Possible TB in goldfish???

Question
Hi there I have three goldfish in a 30 ltr tank
one of the fish has taken to laying on the bottom of the tank, motionless with all fins including the tail closed up and flat to his body. he also seems to have a hump on his back and his head seems a little too large for his body. However at feeding time he springs to life and competes easily for the food with his tankmates. could this be fish TB? to be on the safe side i have removed him from the main tank .

Answer
Hi Mart;

I would suspect intestinal parasites. TB usually causes ulcers and/or nodules on the fish as well as protruding eyes.

The tank is too small for goldfish really. That can be a cause for his problem and the fish will tend to get sick very easily. Each goldfish needs at least 40 liters of water of it's own with a good filter. They are deep-bodied messy fish that just need the space. Many are kept in very small tanks or bowls, but they usually die a long drawn out miserable death from too small a tank. Goldfish can reach a size of 20 cm and live to be over 10 years old if given the chance. I hope yours will too. They are beautiful and fun fish to keep.

Here is a link to a flow chart to determine the cause of the symptoms in your sick fish as well as appropriate treatment;

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/fish_diseases/physical_changes.html

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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