White Patch

Question
QUESTION: My comet goldfish is 2 yrs old. She lives in a 10 gal. tank alone. I do 10% water changes, faithfully every week, vaccuming the rocks. I brush off the algea from the glass every two weeks. I use a standard goldfish water conditioner and leave the water out overnight to insure it's at room temperature. I have a filter system and rinse the filter in the dirty poop water each week to remove any buildup from it. I replace the filter once every 2 months. I feed once a day, only one flake. Food never hits the floor. If it does, I remove it. She started looking bloated and having a hard time staying upright. I skipped a feeding, she would poop and go back to normal. This has happened a few times over the last month. She seems to have a hard time keeping her butt down and swimming normally. Now she has a small, white raised patch on her head. I really love my little fish and want to help her. Thank you in advance for you advice!

ANSWER: Please read my profile on All Experts about balancing issues and goldfishes.

Your fish is in too small a tank to keep it clean.  NO matter how many efforts you put forth (and it sounds like you are a valliant, loving owner), the fish cannot survive in such a small tank pproperly and the water quality is causing him to have Swim Bladder Disorder, caused by high Nitrites and Ammonia.

It is essentially like slowly giving him Cyanide, piece by piece, and he will die.

He needs a larger tank, and I suggest at least a 20 gallon tank.  Please consider this asap.

Bloating, falling over, white patch...all very typical of nitrite poisoning.  I'm so sorry...I get this question every day.  People simply can't believe that one fish requires 25 gallons to breathe and survive properly and pet stores sell these gorgeous, sweet fishes to anyone, even without proper tank sizes, not caring.  Your fish will die if she doesn't get a larger space.

What you can do right now is to get her a big tank.  Get a better filter too.  Spotlessly change it and maintain it like you have been doing...that all sounds fantastic.  It's obvious you are an excellent owner with lots of love, but sometimes our best efforts can't circumvent the obvious issues with tank size and filtration issues, regardless of your valliant efforts.

I wish you the best of luck with her.  I hope you can get her into a large tank in time.  

Happy fish-keeping.




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm officially panicking!!!  I'm picking up a 30 gal tank today, new filter, etc. So many fish people told me 10 gal per goldie! Thank you for your quick response. Do you think she'll survive at this stage?  I'm worried about overly stressing her when she's so sick. I had no idea! I'll read up on the best process of moving your existing fish to a larger tank. The last thing she needs is to endure a tank-cycle! Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you Fish Deeva. Im one to always appreciate a direct response!

ANSWER: Hi...I'm glad you're fixing the issues immediately.

She will be so much happier.  Chances are, she can and will recover.  

As long as the damage hasn't been for too long, the fish can recover.

She can stress from cycling a new tank, so let's do it this way.  Add her new filter to the new tank and put half the old tank's water into the new tank's water. Yes, it has nitrates, and nitrites, but it's also got live water in it, and that will help to nutrify the system with the new water.

Put the old gravel in (washed) so the live bacteria on that is healthy for her new tank to help the cycle go fast/or not show at all.

Add it to the new gravel, and seed it throughout, but if you decide to go with a new color, put the old at least in a submersed bowl so the bacteria on it nutrifies the new tank.

For the fish, be sure the temperature is the same in the new tank when you put her in.  Don't overfeed her ever.  Only what she can eat.

No debris left on the ground at all.

The old filter should be stuck onto the new tank as well, with a rinsed cartridge, but with the live bacteria inside it still intact.  That will help seed the new filter with the old filter's stuff.  It will NOT hurt to run both if you decide to keep it on there.

10% water changes weekly...you know this already, and you can even go to bi-weekly soon as she recouperates.  From next month forward, bi-weekly will be sufficient for changes.

You can additionally do what I do.  I buy Biozyme.  It's a product sold in Petco stores to help the cycling process go fast.  It has dried bacteria which grow fast into a new tank.  The cycle takes off and slides by before you even know it had one.  I swear by it.

I will cross fingers for a fast recovery asap!

:)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Fish Deeva,
I wanted to give you a final follow up because you were so kind and quick in your responses to me.  Unfortuantly my beautiful litte friend died this morning. Our home is truly heart broken. Especially me because I was the one who cared for her daily.  I'm so angry that so many people post on the internet that you only need 10 gal. per goldfish. This horrible advice killed my fish. I had no idea she was swimming in poison, I truly thought she had a wonderful home. Especially with my diligent upkeep and weekly water changes. I followed your advice and set up her new tank.  I used BioZyme, I made sure the new water levels were perfect, moved all her old items, old filter and all.  After I moved her, she just laid on the bottom and then started occassionally twitching and bending.  I scanned the internet again, called all the local aquariums to see what I could do.  I could only wait.  She died a horrible death Fish Deeva.  My heart is broken. I pray your love for fish will effect others and they will heed your advice!  Don't own fish if you don't care for their well being! They may "just be fish" but they're an innocent creature who depends on us to properly care for them. Thanks for caring and for taking the time to help me (and countless others!) to try to save my friend.  I only wish I had found you when my fish was a baby and I was starting.  Happy Fishing to you and yours - Kasey

Answer
Hi Kasey,

I'm heartbroken for you!  How awful!  I'm so sorry for your loss...and for the little fish.

You are a GOOD fish owner and you truly care enough to try to give her the best.  It's not your fault she died.  You are just new at fish keeping.

Dechlorinate water (add a dechlorinating product) if you don't, and keep up the good work.  At Wal Mart in our city, they have really pretty goldfish called Shebunkins.  They have long, flowing fins and spots on them.  They were affordable and you deserve another fish.  

Why waste such a pretty new tank? :)

If there is ever ANYTHING I can do to help you out, please, Kasey, write me and I will answer you as fast as possible and you know, your post truly will help someone down the line.  It's published to the public once answered.

:)

Someone is going to read this, and this note will prevent other fish deaths.

I hope that gives you some peace.

Rest assured, Kasey, there is some poor fish in the petstore who really needs a good home and you are the perfect person to give it to them.  I urge you to hop back on the fish-keeping wagon and to go get yourself another fish to love.  Someone with that much compassion needs to have a fish. :)

Happy fish-keeping.