Urgent Goldfish Help!

Question
Chris R,
I've had my fish Plasma for two years now. I have never kept a fish alive for this long before so I'm very attatched to him. (Or her...?) When I first got Plasma he was a normal, healthy fish. I can't say that now. He just floats around in the tank, moving only when it is necessary. His abdomen is swollen and his fins seemed to be clamped together close to his body. There are also some red streaks on his tail that were not there before. Plasma usually would "lie" on the bottom of the tank moitionless, but now he has been floating near the surface, only moving his fins ever once in a while.

As for the tank, it is onl a two gallon one but for one fish it seems sufficent. I feed him generic fish flakes and give the tank a good scrubbing clean-out weekly, for it seems to be very dirty by then.

Do you have any advice? I do not want to buy a new tank or anything drastic like that, if that can be avoided. Your help would be be greatly appreciated!
From,
Lauren Niedbalec

Answer
Hi Lauren;

Poor Plasma. Red streaks indicate infection in the blood causing septicemia, which is inflamation of the vascular system itself. It is beginning to deteriorate his heart from massive damage to his vascular system. He needs medicine as soon as you can get some from the fish store. "Maracyn-Two", (one of the brand names of Minocycline) is the one to use. It absorbs inside the fish to get where the infection is. Change 50% of his tank water every day while you are medicating him. Do the change right before that day's addition of medicine. He needs very clean water if he is to recover.

Unfortunately, a 2 gallon is not nearly large enough for a goldfish. Goldfish need a 10 gallon tank just for one of them. Your little Plasma has been exposed to chronically high levels of ammonia for a very long time and it is now affecting his health. He is weakened and bacteria in his environment is taking advantage of that weakness. Even a full cleaning weekly just isn't enough to keep a small tank like that clean enough. Goldfish are very messy fish without even trying so they put out a great deal of ammonia per fish. It comes in the form of waste as well as expelled during respiration. He needs a bigger tank once he gets well again. Here is more about goldfish and their needs;

http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php

I hope he gets better soon.......

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins