Not sure if I am posting in the right place, but I am concerned about my fish and this is my first time posting here.
Size of aquarium/pond - 400 litres
Types of fish - goldfish, shubunkin, comet, ryukin, fantail
Number of fish and sizes - 5, 2x 3" fantails (not including tail), 4" ryukin (not including tail), 11" comet (not including tail) and 7" shubunkin (not including tail)
Filtration used and how do you clean it and how often - 2x internal fluval filters with bio media, and 1x external fluval canister with purigen and matrix. Check the canisters once a month and if rinsing is needed, use tank water. Replaced purigen recently as it was expired.
How much in the way of water changes and how often -- 25-30% weekly using gravel vac
Do you dechlorinate - yes, prime
Symptoms of sick fish ie, spots, behaviour, etc - one fish, the shubunkin, is swelling up. It is most obvious behind the gills, and extends the length of its body. There is no raised scales, and the fish is still active, but when netting for a salt bath, is stiller and less energetic than normal. Still has a good appetite, but cannot chew whole deshelled peas as it used to, can only eat then now when i break them into 1/8ths. I read somewhere it may be chronic dropsy from worms, but i wormed them maybe 6 months ago, the comet was checked for worms on a checkup and the vet found none, and none of the others have ever bloated.
How long has the fish been sick and which medications are your currently using or recently used - noticed the swelling a few weeks ago, and has gotten worse, but only by a little bit. Trying to do 2x daily salt baths with epsom salt (1/4 tsp per litre, though sometimes as much as 1 tbsp to a 9 litre bucket. I have also been dosing the bucket with tetracycline, as it is the most broad spectrum antibiotic i have on hand that may have some internal benefit
.
Test results for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph both from the tap and tank - i test 3-4 times a week, and other than a recent (a few weeks ago) nitrate spike (40-80ppm), the levels are pretty consistent with ammonia and nitrite at 0 and nitrate below 10. pH is sitting where it is normal for my city (brisbane) 7.5-8.
Anything else you need us to know - i have been keeping fish for a decade and am pretty good with husbandry, but i am still fairly new to goldfish. The 5 fish were not my choice to mix together, they were abandoned in a couple of inches of water outside my work. Other than the comet having had a few issues with ulcers, they have all been very healthy, i give them physicals and look for any obvious injuries or illness daily. I also try to watch their bowel movements. It has been very hot in Brisbane the last month, and the tank has been getting warmer than i would prefer, up to around mid 20s, but they have been eating and not showing obvious signs of distress. Could this be contributing to swelling? Also i havent noticed the shubunkin pooing, i assume because he is having trouble eating even peas. Could the swelling be due to lack of food or constipation? The epsom salt baths usually cause my goldies to poo like mad, but im not getting anything out of the sbubunkin, so i feel like it is more likely he is starting to get hungry. I feel terrible and hate the idea i have caused this inadvertently, and i want to do whatever i can to help my poor fish. If anyone has advice i wpuld greatly appreciate it.
Size of aquarium/pond - 400 litres
Types of fish - goldfish, shubunkin, comet, ryukin, fantail
Number of fish and sizes - 5, 2x 3" fantails (not including tail), 4" ryukin (not including tail), 11" comet (not including tail) and 7" shubunkin (not including tail)
Filtration used and how do you clean it and how often - 2x internal fluval filters with bio media, and 1x external fluval canister with purigen and matrix. Check the canisters once a month and if rinsing is needed, use tank water. Replaced purigen recently as it was expired.
How much in the way of water changes and how often -- 25-30% weekly using gravel vac
Do you dechlorinate - yes, prime
Symptoms of sick fish ie, spots, behaviour, etc - one fish, the shubunkin, is swelling up. It is most obvious behind the gills, and extends the length of its body. There is no raised scales, and the fish is still active, but when netting for a salt bath, is stiller and less energetic than normal. Still has a good appetite, but cannot chew whole deshelled peas as it used to, can only eat then now when i break them into 1/8ths. I read somewhere it may be chronic dropsy from worms, but i wormed them maybe 6 months ago, the comet was checked for worms on a checkup and the vet found none, and none of the others have ever bloated.
How long has the fish been sick and which medications are your currently using or recently used - noticed the swelling a few weeks ago, and has gotten worse, but only by a little bit. Trying to do 2x daily salt baths with epsom salt (1/4 tsp per litre, though sometimes as much as 1 tbsp to a 9 litre bucket. I have also been dosing the bucket with tetracycline, as it is the most broad spectrum antibiotic i have on hand that may have some internal benefit
.
Test results for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph both from the tap and tank - i test 3-4 times a week, and other than a recent (a few weeks ago) nitrate spike (40-80ppm), the levels are pretty consistent with ammonia and nitrite at 0 and nitrate below 10. pH is sitting where it is normal for my city (brisbane) 7.5-8.
Anything else you need us to know - i have been keeping fish for a decade and am pretty good with husbandry, but i am still fairly new to goldfish. The 5 fish were not my choice to mix together, they were abandoned in a couple of inches of water outside my work. Other than the comet having had a few issues with ulcers, they have all been very healthy, i give them physicals and look for any obvious injuries or illness daily. I also try to watch their bowel movements. It has been very hot in Brisbane the last month, and the tank has been getting warmer than i would prefer, up to around mid 20s, but they have been eating and not showing obvious signs of distress. Could this be contributing to swelling? Also i havent noticed the shubunkin pooing, i assume because he is having trouble eating even peas. Could the swelling be due to lack of food or constipation? The epsom salt baths usually cause my goldies to poo like mad, but im not getting anything out of the sbubunkin, so i feel like it is more likely he is starting to get hungry. I feel terrible and hate the idea i have caused this inadvertently, and i want to do whatever i can to help my poor fish. If anyone has advice i wpuld greatly appreciate it.
