Goldfish tail fin has disappeared

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djh84

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Mar 19, 2010
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I woke up this morning and the tailfin on one of my goldfish has vanished. I only have large pebbles and plants in the tank so no rough edges etc. It looked fine last night so I dont think its fin rot. The only problem the fish seems to have is swimming in a straight line.

Can anybody help with what the problem is. I change the water and put the relevant chlorine and plant food stuff in regularly.
 

Somervell

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Feb 8, 2009
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I think you will probably need to post the parameters of the tank so that some of the goldfish people could help you. The things that they will probably want to know are the following:

NitrIte
NitrAte
PH
Ammonia
Size of tank
tank mates
How long has it been set up?
Is there any red streaking in the tail area?
How is the goldfish feeding/behaving?

When you say "vanished" do you mean GONE or shredded? I have found that most tailfin issues do end up being water quality issues. If it happened overnight, you either have a very aggressive tankmate or some kind of very aggressive infection. Sometimes even in established tanks the chemistry can be off. Can you post a picture of the fish in question?

Clean water can do wonders for fish, especially goldfish. If you could answer some of these questions, maybe someone can get a better handle on what's wrong with your fish.
 

djh84

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Mar 19, 2010
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I have a 35l tank with 3 other goldfish and 5 of the leech things that help keep the tank clean. It has been set up for approx 16 months there is no red streaking nea the tail and the fish seems to be behaving normally. Sorry I dont know about the PH or Nitrate etc. I change approx 10l of the water every 2 weeks religiously. I dont have a pic of the fish as yet but should be able to put one on soon.

Yes the tail has literally GONE. There is no sign of it in the tank at all.
 

Somervell

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You might also consider asking one of the moderators to move your post into coldwater disease. You will probably get a little more attention there.

Did you mean "loaches?" What kind of loaches are they? Some are compatible with goldfish; others aren't and are sometimes aggressive. I would definitely get a water test kit. At 35L with three goldfish and 5 loaches, you have a very overstocked tank. If I have calculated correctly, you have a tank that is less than 10 gallons. EACH goldfish requires at least 10-15 gallons. Having that many residents in a tank, even with 25% water changes weekly could cause havoc with your water chemistry. You don't mention filtration. What kind of filtration are you running on your tank?

Are your fish breathing rapidly or bottom sitting? Are they swimming erratically? These can be signs of ammonia toxicity. If I were a betting woman (which I'm not) I would bet that your water chemistry is messed up. The other possibility is an aggressive loach.
 

Somervell

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Hi-
I referred your situation to a moderator, who will probably move this post to the Coldwater Illness/disease section so that it will get the attention of more goldfish enthusiasts. :)
 

Sploke

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moved your thread, it should get more attention here.

Feel free to start a new topic in the "Introduce yourself" forum to..well, introduce yourself, if you'd like.

As far as the fish go, I would agree with Somervell and immediately start doing more water changes, starting with 10-15% daily would be a good idea until you can get a better diagnosis. A picture would also be a big help.
 

djh84

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Mar 19, 2010
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The fish are swimming around normally/randomly, if that the best way to describe it. No different to what they always have anyway. I will try to get the water tested at the local pet shop. If the water has made the fin drop off surely it should still be in the tank.

The loaches are fine with goldfish according to the pet shop.
 

Somervell

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I don't know about where you are, but some of the local pet shops here will tell you that a 5 gallon tank can house five goldfish and that Pacus are fine in a 10 gallon. I would humbly suggest that you do a little research on your own. Certain loaches are fine with goldies. Other algae eater types (which are also sold under the generic term "loach" in some places) are NOT so fine with goldies and can get territorial (and large) as they get older.

If it is a water issue and not an aggression issue, then all three of the goldfish should be showing some signs of fin damage. You have a lot of fish in a very small tank. It would not be too surprising if you have territory issues. If you have two mature male goldfish in a tank that is too small, they can become aggressive with each other over a female, and goldfish are fairly passive.

If it is available to you and affordable, a water testing kit of your own would be an excellent investment. Water parameters at that stocking level can CERTAINLY change day to day.

I wish you the best of luck with your fish. In any event, if the fish shows signs of infection at the tail, I would quarantine it and try treating with fresh water and salt, probably at about 1 teaspoon/gallon. I would only try other treatments if the symptoms worsen quickly. There is a good chance that a nipped or burnt tail will grow back.
 

knight4th

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Start doing more water changes, 25-50% weekly, your tank is way overstocked, is there any black on the belly of the fish or around the edge of were the tail used to be, that could indicate ammonia intoxification
 

djh84

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Mar 19, 2010
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A small amoumt of black has appeared near where the tail used to be. I have attached a photo of the fish and a photo of the loach to my personal gallery for your info. Will be investing in a water testing kit this weekend. Thanks for all your help so far.
 
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