Not Quite Yet An Emergency But I Have A Goldfish Problem

[Dawson14]

My GF has a Pearlscale Goldfish and she is worried about his back fin. Its in a Eclispe 3 gallon tank. Did a water test and everything was in normal range. Temperature is kept at 80-82 degrees at all times. There is no other fish in the tank.

Now for the problem. Its tail fin is deteriorating in one spot. Its curling and it looks like there is a chunk taken out of it. Theres some brown around the edges too where its disappearing. There is no ick, no white fuzzy substance. There is no white discoloration. Just the brownish spot around the edge. The Fish's behavior is normal, eats and swims as usual. This has been going on for around 5 days and its gradually getting worse.

What could it be? Is it just normal tissue dying then will regrow and repair? What are your guys thought

 

[The-Wolf]

sounds like fin rot to me.
http/www.fishdoc.co.uk/disease/finrot.htm

I'd treat with a strong anti-bacterial medication.
to prevent this happening in the future I suggest a tank of at least 10 gallons as this has probably
been caused by the stress of living in 3.

 

[Betta91]

Melafix medication works great for fin and tail rot.

 

[Dawson14]

Ive looked at many pictures of fin and tail rot and they look nothing like this Goldfish's tail. And why would it be stressed living in a 3 gallon tank when its the only fish in there? The goldfish isnt that big, maybe 2inches long.

 

[MHunt]

Ive looked at many pictures of fin and tail rot and they look nothing like this Goldfish's tail. And why would it be stressed living in a 3 gallon tank when its the only fish in there? The goldfish isnt that big, maybe 2inches long.

First thing i'll say is the tank is probably too small for the goldfish. They make so much waste that even though it's a small fish it will pollute the water, making hard work for even the most efficient of filters. I would say do regular water changes for now to improve the water quality. In the future I would look at getting at least a 10 gallon tank for just this fish, 20 gallon or larger if you want to add others to the tank.

I would keep a close eye on it, make sure there aren't any parasites in the tank with the goldfish. Fish lice are nasty little buggers that will cause the tail to bleed and break up if the infestation is severe.

 

[The-Wolf]

The goldfish isnt that big, maybe 2inches long.

that is probably because it is stunted

 

[Dawson14]

Its an eclipse tank...the tank is absolutely spotless. There is no algae no growth on the rocks. Everything looks brand new. The tank is not dirty. The water is completely normal no spikes in anything. I know the tank is probably a little smaller than it should be but honestly, I really dont think size matters at all in this situation. He doesnt looks stressed. Hes a happy fish that likes to eat! Shes has had the fish for about 3-4 months along with the tank.

MHunt, I will definately have her keep an eye on it. I told her just to keep a close watch and see if the condition starts to get worse faster. I dont think any medication should be added until we start to see more signs. And yes I do agree a water change is needed and more frequently than she has been doing.

 

[vinylman]

You need a bigger tank as soon as possible. Being the only fish in there has nothing to do with it. With goldfish the general rule of thumb is 20 Gallons for the first fish, then an additional 10 gallons for every other fish. Stress can kill a fish.