My baby fish's tail has been torn off somehow. I do not know what to do, it is floating at the surface, but desperately trying to wiggle down to safety. I have been told that he/she will not live for long, but i can't bear seeing it in this state. Is there anything I can do to help??????
Thanks,
Brummiefishes x

Is it just the fins that are gone or is it the body of the tail as well?

What kind of fish is it and can you get a pic?

Well, the whole of the tail is torn off...but i can't really take a pic because it's really dark outside and he/she is very small. It is black 1 and a bit inches with tail. It is a goldfish. Thank you for your consideration.

Lydia fins can grow back, but if it is drastic enough the fish may not be able to live that long.

If you feel he is suffering then you may have to euthanize him. Really only you know.

Perhaps he will have a better chance if you can bring him into the house in a temporary container to hand-feed him and possibly treat him with something to prevent infection until he is able to swim. Although this would stress him out alot, he will be better fed and not be picked on by other fish.

I've heard stories about those feeder goldfish being born without tails, and getting along just like any tailed fish, so maybe, if it's tail doesn't grow back but heals up cleanly, it'll adapt and live for many years to come

Thank you everyone for the help. I cannot see the fish at the moment-does that mean that he/she might have got down?

I don't know, have you looked everywhere in the tank for the fish?

I have found him-still at the surface. I have moved him indoors, but i'm worried that he's going to get infected-i think that something has taken a big chunk out of him. I'm trying to get him to eat, but i think that he has only taken a tiny peice. Should I put another little fish in with him so that he has some company? I don't know what to do. HELP SOS AHHHHHHHH

What type of tank do you have him in?
How big is the filter?

That will depend on whether you can put a buddy in with him.

one one my fish have lost the top of her's tail, she's doing fine, she eats more than the others too. yeah sure, she has a little trouble swimming, but otherwise she's fine. she's like a little disable fish and she;s the one who interacts with me the most. good luck with your gf. hope the tail grows back.

In addition to LaurieP's questions, If possible can you please post the water stats? They would probably help some.

P.S.-When I rescued my feeder comet "Tasty", he was missing the whole top 1/2 of his tail in addition to most of his dorsal fin. He looks just like nothing was ever wrong with him now! (just a little encouragement)

I don't keep him in a tank-he was in a pond, but now i've just scooped him up and put him in a bucket and he's only about an inch long. How long did it take for your fish's tail to grow back? Another concern is that my fish has lost the WHOLE of his tail, and maybe a bit more and his belly is a bit scraped aswell, poor thing. What can I do to help???

You should try your best to get him a tank and a filter if you don't already have one. It will probably also come in handy for years into the future in different situations so it is a very good investment to make.

It may take 6-8 months or possibly even longer, but since the fish is so young the high growth rate might speed it up some. (perhaps as little as just 4 months! )

The tail might not even need to grow back for the fish to adapt enough to live in the pond again. Just keep it in a tank until it can get food for itself pretty well.

P.S.-I would not bother with gravel for the tank because it will be easier to maintain. Also, 10 Gallons should be enough water for him.

Thank you very much.

Lydia, in order to keep him and giving him a chance to heal, you'll have to get him in a tank that has a filter....etc.
It will take a long time to heal, even into months. He won't be able to live in a bucket that long.

Lydia, how are things today?

Hi my mum and dad are not too keen to get a tank...I think he has got infected because the place where the tail should be is really fuzzy and white. I don't think I will be able to get a tank very soon anyway, will he die?

My mum and dad are not ready to spend more money on the fishes, but we do have a filter for our pond that is not in use at the moment because it is winter, is there anyway that we can attach it to the bucket?? I'm so worried...

It sounds like it could be getting infected. Sorry, but to be honest it may die without any treatment.
Will they let you get any medicated food for the fish?

You can attach a filter to a rubbermaid container, I personally haven't but your parents should be able to figure it out if it can be.

I really think that he's got infected, because the back of his body has blown up and is all white and cottoney. My mum and dad will probably get the medicated food, where can you get it from? I live in York. My little fishy can't move AT ALL and so i was thinking of just putting him down, do you think this is a wise idea or should i wait a little longer and try the medicated food?

Hmmm, if he can't move at all Lydia I am afraid it may be too late.
If you want to euthanize him there is a link that tells how. I will post that link shortly for you.

If you want to try med food, You can look for a Med food by Jungle Labs at the pet store. But a better medicated food can be ordered online at goldfishconnection.com. It is called Medigold.

Sorry to hear he is bad.

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...showtopic=32080

I just put him down, poured him out of the bucket so that he couldn't breath. He looked dreadful. He was black before but he had turned ready pale and lumpy, i couldn't bear to look. Then I looked in the pond, and two more of my little fishes were floating on the surface. The assistant at my garden centre said that a lot of them will die in the winter but they both died at the same time. Should I be worried that there might be a disease going round??? I'm so scared of going out to the pond because I'm scared I'll have to fish out more of them. PLEASE HELP!

I am sorry to hear this. Yes it could be something, or to be honest it could be something going on with the water. Have you been able to test it?

no, I'm afraid I don't know how to

Testing the water is pretty easy. You need "drop" tests, those are liquid tests........you'll need one for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates along with a high range ph test.

Your parents can help you but it is pretty easy, you just follow the directions.

See if the water is bad or not good then that could be killing the fish.
Water quality is everything to them.

I am afraid if you can't test the water you may lose more fish.

Can you get the drops from the local garden center? And if the water does turn bad, then what should I do? Thank you for all your help, I don't know what I would have done otherwise! :-)

Who are responsible for the pond, you or your parents? You can't manage all this on your own, you have to get help from your parents. You need tests and maybe medications.

Ok, but can I get them from my local garden center? I'm really responsible but my dad and brother will help.

Do they sell fish stuff? If they do I'm sure they have tests (and maybe medications).
My local gardener does, he sells fish too!

I'm very worried about your fish.
How many do you have?
How big is the pond?

Lydia good test to buy are Aquarium Pharmacuticals brand. You can call the store and ask them. They are for freshwater aquariums.

Once you get the water tested you can post the results and we can recommend what you do. Most likely it will be water changes, if you want to do one in the meantime you can do so.

Thank you very much. My pond is a rather small one, unfortunately I can't do the calculations now because it's my bed time, (it's nearly 10.00 in England), and hopefully I can go to the garden center and get some, and maybe ask the assistants as well. Fingers crossed!!!

Another fish has died. I went to the garden center and they recommended this salt. They gave a lot of suggestions and said that if you put about half the packet of the salt it might help.

Did you get any water tests?

Lydia honey, often the people at the fish places don't understand how to treat gf. They can lead you down the wrong path, unentionally......but still wrong.
I am sorry to hear that you lost another, but you need to focus on the water quality. Salt will help but only to a degree, the water is first priority. Can you do a water change today? If you can do a 50% change.

It's too cold to do the water tests, unfortunately.

Is the water frozen solid? If not then you can still do the tests.

We are only trying to help you, I know you are young but you seem to know how things work.
There isn't much more we can recommend or do to help you without you helping by giving us more information.
I wish there was a magic pill that I could say "use this" but there isn't one. There is only so much we can do from what little information we have. I hope you understand that.

Thank you. I will try. Another fishie has died now, and I've put some salt in, but I won't see the effects in a few days

I am sorry to hear that you have lost another one, but most likely if that water is bad you will lose more.
Have you been able to do a water change and test the water?

The water is too cold to do the tests! I've been observing the baby fish, and they seem to be turning on their side very quickly, and one fish's fins have turned a different colour. Also, their poop is very long and stringy

How cold is the water?? Maybe you should have brought the fish inside. It seems that something is really wrong with your water and you need some help with that!

It sounds like the water is too shallow and the fish too young to survive the winter.

Do you have adult fish in the pond that had these babies? If so then it seems that either the bigger fish are eating the young or the cold weather is killing them

Do you know how big the biggest fish is?
How deep is the pond?