A very warm hello from the uk, I am very sorry for any spelling mistakes and grammer

My lionhead is my very first pet fish. He is the most cutest goldfish I have seen and I love him dearly. Because of my lack of knowledge and lack of patients I have caused bendy to be ill with dropsy. I really do hate myself for causing this, and I am doing everything I can to solve the problem, I live in the UK, there is a very big lack of antibotic foods etc. All we have is Interpet No.9 Internal bacteria etc to help cure the diease. I have tried 3 types of treatment, Esha 2000, Interpet No.9, and now King british bacteria control.

It has been roughly 2 months since he's had this, and now, it has got worse. He has become a lot more inflated after 2 days ago I saw a reduction in the pinecone scales. Now he has also grown a lump on the head which has mis-shaped his head slightly. I know he is a lion head, and it kind of looks like head growth, but i just know its the infection getting worse.

I have got epsom salt in the tank already at a rate of 1 teaspoon to every 5 gallons. I also have a heater, keeping the temps at 82 F. Please I need somemore advice on what I can do.

I have ordered metromeds and medi gold from america, and i paid $55 for it to be delivered within 3 days, they still have not come and that was a week ago, the post office seem to maybe have lost it :'( I am so really upset.

The nitrite levels are fine. I am currently running a 10 gal tank. I am due to move away soon (this coming sunday) I have half a tank of water there already for the fishes arrival. I have not seperated the fish as such. In the 10 gallon tank I have splited it, so in the event that bendy dies, and i am not there, the other fish can't eat him and spread the diease.


At night I watch my bendy with my night vision camera. I so do not what him to die, he is my number 1 fish Please, Please help me

I am sorry to hear about your fish. Welcome to the site.

Unfortunetly in the UK there is as you said not the right meds, so this maybe difficult.

In the US we use Maracyn for dropsy, it is Erythromyicin antibotic. If you have access to this maybe you can substitue.

You are doing everything you can, the temp and the salt.
I am under the impression that Goldfish connection could not ship their foods and meds to the UK, so maybe that is the hold up. Have you tried calling them?

Hi there LaurieP

Did your goldfish have the dropsy problem previously? I remember reading your entire post. Its like a success story I have been hanging on to.... I have searched the web everywhere for Maracyn and I can't find it anywhere. This really annoys me, I have spent hours and days looking for the antibotics. I used fishsempai to deliver my goods, he told me that the tracking number is not showing anything so that it may be lost. Where is that you get Maracyn? Is it possible i can buy some off you? money is no object when it comes to my bendy. I will do everything i can to make him better. I am not rich or anything, infact, i am a poor student slaving through university.

I am really enjoying this new interent site/forum at the moment, I hope from this moment on, after bendy i will do everything right down to a T, When i move, a new tank will be set up, with just one young lionhead. I will do everything properly. Thanks for your quick reply LaurieP much appriciated

Andrew let me see what I can do about the Maracyn.
Email me your address at.
mynadjalu@charter.net
Let me know who you are here on koko's so I don't get it confused.

I am not sure if I have any (recently went thru my old stuff).
Hang in there.

And for my Sapphire's story I was able to treat her twice for it, but her organs were very compromised from dropsy and 8 months after her initial dropsy I was forced to euthanize her.
Most fish that survive dropsy are always "handicapped" and require such dedicatioon.

Hi there thats great, i have just sent you an email.

You see bendy is quite active considering he's got dropsy, he swims quite fast to me every morning when i get up, a sign of saying feed me, feed me and even after that, he is swimming around lots, so he is being quite energetic, he has recently got bigger tho, and i think he is not as much energetic.

Oh dear, poor Sapphire, I am sure its for the best. Do u know if bendy is actually suffering right now? thank you for your help

Hi Andrew and welcome to kokos, sorry its not under better circumstances
You are in great hands with Laurie here...I gather you have read her thread where Koko helped her thru dropsy.

I wont add further input but just wanted you to know... My lionhead got dropsy aswell (early stages) then got septicemia and lke you Meds are limited here in Australia
But with the help of this site he pulled thru and is doing great! So from that I offer you hope.

Keep posting and I will be praying for you and your lionhead (lionheads are my FAVORITE)

Hi there

I am glad they helped your fish pulled through i have a calico lionhead, he is very cute. I keep calling bendy a he, but really i don't if he's mail or female. I have only had him for about 5 months, but i have become so attatched to him. Is like i can sit there at the tank watchin him swim, and he would swim towards me and just look at me for ages.

I have read almost everything i can find on dropsy i think. The main problems are the meds, everyone keeps saying they had good results with a certain med, and we can't get them over here. Its very annoying. I just hope they get here in time.

Thank you for your support

Yeah I think my Fred is actually a Fredrica! LOL

her anal valve puckers outwards


so I think Fred is a girl!
I recently purchached a amle blackmore (know he male as he got breeding stars) so I hope if he goes in the tank if he chases her I willl know she a she
but he in QT so by then.....breeding period maty be over *sigh*


anyway your fish.....

as for meds can you get medicated food? like medi-gold?
and can you get marycn 2 (sp?)

if not...then you got no choice but to get waterbourne antibiotic
marcyn2 and Tri sulfer are the only ones I know of

the marycn2 is your best bet
but if they wont supply that where you live then Id go for the Tri-sulpher
thats all i can get in australia

there is a pinned thread on treateing dropsy and popeye with trisulpher

Honestly this is a last resort as tri sulpher is only active against gram negative bacteria
if your fish has a gram positive strain it will be in effective
soooooooooooooo
source out medicated food first...then antibiotics...if non avaliable then Id recomend trisulpher

I have just brought some Mardel Maracyn and Maracyn2 ($8.99 for 24 tablets) off ebay... Thats the american ebay, I didnt think to look there how silly of me. It will take 4-7days to get here

Which is more effective? Maracyn or Maracyn 2?

How do I use them exactly? il read the instructions when i get them.

I will be transfering bendy into a hospital tank which is about 5 gallons, in about 5 days time, and hopfully the meds will come, i think i must of spent a fortune on treatments, I just hope it works.

Is breeding season in the spring? I hope bendy survives till then so i can find out if he really is a girl or a boy. Maybe i will get him/her a mate too.... and have mini bendy's that would be so nice....

Thank you LaurieP for your kindness in sending the meds, you do not need to now . I have brought some now so hopfully they should be on there way soon.

Andrew, I just sent you an email so just ignore it. I am glad you found it on Ebay. It is a good price too!! Of course shipping and handling is more I am sure, but it would be with sending it too.
I think I paid $15 for 24 tabs last time, so pretty good deal.

When treating dropsy it is best to start with Maracyn 2 and do a full treatment. Then you will want to run carbon in the filter for 24 hours getting it all out of there, this also gives the fish a break from the meds. Then you will do a round of plain Maracyn.

I did notice that you say he/she is fine just swollen and some pineconing? IF this is true you may not be dealing with dropsy. Dropsy fish are usually on their death bed. Meaning they are suffering greatly to the naked eye.
Since the fish has been like this a while I am wondering if you aren't dealing with a parasite instead. Some times parasites can make the scales stick out.
Has the fish been darting around the tank at all, or rubbing on things? Even spitting out the food can be a symptom.

If it is dropsy then you will need to figure out what the cause is and correct it. Dropsy is not a disease itself but a condition resulting from something.

Hi there laurie

No he hasn't been darting around and rubbing, I know what you mean tho, he did that once when he got ick. But he doesn't do that now. He has grown a lump/bump on his head though. Is this a symptom of anything? I do watch him quite closely,

Is there any other way to tell if there is a parasite or not? also, are there treatments for it? should i try it just incase? It would kind of make sense, since bendy has been like this for a long time now, and i heard they die within a month.

I think the cause of this was a sudden temperature drop I think. I was rushing too much and didn't insure the water temps, this is why i blame myself greatly.

PS thanks for your email laurie

WEll to be honest I don't know if I would treat for parasites then. Hmm, I am going to pm toothless and ask him to take a look here. He is all knowing with the "bugs".

As for the bump I would just watch it and see if anything changes.

Can I also ask for some advice on temperatures,I think my theometer must be a bit faulty. Basically it says it 82F, but it must be wrong. I leave my tank covered with a hood. but as soon as i open th ehood the temps of the water drops, and i can feel it dropping, but the themeter says its the same...

Water at 82F should be fairly warm right? do u think everytime i open the hood it might stree them because of the water temps dropping...

thanks

Oh dear the lump on his head has got worse, he look like a rhino, the bump looks like a horn,

is there anyway of showing you guys a picture

Oh dear, i think i see a bit of blood on the side of bendy, i have not seperated him in a hospital tank... Its a small patch. Basically on 1 or 2 of his scales you can see blood stains.... and then inside there looks like a red patch. He is still eating well tho... and swimming well. I don't know what to do

Im so sorry to hear he has taken a turn for the worst
I dont lik the sounds of the red patch a pic would be really helpful.

In order to show us pics you can grab a free account at www.photobucket.com
then once you upload the pic to the photobucket account post us the URL of the pic so we can see it.

Hi there

heres the photo

http://photobucket.com/albums/b171/andyhon...nt=IMG_3257.jpg

sorry i was meant to say he is in a hospital tank now. He seems quite happy for an ill fish, this is why i keep hoping theres a cure.Oh i hope the meds come quick

Thanks for putting up the pic
I can not see his/her scales in that pic so i can not coment on dropsy

as for the bump on head....to me it looks like you have a lionhead there
therefore the growth on head/bump is normal
they should grow a wen as they mature
see my lionhead in my avitar..he got a wen, but thats an old pic, its bigger now.

as for the red patch the pic is not clear enough for me to be confindent to say what it is

Is it raised? or flat?
is it like red under the scales?
are the scales intact?
Im sorry hun but a bit more info would be good..I would hate to miss diagnose on just an asmption.

Sorry Andrew the pic is a little fuzzy, can't really see what we need to. Any chance on getting a clearer one?

If you are seeing bloody patches on the skin, that is not a good sign. It could mean septicimia is setting in. Not good at all. Septicimia is a bacterial infection of the blood stream. Most experts say that injectable antibotics are needed. Don't know if it is going to be possible to take him to a vet, if you want you can look here around the board. If I am not mistaken there is a list of UK vets that do fish.

As for the temp, yes at 82 degrees the water should feel slightly warm to the touch, maybe another therm is in order.

Hi the scales are still raised. its very hard to take a pic, theres a lot of reflections

Sorry for the lack of info, i was very panicky, and just did a quick post. I wanted to watch bendy.

The blood is on two of the scales, they kinda look like there are stains, all the scales on bendy our raised . And there seems to be a red patch underneath the scales too....

is bendy bleeding internally?

The scales are all in tact, no damage, not that i can see.

The lump is very round. Is this normal head growth? It just looks like one big bump/lump, like a bruise.

I will try to take a few pics in a min. Oh can i also ask what is the time difference in australia,

also, do you have any idea on how old bendy might be? roughly?

Yes i agree
I hesitated to say the word septacemia
but it is what I also suspect

My hesitation was becaue the photo is not clear enough

Ok my Fred had this....he is fine now

Dropsy is not an illness, rather it is a condition that manefests due to other causes
If your fish is showing singns of a bacterial infection possibly internal like septicemia then that will explain why he got the drospy.
If you can not get him to a vet for bitril (sp?) injections then......
Can you get medigold? its an antibiotic food
and can you get marcyn2 to put in the tank

This I think will be your best bet.

As Laurie said when you dip a finger in the tank the water should feel tepid to warm at that temp

another thing you said now he in a hospital tank..so can you please give us the params of the tank...size and water readings

post back soon!

I dont know time diferences all I can say is that as I post this right now it is 2.39am!

Sorry I can't keep track of the time zones around the world, I often have a hard time figuring out just the US zones!!

The bump, I would just watch and see what develops. I would concentrate more on the overall treatment and keeping the water quality good.

Wen growth can often pop up with very little warning or white tufts that look like fungus.
If you are very concerned you can put a little neosporin on it but please make sure you don't get any around his eyes or gills it could be bad.

OH NOOO!!! there is now white stuff coming out from underneath one of the scales, its white and fluffy, whats happening??? he is just swimming around, i can see bits of white fluff coming out of his scales now and again

what is septacemia

Sorry just read lauries post, i know what septacemia is, the medication i got currently is not working... i don't know what to do, meds aren't here, I have rang a few local vets, none of them deal with fish

Sorry just read lauries post, i know what septacemia is, the medication i got currently is not working... i don't know what to do, meds aren't here, I have rang a few local vets, none of them deal with fish

Will bendy last the weekend? it is now friday 7pm, the meds won't be here till monday or tuesday or maybe even wednesday

OK keep calm I know thats hard..I was in a panic aswell when Fred was sick

ok hun, you say the meds not working can you clarify what meds you are using? did you get the Marcyn 2?

