Sick Fishy

Question
Hi, I've got a teleschope eye that I bought from walmart.  I've had him less than a week and I'm sure he's close to death.  I woke up this morning and he looked fine.  When I got hom after work, his tail was ragged and eaten away and he looks as though he has ick and possible septicemia (there are red spots at the base of his tail and reddening in his veins.)  I have him in a very large bowl (6-8 gallon) with a large air stone and small filter and am cycling a 10 gallon to move him into.  I've checked ammonia and nitrate levels daily, and changed the water 25-30% daily as well.  He has slowly become motionless, simply moving his gills.  He gets very active when I feed him, especially for peas.  I'm treating him with Pimafix for the tailrot and super ick fix, both by API.  Can I treat him for multiple illness and should I add something for the septicemia?  Does this sound like something else?  When I move him into the 10 gallon, should I keep treating him?  It says I need to remove the carbon filter during treatment but how do I keep the water quality high since goldfish are such messy fish?  I'm desperate to save this fish so please help!

Thank you!

Answer
Hi Sara;

You've done very well in trying to keep him healthy in such a small tank. With daily changes I don't think he got sick from anything you did or didn't do. It sounds like he has a bacterial infection that started before you got him and wasn't showing yet. It's possible he was even injured during netting and infection attacked there. It happens sometimes. Use a product called "Maracyn Two". It's an antibiotic medication for fish that absorbs into the skin. Pimafix can't cure an established infection but is good as a support product. Another thing that will help him heal and help him fight off the infection is Aquarium Salt. If it looks like he has tiny salt specks, he does have ick too so keep using the ick fix with all the other stuff. So, use Maracyn Two, Aquarium salt, Super Ick Fix (if he has ick), and Pimafix all at the same time. You should remove the carbon so the medicine isn't absorbed by it. Your water changes will be enough. You don't need carbon to keep the water quality high. Carbon doesn't do that good a job anyway. It helps clarity and odor but really doesn't improve the actual quality. Water replacement, which you have already been doing, is better and much more effective.

Keep making water changes in his bowl, just add each day's dose of meds right after the daily change. The medicines lose their effectiveness after several hours so don't be worried you are removing anything needed when you change some water. Water changes will keep him stronger and help his immune system. And don't move him to the new tank until he is better and the medicines are done. You do not want to put these medications in the new tank. They make the water very ugly and will kill some of the beneficial bacteria that is trying to establish itself in the new tank. Especially the Maracyn Two. The water will get brownish-yellow, cloudy and foamy. It can take weeks to get that junk out of there. Consider the smaller tank a "hospital tank". It's better for him to "stay in the hospital" for a few days.

I just want to be sure you know what your 10 gallon new tank needs in order to "cycle". Sometimes when I hear that someone is "cycling" their tank they are simply letting the water circulate for a few days. You have to add a source of "food" that makes ammonia for the beneficial bacteria to eat. If not, start now so it's ready for your fish once he is well enough. It can several weeks to complete but watch the ammonia and nitrite levels to see how it's going. Put a pinch of fish food in the empty tank every day. It feeds the beneficial bacteria so they will grow colonies that will consume your fish's waste once he gets in there too. It's called "fishless cycling". Here is a link to info about it;

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=2678

I hope all goes well and your little guy feels better very soon...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins