Goldfish sucked on by Pleco

//Goldfish sucked on by Pleco

Goldfish sucked on by Pleco

Goldfish sucked on by Pleco. Please help her recover!!

I know, I know it was a horrible idea to have a Pleco and a Goldfish together. After listening to a Pet store clerk 2 years ago we brought ‘Zucchini’ home and tried to make it work when we realized the mistake, since we only had time for 1 tank. 6 months ago our male Goldfish got sick. ‘Zucchini’ sucked on our now deceased male goldfish and got a taste for goldfish slime coat, I guess. We thought if we fed him well he would leave the healthy female alone, they had been living peacefully for 2 years together. But ‘Fortune’ our female Goldfish was aggressively attacked one day when I forgot to put some vegetables on the veggie clip.

We managed to rehome Zucchini, which was a sad goodbye. Leaving us caring for the injured Fortune. She is the only inhabitant now to a 50 gallon tank. It has a 40-70 gallon Aqua Clear filter, Aquatic sand, a bubble wand and silk plants. I haven’t checked water parameters because I’m dealing with an injury and it’s hard for me to use the Master kit.

Day 1- I have been feeding her only sinking pellets and peas because she can’t swim to the top of the tank. I’ve been giving her Vitachem vitamins long term and I’ve been using Kordon Fish Protector with Vitamin B12 and Echinacea since injury as well adding Hydrogen Peroxide to the tank 5Tbs.

Day 2-

I turned off the bubble wand because Fortune is having a really hard time swimming. I continued the Fish Protection and Vitamins according to instructions. Added a dose of Melafix. By night Fortune can’t eat peas, can’t swim. Is laying st the bottom of the tank or occasionally righting herself and floating/struggling.

What can I do? I’m afraid to do a water change in case the Prime water conditioner hurts her fragile tail. I’m afraid to do a salt bath because she is on medication. Not sure how much longer she can stay at the bottom or go without eating!

Photo below show fish with red veining in tail fin caused by nitrite poisoning

Goldfish sucked on by Pleco

Goldfish sucked on by Pleco

by Venus: Nitrate levels were dangerously high. A large water change was performed after the owner noticed the fish wasn’t quite right. Fish is starting to curl due to nitrate shock

Fish swimming normally. Although some damage may have occurred from Pleco sucking on fish, nothing too serious

After a few days of deep and heavily oxygenated water, fish is recovering

By | 2019-04-01T14:07:06-05:00 April 8th, 2017|Categories: Goldfish Koi Health Issues|

About the Author:

21 Comments

  1. Cricket May 1, 2017 at 11:19 pm

    That is great photo essay of your fish’s recovery. Great job! Happy for you!

  2. Cricket May 1, 2017 at 11:17 pm

    Raingarden is one of the few sites that IDs the fish’s gender. They don’t sell commons, but they do sell some body types similar to commons, usually listed in their “other goldfish” section.

  3. dozierjennifer April 17, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    Hello,

    I have found a good fish online but am going to wait until everything is set up awhile to purchase. http://www.raingarden.us/goldfish.htm

    I am still having trouble with the pea gravel of all things! I really prefer to purchase things online. I bought this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OTSPDA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    But I am having second thoughts. Isn’t this too small for a big goldfish? I am worried she will swallow a rock on accident.

    Thanks

  4. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 16, 2017 at 10:28 am

    Yes to everything. You’ve got it

    Go to a local lawn and garden store for pea gravel

    It’s tough, finding a mature fish, and then it’s even tougher to find a male. Most people can’t determine the sex of a fish. I can only do it by watching to see who chases during spawning. Males do the chasing. Your fish looks to be a common, so it would be helpful if you could find a common male. Reason being, fancy male fish might have problems keeping up with her. I don’t have fish for sell right now, and the only common I have is female

    That being said, many a female fish have found relief from the jets of a pond pump. Once she gets used to the action, you might see your fish hovering over the jet stream. The action provides the necessary pressure to release eggs. In the meantime, you might place an ad on Craigslist, looking for mature pond fish

    Shubunkins and comets can keep up with a common fish. There’s a pet shop down the street that’s selling 3″ shubunkins. I know that doesn’t help you, but it should encourage you to keep looking locally. Don’t be tempted to buy a Koi. They grow too big too fast

    Email me your location, and if we get someone from your area wanting to rehome their fish I’ll let you know. Most of these fish are pond fish, ranging from 6 to 10″

    You might find the right fish online. Look for a shu. They’re hardy and beautiful too

  5. dozierjennifer April 14, 2017 at 6:05 pm

    The trip information is helpful, we might take a trip over the summer.
    But I didn’t speak clearly.

    So normally my husband, Farbod will do full water change once a week. Sometimes however we spend a day or two in the city. At those times he will normally skip water changes and go an extra week. Or even if he thinks the water doesn’t need it or he’s tired etc. So in a month with 4 weeks, probably 3 of those weeks get water changes.

    We have agreed to change this. Doing a 7% water change on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Letting the fresh water sit over night with a filter and Prime. In this way we will avoid weekends all together and there for the chance that the water change will be skipped.
    Does this sound correct?

    One pump will arrive on Saturday and one pump will arrive on Wednesday. We should leave the water filter in for a few MONTHS to allow the good bacteria to ‘move’ to the new sponges? We have purchased a screen for the tank. I hope it works with the filter.

    Fortune, our goldfish had floating and sinking issues on 4/13, including the 45 degree angle. But today 4/14, she is swimming normally. Eating while swimming and even picking along the bottom of the tank and through the plants.

    I would love to know how to continue the treatments to ensure the goldfish’s health and recovery. I will continue reading your books and going through the website. But I hope you can tell me step by step as we go along!

    I bought a 1 ounce bottle of Chlorophyll.

    Once Fortune recovers I would love to get her a male companion. However the pet stores here only sell feeder fish. These fish are the perfect size for her to eat. She has eaten 2-3 fish in her time. There is a site I can mail order a fish, I think from Hawaii. Or, maybe I can buy a fish of yours when our tank is set up right and everything is healthy? I will be making our own food according to your recipes soon as well!

    So we shouldn’t change the water until Monday? Were not going anywhere, that was a misunderstanding. What is best for the water changes?

    I have been feeding her 3x a day while sick. When she was well it was 4-5. Today I think she will eat 4x. She has quite the appetite. I am only giving her 3-5 peas.

    Also, I am having trouble finding a good pea gravel on Amazon. I am not sure what size to get and I don’t want to buy the wrong thing. Would you please recommend a product?

    Thank you for your help!!!

  6. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 14, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    Forgot to say………….That’s great news; good work :yahoo:

  7. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 14, 2017 at 12:46 pm

    Very good readings. It look like the cycle is in tact, but we’ll know for sure by the end of the weekend. It would be nice to see the ammonia levels at zero, but beggars can’t be choosy. I’m delighted to see nitrites at zero

    Your GH and KH readings are healthy. You’re in good shape.

    Continue with the H202 and the pitcher method also, until the pumps arrive. Then you can relax, and let them do the work for you. Don’t remove your old filter after setting up the pumps. Within a few months, the friendly bug colony will move to the pumps, and you can remove the old filter. Maybe you’ll use it in your freshwater bucket

    If the cycle is stable by the end of the weekend, you can go on a trip with no worries if you have someone to feed

    I would say the fish is recovering from the nitrite and nitrate issues, and it will also recover from the floating issue. Continue feeding only peas, and if in a few weeks its not swimming normally, we’ll consider a treatment. A lot of these issues clear up on their own if the diet improves

    What size jug of chlorophyll did you get? Maybe when you return from your trip you can start treatment again. It will takes months for the fish’s body to repair itself, and then only under the best circumstances

    Your fish will never be able to tolerate nitrates higher than 20 ppm, and 10 ppm is preferred. This could be an issue if you’re going to be gone for a week. Here’s what I would do; cut meals in half until you get home, and then very gradually (taking a few weeks) build the meal sizes back up to normal

    You might consider getting your fish a friend. It would definitely perk it up

    Instead of daily water changes, I might hold off for a few days, and let’s see how high nitrates will climb over the next few days. This will tell us what we’re going to be dealing with for the week you’re gone

    How many meals do you feed a day? I hadn’t asked previously. Goldfish don’t have stomachs, and most people have the idea they can be fed only once or twice a day. This in itself causes gorging, impacting a tract. Cut your the amount of food you feed daily into fours, and spread the four meals out throughout the day as much as possible

    You mentioned floating at a 45 degree angle? Nose up or down?

  8. dozierjennifer April 14, 2017 at 10:06 am

    4/13
    -I upped my dosage of Hydrogen Peroxide after noticing I wasn’t giving enough. 10 Tbs in the pitcher treatment
    -I started giving peas in smaller amounts, making feeding 5x a day 3 peas.
    – I added a standing fan in addition to the ceiling fan.
    -7 PM water parameters:

    Water levels:
    Nitrite 0 PPM
    Nitrate 5.0 PPM
    Ammonia 0.25 PPM
    High Range PH 8.
    GH 9 drops 161.1
    KH 7 drops 125.3

    After testing:
    -We premixed the Chlorophyll treatment and
    -2 doses of Prime
    20% water change, all at once, unfortunately

    We noticed throughout the night the goldfish was getting better. But still having some floating issues. Swimming at 45 degree angle, bobbing around a bit and then bottom sitting.

    4/14
    Fortune is swimming normally at 8AM
    I gave her a breakfast of peas. We plan to continue the treatment plan until you tell us otherwise.
    My husband did agree when she is better to do small water changes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday instead of during the weekend. The weekend which might include a trip sometimes makes water changes skip a week.

    *Should he do 7%, 3x a week?
    *What is the next step in our treatment of Fortune?

    Still awaiting the pond pumps and thermometer.

  9. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 13, 2017 at 2:55 pm

    See my post below

    What is the water temperature?

    Continue with the H202 as well as the chlorophyll

  10. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 13, 2017 at 2:40 pm

    Yes, let’s do one more dose of chlorophyll

    From the photos, which I’ll post a few on to your original post, I see the curled position we discussed over the phone. Do you see the slight bend?

    Perform the pitcher method of eliminating Co2 two to three times daily, and if possible, set up a fan so it skims the surface

    Continue with 20% (by exchanging 5% every half hour or so) daily water changes, using a double dose of Prime as a precautionary measure

    Before you double dose, test, and take a photo at the time the test matures, send it to me. I may be able to read the parameter, having used a lot of green juice in my time. If not, we’ll just assume whether the cycle is broken or not, it hasn’t had enough time to climb to levels that a double dose won’t convert

    I’m reasonably certain your KH is at 90 to 100 ppm due to the readings of the freshwater you added to the tank a few days ago; maybe a little higher. It’s the oxygen levels dragging pH down

    If possible, go to your nearest lawn and garden center, and pick up a pond pump or two. You need 500 to 700 GPH total, but two half the size would be best

    My thought is, the nitrates were high, but not at deadly levels when a large water change was performed, causing nitrate shock, which is not as serious as nitrate poisoning. Your fish could pull through if you keep doing what you’re doing. The fact is, that the fish hasn’t died yet tell me it’s putting up a fight.

    Continue feeding peas as normal; same amount as usual. Is the fish still trying to eat or is the appetite lost?

  11. dozierjennifer April 13, 2017 at 12:25 pm

    Hello,
    -We have been doing 20% water changes every night, pre-mixing the Prime and tonics.
    -I add 5Tbs of Hydrogen Peroxide once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
    -I have been using a pitcher to manually pump oxygen into the water 1x in the morning, 1x mid-day and 1x in the afternoon 10x each.
    -I have been feeding Fortune smushed peas 1x in the morning, 1x- mid-day and 1x in the afternoon
    -I add 4 drops of goldfish vitamins to the water in the morning.

    Here is where I need help:
    I added 2 cloves of garlic to the 50 gallon tank and let them sit from morning until the nightly water change on 4/11. I did not notice a response.
    4/11 at water change we added 5 Tbs of Chlorophyll
    4/12 nightly water change we added 5Tbs of aloe vera juice.

    and then I got a chance to read your book “The Art of Goldfish Diagnosing & Rescue Proceedures…”

    *I am wondering if for tonight I should repeat the does of Chlorophyll? And again for a 3rd day?
    *Should we prepare garlic for a tank treatment?
    * My KH/GH test kit came in the mail. However, I cannot test the water parameters with it tinted green from the Chlorophyll!

  12. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 11, 2017 at 9:12 am

    Also wanted to add; I’m delighted to hear you ordered the KH and GH test kit. These two parameters are all important, and the most overlooked in the industry

    Just feed peas for the time being. Peas are really nutritious, and contain all of the nutrients your fish needs. Once we see there’s no floating issues, you can begin adding soaked pellets

    Yes, we’ve had members use that very sand, and results were the same as with any sand. In the end, they all switched to gravel. If not for one reason, then for another. In their natural environment, there is no sand, but only gravel. There’s nothing goldfish love more than pecking through gravel for a leftover morsel, and keeping our fish contented is just as important as keeping them healthy

    For now, we shouldn’t worry about it. The sand isn’t causing the issues your fish is experiencing. It was just an observation

    As for the fish jumping from the tank; the gap between the top of your tank and the surface of your water should be the same as your longest fish, and you won’t have to worry. Goldfish may accidentally leap from the tank during spawning activities. Parasites, which make them really uncomfortable have also been known to get fish jumping

    Some of our members use screens to prevent their cats from going fishing though. lol

