Hi,
I have come across your excellent site while looking for info about one of my fish.
I have 5 fish, 4 standard looking goldfish and 1 which I think is a fantail. He has an egg like body with a fancy double like tail.
A few days ago I noticed his tail was looking a bit ragged. Having read up I am convinced he has a touch of finrot. I went to a local fish supplies shop and they sold me some treatment to put in the tank. Yesterday I noticed a couple of the other fish were "attacking" his tail. Biting it, and even pull at it at times. I rushed out to get something to divide part of the tank off for him, but couldn't get anything, so had to buy a "bowl" unfortunately. Anyway, I filled it with water from the tank and transferred him over. So he isn't being attacked. I have changed some of his water today, and he seems a bit subdued, just nosing about at the gravel I put in the bottom.
What I would like any advice on, is how long should I leave it until I put him back in the tank with the others, and any other tips you may have for me?
Cheers

I thought he was doing a lot on poking about in the gravel, swimming about nose down. But it looks as though he has a swimbladder problem. He now keeps floating over onto his back and lying upside down on the bottom, looking as though he is "gasping" too. If I disturb him he rights him self and swims for a little bit, but soon ends up on his back again.
The water seems fine in his "isolation" bowl. Should I fast him for a couple of days and just wait and see? Or is there something I can do for him?

Oh how sad! I feel for you and your poor fish! I am new to all of this and I don't have any advice. Hopefully you will get a reply soon! You could try doing a search on this sight for swimbladder problems.

Good luck!

Anita

When you say the water seems fine..... What exactly are the params??? (High nitrAtes can cause SBD)

GF are such messy babies that I would be very cautious about keeping him in an unfiltered bowl. I would get a small filter for it in any event.

Sometimes fish will attack sick/weaker fish so it was good that you separated them but an unfiltered bowl will cause the fish to have more probs in the short run!

Also GF like lots of aeration so the gasping could be from lack of oxygen BUT could also be from some type of parasites or a water quailty prob.

It would be really helpful if you could post all of your params. I'll bet your fish is suffering from poor water conditions....

Hmmm...

POst back soon!

Jenn

I have never had a test kit for the water. I was unable to get one yesterday, but I am hoping to get to a shop today (work gets in the way). Getting water testers is my priority. He is still lying on his back. I gave him new water twice yesterday. That is water that has stood for 24hrs with "Stress Coat" added to remove chlorine etc. I replaced half of his water with this.
P.S. When I got up 20 mins ago he was flat on his back, I am going to work now but have just noticed he has righted himself, he is still near the bottom, but the right way up. I hope this is a sign he is improving.
Thanks for your replies, I'll be back on later.

Hi Spleurker,

Jenn is right. A "bowl" is not a suitable place to keep a GF. How big is the fish, anyway?

If you are really desperate for somewhere to keep it for a few days, you can use the bucket-to-bucket method. Get two clean buckets. Fill them with dechlor water (I won't use stress coat which has aloe as it can coat the gills as well). Place the sick GF in one. Swap bucket every 12 hours. Clean and refill the used one with clean dechlor water ready for the next swap. It is still not ideal but it will you breathing space until you can sort out longer term accommodation.

You really need to get your water tested. A lot of problems start with poor water quality rather than bacteria or fungus.

Hope to see some test results soon.

Hi,
I managed to get some test stuff, though the shop didn't have all I probably need. Wow, it's not cheap is it!
Anyway. My tank with the other fish in reads, Ph:7.0, Ammonia: Less than 0.1 mg/l, Nitrate: Less than 0.1 mg/l.
The unwell fantail's water was same Ph, Ammonia 0.4mg/l, Nitrate 0.4 mg/l.
I am about to put him back in the main tank, should the others start to bite his tail again I am also about to set up the 2 bucket system ready for him.
The good news is that he seems to be stable and the right way up again, so hopefully that's cured and it's just his tail to get right now.
I also bought some "Tonic Salt" for freshwater fish. Should I treat him with this? I started treating him with some "King British Finrot & Fungus Control" which contains phenoxyethanol. Should I continue with this?
Also, in my tank I have a Fluval Plus internal filter. I clean this out with tank water when I swap 1/3 of the tanks water every week. Should I be doing this? The pads get slimy, but I am now aware of the bacteria that must be there doing a good job.
I have had this tank set up for well over 12 months with no problems upto now.
All advice etc gratefully recieved.