Can you get some medigold?
it can be ordered at golfishconection

Septiciemia is not good Im sorry
but.....if caught soon enought there is hope

If you can get the meds thats good if not let us know

I have some stuff that I treated Fred for...but I dont know if I can post it overseas......laws and stuff
but I am willing to try if you cant get anything else.

In the meantime to get him thru the weekend my only sugestion is a LARGE waterchange and get him in pristine water...make sure you match the PH and the TEMP.
also till we can work out the meds..salt the water
you need 1 TEAspoon per gallon as a tonic.
Honestly i am at a loss here!
great water, salt tonic and post back soon
remember if you cant get the antibiotic meds you need let me know...I can try to post some to you(express next day delivery)

Oh thank you so much for your support, this is what i have ordered,

Marcyn and Marcyn 2

medi gold and metro meds, all was sent yesturday/today thru the quickest way possible. Ok i will do that now, tank size..

60 cm - 23.5 inchs
30 cm - 12 inches

and its usually around 15-20 cm high. I will transfer bendy into a smaller tank while i do a water change.

I have the following treatment:
Epsom salt
Esha 2000
Interpet No.9 anti internal bacteria...
King british bacteria control,
Stress syme
stress coat
doc wellfish - aquarium salt (heard not recommended)
Is that one teaspoon of epsom salt per gallon?
ok i will do the water change now

oh and tetra aqua safe. i am filling the tank with water now, boiled water and tap water is ok right?

Ok, no need to boil the water. Plain tap is fine, just make sure to test it for all the params to see that they are compatible.

I will clear something up first, Doc wellfish's salt is fine to use.
However you don't want to use any salt with epsom salts. They don't mix well.
The dose for plain aquarium salt is 1 tsp per gallon.
The dose for epsom salt is 1/8 tsp per 5 gallons.
Big difference!!!

I am sorry that the stuff won't get there until next week. I am hoping Bendy can hang on. Keeping the water params perfect will be so important.
If the fish is swelling considerably I would use the epsom salt. If the fish isn't swollen then I would use the aquarium salt.

What is the temp of the tank? Forgive me if you have already said, there are so many sick fish right now it is sometimes hard to keep track of the details without reading thru each thread.

I am not sure what the white stuff could be, it could be the slime coat sloughing off. Can you describe it more?
If you touch the fish what happens to it?
It should be around 80 degrees.

Oh dear, the lump is getting bigger, and its actually kinda see through, underneath all the red skin you can see cracks and i think... it might be the liquid.

The white stuff is like fluffy tissue.. or tissue off the fish, it appears in small tiny little lumps,

bendy is irritated, well he was before i did the water change, he is not darting around, but he is rubbing against the tank.

it is quite red, is it actually safe to use the flash on the camera to take photos of fish? i thought it might stress them.

you guys are really great, its like an Ermergency room, i can't thank you enough for helping me with all this advice, i will not know what to do otherwise.

The tank temp is aparently 82F, but i am not sure if the theometer is right or not.

he is in an empty tank at the moment, no gravel.. no ornaments, just the heater and filter, i cleaned the filter, i have a fluval 2, and a biological pad in it, is the brown stuff the good bacteria yes?

Oh i hope i have done everything right. Temperature is fine, and ph are 7.5 as normal.

I havent added any salt, i thought aquarium salt contains sodium which makes it harder for the fish to get out.. because thats waht dropsy is isn't it? kidney not functioning to get water out. i don't know you read so much you do not know what ot believe.

He is already swollen, which type of salt should i use

thank you so much for your help

Hi there.


Okay, It seems that there is a void as to what your water chemistry and quality is like. Try answering the following questions:

Ammonia level in main tank and q-tank?

NitrIte levels in main tank and q-tank?

NitrAte levels in main tank and q-tank?

pH of the main tank and q-tank?

pH of your tapwater?

Up to this point, have you been testing regularly? Has the water quality remained good the whole time?

How much of a temperature drop did he go through when this dropsy started? Just so you know, prognisis is good for treatment in temperature related dropsy.


