Goldfish tail got bitten off, what to do?

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LunaSnow

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My goldfish is the common ones you'd find from fairs, and just a week ago we found it having trouble swimming (having to sway side to side more than usual) with white flesh trailing behind where its tail was supposed to be. We found the others sometime chasing after it to nip at it, so we took it out into another smaller tank quickly. After a week or so, it doesn't have the white flesh anymore, which is a good thing i guess, but its tail (or what's left of it) has turned black (it was originally orange), and its starting to spread towards its body as well. I should specify that it's entire body is turning black starting from the tail, not streaks or lines of black. I've heard its because of ammonia burns or that they are healing so i left it alone, but i'm getting worried. It has also been swimming around and around the tank for the first few days, but lately it has taken to swimming at one corner only, which coincidentally is the direction of its previous tank. It can't see its previous tankmates, the tank is opaque. I am also hesitant about changing the waters too frequently because I'm afraid it stresses it out. But it is eating food.

WhatsApp Image 2020-06-02 at 18.19.26 (1).jpeg

WhatsApp Image 2020-06-02 at 18.19.26.jpeg


(I apologize for the picture quality, it won't stop swimming) If you squint at the second picture, you can see the beginnings of its healing(?) tail. I have a video but i don't know how to attach it, it seems to only allow pictures.


So i want to ask:
1) Is my goldfish getting black a sign of it healing or is it something more serious?
2) Should I leave the water level low for it to surface easier?
2) Should I continue leaving it isolated or should I dump it in with the rest? (My mom says it'll die of loneliness)
3) Is there anything I can do to stop it from swimming so erratically? Or is that okay?

Thank you, I really want my goldfish to be fine.
 
The black is bruising or chemical burns.

You should do a 75% water change every day. Make sure the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Add 2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt, sea salt, or swimming pool salt for every 20 litres of tank water. Keep the salt in there for 2-4 weeks then stop using salt.
When you do water changes, add salt to the new water so the salinity (salt level) in the tank remains stable.
 
The black is healing. Do what Colin_T has instructed above. However, only add enough Aquarium salt back with each water change to replace what was taken out. For instance, if you change out 75% of water, only add 3/4 the amount of original dose back in. Leave the fish in QT tank until tail begins to heal well. Other fish may nip at it. I have bred and raised goldfish for years. He can stay alone during recovery but will want to be back with his buddies ASAP. Who bit the tail off?
 
The black is healing. Do what Colin_T has instructed above. However, only add enough Aquarium salt back with each water change to replace what was taken out. For instance, if you change out 75% of water, only add 3/4 the amount of original dose back in. Leave the fish in QT tank until tail begins to heal well. Other fish may nip at it. I have bred and raised goldfish for years. He can stay alone during recovery but will want to be back with his buddies ASAP. Who bit the tail off?
Thank you for your reply. I don't know which one specifically, but all of our fish are the same kind. Though I have seen a few chasing after it. Is it really okay keeping the water level that low? Or should I add more? Can I do anything besides adding salt to help with its stress?
 
Thank you for your reply. I don't know which one specifically, but all of our fish are the same kind. Though I have seen a few chasing after it. Is it really okay keeping the water level that low? Or should I add more? Can I do anything besides adding salt to help with its stress?
I don’t understand the question. Why would you keep the water level low? We are saying to replace 75% of water with clean water. Not to lower the water level 75%.
 
I don’t understand the question. Why would you keep the water level low?
I think he is thinking on long the lines of a sick beta.

@LunaSnow, you don't need to keep your water level that low, as Goldfish filter oxygen straight from the water.
 
Oh, I was concerned that my goldfish would have problems getting oxygen but nice to know that they don't need to surface for that. Thanks, @PheonixKingZ And its original tank is the rectangular water fountain sort with a pump. Not a filter, though we do change 75% of the water every 2-3 days . It's roughly 70~ gallons with a pleco in with them. (I forgot about it)
 
Not a filter, though we do change 75% of the water every 2-3 days . It's roughly 70~ gallons with a pleco in with them. (I forgot about it)
Sorry I got confused there a bit, do you have a filter in the tank?
What size is the tank?
 
They really need a filter. Pleco’s and goldies gave huge bio loads. :)
I agree, and they are messy eater from what I saw when my lfs workers were feeding them. Including the nitrogen cycle and probably what happened to OP's goldie is fin rot from what I understood from OP's post which is caused by poor water quality and microorganisms (bacteria etc) hurting fish's fins and then eating them away.
OP, what are your water parameters?
 
Hi I was wondering what the outcome was? My goldfishes tail was bitten off by black goldfish he was living with. It hasn't gone black at the moment but he can't balance himself to eat and can't swim downwards so he just floats at the top. Was this similar to your experience and how did you help your get better? How long till his tail grew back?
 
Hi I was wondering what the outcome was? My goldfishes tail was bitten off by black goldfish he was living with. It hasn't gone black at the moment but he can't balance himself to eat and can't swim downwards so he just floats at the top. Was this similar to your experience and how did you help your get better? How long till his tail grew back?

Hey, this thread is a couple of years old, so I doubt that person will be back. Please make a new thread in the fish emergencies section, and include as much detail about your tank, stocking, fish, usual maintenance (tank cleaning and water changes etc), and photos of the tank and sick fish if you can! We'd be happy to help you try to save your fish :)


Before you make your thread though, do an emergency water change - 50% of the total tank volume, making sure to use a water conditioner that declorinates the water, and the temp of the new water matches the temp of the tank. That should hopefully buy your fish some time while we work out what to do :)
 

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