Help!! Bleeding fish!!!

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AudraNicolle

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Jul 23, 2004
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My parents have a goldfish that I have come to adore. Recently, blood has come to the surface of her skin by her back right fin. It was a small spot at first but is now extending all the way down her right side and belly. Not much goes in the water so it appears to mostly be under her skin. Could she have internal bleeding or a disease? Is there a large artery there that could have burst? She does not appear to be in pain but is very listless and just floats on top of the water. She does still eat but finds it hard to do so as my parents have fed her so much that she's now bottom-heavy so can only swim upside-down all the time. There are no rocks in her tank - only some plastic seaweed. We have not noticed her running into the tank or anything like that. There is no filter in her water - she's in a 10 gallon tank alone, which is cleaned every other day and filled with well water. My parents do have one other fish in another tank which gets this same water. The bleeding fish really breathes hard when she doesn't get fresh water every other day - but once the water is changed, her breathing is better for a day or so. What could the bleeding be? I love her dearly - and none of us can imagine putting her down. Thank you so much for input!!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------:sad
 

lark

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Feb 8, 2004
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First start changing large portions of the water everyday, preferably 80 percent or more. Are you using salt? Salt will help alleviate stress. With goldfish, a .06% level of salt is beneficial. This is about 1 tsp for two gallons. When you do water changes only add salt for the water you took out. Also, stop feeding him or her. Do not feed him or her at all for the next several days. He or she is likely constipated. Is the fish bleeding because there is an open wound or is it like reddness on the scales?
 

AudraNicolle

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Jul 23, 2004
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We have not used salt. Is this beneficial for all goldfish, whether sick or healthy? The fish did seem to be constipated for a while but we've now noticed fish waste at the bottom of the tank. It's small but it's there. The redness is on the scales and mostly 1 fin. It does not appear to be an open wound. We did begin to give her some medicine with sulfa in it and the bleeding has slowed down if not stopped. I'm looking at getting another packet of these pills for her to treat her for another week.
 

lark

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Feb 8, 2004
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Salt is beneficial for all fish in small amounts. Use aquarium salt. And even if you are seeing samll amounts of waste, do not give him or her any food for the next several days. Overfeeding is one of the worse things do do to a fish. A hungry fish that is a healthy fish. Also, goldfish need a varied diet. After the next fout or five days of not feeding, try feeding the your goldfish small amounts, once a day, of shelled peas or spinach that has been blanched. Floating problems are often related to constipation. Again, change large amounts of the water daily. More important than any medicine is good care and water. Also, your setup up is not adequate. If this fish recovers, start thinking about adding filtration.
 
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