goldfish tail dissolving

mermaidgirl

AC Members
Jul 7, 2005
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adelaide,australia
A week ago I set up a new tank filled with 1/2 established tank water from my other tank and 1/2 new filtered water. After 2 days I put in a large goldfish and kissing gourami and have now noticed 5 days later that their tails are tatty and dissolving at the ends. There are white spots all over and their bodies seem kind of whitish.The pH is colour dark blue. I dont have a kit to test other parameters. What could be wrong?
 
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Fin rot! White spots could be ich or fungus. If they're puffy and sticking outwards, it's fungus. Get meds asap. Maracyn-2 should do it.

(After that's resolved, buy a second tank. Goldfish are a cold water species and gouramis are tropical. This way you can have ideal temps for both fish!)

Good luck!
 
Could you please post pictures? Buy API liquid test kit to determine your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates or let the pet shop test for you but make sure they are using liquid test kit and tell them to write down the figures.
 
I cant get a clear photo that shows enough detail. I think the gourami will be dead in the morning as its just sitting on the bottom. They seem to be going downhill fast and i wont be able to get any medicine for at least 18 hours. If they both die to I still need to medicate the tank if I empty it as I might give the tank to my parents who would like to have one. This tank had been previously empty for a year. Why would these fish get fin rot or fungus?
 
they would get fin rot because:

they may have been sick from the store
the tank is not cycled and they are being harmed by ammonia and nitrites
the fish are incompatible and nipping at each other
tank too small?
not enough hiding places?
temperature is very wrong for one of them
there may have been bacteria in the water from the other tank.
 
they would get fin rot because:

they may have been sick from the store
the tank is not cycled and they are being harmed by ammonia and nitrites
the fish are incompatible and nipping at each other
tank too small?
not enough hiding places?
temperature is very wrong for one of them
there may have been bacteria in the water from the other tank.

I agree. Most likely a combonation of these things.

Water will not cycle a tank, very little bacteria resides in the water. I am guessing that ammonia/nitrite/nitrate reading are not in check.

You have an inapproproate mixing. Both are too large for the tank and require different water temps. This will be stressful on a fish.
 
The gourami has died and the goldfish looks gross. I put medicine in a few days ago whic contains methylene blue, acriflavine and malachite green. The goldfishes "skin" is sloughing off. Is that the fungus dying or is it getting worse.?
 
it sounds more like a chemical contaminant of some sort, either ammonia burn or a household chemical that got into the water. clean water is more important than adding medications when you don't know what you're treating.
 
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