Oranda bleeding from gill

Question
Dear Chris--

Today, I changed the water and cleaned my tank (3 gallons - it's a small tank at work)

My Oranda was fine at first, then started to bleed from one of his gills.

I changed the water partially and put some Prime into the water to maybe reduce the ammonia in the water.

Now, he just hangs on the upper part of the tank in the corner.  What do you suggest I do to help him.  

Answer
Hi Barbara;

Poor thing. Gill bleeding in goldfish is from stress and/or ammonia poisoning. Ammonia burns the gills and they will bleed easily. It causes the fish to suffocate. In an established tank the ammonia should always be "zero". If there is any presence of ammonia, there is something wrong. I think in this case, your fish is just in too small a tank. It is a common myth that goldfish can live in small tanks or bowls. They may 'survive', but just don't live happy lives in there. Even with a filter there is just not enough room for the waste he makes.

Goldfish are deep-bodied very messy fellas that get big,  6-8 inches without even counting the fins. This means they need more room than the average rule of thumb that says "one inch of fish per gallon". Each single goldfish requires 10 to 20 gallons with good filtration to be able to grow and thrive without being subjected to constant ammonia exposure. Adding chemicals to remove ammonia really doesn't solve the problem. It's just a temporary band-aid on a very serious problem.

For now you could add oxygen via a small air pump and airstone. It may help him get more oxygen. Do not feed him at all right now. It only adds to ammonia levels. Fish are just fine for 3 weeks or more without food so don't worry. He won't starve. You might want to change a small amount of water again in the morning to keep reducing ammonia. Only replace 25% of it. Changing too much at a time will stress him further. Pour the new water in very slowly, being sure it is the same temperature as the old water. Treat the water before adding it to the tank.

Next, shop for a bigger tank. Get at least a 10 gallon with a good power filter. Don't be tempted to get him a friend at this point. You would need a 20 gallon or larger to do that. The new tank also needs to break in. Here are some web sites about how to care for and set up tanks for goldfish;

http://www.flippersandfins.net/goldfishcaresheet.htm
http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php
http://www.netpets.org/fish/reference/freshref/goldfaq.html

I hope he feels better soon......

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins