Test Results for the Following:
Ammonia Level? 0
Nitrite Level? 0
Nitrate level? Not tested-tank water is fairly new.
Ph Level, 7 (neutralizer used)
Ph Level out of the Tap? 7.2
Tank size (How many Gals) and How long has it been running? 10 gallon since June
What is the name and size of the filter/s? Whisper 60 plus

How often do you change the water and how much? normally a 30% twice weekly

How many fish in the tank and their size? He was with one other fish (since removed to isolation to another tank for observation)-the sick one is pretty young and 1/4 the size of the much larger one so we figured it would be safe until we get our big tank set up.

What kind of water additives or conditioners? Novaqua, Seachem Neutral Regulator, Seachem Flourish (for plants, Nutrafin Cycle. Most are used during water changes-the plant food is twice a week.

Any medications added to the tank? Just salt since he got ill.

Add any new fish to the tank? The sick fish (Sprite) We've only had this fish for 5 days before he got sick.


Our new little Ryukin has been laying on his side at the bottom of the tank since last night at 8 pm and we've noticed that one of his gills is working. He's alert (his eye will follow you) and, obviously, survived the night it now being 7:30 am. He's capable of swimming now and again and actually looks fairly normal when he does so although slower-he managed to come up and eat this morning once he realized there was food. He can only do this for a short time and then will slowly sink back down. What stops one gill? The fantail he was sharing the tank w/ is as hyper as ever but we're watching him carefully.

A sidenote-we found it odd that the little Ryukin an the very social Fantail (Ly) never really interacted, Sprite the new fish always seemed to be in his own little world and didn't really seem to notice the much larger fish. Ly was obviously [more] excited that a new fish was in the tank but didn't try to hang out w/ him. Contrast this to the new Oranda in a different tank that immediately wanted to school w/ our poor black moor Serious. She's used to him now.

Something might physically "glue" the gill shut, that is a possibility. Excessive slime goat in the gills might do that. Is it possible to hold the fish in your hand, and try gently with the thumb nail of the other hand to open his gill plate? And when you can, tell us how that gill's color is - deep red, pale red, do the insides look like intact, or more mushy?

Oh good gods. I've played w/ the idea. He still looks good-relatively anyway. I will get myself psyched for this-I'm hoping that his flopping in my hand might forced it open. Hm. Wonder if the Novaqua did this-it promotes their protective slimey coat. Send positive thoughts/prayers/whathave you-I've never done this before.

Have you always used NovAqua, or is that a recent addition?

I have to ask a friend about the connection of glued gills to Novaqua. Something is in the back of my head, but I can't "get to it"...

Let us know how his examination went....

Well, I do use Novaqua rather liberally-you're not supposed to be able to use to much. Also, I've sworn by it, or at least similar products since I was about 14. Anyway, I got all set up to check out his gill planning it all very carefully and thinking about how I'd do this. Luckily, his other gill was working now! Weird. His gills look just fine and he'll get up and swim about.

From further reading and his behavior I'm pretty sure it's his swim bladder, although I have no clue how the stuck/non-working/whatever gill fits into that if at all. So, will continue to use salt, maybe some meds tomorrow and I'm trying to get him to eat peas. He sucked them in and then immediately spat them out.

Does Novaaqua have aloe in it?

Yeah, thats exactly what I am wondering about, Jen. I know one product has it, but it doesn't mention anything about Aloe being in it on the Kordon website.

I'm pretty sure that Kordon NovAqua doesn't contain aloe and I sincerely doubt that it was the cause of the problem. I've used it for decades (gods it sounds weird to say that) and the U.S. and state governments use Kordon Polyaqua to ship fish. Even if it did have aloe I'd be leery as that debate is far from settled-although I wouldn't use a product I knew had it to be safe. Novauqa HAS added Echinacea which made me roll my eyes when I saw it.

Anyway. Spritely would not eat peas last night and, when he'd get off the bottom and swim about he'd ignore any food flakes. Last night I siphoned out any gunk (water had been changed in the afternoon) and we noted that his breathing seemed a bit labored and the insides of his gills slighty pink-and I do mean slightly. He died during the night. Bummer-he was a rather young fish and 1/4-1/3 the size of our other three so we're dissapointed. Thanks for the advices and theories, here ends the story of poor Sprite Ly.

Oh, I am sorry that Spritely didn't make it!

I looked around a little bit about pinkish gills/gills stuck together, and stumbled upon this explanation....

http://www.mu.edu/~buxtoni/puregold/diseas...Fish%20Physical

This information comes from one of the most reliable websites when it comes to goldfish diseases and diagnostics, and the ladies who run the site have been around for decades. Information about the gills and their coloration is under point #3. From the looks of it, glued together gills points towards a parasite (gill flukes most likely).

I am so sorry that you lost your fish.

I wanted to say too that I wasn't implying that aloe, or the NovaAqua was the cause of the problem. When I had a really sick fish before who was having trouble breathing, I was advised to stop using Stress Coat because of it's aloe content, not because it caused the problem because I was told it might make the breathing worse. And that was just what i was told, I have nothing to back it up with. I am sure if you have been using that product for ages (decades, lol) that it is safe.

Actually...I just thought of something...any chance something you are using is expired? Like the NovaAqua, Flourish, Regulator or Cycle ? I know some people had trouble awhile back with expired water conditioners. Just another thought.