Do you have a friend that has any healthy tanks? If so, I would strip his hospital tank and sterilize it and get it cycled again with bio-matter from your friends tank. If no friend with a tank exists, keep him in the q-tank without trying to cycle it. Just perform 100% waterchanges each day with temperature matched, dechlorinated water. You'll have to replace the epsom salt and antibiotics each day as well. Remember to match the temp as closely as you can.

Once we have the answers to the questions above, we wil have a better idea of what may be going on here.

Since pacing along the glass can be indicative of parasites and if he started to do this after you raised the heat, this is another indication of parasites. I 'm not saying that this IS the case, but these two signs point towards parasites. At that point it is wholly advisable to try a salt dip or two. I wouldn't exceed 1.5%. 1% might be even better and less stressful. Both dips can be performed for up to 5 mintes with a dropsied fish. But, we really need the info from above before we can suggest that this be done at all.


I know I haven't added very much to what Laurie has already stated. Dropsy, as you know, is a very precarious symptom that can have many different contributing factors. The key is to find out wich variables are responsible.


The lump you are seeing on his head atually looks to be a normal growth spurt of his wen. They often look to be filled with fluid as you describe. Clearer pics should help with diagnosing that.


Post back soon.


Paul

Hi there

thanks for your advice. tests

Ammonia level in main tank and q-tank? no tests

NitrIte levels in main tank and q-tank? <0.3

NitrAte levels in main tank and q-tank? no tests

pH of the main tank and q-tank? 7.5

pH of your tapwater? 7.5

If you think keep changing the water would help, then thats what i will do.
il first try to answer all your qus:

The water quality is tested once after water changes and then about 4 or 5 days later. No water tests are conducted until the next water change. I used to do water tests almost everyweek, but i found this very expensive as the tests arent cheap.

Water quality has always been good. Apart from when i first started the tank, and it didn't cycle properly. So there was high nitrite, then everything was all well. No problems.

I think the drop was roughly 2 degrees C. Saying that i can't be sure, because during that water change the teometer got smashed while cleaning the tank. this is why i was not able to ensure the temperatures were alright.

As you can tell, I have a lot to learn about looking after fish, so please forgive all the stupid questions. what is prognisis?

I have no friends who look after fish

I will do a 100% water change, could it be that the filter is not very good? or that might contain the bacteria etc..

How does a salt dip work?

I have given him a salt bath before, and he seemed quite stressed after it. The heat has been raised for quite a while now, about 2-3 weeks.

Tomorrow i will buy every test available and another therometer.

He is only rubbing against where the red patch is underneath the skin, or it could be the white stuff.

Is it better to keep a clear tank with no gravel? or is it better to have gravel? because he has started to eat his own poo, since he can see it.

oh for the colour of his poo, it is usually the colour of the food, sometimes there is white poo tho.

I really need to study fish more indepth, are there any good books you recommend?

I will take some clearer photos in the morning where i can use natural light so theres no need for the flash, and il make sure il get some decent photos posted.

Oh i would also like to know what do i need from the shop. Any medications for parasites just incase? I will definatley get the tests in about 13 hours time, when the shops are open, and i've finished work

thank you your help

Andrew a really good book is "Fancy GF" by Doc Johnson and Rick Hess. IT is the best.

I thought you have been testing for ammonia, and nitrates??? Could be wrong though, it is important that you get some tests, you will need to be testing everyday thru this phase.
Drop tests are a little more expensive in the begining but really go alot further than the strips.

How big is this fish again?
Hopefully Toothy can get you thru the possible parasites.

Hi right i have done all the tests.

Since its all new water, the results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all 0ppm. THe ph is around 7.5/7.6.

Bendy is currently in the q-tank which is 14 litres. he is not rubbing aginast anything like he did yesturday. The white stuff is still coming out, and he doesn't look as inflated.

Could the white stuff be the epsom salt drawing the bad stuff (the infection) out or damaged tissue?? bendy was suffering i think. Took him a little longer than usual for him to see the food and to eat it, and he was hiding underneath the filter.

I have now put some more photos up, they still arent clear, and a bit fuzzy. sorry i just can't get the camera to focus, i think it keeps focusing on the water or the tank. You can't really see the pinecone scales, but believe me, they are there.

http://photobucket.com/albums/b171/andyhon/?sc=1


http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b171/andyhon/closeup.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b171/andyhon/IMG_0008.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b171/andyhon/IMG_0002.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b171/andyhon/IMG_0001.jpg

hopfully two more days to go, then the meds will come, along with the antibotic foods etc.

