Poorly Goldfish

[tia]

Please help! My goldfish looks poorly. The fin along the top (dorsal?? sorry to be so ignorant) is lying completely flat. It keeps swimming along the top of the water, not gasping but opening and closing its mouth more than ususal. It's been eating a little. I can't bear to see it looking so sad. Can anyone help?

 

[ryan]

It could be the onset of a few disease the rapid breathing or laboured breathing may indicate Velvet or Gill Flukes? However, Velvet can easily be seen as a white/gold kind of dust covering the body. Can you give us any extra information, like tank size occupants and newly introduced fish and so on? The flatened dorsal fin is normally a good sign of stress or illness so well picked up.

 

[Wisperian]

what ryan said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[tia]

Thanks. The tank is 45cm x 25cm x 25cm (sorry, don't know what volume this is and too worried to work it out). I had 2 goldfish for 2ish years, then a couple of weeks ago one of them died. I replaced it about a week ago with the one that's now ill. The other one appears to be fine. They're just ordinary goldfish. Do you need to know anything else?

 

[ryan]

Its sounds as though there could be a problem in the tank that hasn't been corrected. Do you know the water parameters?

 

[tia]

No! I don't even know what water parameters are! I changed the water after the last bereavement. The other fish looks so healthy; wouldn't poor tank conditions affect them both, or not necessarily?

 

[ryan]

Well if one is slightly weaker from stress of something else a parasite or infection is likely to attack them first. I suggest you buy a test kit from your local fish shop and test the water from ammonia and nitrate, then you can go from there............

 

[tia]

OK, will do. Thanks. Think we're on borrowed time now but thanks for your help anyway.

 

[bribones]

changed the water ? did you dechlorinate ? could also be a nitrate spike,you should always change the water partially a little at a time to avoid stress and abrubt chemical changes,other than that what ryan said good luck

 

[tia]

Yes, did all of the above. Too late now anyway - fish sadly passed away in the night. I've decided to liberate the survivor into a friend's pond to hopefully enjoy a longer and happier life than I can give it. Thanks for your help. I feel so guilty....

 

[ryan]

Yes, did all of the above. Too late now anyway - fish sadly passed away in the night. I've decided to liberate the survivor into a friend's pond to hopefully enjoy a longer and happier life than I can give it. Thanks for your help. I feel so guilty....

Sorry to hear that tia.