Need Advice To Why My Shubunkin Fantail Is Changing Colour!

[LittleEmma16]

i was wondering if anybody could help me, im so worried!

ive had 2 shubunkin fantails for just about 9 years, 6 weeks ago my friend brought me 2 plec's for my birthday, then 2 weeks ago i then brought myself another shubunkin.

now the main issue when i first brought my little shubunkin was the other 2 who are 3 times the size of him attacking him, but 3 days ago i discovered the little one was actually attacking the bigger 2's tails and has ripped them to shreads. so i have since then had to section him off.

my main issue now is that unfortunately my blue shubunkin died yesterday and he had seriously lost alot of his colouring, and would swim along then gradually roll onto his side and stay like that, and from the infomation i have read on the internet i think it could be swim bladder.

now my orange shubunkin who when i first got him changed his colourings to white, has since started getting orange patches back on his body but the bit that concerns me the most is his fins, mainly the bits that are closesest to his body seemed to have also changed colour and now look a orangey/red/pinky colour and also looks to have lost a couple of scales. hes currently got cateracts on both eyes which hes had for a good 5-6 years (it has as been treated but didnt work), because of this hes always swam quite slowly around the tank but has become a customed to being a bottom feeder and very occasionally ventured to the surface. his behaviour in the last 24hours as well as his colour has changed quite drematically and now seems to be swimming quite eractically around the tank and also spending alot of time at the surface but hes not gasping for air, and he also seems to be deliberatly swimming up against the filter and and also the ornaments in the tank.

the only explanation i can think of is that it could be amonia poisening or am i just being over paranoid because my other fish had died?

if anyone can give me any adivce or maybe explain what they think is wrong or if him changing his colour is normal please let me know im so worried im going to loose my other fish and i would be so greatful!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Do a very large water change, remove as much as you can while still allowing the fish to stay upright. Be sure that you refill with dechlorinated water and try to get the temp as close as possible. A few degrees colder is fine but try to avoid it being warmer.
Then go out and get a liquid test kit and test for ammonia and nitrite especially, they should both be 0. If not keep doing large water changes until they are.
BNs are very messy fish and so are goldfish so they produce large amounts of ammonia, my bet is that your filter cannot handle the waste that is being produced. How big is your tank and what temperature is it? I ask about the temp because BNs are tropical and goldfish are coldwater....
Im sorry you're having this trouble but hopefully we'll get to the bottom of it here. Let me know how you get on

 

[LittleEmma16]

thank you for your reply, i have been to pets at home and have spoken to the lady there whos told me to bring a sample of water in so she can test it for me.

i have since found out that my new little fish is indeed a normal goldfish and not a fantail, which explains why hes been attaching my other 2 [now 1]. as the shubunkins are much more slow swimmers and
the goldfish is quicker they are not suppose to be mixed together, so i was given the wrong information.

the lady has given me a few different reasons to what could have caused the fishes death and doesnt think it was swim bladder as it was such a sudden thing. some of the reasons she gave me where....
*water quality
*old age
*and also the stress of being attached by the goldfish

but there were a few other reasons but until i get the water tested we really may never know and it also doesnt explain the other ones colour change although she did mention that they are known for changing their colours.

i now have a new problem of what to do with my new goldfish, try and find him a new home either in a tank with other goldfish or in a pond OR take him back to pets at home, as its unfair to leave him in the new babies net hes currently in, poor little thing must feel like hes in solartary confinement!

 

[Em29]

What size is the tank and temperature? The temperature is important here because you have tropical fish mixed with cold water. Let us know how you get on

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

You haven't answered any of my questions LittleEmma. Please do take my advice and do a large water change.

 

[LittleEmma16]

You haven't answered any of my questions LittleEmma. Please do take my advice and do a large water change.

its about a 60letre tank, not sure on temp, my old shubkin is now ill and looks like what my blue one started off like before he died, hes just floating about on his side, then he swims fine for abit then rolls onto his side again and just keeps going round in circles, i dont wanna loose him but i dont know what to do, i have sorted my water quality out, ive had it tested again which has improved greatly just need to do one more take change and should have the nitrite down aswell.
i really wanna help my shubunkin but i dont know what to do, i cant work out what disease he actually has, again it looks to be swim bladder but i dont know, i found something on the net about 'burping' a fish like youd burp a normal human, i did try n try this but i was to scared to gentley squeeze just under by his anus incase i hurt him, first couple of times he let me then i tried and he just wriggled out my hand and now hes just lying there alive but lifeless!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I really hope this doesn't sound harsh but if you would just follow the advice I gave initially it would help the situation, I'm confident of that.

 

[LittleEmma16]

I really hope this doesn't sound harsh but if you would just follow the advice I gave initially it would help the situation, I'm confident of that.

i did do what you sergested lol, i got the water tested last week, have done 2 big water changes and then had my water retested again today

 

[Em29]

Can you remember what the water results were? I think you need to keep going with water changes for a while.What filtration do you have? Can you get/ borrow a thermometer for the water?

 

[LittleEmma16]

im sorry he never actually told the number he just said that the most poiseness one was low and the other 2 where high, then when i went back yesterday he said the amonia and the nitrate were just about back to normal but the nitrite was still high, but i am currently in the process of sorting it out so dont worry about that,

thank you both for replying but unfortunately he did die in the night

 

[Em29]

Oh gosh - sorry about your fish. That is horrible. I am sure with lots of water changes and patience you will have a great tank again and you can have a think about what kind of fish you want to keep.