Here we go again. Remember what I went through with "P". Well, I did as you suggested and treated for parasites. Three days after the full round of treatment was complete I did a 50% water change to help remove the medications. All three of my remaining fish had been just fine. Last night before bed I noticed Bubbles hiding quietly in the plants and new it was starting again. This morning she looks terrible. It's unlikely she'll make it through the day. I had planned on buying an antibiotic food to have on hand but hadn't done it yet because I had spent so much already. Looks like I should have. I'll go get what is at the store today. I'm sure Bubbles will be gone by the time I get home, but I think I should give a preventive treatment to the two remaining fish. This is my first try at keeping goldfish and I'm really starting to get discouraged!

I noticed after P died that she had developed dark areas around her face, and particularly around her gills. Bubbles is showig that same darkening, which makes me think she is near death. Anyone know what causes that. My inexperience guess is bacterial infection, which is why I'm going to put the fish on antibiotics. But I'd like to hear from someone with some experiece.

Well, I don't have time for anything more. I'm due at work soon. I know I didn't put tank parameters, but I can tell you they are all extremely good. With the parasite treatments, I've done 25% water changes every 2 days for a week, making sure to vacume my gravel very well. Then did that last 50% change 3 days after treatment was over. Almost forgot... I am having some trouble with my pH being on the high side. I still haven't been able to get a test that I'm sure of, but I have one that appears to be reading 8.2. My tap water seems to be reading high as well. But there is no ammonia in the tank.

Really gotta go!

How is Bubbles? If you've been through the same thing recently you prob had some advice that may be the same for now but it may not... Don't give up. Goldfish are hard work but so worth while. Please post back for help with more info.

Thanks for your response, Trinket. I drove home on my lunch break just to check on Bubbles. (The things I'll do for a "critter", even a fish!) She actually looks a tiny bit better than she did this morning, but that's probably wishful thinking. I'm just surprised she's not dead.
Went by pet store on the way home and bought anti-bacteria food to feed all three. The initial speculation about P was that she had swim bladder, but in the end it was suggested that she probably had a bacterial infection because she died so quickly. I never mentioned the darkening around her gills because I didn't see it untill she was already dead and assumed it was simply the result of death. But now that I'm seeing it with Bubble's I'm suspicious. It's harder to see now than it was this morning. Maybe it's just my imagination because I'm trying so hard to figure this out. Anyway, I'm going to try the anti-bacterial food. I was trying not to do too much, but being as I'm still loosing fish, I'm thinking it's better to try than not. One of the others told me about a medicated food I can get on line, but I haven't ordered it yet. I was just trying to wait a bit before spending any more money. I guess that was a mistake. At least I was able to get this Jungle brand to get me started. That'll have to do 'till I can get something better. It's better than nothing.
Running out of lunch time. Gotta go!

I'm glad she seems a bit better, The medicated food will help. If your water parems are perfect then just keep doing frequent 30% water changes (checking the tap water and de-chlorinating)and she may be okay. Its likely shes fighting the same thing as the other fish but some make it and some don't. Good luck.

She didin't even make it through the day. She wouldn't even eat the medicated food. I'm going to continue to feed it to the other fish for a while as a preventative measure. I'm so discouraged that I have lost half my fish. I hope I can keep the otheres.

Thanks for you response.

I'm so sorry Newbie Almost everyone here at kokos has been there We know how terrible it is losing fish. I hope your other fish are going to be fine. Please don't be discouraged!

Thanks Trinket. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who gets emotional about a fish! Everyone here has been great about trying to help me learn. Even though I had done a good bit of research before I set up my tank, I still didn't really understand just how much there was to know until I found Koko's. I sure hope I can keep the other two alive and happy.

I am so sorry to hear about your fish, I hope you can figure out what is going on soon and that the rest of your fish stay healthy.

RIP Bubbles

Thanks Jen. Nice to hear from you again! Do the darkend areas around the face and neck give you a clue? The gills also appeared to be swollen. P had the same look after she died and I thought it was a result of death but I noticed Bubbles showed those same symptoms just before she died. I'm hoping the medicated food I've put the last two fish on will prevent any further problems, but my curious mind would like to identify the sickness.

I have noticed a change in Squishy's poop since I switched to the medicated food. There was some discussion going on in the food forum about gel food possibly causing white poop and since I had just changed from dry to gel, I thought that might be it. But then Bubbles died and I became concerned. Now that I've changed to the dry medicated food, Squishy's poop is brown. Not sure if it's because I went away from the gel food, or if it's because the medication is clearing up an infection. I hope there isn't anything wrong with my gel food. I bought a lot of stuff to put in it (veggies, fruits, shrimp, bloodworms, daphnia, algae) and don't want to have to throw it out. Once I've completed a treatment of medicated food I'm going to try going back to my gel food and keep watch on what happens.

I have a fish with solid black gills, and have no idea why. I wonder if it's the same thing. Only my fish doesn't act sick in the slightest.