Injured Comet Gold fish in outdoor pond

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Michelle Cabana

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Apr 28, 2017
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Hi,
My fish pond was recently attacked by something that killed one of my oldest Comets by biting only the mouth off and the second that I thought was dead was still alive. His mouth was injured as well and I was certain he would die but he survived and is swimming around with an injured fin and I see some movement in what's left of his mouth. Can he still sustain nutrients in some way from algae and fish pellets that break up? Or will I expect to see him pass at some point? It's been a week and he seems more vibrant every day. I have netting over my 90 gallon pond now. There is an elevated stone wall around it as well that was always there. Should I get fish flakes so there's more break up in the water? Also, I read that the fish do have a collective consciousness of threat as I've noticed their behavior changed a little and will not surface to feed as they used to. I just started feeding a short while ago and they would surface to get those pellets. Now two smaller ones dart back and forth. Sometimes they try to surface but not calmly like before. Please advise. I hate to see anything suffer.
 

myswtsins

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Sorry to hear about this and hope the injured fish is doing ok. Have you observed him eating at all? Do you have plants in the pond? How many other fish are there? Do you have a 30g+ aquarium you could move the injured fish to? Has he developed any fungus on his injuries? Do you know the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels? Pictures of the pond and fish would be very helpful in evaluating what needs to be done.

I will watch this thread and respond asap.
 

Michelle Cabana

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Apr 28, 2017
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IMG_2836.JPG
Sorry to hear about this and hope the injured fish is doing ok. Have you observed him eating at all? Do you have plants in the pond? How many other fish are there? Do you have a 30g+ aquarium you could move the injured fish to? Has he developed any fungus on his injuries? Do you know the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels? Pictures of the pond and fish would be very helpful in evaluating what needs to be done.

I will watch this thread and respond asap.
Hi ! Thank you so much for responding! The levels are all fine. I have had this pond for quite some time. The younger fish now are the offspring. I consult the local pond place when I see them grow and wonder if I have enough space to prevent nitrite/nitrate issue. I've thinned out by bringing the offspring back to pond supply place. Sadly the adult female got killed. These were my original two. I will show you photos from before the attack and before I put filter in for the new season . The current photo has the netting on it. Tough to get a closeup now. They are used to me but now they dart around or hide in deep end when they sense someone is near. I can't see if he's eating but I have some algae and I can see a small portion of remaining mouth moving. He's lasted a full week post attack and is swimming. He's a bit awkward because one of his lateral find were damaged but moved around ok. They've had ick for years. So the little in color; the older fish that is. That's what I assumed color change was due to with research anyway. The female was completely white. I don't have another tank and I think I would depress the poor thing if I separated it. The others stayed glued by his side when he was recovering and somewhat motionless. After a few days he began to perk up. The first photo was today . The send two are post trauma. He is the one who looks a bit mottled in appearance. That's the best photo I can get unless I take the netting off.

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myswtsins

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Thank you for the pictures, it helps give a better idea of whats going on. Ick is not something they should/could have for years. Are you sure they have ick? Goldfish do change colors as they age.

If the other fish are not bothering him it is ok to leave him there and treat him. Goldfish are known to bully sick fish though so keep an eye on them.

Can you see any fungus (fuzzy growth, usually white) around any of his injuries?

Do you add any salt to the pond? If they have ick or fungus even, salt will help and salt will help him heal in general. A small amount of salt is ok for the plants but the amount I think you should use for healing you are going to want to remove the plants until treatment is over. You could do salt dips just for the affected fish as well though. Whichever you prefer. Salt is dangerous for invertebrates (snails and shrimp) and certain fish, do you have anything other than goldfish in there?

I don't remember the amt of salt per g of water but if you google it you will find tons of info on treating goldfish with salt. Or a member here might know of the top of their head. Good luck, he seems like a fighter and goldfish are tough.
 

Michelle Cabana

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Apr 28, 2017
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Thank you for the pictures, it helps give a better idea of whats going on. Ick is not something they should/could have for years. Are you sure they have ick? Goldfish do change colors as they age.

If the other fish are not bothering him it is ok to leave him there and treat him. Goldfish are known to bully sick fish though so keep an eye on them.

Can you see any fungus (fuzzy growth, usually white) around any of his injuries?

Do you add any salt to the pond? If they have ick or fungus even, salt will help and salt will help him heal in general. A small amount of salt is ok for the plants but the amount I think you should use for healing you are going to want to remove the plants until treatment is over. You could do salt dips just for the affected fish as well though. Whichever you prefer. Salt is dangerous for invertebrates (snails and shrimp) and certain fish, do you have anything other than goldfish in there?

I don't remember the amt of salt per g of water but if you google it you will find tons of info on treating goldfish with salt. Or a member here might know of the top of their head. Good luck, he seems like a fighter and goldfish are tough.
They are not bothering him at all. In fact, swim by his side. Just as they were staying by his side before. I just fed them a few kibble. He sees it but can't suck it in. I touched him the other day to see if I could view him better. I do see some part of his mouth sort of flecking off. Not like he's being attacked but more as if tissue healing. I would assume all can heal to some degree but I know it won't regenerate. How will it get its nutrients. Does the exchange of water and plant algae give him something as he is breathing through his gills. Confused about that part.
 

myswtsins

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Depends how much of the lip is missing, it can regrow to some extent but not like a whole lip. Goldfish are smart and adapt well though, he may learn to eat without a lip at some point. Right now you should focus on healing what you can and seeing if you can observe him eating. You could try feeding him different things that may be easier for him to eat. Experiment with different fresh foods and see if he is able to eat any of them. They can eat lots of our foods, google is your friend again here. A little garlic soaked food can increase his appetite as well as boost his immune system.

As far as I know goldfish can't absorb nutrients through their gills just from "breathing" the water. But, this is not something I've ever researched extensively just something I have never heard of happening.
 

Michelle Cabana

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Thank you for all of your help and tips! I will try some fish flakes next time I go to fish pond supply . I will also try some of the things I googled. Too bad I couldn't hand feed a bit. Although before they would come right up to my hand.
 

myswtsins

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You're welcome and good luck!
 

Michelle Cabana

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Hey there,

I did happen to notice today that he looks as though he has algae growing on his scales. Another different question? I recently purchased a new filter which is the exact same model as I had prior to accommodate the size pond i have. I've been noticing no leakage through any of the new tubing but the water seems to be going down way to fast. The gallons/ that it recirculates is a little more powerful due to the fact that this one is new and probably works better. I topped off the water last night for example in my pond only to find this morning that it was down 4 inches. I shut the pump off for the day since it's cool enough and it's making me nervous that the water is going down so much. My Pond itself is a hard form pond and it doesn't have a leak otherwise it would've leaked throughout the winter. I did purchase a new hose but I don't see the soil being wet when the soil is dry right now I don't have it vary due to the fact that I have to get into the pond because of the netting.??I guess I should treat the water with salt but don't want to kill my plants either I don't have an aerated tank where I can stick the injured fish towards recovery. can you give me any advice on why the water is evaporating so quickly
 
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