Goldfish Disease?

Question
Hi, I have a 10 gallon aquarium that has been running for about 2 months.  I had two fish, one was a black one with bulgy eyes and kind of feathery fins....The other is a standard gold fish.   About 2 weeks ago I noticed the black one's lips were looking funny, like they were being eaten by something...he finally died, now I notice my goldfish is getting the same thing...HELP!

I don't know the ph of the water but filtration is a Tetra charcoal I believe...  Thanks for your time

Terrence

Answer
Hi Terrence;

It sounds like mouth rot. It is an infection caused by dirty gravel and not enough water changes. Make a 25% water change and vacuum the gravel right away. If you find there is lots of crud in the gravel you will have to make those 25% water changes daily and vacuum the gravel at least twice a week until the crud is gone. Goldfish like to forage on the bottom so their mouths can easily get infected. Overfeeding is how it starts. Feed very little food right now and only feed once a day. He may not be very hungry anyway while he is sick.

Also, add a product called Melafix along with some aquarium salt. These will fight infection and help soothe the infected areas. The salt should be at a dosage of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon. Add more salt only when you make a water change. So, for every gallon of water replaced add back another 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

After the crisis is over, change 25% of the water and vacuum the gravel at least once a week as normal maintenance.

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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