Common Goldfish Red Belly and Sitting on Bottom of Tank.

[Poly_j]

I need help!! Here are the details:

Problem: 7 yr old common goldfish has recently started sitting at the bottom of the tank but will swim around often, mostly when he sees us or when we feed them. He also has a redness on his side which looks like a scale came off but I don’t think that’s the case. I then noticed that his belly is really red like it was bleeding inside almost.

Tank: 20 Gallon (eventually will get 50-75), only decor is the gravel bottom and some small rocks for the fish to nudge around.

Goldfish: One 7 yr old common (4” body 2” tail and large benign tumors on the top of body), One newly purchased black moor (2” body 1” tail)

Diet: goldfish flakes usually 1-2 times a day (switching to 1 every two days possibly due to some reading).

Tank readings: pH: 8-8.2, ammonia: 0-0.25, nitrite: 0, nitrate 5 ppm

Water changes: last week 100% because we moved the tank from my parents to our home, and yesterday 20%.

Water Treatment: AquaSafe water conditioner, Aquarium Salt

Recent changes: moved from parents home for about 4 hour drive last week. Removed decor pieces to give more room yesterday as suggested by other groups. Added new black moor (smaller and doesn’t bully the common) last week.

I know that is a lot of detail but I really can’t find too much on what the red belly is coming from and why he is sitting on the bottom of the tank sometimes. It’s strange because he has never had this before. I need help figuring out what to do. So far I bought some API Stress Coat water conditoner and will use it during my 20% changes that I will do everyday for the next week. What do you guys suggest???

Thanks!

Update: here is a link to a google doc with photos. I could not figure out how to shrink the photo to a size that I could upload.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VLnOsCgZbsHsQXXebjzW5NcryiHup7Yuhg6NtyUl-4U/edit

 

[Lunar Jetman]

You're registering some ammonia which isn't good. It could be that in moving the tank you have disturbed the substrate and caused an ammonia spike, e.g. I presume you drained the tank to move it so either moving it or refilling it could do it.

I knew someone who changed their substrate with the fish in and caused them to get ill/die due to contaminating the water with the bacteria/muck in the substrate.

I'd immediately change 75% of the water and keep doing so daily until the ammonia is gone.

I presume you're using the same filter from the old location or you haven't completely cleaned it. If you aren't or did clean it, your tank is no longer cycled and you'll need to keep the water changes going to prevent the fish from having problems.

 

[Colin_T]

can you post a picture of the fish?
I need to see the belly and the red sore on the side where the scale is missing.

 

[Poly_j]

can you post a picture of the fish?
I need to see the belly and the red sore on the side where the scale is missing.

can you post a picture of the fish?
I need to see the belly and the red sore on the side where the scale is missing.

I added the photos link to the first post.

 

[Poly_j]

You're registering some ammonia which isn't good. It could be that in moving the tank you have disturbed the substrate and caused an ammonia spike, e.g. I presume you drained the tank to move it so either moving it or refilling it could do it.

I knew someone who changed their substrate with the fish in and caused them to get ill/die due to contaminating the water with the bacteria/muck in the substrate.

I'd immediately change 75% of the water and keep doing so daily until the ammonia is gone.

I presume you're using the same filter from the old location or you haven't completely cleaned it. If you aren't or did clean it, your tank is no longer cycled and you'll need to keep the water changes going to prevent the fish from having problems.

Yes, I drained the tank to move it. I didn't know till recently about the impacts that changing all the water and stuff could have. I actually completely replaced the filter so that probably affected them as well.

 

[Colin_T]

The fish is either being eaten by protozoans or more likely a bacterial infection. A protozoan infection would cause the fish to produce excess mucous that would show up as a cream/ white film over the body. Whereas bacteria simply make the fish red. The scale also appears to be bacterial. And the fish appears to have a growth behind its head.

Watch the red patch on the side of the body where the scale issue is. If it goes white around the edge with a red centre it has turned into an ulcer and you will need to treat that with medicated food containing anti-biotics.

You could try some Triple Sulpha/ Tri Sulfa and see if it helps. If there is no difference after a week then you might need something stronger (anti-biotics). But try the sulpha based medications first because they don't wipe out the filter bacteria.

You could also try adding some rock salt, sea salt or swimming pool salt at the dose rate of 2 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. The sulpha based medications work in fresh or salt water so the salt won't interfere with the medication.

To work out the volume of water in the tank:
measure the length x width x height in cm.
divide by 1000.
= volume in litres.

There is a calculator/ converter in the "How To Tips" at the top of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons.

Before you treat the tank, wipe the inside of the glass, do a 75% water change and a complete gravel clean, and if you didn't clean the filter when you moved the tank, I would clean that too. Remove any carbon (black granulated stuff) from the filter. Then treat the fish.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

------------------------
Because you changed the filter materials, you should reduce feeding to once every second day and monitor the ammonia levels. If you get an ammonia level do a 75% water change and complete gravel clean each day until the ammonia is back to 0.

If you have salt or medications in the tank you will need to re-dose them after each water change.

 

[Poly_j]

The fish is either being eaten by protozoans or more likely a bacterial infection. A protozoan infection would cause the fish to produce excess mucous that would show up as a cream/ white film over the body. Whereas bacteria simply make the fish red. The scale also appears to be bacterial. And the fish appears to have a growth behind its head.

Watch the red patch on the side of the body where the scale issue is. If it goes white around the edge with a red centre it has turned into an ulcer and you will need to treat that with medicated food containing anti-biotics.

You could try some Triple Sulpha/ Tri Sulfa and see if it helps. If there is no difference after a week then you might need something stronger (anti-biotics). But try the sulpha based medications first because they don't wipe out the filter bacteria.

You could also try adding some rock salt, sea salt or swimming pool salt at the dose rate of 2 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. The sulpha based medications work in fresh or salt water so the salt won't interfere with the medication.

To work out the volume of water in the tank:
measure the length x width x height in cm.
divide by 1000.
= volume in litres.

There is a calculator/ converter in the "How To Tips" at the top of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons.

Before you treat the tank, wipe the inside of the glass, do a 75% water change and a complete gravel clean, and if you didn't clean the filter when you moved the tank, I would clean that too. Remove any carbon (black granulated stuff) from the filter. Then treat the fish.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

------------------------
Because you changed the filter materials, you should reduce feeding to once every second day and monitor the ammonia levels. If you get an ammonia level do a 75% water change and complete gravel clean each day until the ammonia is back to 0.

If you have salt or medications in the tank you will need to re-dose them after each water change.

Yes, there is a large growth behind his head. We have heard from PetSmart that there isn't much we can do with it and since he has had it for a few years its probably a benign tumor. There are a few more on the side of his body. (my parents had him before this and they did very rare water changes like ever 2 months... but he didnt get this problem till we brought him home a week ago.)

As for the water treatments and such, I will do a water change when I get home, but I won't be able to do one every day till sunday night because we will be out of town tommorow and saturday. I will start with your suggestions on sunday.

Additionally I have been using aquarium salts so that should be helpful. We will also be using a Stress Coat Water Conditioner for a while which we just got yesterday.

ALSO, there is a black moor in there with him... should we be worried he will be "contaminated."