My Goldfish Farrari

Question
Hi there:)  My large 7 yr. Old Oranda goldfish named 'Farrari', has over the last year, developed a clear growth of film over part of his one eye.  Initially I treated it like a fungus or eye cloud, but it never goes away, never gets bigger or spreads to other parts of him or the other fish and he is healthy and happy in every other way.  Recently though, it seems to be growing fungus, which gets treated, goes away for a couple months, then returns.  Nobody seems to know what it is and why it's growing fungus now, so I'm hoping that you might have the answers I'm looking for?  Thank-you kindly for your time and wisdom:)

Blessings,

Denise

Answer
Hi Denise,

It will go away if you do constant water changes.  Being an Oranda, his water is more dirty than it is for other fish.  I know...he looks totally clean!  Right?  Well, poor goldfish.  They do poop a kind of poop that dissipates into micro poo and it stays IN the water.

So, it's necessary to do water changes.

I do want you to intercept this fungus, because if you can get it to go away, his quality of life will drastically improve.

7 years.  Kudos to you for good fish-keeping!

:)

Okay, so let's get Farrah's fungus or parasite to go away.

Put 2 teaspoons of marine salt per gallon into her tank.  Dissolved, of course.  Leave it in there 3 days.  When 3 days are up, remove half the tank's water and replace it with fresh water.

It will leave 1 teaspoon per gallon once half is replaced with fresh, and I want you to leave that teaspoon per gallon in the tank, everytime you do your bi-weekly water changes, of 25%, from here forward.  That will prevent him from being infected with anymore fungus, bacteria and parasites.

If it's one of the 3, it should be taken care of.

I do want you to be aware, however, that some goldfish can get cancer.  That being said, I don't think that's what she's got.  It's probably a parasite... a filmy one, and that's why she's been able to live with it for so long, but freshwater parasites don't like salt!

Let's get this treatment started asap. :)

Happy fish-keeping and I will cross fingers for Farrah.