    You can’t attach photos to comments, so create another blog post if you want to add more pics; three is the limit

    See my post below

  13. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 11, 2017 at 9:01 am

    Your husband has good intentions, but performing large water changes and rinsing filters is a big no no. Beneficial bacteria; the friendly bugs that create the nitrogen cycle build their colonies in our filters and pumps. They must have complete darkness to reproduce, and they also require heavily oxygenated water. Filters and pumps offer both

    Goldfish create waste. From waste, ammonia is produced. Ammonia attracts friendly bugs; it’s their food source. They feed on the toxin converting it to nitrite. Nitrite attracts another type of friendly bug. They feed on the nitrite converting it to nitrate. Both nitrite and nitrates are actually friendly bug pooh; weird huh?

    As ammonia is being created, it’s being processed, and even though you won’t see ammonia readings in a cycled tank, it’s there. Exchanging too much water at one time increases the risk of a spike in the cycle, but rinsing the filter pretty much guarantees it. This is what is happening in your fish house

    If the filter is getting bogged down or slowing; dunk it in a bucket of tank water; swish it around. Top loading filters are notorious for getting clogged, and they aren’t as supportive to friendly bug colonies as pond pumps. I recommend investing in two pond pumps. One for each side of the tank. There’s more than one reason to get a pond pump. The action they produce eliminates Co2 (carbon dioxide created from waste) which helps oxygenate water

    Read the 10 easy steps to goldfish keeping, and when you’re ready, read the full version. You’ll learn how to perform a proper water change, and you’ll also learn about pond pumps. No fish house is complete without a pond pump. Pond pumps encourage a stronger cycle because they sit on the floor of your tank where waste settles. Waste, inadvertently being the food source for friendly bugs

    https://goldfish-emergency.com/goldfish-koi-archives/goldfish-care/

    We place sponges over the intakes of our pond pumps which are rinsed (in tank water) weekly. This keeps fish water crystal clear and also keeps the pumps running smooth. Pond pumps easy to maintain

    For now, we need to keep a close watch on the cycle by testing as you know, but keeping up with daily water changes that include water treatment is really important. This way, your fish is protected if ammonia or nitrite readings climb

    In the future, if you’re going to create a long post, use a word program, and then cut and paste it into the text box. You could get logged out, a power outage could occur, or internet could get a hiccup. It’s really frustrating to lose a long post. How well I know. lol

    I haven’t experienced the double post effect as of yet. In the future, instead of deleting the post, just leave it alone, and I’ll take care of it. I checked out the checkout page, and it was frozen. It seems Amazon pay is experiencing some issues, but it should be resolved by the end of the day. I’ve deleted their payment method from the checkout page, and it’s now functioning, however, EverButton is the only payment option. It’s secure if you want to complete your purchase

    I’m sorry for the inconvenience

  14. dozierjennifer April 11, 2017 at 12:50 am

    I’m again having trouble with posting comments. Earlier I wrote a long post roughly the same as this one and it posted twice. I deleted 1 and it deleted both!
    I am going to try and post that information again. This is 1 of 2 posts today. The other is a list of questions I have.

    Answers to your questions:

    How much water did you husband exchange? He did a full tank down to the amount necessary for the fish to swim. He always does this. I am trying to get him to change it. He also, always fully cleans the filter in the sink using tap water. Water changes are normally done 1 time a week, but sometimes he skips a week if busy. He uses a garden hose and pumps the water out into the yard. Then he cleans the filter. Followed by pumping fresh water into the tank and pouring prime in the flowing water as it fills.

    Does your water have Chloramines? No. I called the water department.

    Do you have a KH tester? No. I ordered a GH and KH test kit, it will be here on Wednesday.

    Any other signs of floating? For most of the day no. She was either sitting on the plants sideways or at the bottom of the tank. After the partial water change she had some floating issues. (We think it may because we added Aquarium salt to the water measured for the amount changed, 20%. Instead of the salt bath, because I was confused if Salt baths are good at this point because of the depth of the bucket and pressure issues, etc. ) She settled back onto a plant again sideways after an hour or two.

    I am interested in remedies. We tried to purchase your Aloe remedy already, but the website was having trouble. We tried using both payment options. 🙁 Were not sure how to make our own. Or even how to administer it at this point if the fish isn’t supposed to leave the tank. Would you food cubes help to supplement the peas?

    I am wondering about your feelings regarding sand? I made the decision to include it after reading this article:
    http://advancedaquariumconcepts.com/best-freshwater-aquarium-sand/
    I purchased this type of sand:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018CLX9Q/ref=ox_sc_sfl_image_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

    Do you still feel the same after reading the article? If so, why?

