Bacterial Infection on Goldfish

Question
Hi Chris,

I won a goldfish at a school carnival 5 years ago, and after a few years of not knowing anything about fish, he is miraculously still alive.  Unfortunately, I only learned how to really care for my goldfish a few months before heading off to college, so I haven't had much time at home to get my aquarium settled properly.  He's a comet in a ten gallon (horrible, I know, but I hope to upgrade him as soon as I can get my hands on some extra cash) with a bubble wall and a 20 gallon filter.  My pH is neutral and my ammonia and nitrite levels are low.  Water changes are difficult since I'm not home all the time and my mom or sister don't want to do them.  They are rather varied and sometimes it goes for a couple of weeks without a change.  I change about 2 gallons every time, but that also varies depending on the whenever the last water change was.

A few weeks ago he got a very bad bacterial infection and I was scared he was going to die.  I dosed Melafix and it went away completely and I thought all was well, but a couple days ago he got those familiar red splotches on his mouth and gills.  I put in some more Melafix, but I was wondering if I was doing anything else wrong.  Could the inconsistent water changes have screwed the tank conditions up somehow?  We also moved very recently, so I was thinking something may have gone wrong with that too - perhaps stress or something.  How can I stop these infections from happening and/or what do you recommend doing besides giving him Melafix?

Answer
Hi Lizzy;

You are actually doing much better than most people trying to keep goldfish. Especially since you are aware he will need a bigger tank. A ten gallon really isn't too bad for now. You just have to be careful no one is overfeeding him.

To cure the infection, he needs a regular antibiotic such as "Maracyn Two". Melafix is a good thing to keep using along with antibiotics but it isn't strong enough to actually cure established infections by itself. Also add aquarium salt. It helps kill infection and gives your fish electrolytes.

When you moved it may have sent the tank through a break-in  period. It can be very stressful and could have caused him to get sick. To keep his tank more clean when you can't do a change every week, ask whoever is feeding him to feed less food. It is very common for us to overfeed them even without realizing it. All food should be gone from all areas of the tank in less than 5 minutes if your fish is fed once a day. If he is fed twice a day, all the food should be gone in less than 2 or 3 minutes. The whole idea is for him to actually eat for less than 5 minutes with no leftovers.

You could also add a second filter to his tank and change 3 gallons instead of just 2. Always vacuum the gravel at every change too. Hopefully this will all help him stay healthier until you can get a larger tank for him.

I hope he feels better soon...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins