Pet Information > ASK Experts > Pet Fish > Pond Water Gardening > female fish sloughing skin

female fish sloughing skin

25 9:50:38

Question
My sick fish
My sick fish
Hi Brigitte, Thank you for your answer.I have removed her and put her in my ten gallon hospital tank. I have been dosing her with Melafix and Pimafix. It seems to be helping as she is a little more lively today and some of the fuzzy stuff is leaving her body. One of her eyes is clearing up as well. I am assuming because of the skin damage she probably got an infection. The instructions say that i should do a 25% water change on day 5. When I put her in the ten gallon I used the pond water, so it is looking a little dark in there. Should I do the water change a little sooner? The same thing is going to happen if I put her back with the other fish, isn't it? I have a two pond system, but I hate to put her in there by herself again. When she was alone last year she spent all of time hiding under a rock. Once I moved her to the community pond, she was out swimming and sadly being attacked.
I've added a pic so you can see what she looks like...:)

Answer
Hello again, Martina. Sorry it took a few days, I was out of town.
It looks to me like she has a Fungus infection. If the current regimen is improving things, keep it up!! Do not put her back into the pond until she is completely healed.
Fungal infections are generally a secondary infection. She probably got hurt being chased and that caused it.
She may have been chased because she was ready to lay eggs. The males will chase her and bump her into rocks to release the eggs. That is normal spawning behavior and sometimes the females get hurt in the process.