My goldfish lost their tails

Question
I have 2 goldfish in a 10 gallon tank that I have had for about 2 years and they got to be 2 good size fish.I got them at the pet store as feeder goldfish. Their tails grew to be very large and very pretty. We recently went on vacation for a week and when we came back it was like their tails fell off and started to grow from scratch. they now have tails that are like the size when i first got them. they are my daughters pets so i would like to know why this happened and if there is anything wrong

Answer
Hi Emily;

It sounds like maybe the fish were overfed and the tank got dirty so they developed tailrot. Look at the edges of the tails and see if there are any bloody spots or fungus patches or anything. If there are any abnormalities there, you may need medicine for them. Clean the tank first though. Make a 25% water change and vacuum the gravel. If there is a lot of crud in the gravel, do the same thing again for the next 3 or 4 days. This will slowly get things fixed up without stressing the fish further.

If you need to use medicine, look at what's available in your local fish store. Compare the symptoms your fish have to what the packages of medicine say.

Two other very good things to use while they heal are Melafix and Aquarium salt. They both help heal wounds, fight stress and soothe the fishes' raw areas. Follow the instructions on the labels.

I hope they do okay and get their tails looking good again soon. Fins and tails do grow back as long as the cause is corrected and infection doesn't set in and take it back beyond the base of the tail into the body.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins