red

Question
I have been told that a small dose of epsom salts is a good thing to do as well....   true?


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Followup To
Question -
We have a 55 gallon tank that is for our larger goldfish.  The fish in question is about 3-4 years old and about 7 inches long.  It has developed a red lump on it's upper lip.  his has happened rather suddenly as I don't recall seeing this a day or so ago.  There also appears to be some redish spots at the base of the tail.  I have just donw a 25% water change out and added aquarium salt.  I have some fungus tablets as well as some methathylene.  I have not added any medicatio0ns to the water yet.

Do you have any idea of what this could be?

What should I do?
Answer -
Hi Steve;

Probably a bacterial infection. It is better not to use traditional medication if you can avoid it. Those medications will harm the biological balance of your tank and cause even more problems for your fish than you started out with. They kill bacteria but this means they kill even the 'good' bacteria that keeps the aquarium system healthy. Even if the label says they don't, in my experience they certainly do. Bacterial infections are most common in fish that are overfed, overcrowded, and/or their tank is infrequently cleaned. Do another 25% water change tomorrow and check the gravel too. If the gravel has crud in it you will need to vacuum that too. Just don't do too much at one time. Vacuum 50% of it this week and the rest of it in another week. With a lot of waste down there the fish will be very susceptible to disease. Cut back on food to help keep it from happening again.

There are two natural remedies to use to help the fish heal without harming the system; Aquarium salt and Melafix. They help tissues heal and the salt strengthens the protective slime coating on the fish. Both should be available at your local fish store. Use the Melafix according to the label. Use the salt at a dose of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of tank water. Every time you make a water change add another 1/2 teaspoon for every gallon you replaced. For instance, if you replace 10 gallons of water, add back 5 teaspoons of salt. This keeps the concentration the same all the time with no guessing. Once the fish is well, just don't add any more salt with water changes and it will slowly go away on it's own. AS part of your regular maintenance routine, replace 25% of the water every week. Vacuum the gravel every 2 to 4 weeks. That's a great way to help your fish stay strong and healthy. Their metabolism and immune systems are much stronger with consistently clean water and no excess crud.

I hope he feels better soon.....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins  

Answer
Hi Steve;

It would be effective for what your fish has if he seems bloated. Epsom salts are good for constipation and helping alleviate the fluid buildup in dropsy by drawing it out. (Dropsy is when the fish is bloated and the scales often stick out like a pinecone.) Epsom really shouldn't be in the tank all the time though. It is most effective when used as a bath. The fish is placed in a separate small container of some tank water with dissolved epsom salts for a few minutes of "treatment" and then returned to the tank. This way too it treats only the sick fish. Here is more about that;

http://www.goldfishinfo.com/ailment1.htm#dropsy

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins