Bloated goldfish

Question
Hi I have a 70-80 gallon tank which includes an alligator gar, an oscar fish, two goldfish, and a sucker fish. It is a freshwater tank and I've had it for about two years. My friend could not keep it and gave it to me with very little instructions.. so far everything has been good the fish have been getting bigger and they are well fed and taken care of. This past week though one of the goldfish has become extremely bloated and this morning I noticed bubbles growing off its scales. I tried feeding it peas but it did not want to eat them... What should I do??

Answer
Hi Branwyn,

Change your water immediately.

The types of fish you have are large and get very large.  They also exhude a lot of waste.

If you combine them with goldfish, even on a feeding basis, there is going to be high nitrates/nitrites and ammonia.

Take your water out and put some in a white bowl.  Is it crystal clear?  If any discoloration is there, then the water is full of ammonia.

Your goldfish's bubbles on the skin are ammonia burns.  It's very common, because we can't actually see the water quality just by looking and we are geared emotionally to trust our filters.  Afterall, they claim they filter 100 gallons, right?

Well, they often don't.

I don't know what kind of filter you are using, however here is my advice.

Change water at a rate of 50% tonight.  25% every weekend for 2 weekends, and then resume the regular, normal water changes at a rate of 10% a month, as recommended, or if you keep goldfish, make it twice a month.  

The goldfish's skin will heal on its own, but if you see it getting infected, (which it probably will...there is bacterial in the water from the ammonia) then remove it and treat it in a hospital tank with salt.  2 to 3 teaspoons of marine salt per gallon for 3 days.

I would also like to include a little about filters.  Canisters require cleaning monthly.  Petstore employees (and even companies) recommend 3 month cleanings, but that's very unsafe, and they mean in tanks with 1 fish.  In a tank with more, the cleaning must be monthly.

HOB filters (hang on back) must be cleaned monthly as well, and filter media changed every month.

If they are rated to 50 gallons, put 2 on a fifty gallon tank.  Run for much greater and expect them to then start cleaning much nicer.

Feel free to email me back, Branwyn, anytime, and I hope your little fish feels better soon.  I'm so sorry he's having issues.  But, I suspect a little change in water might do the trick to right him soon.

:o)

Happy fish-keeping!

Renee