and I had gotten out my camera to take pictures of our (hopefully) last snow, and I just happened to take a couple of the fish.

Keep in mind that this is about 24-36 hours before his death, and about 12-18 hours before I noticed any symptoms. He was very active yesterday, actually, but I got him to hold still for this one picture! The others were blurry.

He was beautiful and will be missed.

happy goldfish yesterday.JPG
 

hbeverb

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Apr 7, 2009
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Only a 5 gallon tank, because of apartment regulations, which is why he was alone in there. I realize he should have had a 10 gallon, but we were diligent about changing the water and checking the water quality. Also, he was tiny when we got him and were thinking about upgrading or giving him to a friend (who offered to take him) if he got any bigger.
 

serissime

second-guessing
Nov 24, 2008
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It seems like you took great care of him. I can't help identify his illness. I can't tell what size tank he's in, but it looks like my 5 gallon tank. In the future, you might want to look into some smaller fish, maybe tropical. Goldfish, in time, need a bigger tank than 5 gallons. (Of course, if I'm looking wrong, my apologies!) Again, it really looks like you took great care of him. Did you remember to add your dechlorinator? I don't think that's it.. but... :(

EDIT: oops I got ninja'd. glad you knew already!
 

petluvr

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Jun 5, 2008
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Larry
You say you are using test strips they are horribly inaccurate. There was NO ammonia in the tank or in your tap water? With such a small tank and such a big bioload from the fish it would be difficult at best to keep the ammonia at 0 doing every other day water changes.
 

hbeverb

AC Members
Apr 7, 2009
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It seems like you took great care of him. I can't help identify his illness. I can't tell what size tank he's in, but it looks like my 5 gallon tank. In the future, you might want to look into some smaller fish, maybe tropical. Goldfish, in time, need a bigger tank than 5 gallons. (Of course, if I'm looking wrong, my apologies!) Again, it really looks like you took great care of him. Did you remember to add your dechlorinator? I don't think that's it.. but... :(

EDIT: oops I got ninja'd. glad you knew already!
Yep, you were right! Very good eye!

For a moment this morning, I thought, "Could it be that I forgot the dechlorinator?" But, I distinctly remember doing it and my husband remembers me doing it, thank goodness.
 

Bubbles2112

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Jun 22, 2008
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Barbara
In the first two photos--is that his actual eyes that crusted off or was it some type of growth that built up around his eyes? I've never seen anything like it. Sorry for your loss. He really was a beautiful goldie.
Columnaris perhaps? But I've never seen it manifest in the eyes.
 
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