Goldfish constipation/slimy white patches

Question
QUESTION: I own four fancy goldfish and a pleco. All live in a ten gallon tank (I know this is a no no but I rescued them all from a abusive petshop and I'm looking around for a bigger tank for cheap...) and all of them are constantly constipated. And my Black Moore keeps growing a white slimy looking patch on her nose. But I do know it isn'y because the tank is dirty, or the ammonia level. I clean the tank once a week. Can you help me?

ANSWER: Hi Stacie;

Good for you in rescuing those guys! They do need water changes more often though. In a normal situation where you have one goldfish in a ten gallon, once a week would be enough. With four of them in there they need a water change at least twice a week. Those guys are very messy. Replace 25% and vacuum the gravel at the same time.

For the constipation, cut back on dried food. You only want to give them what they can totally consume from all areas of the tank in less than 5 minutes. If there are any leftovers, siphon them out and feed less next time. Feed cooked and peeled green peas and other veggies at least 3 times a week too. Romaine lettuce bits, spirulina algae, cucumber slices and little chunks of squash are all good. Veggies don't rot like regular food does so you can leave it in for them to nibble on all day long. Frozen brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, bloodworms, etc, are good foods to add to the diet a couple of times a week as well. They give extra protein and variety. Just don't leave them in for a long time if they don't eat it all.

I hope they do well and can get a bigger tank very soon. Many hobbyists have used large plastic bins as extra tanks their goldfish. Just make sure it's thick enough to hold all that water and rinse it very well before using. If you get in a bind you can do that. It's kind of like a mini pond that way. Put a filter in and it's ready to go! Goldfish don't need heaters so it's easy.

Have fun!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: one more thing...do fish shed? I don't know if the white spot on my Black Moore's nose is fungus or dead (Skin?)?(#^_^#)

Answer
Hi Stacie;

Goldfish don't shed. They do slough off dead skin though after an injury just like scabs on people. Yuck, but true.

It is always best not to use medicines if the fish will heal on it's own. Making those frequent water changes will help greatly. You can also use a couple of other things. Aquarium salt and Melafix, both available at your local fish store, will help him heal. It will also help the other fish feel better and help them heal from the effects of the elevated ammonia due to their wastes.

If the spot gets worse, isolate him and treat with an appropriate medicine. You don't want to treat the whole tank because all the fish aren't sick. The medicine will also make a mess of your tank and the filter will remove too much of it to be effective. We need to determine first what the infection is. If it is fuzzy-looking like bread-mold it's a fungus called "saprolegnia". Use an anti-fungus medicine with malachite green in it. The salt is also helpful. Sapro hates salt. If it's more flat and not fuzzy at all, it's a bacterial infection. Use erythromycin or a tetracycline fish medicine to treat it.

Let me know if you need more help. I hope he feels better soon...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins