Sick Goldfish and Koi

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imatruecowgurl

Registered Member
Aug 31, 2010
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southern colorado
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Melissa
I have 2 feeder goldfish and 1 koi that have discoloration in their scales, they are no longer as orange as they were and are turning kind of whiteish in these patches. As well as being dull in these areas, they are loosing their shine. As well the 2 goldfish have small white strands coming out of their gills. Also they aren't swimming normal, they get around find they just aren't straight up and down. They are just kind of off kilter, they swim kind of crooked. not all the way on their side its only noticeable when they are swimming towards or away from you. They were not swimming this way before. I have been searching and can't figure out what it wrong. I'm going to the store tomorrow to get test strips to test the ammonia and nitrate levels. I keep a filter running and change the filter once a week as well as changing out about 20% of the water each week. They were fine until my boyfriend brought home a baby large mouth bass and bluegill and just dumped them in my tank before they had been quarantined. I suspect that is where the infection or parasites came from. I just wanna figure out what it is so I can treat them it has already killed 2 feeder goldfish and my fancy. I don't wanna loose anymore fish.
 

thorpbrian

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Oct 7, 2009
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La Center, WA
What size tank?

Feeder goldfish and koi get VERY BIG and really shouldn't be kept in a tank...
 

GuppyGirl1230

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Jul 14, 2010
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A fellow Coloradan!!! It sounds like you have some sort of parasite that is in their gills. How big is your tank?
 

imatruecowgurl

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Aug 31, 2010
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southern colorado
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Melissa
I know they get big I have some I've had for years that I moved outside into a 150 gal stock tank. The feeder goldfish are only 2 inches long and the koi is 4 inches long. they are still little.
 

imatruecowgurl

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Aug 31, 2010
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southern colorado
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Melissa
I had them in a 45 gal tank, but I recently had to move and don't have the room to set up the big tank so I have them in a 10 gal tank temporarily, we are waiting to move into a new house then they are going back into my big tank.
 

Rbishop

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Dec 30, 2005
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Don't get the test strips...get a good liquid test kit like APIs.

Even if knowing how big they get, doesn't make the fact they are in a 10 gal tank okay, even for the short term. I would euthanize them.
 

Carch

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Sep 1, 2010
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Don't get the test strips...get a good liquid test kit like APIs.

Even if knowing how big they get, doesn't make the fact they are in a 10 gal tank okay, even for the short term. I would euthanize them.
Agreed on both accounts. Their quality of life is not very good right now, and it sounds as though they have ammonia poisoning. With those types of fish you will never be able to solve the water quality issues in a tank that small.
 

imatruecowgurl

Registered Member
Aug 31, 2010
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southern colorado
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Melissa
1 still sick

Well despite what all of you have to say about my small tank for the time being I did whatever I could think of including a 50% water change and some medication and all of the issues I was having cleared up.

How ever one of my feeder fish who had seemed to clear up of all symptoms is now suffering of what I would describe as " white fuzz" that is covering over one of its eyes. It is not affecting any other part of the fish, this "white fuzz" completely covers the eye, you cant see any of the dark color of the eye.

Those of you that think I'm cruel or that I should kill my fish please dont respond to this post if your not going to give me any advice at all on how to try and save my fish. I care about them a lot and want to make her better not kill her. I have been raising Goldfish and Koi for over 10 years and this is the first time I have had any problems like this. I had 9 Goldfish that I had for 7 years in a 150 gal tank that I lost when my dads girlfriend bought some goldfish from walmart and just plopped them in without a quarantine. This proved more than my elderly fish could handle. There for I dont have the experience to deal with this illness. I have been a very responsible fish owner up to this point, I am trying to find out what to use to fix them.
 

kelly82

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Jun 1, 2007
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Lincolnshire, UK
to fix them is simple, give them adequate size housing which will give them better water quality and reduce if not resolve their issues they have now.

i dont see how you can say you care for them when you subject the poor fish to a tiny tank like that, koi shouldnt be housed in any tank IMO, and goldfish need huge tanks. you have no idea when stunting will begin, and to me that makes you an extremely irresponsible owner who in fact doesnt care for their wet pets at all. even moreso as you have owned these big beautiful fish in the past and know the size tanks etc they need, not even the excuse of not knowing in this case :shakehead: poor fish.
 

blue2fyre

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Oct 7, 2008
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I think even a 50% water change daily would not be enough to keep the water parameters in check in such a small tank. They need to be moved ASAP or rehomed.

7 years is not old at all for a gold fish. They can live to be 20+. Koi live even longer, the oldest on record was over 200 years old.

Sadly most never make it to that age due to bad care :(
 
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