white stuff.

Question
QUESTION: hey,i have a goldfish that is the orange normal kind of goldfish and i have a little orange goldfish that has white stuff coming out,
and i've also checked that the little poor fish has a rotten fin, what medicine should i treat it?
please help....

ANSWER: Hi Kevin,

The white stuff that is coming out of your small goldfish is more than likely just his waste. It is usually the same colour as the food that they have been eating, goldfish lack a stomach so food passes through them very quickly and it is highly probable that this is all your seeing. However, if you notice him losing weight and his wsste lacks any colouring at all then it is a symptom of worms and you should use propietary treatments to rectify this.

It sounds like you are keeping a common goldfish with a fancy variety, I would advise against this because fancy varities simply don't have the strength/ aggression/ eyesight to compete effectively. However, all of us have made this mistake before and I myself must admit to ignoring my own advice on more than a few occassions.

At the moment your small fish is suffering from 'Fin-Rot' -- fin-rot can be caused by two main factors and it is particularly fond of veiltail goldfish.
Firstly, your common goldfish could be bullying the smaller fish when food is dropped into the tank, common goldfish are very boisterous and can be territorial towards other fish. Alternatively, your tank could be to cold (even for coldwater species). Fancy Goldfish are open to bacterial attack when kept below 13C/ 55F. This is because circulation to their flamboyant caudal fins becomes low and then finrot can attack.

With regards to treatment if water conditions are not satisfactory then chemical treatments will prove relatively inaffective. I've brought guppies back from finrot and trust me, it is a relatively simple disease to treat.

There are several medicines available based on phenoxyethanol, para-chloro-phenoxyethanol or nifurpirinol these can be effective if treatment is not delayed. Bactericidal treatments such as benzalkonium chloride can also prove effective treatments. You should raise your temperature to at least 16C/ 61F and keep a close eye on water conditions to avoid future occurrences.

Good luck

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

QUESTION: oh thanks alot!!
this has helped me alot now.But i also have a question which is bothering me .
As you see it's February where i am from..
and they say that goldfish will get ready to breed and spawn ...
what month in this year breeding season begins for my goldfish.
I have a black moor,orange common goldfish,and a fantail goldfish.
my common fish is getting white little dots or scratches on his gills,and i already know the common goldfish  is a male and the fantail goldfish is a female..
and the black Moore i don't know..
as i was saying, i want to know what month that's coming up is season times to breed.
i have a 15 gallon tank and i see my goldfish really happy and following eachother tails like dogs.
the fantail goldfish is also swimming fast but then it stops and rests,and as you heard how the fantails are born with big tummies like mine but i don't know what to expect from it..
and thanks for the last answer.
you should be a scientist.

Answer
Hi Kevin,

Goldfish usually mature during their second year, but this depends on the conditions that they are kept in. If your fish are older than four or five years old you should probably avoid using them as they are probably past their prime.
Goldfish usually come into season in the summer, however you can get them started earlier in an indoor aquarium. It sounds as if you have successfully replicated these conditions and your male has developed his mating tubercules on his head and gill covers. If the male is repeatedly chasing the female then it looks like your in luck, and they want to mate. However, outside of the breeding season it is virtually impossible to sex goldfish so make sure you've got your sexing right before giving them the go ahead.

Your parent fish should be in perfect condition. They will pass on their traits and looks to the fry so it is vital that the parent fish is pretty much a perfect example. I wouldn't recommend inter-breeding different varieties as your fry will probably have all sorts of deformities and health problems. Make sure your fish are mature, feeding readily and have good finnage and colouring.

You're going to need to tailor their diet, feed the fish good quality vegetable matter (peas, vegetable flakes) and quality live food. Don't over feed as rotting food can tip your ammonia levels over the edge.

Your tank for breeding is going to need to be at least 24x12x15" -- also a long, shallow tank is better than a compact, deep one. Place the tank so that it catches the morning sun but no draughts etc. Keep the tank bare aside from some fine leafed foliage (ie. Ceratophyllum). Goldfish will also use 'Spawning Mops'. Install two sponge filters for good aeration and filtration and fit a secure condensation tray.

A tip for breeding goldfish is to place one or two mature males and a female in a breeding tank. Keep the males and the female apart from one another using a divider. Keep the tank at around 15C/59F. Before you go to bed, reduce the water depth to 4-5in and remove the divider. By the morning spawning should have occurred, if not leave the fish together for a few days. If no joy, repeat after a week.

You can reduce the tank temperature by 2-3C (4-5F) this can have a stimulating effect on the fish, especially if you add a few ice cubes to the breeding tank once the water level has been reduced.

One spawning has occurred the eggs will appear a pinhead size pieces of jelly amongst the your plants. Goldfish are notorious fry-eaters so move them away from the eggs as soon as you spot them.

Once spawning has happened get back to me and I'll help you out with the fry. You'll needs tips on feeding, culling etc.

Good Luck!

Tom

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