Fin Rot/fin Damage Help

[erinw88]

Hello.
I have two fantail goldfish. I have had them in a 1 gallon bowl with a bubbler for a month or so. I left them for a couple days while I was out of town. I left a feeder in the bowl for them. When I returned the feeder had caused the water to get very dirty, much dirtier than it would get with just the two of them. I cleaned the bowl immediately and got them back to their routine. They seemed very unhappy still and I tried aquarium salt. They were getting a bit better, but one of the fish had a red spot near the base of her tail. It looked kind of like if I scraped my knee or something. It didn't seem to be bothering her, so I worried, but not as much as I could have.
I was able to get them a 5 gallon aquarium finally just Friday. I changed them over and they seemed happy with it. This tank has a filter, they seemed to enjoy it as they kept swimming into the current and it looked like they were playing in it. One fish quit swimming into it and went on to other parts of the tank while the other, the one that had had the red spot on it, kept swimming into the current at its strongest point for the rest of the day and the next day. It was the Sunday afternoon I fed them and noticed the one swimming into the filter's tail was ragged looking.
I immediately thought fin rot and went to the pet store for medicine. I began the treatment and that Monday I believe I noticed the other's tail getting a little ragged too. I've completed the treatment and they've both gotten worse. The first one to show has almost no tail left since Saturday and the other has plenty of tail, but it's getting more ragged and looks thinner I guess I would say. This one has also started just sitting at the bottom of the tank like he's sleeping, but just sits there, this started yesterday evening.
I started looking around more today for worry they were not getting better and noticed their fins don't look like a lot of fint rot pictures, but more fin damage. I was oping someone could help me out a bit and give some advice or anything.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

It sounds like your fish are suffering the results of poor water quality and an uncycled tank.

Your goldfish will need a tank much bigger than 5 gallons (freecycle and ebay are great places to look if cost is a factor). Your goldfish will need a 10 gallon tank if not a 20 gallon (not exactly sure on the size that fantails grow but I do know goldfish produce a great deal with waste).

Here is a link to the beginners section, please look up fishless and fish-in cycling (which is what you are doing with your new tank). http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

As an immediate treatment, I'd advise you begin daily LARGE water changes (temperature matched and dechlorinated) to keep the ammonia at 0. If you do not already, please buy a testing kit to test the water. I'd suggest a daily water change of as much water as you can remove without having to remove the fish from the tank, and vacuum the gravel as well.

Does the red spot on the tail look almost like lines or blood vessels? That is a tell-tail sign of poor water quality and ammonia troubles.

 

[erinw88]

It's not like lines, I had a pretty long conversation with someone at the pet store who has goldfish as well about it and it deifnately didn't look like that. It was just a red spot, not a lesion or an open wound so much as a scrape,which I know doesn't make sense, I guess I jus can't quite compare it to anything. The spot is gone and has been for a few days. I always do full cleanings and watr changes weekly. They always looked very happy and healthy until I came back to dirty water from the feeder, after that nothing has been the same. Oncethey got back into the routine of things they've been better, and then changed them into the 5 gallon tank and it's just been downhill. l also had no idea a new tank needed to be cycled, so thank you for that link.


Also, I should be getting a 20 gallon tank tomorrow and will be setting it up immediately and transferring them, but now I feel I sould wait until the cycle as been done. Would it be helpful to them to return them to their 1 gallon until the 20 gallon is cycled and ready?

 

[itsgoodsince1889]

It is true that your goldfish will need a much bigger tank. The minimum tank size is 20 gallons for one, and with 2 goldfish you'll probably need even more. However I don't think poor water quality is the cause for their problems. Although, i wouldnt discard the idea since your tank is cycling and with cycling comes ammonia and nitrate spikes, which are known to cause Fin rot. A sign of that is black around the edges of the finns, but you don't see any of that do you? What you need to do is get a water testing kit, and see if ammonia really is the problem. Also, please read up on tank cycling and the neccesities of your goldfish( there surprisingly high maintenance). Also, if the goldfish do die, I'd advise you to not get any more until you gain some experience. There not really a good fish for a beginner because they're pron to so many health problems.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Daily water changes until your filter is cycled. If you know someone who has a fully cycled tank, ask if they'll donate some of their mature filter media to you. This will help immensely.
 
I don't know who ever thought keeping goldfish in a little bowl was a good idea. If they were able, they'd reach lengths of 12" or more. 

 

[PrairieSunflower]

You can also sometimes buy mature filter media from fish shops.

 

[erinw88]

Well thank you all for the answers and help, I really appreciate it. I've never actually had a brand new tank, my dad is really into fish and always had one around for me to use that apparently was ready for fish, so I never knew about the cycling. I did know that my fish were high maintenence, I was great at keeping up with that until I left them. I do assume it was the ammonia that started it all, there weren't black marks and I never actually saw fungus, but that's the only diagnosis I could find. I've started doing daily water changes and they seemed so much happier last night. Sadly today one of my fish died, but that has brought about another question for me. I took him out of the tank and saw my other fish looked kinda bad, didn't seem to be breathing so much, so I figured she was on her way too. I took the dead fish out and had a moment with him and when I came back my other fish looked so energized and happy. Her dorsal fin was all the way up, she was swimming around better than I've seen her in a few days, looked bright and active. I was wondering why she suddenly got so happy if anyone has any ideas.

 

[CoryLover95]

I'm so sorry about your fish.  Great job getting the 20 gallon!  Yes, definitely cycle it before adding the fish.  My sister had a 25-gallon tank for her 2 fancy goldfish and it worked great for them.  You're on the right path--good luck!
And I have no idea why the other fish would be so happy after the death of its tankmate