This summer my 2 fish Spot and Flip spawned several times so when Spots tummy started to bulge I figured she was full of eggs again. Flips breeding stars started to fade so he showed no interest in mating so I thought it would take some time for Spot to reabsorb the eggs. She's been eating but hasn't been very active.Today when I came home and looked in on her I saw that she now has an open wound on her left side and it's bleeding and it looks like some flesh is coming out. What can I do for her if anything? I'm not sure what kinds of meds I should try. Any help would be appreciated.
Ammonia Level 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
Ph Level N/A
Tank size 20gal been running almost a year
How often do you change the water and how much? Weekly 50%
Water additives/conditioners, Novaqua and Amquel
FiltrationAquaclear 300
What do you feed your fish? Nutrafin Flakes, peas, Bloodworms, Spirulina, oranges
Medications add to the tank? None
How many fish in the tank and there size? 2 Spot 6in and Flip 5in
Any new fish added to the tank? No
Any unusual findings on the fish? Such as "grains of salt", bloody streaks, frayed fins, fungus Any unusual behavior? Like staying at the bottom, not eating, ect.. Open wound that is bleeding
Any unusual behavior? Like staying at the bottom, not eating, ect.. She's been staying close to the bottom except when she eats

It could be an ulcer that has burst but I've never had to deal with anything like it myself so I can't be sure. I just had a look on the glimmering Goldfish site (http://www.goldfishinfo.com/ailment1.htm#ulcers)and it has this to say about them -


Ulcers- Ulcers are open sores located on the fish's body. Ulcers are sores on the body caused by bacterial infection. You need to make very sure your water quality is immaculate. Check your pH and Ammonia as well as your Nitrite readings. Ulcers usually are caused by the Aeromonas bacteria or more rarely Pseudomonas bacteria. The ulceration may appear with red abscesses, or red edges around the ulcer. In some cases it can become rather large and expose muscles. Symptoms: The fish has one or more open sores on its body or at the base of its fins. The sore has a red abscess or red edges. The fish may also have red fin edges or fin rot. They may exhibit lack of appetite and sluggish behavior. Treatment: Usually antibiotics are needed and this is done by a series of injections. ( A vet would need to see the fish and give you the necessary prescription). However this is not always the best option for individuals and a product by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals has a great product called Mela Fix that has shown great results in the healing of ulcers. It is easy to use and does not create issues with the water quality.

Thanks Fishyfan.......I just got back from Petsmart where I bought some Melafix. I hope this helps her

Take the fish out of the water and softly scrub the are with iodine or potassium permanganate paste. You could then follow that up by applying some triple antibiotic cream (neosporin or the like) I have dealt with this many times and topical treatment is the way to go. Don't bother with the melafix. You could salt the water (3 T per 5 gal) and feed medicated food if you have it, but neither may be necessary depending upon how bad the ulceration is.

Good luck.

Happy how often do you use the iodine /PP and antibiotic cream? Is the iodine the same stuff found at the pharmacy? I already added some Melafix would it be ok to use the iodine and cream? Thank you for your input.
Linda

Yes, the iodine is the same stuff you get at the pharmacy. Do the iodine or PP scrub once; apply the antibiotic cream after the scrubbing and you can reapply it after that as often as you see necessary (every day or even a few times a day). Don't redo the scrubbing unless the ulceration seems to be getting worse, not better. So long as it seems to be closing up, use antibiotic cream only.

This treatment is perfectly okay to do with melafix in the water. The melafix may help the fish to heal once you've cleaned up the sore, but scrubbing the area and getting rid of the bacteria is the most beneficial thing you can do for the fish.

Good luck. I know it looks dreadful, but ulcers can be fairly easy to heal if treated properly.