a goldfish question

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have a question about my goldfish that I keep in a 30 litre bio orb tank. He recently became ill with white spot so I bought the first aid cartridge to fit into the tank, after fitting the cartridge he went through about every disease a fish can get, cotton wool, stress, and fin rot. I stopped feeding him but the water in the tank seems very cloudy, the cartridge instructions state that I need to leave the cartridge in for a few more days then change a third of the water at the end of treatment. He seems better in himself apart for the fin rot that looks nasty, what I would like to know is should I put off the water change as instructed till the end of the treatment or would it be beneficial to do it now as the water looks very murky. plus is there anything else I can do for him as i feel helpless just leaving the cartridge to treat him.
Thank you


ANSWER: This "white spot" you speak of is Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, or "Ich" for short. It is a single celled protazoan found in EVERY tank. The only time it can latch on to a fish, is when it is stressed. When your fish gets stressed, Ich latches onto the fish, finding its way to the fishes gills. The fish slowly suffacates, because his gills are clogged from this Ich.

Your fish is stressed, because you didnt cycle his tank, and he is slowly being burned alive by the ammonia in the water. Contrary to popular belief, goldfish can NOT go in bowls. NO FISH should be in an unfiltered bowl.

The cartridge, is usless. You need to do the largest water changes you can EVERY day.

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

QUESTION: The tank I have has a filtration system (with activated carbon)and the tank was cycled before I added the fish as per the instructions, the first aid cartridge attatches to the filter. What I was concerned about was whether a water change would add more stress, or depleat the medication in the water

Answer
What is your definition of cycling?


The general (and widley accepted) rule for goldfish stocking is 20 gallons for one fish, and then 10 gallons for each additional fish.

A water change is NEEDED. Make sure you vaccum the bottom, to get rid of any dead ich cells.

You dont happen to know the name of your filter do you?