I will be offline for about a week, can anybody maybe.. set a strict routine on how i can make bendy better, with everything i have.
I can quite easily do a 100% water change everyday or every 2 days, and brought 2 new theometers, so i can definatley monitor the temperature, and i have all 4 main tests, so i will definaltely do that. I am really worried a water change everyday will stress him tho.

Please let me know what i should do from now and when i get the meds, i will update you on friday when i have access to the internet again.

Thank you very much

You mentioned i should take bendy to a vet to be injected with antibotics, i will keep looking for a vet, What kind of antibotics do i need to inject bendy with?

Also is it safer to wait for the maraclyn 2 and the antibotic foods?

andrew

HOpe you get this. I would follow Paul's advice as best you can, doing water changes everyday. AT this point even if the fish gets alittle stressed it is better than living in bad water.

Next when you get the meds (maracyn's) start them immediatly doing what the package says. Also start the metromed food and feed that strictly for 21 days.
Keep the temp at 80. Did you decide which salt to use? Which ever one stick to it until you get back.

Hang in there, we will be waiting to hear. I can see the pinecone scales on one view they are definetly there.

The med the vet should use is Baytril. Hopefully you can get it.
Good luck.

Hi Andrew
Yes Baytril is what I meant (sorry I did not know how to spell it in my other post..spelling is not one of my strong points)
Best of luck with the treatment while you are offline
I will be thinking of you and your fish.
Let us know how things are as soon as you get back online.

Hi there,
i have just fed bendy, and shortly after, he began to poo what looks like red blood!?!? this isn't normal is it? why is blood coming out? some times the red blood is very fine and as soon as it leaves his bum it evaporates into the water.

can any one tell me whats happening

andrew

Sorry for the delay in replying.


Okay, I have a couple of more questions and some more advice for you:

This white stuff you speak of, Is it seeping from an open wound? Does it resemble a boil with pus coming out?

What is the gallonage of the main tank?

What is the name of the filter and the model/size?

Can you describe, in detail, how he rubs on things?


Okay, off the top, yes, your water quality is indeed subpar. If his hospital tank is without a cycled filter, you will need to do waterchanges as soon as you see ammonia building up on the test kit results. Here is a link to a page that will help you to know how much ammonia is allowed to build-up before it becomes toxic: Ammonia toxicity chart Be sure to not let the ammonia rise above the corresponding numbers for your tankwaters chemistry. Prime or Amquel plus can be utilized to expand the time between waterchanges. Use it according to the directions and the results on your test kits.

I do indeed believe that it is possible that parasites are involved here. However, without a microscope, we cannot know wich one is involved. So, a blanket treatment for parasites should be administered. A med containing formalin/malachite green might be the only one you have readily available. If so, some bath treatments might be in order.

A temperature drop of 2 degrees celcius is about the most, I would say, that can be safely done with goldfish. Any more and it could be a stressful experience. However, with a fish that has a compromised immune system, it could be enough to cause problems. Not usually though.

No bleeding from the bum is not very normal at all. This "might" signify an internal parasite. OR I have another idea. Since you are using epsoms salts and the fish is Dropsied, this "might" mean that your fish is actually starting to expel some excess fluids. However, I am by no means an expert on diagnosing goldfish poo. I have also researched about bleeding from the anal vent and so far, found only this: http://www.mu.edu/~buxtoni/puregold/diseas...agnosis_by_poop Read the entire section on fish poop.

I would go ahead and start bendy on a regime of a single salt dip every other day. 1% salt solution is about 6 1/2 level teaspoons aquarium salt per gallon of dipwater. Here is a link to help direct you through salt dips: http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...?showtopic=8382

Be VERY persistant with testing and waterchanges. Dropsy is a very precarious situation for a goldfish and PERFECT water HAS to be provided if any recovery is to happen. Use Prime or Amquel plus and keept he temp stable during waterchanges.

For treating internal parasites, the best two medications to feed the fish are metronidazole and praziquantel. Metronidazole kills henneguya, spironucleus and hexamita. All three are flagellates. Praziquantel will kill tapeworms and the like. I would use ANY medication that boasts internal parasite eradication but Parasite clear from Jungle Labs is my favorite.


It's unfortunate that you do not have the same meds we have here. Things would be much easier. Good luck with your little one.....


