Post by koijoi on Apr 23, 2022 23:20:24 GMT -5
Hello,
I'm having a streak of bad luck with new goldfish! About a month ago I purchased two small Wakin goldfish from a private, reputable breeder, and put them in a recently cycled, newly established indoor tank. I plan to move them to a 200 gallon water garden once spring temperatures stop fluctuating.
Given my other recent problems (in the thread about treating streptococcus and ich together), it’s worth noting that very little equipment was shared between my last batch of sick fish, and if it has been, it's been sanitized with bleach.
This new pair settled in well, then about three weeks ago the newly cycled filter crashed on me, causing an ammonia spike. I got the fish in methylene blue baths, and combatted the ammonia with large water changes, adding mature media from another (healthy) tank, and SeaChem Prime. The fish had developed milky slime and a bit of eye film and fin deterioration, but after the baths they appeared to make a full recovery.
I still have a small amount of total ammonia in my tank, along with nitrite and nitrate. I am performing 20-25% daily water changes, testing the water twice daily, using Prime to keep the free ammonia at zero, and using salt at 1TBS per 5 gallons. I am also adding Stability every day.
About four to five days ago, one of the goldies started hanging somewhat head-down when resting, and her tail fin began to deteriorate. I first chose to be conservative and continue to monitor and improve their water. In the last couple of days I've managed to get the fin rot to stop (her tail is red, and so it's difficult to see if there is hemorrhaging, but there does not appear to be) by further improving water quality and performed baths with methylene blue. Her tail stained blue, and as of today the membranes have stopped sloughing off.
The vertical hanging has become more pronounced. She now dips to a vertical, head-down position when not swimming. She fights to stay horizontal, and often will try to force herself down and will frantically swim before settling back into a vertical position. When she frantically swims, she keeps her pectoral fins clamped. When hanging, she may keep her ventral fins tight, or have all fins relaxed.
Her body colors and other fins are clear and bright. She is not bloated and her scales are not raised. She has a fantastic appetite, and is eating normally (Hikari, a few small pellets twice daily). She does not “sip” air from the surface anymore and release bubbles as she dives to the tank bottom, as she did when she was healthy.
Her tank mate is behaving normally and has no signs of stress.
My best guess is that her immune system went down with the ammonia spike and she picked up an opportunistic infection that is affecting her swim bladder and buoyancy. Does that sound like the likely culprit?
I’d like to give KanaPlex, but I don’t want to add it to the water column while trying to get the bio filter back on track. Besides mixing it with her food per SeaChem's instructions, would medicated baths give her the dosing she needs? If so, how much KanaPlex do you recommend per gallon of bath water, and how frequently should she have these baths?
Any and all advice is appreciated!
I'm having a streak of bad luck with new goldfish! About a month ago I purchased two small Wakin goldfish from a private, reputable breeder, and put them in a recently cycled, newly established indoor tank. I plan to move them to a 200 gallon water garden once spring temperatures stop fluctuating.
Given my other recent problems (in the thread about treating streptococcus and ich together), it’s worth noting that very little equipment was shared between my last batch of sick fish, and if it has been, it's been sanitized with bleach.
This new pair settled in well, then about three weeks ago the newly cycled filter crashed on me, causing an ammonia spike. I got the fish in methylene blue baths, and combatted the ammonia with large water changes, adding mature media from another (healthy) tank, and SeaChem Prime. The fish had developed milky slime and a bit of eye film and fin deterioration, but after the baths they appeared to make a full recovery.
I still have a small amount of total ammonia in my tank, along with nitrite and nitrate. I am performing 20-25% daily water changes, testing the water twice daily, using Prime to keep the free ammonia at zero, and using salt at 1TBS per 5 gallons. I am also adding Stability every day.
About four to five days ago, one of the goldies started hanging somewhat head-down when resting, and her tail fin began to deteriorate. I first chose to be conservative and continue to monitor and improve their water. In the last couple of days I've managed to get the fin rot to stop (her tail is red, and so it's difficult to see if there is hemorrhaging, but there does not appear to be) by further improving water quality and performed baths with methylene blue. Her tail stained blue, and as of today the membranes have stopped sloughing off.
The vertical hanging has become more pronounced. She now dips to a vertical, head-down position when not swimming. She fights to stay horizontal, and often will try to force herself down and will frantically swim before settling back into a vertical position. When she frantically swims, she keeps her pectoral fins clamped. When hanging, she may keep her ventral fins tight, or have all fins relaxed.
Her body colors and other fins are clear and bright. She is not bloated and her scales are not raised. She has a fantastic appetite, and is eating normally (Hikari, a few small pellets twice daily). She does not “sip” air from the surface anymore and release bubbles as she dives to the tank bottom, as she did when she was healthy.
Her tank mate is behaving normally and has no signs of stress.
My best guess is that her immune system went down with the ammonia spike and she picked up an opportunistic infection that is affecting her swim bladder and buoyancy. Does that sound like the likely culprit?
I’d like to give KanaPlex, but I don’t want to add it to the water column while trying to get the bio filter back on track. Besides mixing it with her food per SeaChem's instructions, would medicated baths give her the dosing she needs? If so, how much KanaPlex do you recommend per gallon of bath water, and how frequently should she have these baths?
Any and all advice is appreciated!
and sorry for the recent health issues.