Ok this is my first post here.

Ammonia Level? 0.50 mg/L
Nitrite Level? 0.125 mg/L
Nitrate level? 20mg/L
Ph Level, (If possible,KH and GH and chloramines)? 7.5
Ph Level out of the Tap? Forgot to check
Tank size (How many Gals) and How long has it been running? I don't know how many gallons or litres but these are the dimensions: 93cm or 36 inches long, 45cm or 18 inches tall and 39cm or 15.5 inches deep. The tank has been running for over a year.
What is the name and size of the filter/s? I don't remember the name of the filter but it has a column with two sponges on top of the other with a plastic tube that the sponges get speared onto, and surrounded with a plastic canister than you snap on. I also have a carbon bubbler.
How often do you change the water and how much? I change about 24 litres every week (3 buckets ful) which I think is about 30% or so, and because of the problems I see with my fish have done that water change once a day for the past 3 days in a row.
How many fish in the tank and their size? I have 2 normal goldfish - one is very big and I've had it for about 5 years and is about 7 inches long and has changed to being completely white over the last year from being a normal golden colour, possibly because it's kept in the dark most of the time (I work and study and don't get home till late). The other is a bit smaller but still a good size. I've had that fish for 1 year and a half or so.
What kind of water additives or conditioners? I just add a water ager when I have to add fresh water out of the tap and I make sure the PH is Ok. Normally I let the water sit in the bucket for 24 hours before adding it. I've also added about 3 tablespoons of sea salt in my last water change.
Any medications added to the tank? I added some tonic salts and some anti fungal medication with malactite green in it but since the last water change I'd say most of it is gone.
Add any new fish to the tank? No.
What do you feed your fish? I feed them a pellet that has seafood in it. I forget the name of it sorry.
Any unusual findings on the fish such as "grains of salt",
bloody streaks, frayed fins or fungus? Both fish have scales missing, but the one I have problems with (the big white one) is sitting exclusively in the bottom of the tank and only moves reluctantly. His main tail fin is droopy. His scales are sticking out (the other one doesn't have this) and for both of them they have the bloody streaks on the large fin at their tail. The big white one, as well as having scales missing, has a patch of scales missing on its body half way down its body and there seem to be sores on the flesh of the fish itself, like bruising or red bits - that I've never seen before. He is also looking bloated, more on one side of his belly than the other, and has a bit of a curve to him. In addition, the other more active fish is behaving erratically and moves suddenly and quickly, seems a bit hyperactive.
Any unusual behavior like staying
at the bottom, not eating, ect..? See above.

I noticed this behaviour on Monday, the day after a usual weekly water change. This behaviour happened last time when I took a bit longer than usual to change the water (about 2 weeks instead of 1) but he was fine a day after I changed the water. This time was unusual because he got bad AFTER a water change. The fish yesterday did make a half-hearted attempt to get to the surface to eat, but although it made a gulp for the food, it missed and over the last month or so actually has been a bit more slow about getting to the food and has had that swollen look, and the other fish tends to eat it quickly, but today the fish hasn't even bothered to go to the surface for food, and that is a bad sign. I am very worried as I've had my big fish for many years (about 5 years) and I would hate to see it die. I've had the tank for about 3 years but because I moved I had to obviously take all the water out, but I used the same gravel and the same ornaments. I only have a bit log in there at the moment so that the fish can hide in it.

I live in Australia, and plan to go to a pet store after work today in about 8.5 hours, and would like some help about what to get.

Any help would be great. My guess is my fish has dropsy.

Hello and welcome!!

I am not thinking that the fish has dropsy, the symptoms are reflecting poor water quality which you have going on. You will have to work on getting the ammonia and nitrites down to 0, this will help the fish dramatically. Nothing helps a fish better than perfect water quality. So the first place to start is there.

Next you will need to find out how many gallons that tank is, there is a converter online somewhere, this is most important to know how much salt you are adding, to little wont' help and too much can kill them.

So my advise to start with is do a 50 % change.
Oh also check the tap water for everything including ph, the reason the fish could've acted strange after a change is either a dramatic temp difference or a ph difference.

Post back soon.

Welcome to kokos goldfish lover!So sorry to hear about your fish...hope all goes well.Good luck


Laurie,I think the tank is about 40 gallons.I have one with the same dimensions

Thanks, I dont' know where that scale thing is. I spend more time trying to find it, you'd think by now that I would mark it.