Paul

Hi there

Thank you for everyones efforts to help me take care of bendy. on tuesday, he didn't eat much. he was still moving. and I was quite happy because on Monday and tuesday, the scales came down, and i thought the worst was over. The metro meds finally came and i gave them to him monday and tuesday. But on tuesday night Bendy unfortunately passed away

He was a great fish, and will be sadley missed. I don't think any fish can ever replace Bendy.

Thank you for all your help. I know dropsy is an extremely hard thing to cure. I have the right meds now, so hopfuly, if it ever happens again, i will be prepared.

a great big thank you to everyones support

I was wondering, since this has been a hurtful process. If you look after your fish perfectly. I.e. perfect water changes, feed the right food, and a clean tank etc, are the fish to live long and healthy?

i just wanted to know how i can prolong my goldfishs life for as long as i can. I currently have 3 young lionheads in my 14 gal tank. water quality is fine, ammonia, nitrites nitrates, ph etc all fine. Is there anything else in the water that can harm the fish?

thanks guys

Andrew I am sorry that Bendy didn't make it. I know how hard you tried.
To answer your other questions, gf can live well into their teen's and even 20's if cared for and are healthy.

For your lionheads I would get them in a bigger tank, possibly a 30-40 gal would be better. At 14 gals they are going to be stunted and contaminate the water until they too get sick.

It comes down to a couple different things really, obviously genetics and water quality. Genetics sometimes can't be controled unless you are the one doing the breeding for years but water quality can.
Giving them the room to grow and taking as best care of them as you can..........can give them a great long life.

I wish you well with your lionheads and hope you stay around.

Awww. I too am sorry to hear that.


Laurie is right. It really does ALL come down to genetics. But, I beleive that if a few basic principles were adhered to, almost any goldfish has the propensity to live for at least 5 years. Most quite a bit longer than that. some have fancies that live for a decade or more. I beleive the oldest goldfish ever lived to be like 40 something!

Extremely helpful guidelines:


At least ten to fifteen gallons per fish (fancies)

At least 100 gph in filtration for every ten gallons of water

Feed a variety of foods

Weekly waterchanges of at least 25%

NEVER bring in live plants without disinfecting them first.

NEVER bring in a new fish without quarentining for at least one month


These guidelines are tried and true by the best of the best and are universally excepted. If you follow them diligently, you will be providing a great environment for goldfish to thrive (and be very happy) in.


If you read around here at Kokos, especially the stickies, you will begin to attain a good, general understandiong of the mechanics of a properly kept tank, water quality, chemistry, feeding and general care. If you EVER have any questions you cannot find answers for, feel free to post in the corresponding forums on the board.



Good luck!


Paul

awww Im so sorry Andrew *hugs* Thats so sad that you lost Bendy.

Hello

Thanks, is 14 gal tank too small? each lion head is only two inches long or 5 cm or smaller. Right now i do not have the room for them. But as soon as i get a bigger place, maybe in a years time i will get a bigger tank.

Is there anyway of reducing the problems with the small tank?

I will look in to a bigger tank.

I will be on this website for as long as i keep gold fish, and maybe even after.

hopfully i will keep an eye out for other uk people who need special antibotic and medicated food etc. so hopfully i can help some people out. i will keep an eye out and explore this site more

Indeed.

Your persistance and success at obtaining antibiotics over there would be VERY helpful to our members over on that side of the pond.


I believe that for the time being, a 15 gallon tank is sufficient to keep your fish healthy. However, extra care must be taken to ensure that watr quality is good. Test twice a week for ammonia, nitrItes, nitrAtes and pH. Perform waterchanges twice a week as well. 25%-50% would be optimal at each waterchange.

Very soon, within months, you should try to upgrade their tank (and filtration) to a larger one. They can and do grow very fast and can easily overpower your filtrations capabilities within several months.

A proper sized tank w/filtration will not take up much more room than the 15 gallon. In fact, I believe a 30 gallon tank only takes up another square foot or two. Be persistant in your search for a larger tank. Your goldies will thank you by growing into happy healthy little wigglers waiting for you to come drop some treats in.....


Good luck!


Paul

I'm so sorry about Bendy. Dropsy is a devastating problem and many of us can relate to how you feel. I lost my "whitey" a year ago after a long battle. Keep this post handy for yourself for future reference.

toothless I think should write a book on diseases