Fuzzy White Spots On Goldfish

[Suriliel]

Hi, I did read the template for fish emergencies, but my situation is kind of different. I recently bought a new tank and to start the cycle I put filter material from my other tank in the filter and bought some goldfish to help it along. One of the goldfish had some white fuzzy-looking spots on him (they were on him when I put him in the tank, had nothing to do with my tank conditions), and the next day he died. I thought the spots were kinda odd but it died so I took it out right away and thought it would be okay. Well yesterday another one of the fish got the same kind of spots. They're small, white and look fuzzy. What is this and how can I get rid of it? It didn't come from my tank, the first fish had it from the store. I'll be going back to the store to tell them, but I just want to know if this is something that stays on the fish or will all the other ones get it too? Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

Need tank size in gallons or litres, how many fish and which type, water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph, how big are the spots are they grains of salt size or bigger.

 

[willtang3000]

also were are the white spots if there on the gills that is nothing and just means its a male

 

[Suriliel]

The tank size etc is irrelevant as they didn't get it from my tank.. I just need to know what it is so I can treat it. They got it from the store! The spots on the first fish were a bit bigger than the second fish but still kind of small.. it's hard to explain how small.. about the size of the fish's eye or something. Maybe 2 - 3 millimetres? Also the second fish is staying up at the top of the tank just swimming around in circles, and it's really skinny. I don't have all the levels and everything for the tank because it just started its cycle so I haven't tested it yet. It's a 55 gallon tank with 7 small goldfish in it, but again that really doesn't matter.

Oh and it's NOT ich.. for those of you who would jump to that conclusion. I know what ich looks like, and it's definitely not that... they're larger fuzzy looking spots.

 

[WILDER]

It's bacterial and with a fish going skinny not good news, has the fish gone skinny through not eating, or does the fish still eat.

 

[Suriliel]

I saw him eat a bit yesterday, but he looks really malnourished. I've only had them for a couple days though so it's really hard to tell if he was like that before or not.

 

[WILDER]

Well it's tb or internal parasites and with the whitespot on him being bacterial i would go with fish tb, for now issolate the fish.

Look for these signs
http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

 

[Suriliel]

Okay.. if it's what you're thinking it is, would the other fish be in danger of getting it as well if I took the diseased fish out right away? Also, I'm planning on putting my "good" fish in there when the cycle's done, would the disease still be in the tank then? I'm going home from work now so I'll reply when I get there. Thanks for your help!

 

[WILDER]

Yes, read that link it tell you what to do.
Plus it could be internal parasites as well, both are nasty and very hard to cure.

Abit more info for you.
http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/manage...fer_FishTB.html

 

[Suriliel]

Okay it doesn't sound like that at all. There are no "nodules" or whatever, the spots don't look anything like that first link makes them sound. They look like white mold... at first when I saw the spots on the first fish (the fish was a dark color so they were easy to see) I thought it was just a neat coloration.. but then the fish died. I noticed them on the second fish the next day and realized it wasn't just the fish color. They're small spots and not raised at all except the fact that they look fuzzy (like mold kind of fuzzy). So I really don't think it's TB. Anyways, when I got home just now the infected fish was already dead, so I flushed him and it doesn't look like any of the other fish have it, so maybe it'll be okay. I would still like to know what it is though. Maybe I'll go to the store where I got them and see if they have any other ones with the spots and ask them. I looked on the fish when I flushed it but I couldn't see the spots anymore, his skin was kind of glassy looking, he'd probably been dead since this morning.

 

[vancouver]

Sounds like fungus... fuzzy blotches would indicate that..

You probably should nuke the tank, as the disease will be in the water now.. and most likely any other fish you add with get it too..

I would do a total cleaning of the tank and start again.

Doesn't sound like fish tb or a bacterial infection.

 

[black angel]

I take it the goldfish are going back to the store?
The disease is now in your tank and you have to leave it fishless for a couple of weeks and nuke it with anti bacterial meds, you might even have to strip it down and get new gravel and new filter media and bleach the tank and filter. A long process and then you will need to restart the cycle, fishless i hope.

 

[Suriliel]

Heh sorry Vancouver, I replied to your pm before reading this post.. so I asked some questions that are already answered I agree it's probably some type of fungus and not bacterial, however at the moment none of the other fish are sick, they're actually doing really great, eating normally and everything.. I reaaallly don't want to start everything all over again.. is there something else that can be done? Maybe a huge water change and filter change or something? Could I wait and see if any of the other fish get sick? I mean I will if I absolutely have to.. but is it possible that maybe whatever it was went out with the fish?

 

[WILDER]

A true fungus is rare, white spots with fungus on them is bacterial, and if a fish has wasted away its tb or internal parasites, there is definately something nasty going on in the tank.

 

[Suriliel]

It's NOT tb.. stop suggesting that.. nothing in that link or anything else I looked up about fish tb was even remotely like what my fish had..