Here...

Aquarium Calculator

I've checked 3 converters, one of which is:

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/forum/lofiver...php/t17362.html

and they all come out as being 42 or 43 gallons.

I think 40 is a good approximation because it is not full to the brim.

I will go to the pet food store and buy some tonic salt perhaps, or should I try epson salts?

I will definitely do another huge water change tonight for the fish.

Anything else I should get?

I called an aquarium place yesterday and told the lady the fish's symptoms. She said it was internal parasites and she recommended I try Malafix or Prima-fix.

Does this sound even half right to you guys?

I myself wouldn't do anything other than get the water perfect. Maybe add alittle salt, aquarium salt.
Salt dose is 1 tsp per gallon of water.

I would'nt use any med in the tank right now, all that will do is mess with the cycle of the tank.

Thank you so much guys for the welcome, especially Laurie P. I will do exactly as you suggest, as my belief is always KISS - (keep it simple stupid) when it comes to curing illness of animals or humans.

I will keep doing daily water changes until the water is 0 ammonia and add 40 tsp. of salt every day (my guess is that will get expensive!)

Let's hope they don't bring in the level 4 water restrictions (we are going through a certified drought here in Brisbane) and level 4 water restrictions (we are only at level 2 at the moment) mean we get so much water and then they cut the supply off - we've never come to that though

I'll amend my post - I won't add 40 teaspoons per gallon a day, just that much at first perhaps, and then just a teaspoon per gallon of water I replace, which doesn't sound so bad.

I spoke to the pet store guy (a different store) and we figured out not to clean the filter sponge with tap water, but with tank water (I kinda knew that before but had ignored it - to my detriment obviously!) I also need to buy some water ager to add to my water every time I change the water. I was only adding it before when I couldn't keep the water sitting for 24 hours, but he said that they add something to the water other than chlorine which takes about a week to get out of the water if left sitting, and that it is a chlorine compound which, like everything chlorine related, kills off the good bacteria which you need to break down the ammonia.

He also said that the reason my fish are losing scales is: ammonia in the water affects the slime cover on the fish, and once that is gone, that irritates the fish, who scratch themselves and hence scales are lost, and the fish's flesh is now totally exposed and vulnerable without the scales to the ammonia in the water, hence the wound on the fish which is a result of ammonia exposure.

So you were right, water quality is what started all this mess in the first place, not likely a parasite at all. I hope it isn't too late to fix it now.

I'm going to buy some product that replaces the good bacteria in the water which break down the ammonia, which is probably being affected by the constant water changes, some water ager and some tonic salts.

Thanks for all your help guys!

My big beautiful white fish died today before I even got home with all the wonderful things I'd bought for the tank.

I had that fish for about 5 years and it was the only fish I've ever grown attached too. It's so sad

Now I'm left with the decision of how to dispose of the body. It was hard enough getting it out of the tank, I think even the other fish seemed distressed as I took him out. Because it was inside the big log I had, I let it out in the hope it was still even a little bit alive, but it wasn't.

Oh I am sorry to hear that. You were trying so hard to help.

I hope the other fish is ok.
What I do is bury them in the back yard. Mine are usually pretty big too when they pass.

OOOOOhhh! I am so sorry for your loss! Unfortunately,
I know just how you feel and there are no words for it...

My fish is also quite large and I don't know what to do with it either. I put him in a container of tank water and put him in the freezer. I was going to go to store and buy a suitable (dog-proof) box to bury him in... but I am not sure I want to bury him. I also want to know what other options are out there... maybe we can figure something out... At least a dog-dogging-proof box would be a good place to start.

I am sorry!

Thanks Guys More than anything I feel so guilty that I'd let my fish live in such horrible conditions and died out of having to swim around in disgusting conditions. I mean an ammonia level of 0.5 after 3 x 30% water changes - I shudder to think what it was before that - it's too gruesome to think about. I wish I knew then that I needed to keep ammonia levels at 0% - I wasn't even checking the levels or anything - just doing the weekly water changes until my fish just couldn't take it anymore - I lost my fish out of ignorance - out of my own stupidity! ack!

Don't beat yourself up over it. You mean well and I am sure that you will be more careful in the end, so his life did hold a lesson and that is sometimes what is more important.
Hang in there.