    I have taken off our Aquarium hood, purchased because the same fish jumped out of the tank and was on the floor for a couple of minutes. After purchasing the hood the goldfish continued to jump, sometimes scratching her tail on the hood. We were going to change it to a glass cover but couldn’t find one that fit. I am now thinking of a screen. But how would the filter work with a screen?

  15. dozierjennifer April 10, 2017 at 12:36 pm

    Sorry for the double post. I am having a lot of trouble with the blog.

    Ok I am addressing some of the questions you asked.

    How much water did you husband exchange? – He exchanged almost all of the water, leaving just a fourth in the tank, enough for a big fish to swim in. He ALWAYS does this despite my protests. He also cleans the filter regularly in the sink with tap water. He did not clean the filter this time.

    Does your water have Chloramines? – No, the water department said it doesn’t.

    Do you have a KH tester? – No, I have purchased one on Amazon, along with an addtional airstone to add more oxygen. It will be here on Wednesday.

    Any further signs of floating?- No it is sitting in a bent position either on the plants if it swims a little or at the bottom of the tank.

    Is the fish getting food? – Yes, it hobbles to where the peas have been dropped and gobbles them up.

    Are you interested in a remedy? – Yes, but I tried to purchase the Aloe remedy from your website and it was so frustrating my husband bought some aloe and has been gently rubbing it on the fish during it’s salt bath. So if you can make it less frustrating, that would be wonderful! Maybe some of those food cubes too?

    Some questions of my own:

    Should I start the Melafix or other medication?

    I started using sand based on this article. http://advancedaquariumconcepts.com/best-freshwater-aquarium-sand/
    This is the type of sand I buy https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018CLX9Q/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

    Do you still think sand is a bad idea?

  16. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 10, 2017 at 9:35 am

    Good to see these parameters

    Your cycle is having some issues. How much water did your husband exchange? In a cycled tank, you should have a healthy reading for nitrates; 20 ppm or so. It’s possible a large or several water changes have been performed to reduce levels. This in itself will upset a cycle

    The ammonia reading could be caused by chloramines in your tap. In order to know for sure, you would have to contact your water department. Chloramines are chlorine and ammonia combined. A reading for ammonia of .25 is typical when present. This disinfectant is used in larger cities when water travels a longer distance

    Let’s keep a close watch on ammonia and nitrite; test daily and let me know if the levels climb. If the cycle is in tact we’ll see nitrates rise gradually. I realize you have a large tank and only one fish, but you should still have a reading of 10 ppm or more with regular water changes

    There’s no doubt your fish was recently poisoned by nitrite. Symptoms do not lie. It’s possible nitrite levels were reduced with the water changes or the spike has settled down. The red streaks in the tail fin is the damage the nitrites left behind. In order to repair, the oxygen levels must be increased

    Your pH reading; 7.6 to 7. 8 is okay, but we need to dig a little deeper. Do you have a KH tester? We need to see this parameter

    KH and O2 combined make up pH. In some areas where KH is high, this parameter can make up for the biggest part of pH, meaning oxygen levels are low. In order to find out, we test KH first. If it’s healthy (120 to 140 ppm preferred) then we test pH. If pH isn’t at the high end of the comfort zone; 8. to 8.4 ppm, we know oxygen levels are low

    If KH is at high end of the zone; so should be pH

    Good thinking, H202. Use twice a day until we know KH results

    Oxygen is the cure for nitrite poisoning

    It’s possible some damage has occurred from the Pleco nibbles, but oxygen is the cure for this also. Bad bacteria can’t tolerate oxygen

    Feed only peas for the time being, and watch to see if the fish is attracted to the food, and able to get to it. The opposite of a floating issue is a sinking issue. This is when the tract is empty, and there’s no Co2 available for swim bladder function. If you see the fish isn’t getting food, release the peas in front of it, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll discuss force feeding

    Any further signs of floating?

    Let’s get back to the cycle. Perform 20% daily water changes using a single dose of Prime. Test ammonia and nitrite daily, and if there’s any change report back. The cycle has either just begun to spike or is just now settling down. The only thing worse than nitrite poisoning is a repeat of the incident

    Goldfish greatly benefit from salt bathes after being poisoned by nitrites. Chloride in salt improves gill function, increasing the oxygen in the blood stream. I’m concerned that nitrates may also be an issue. These toxins are related, both being created by living organisms. Both thicken the blood due to loss of oxygen. When affected by nitrates, fish will press to the bottom, however, they don’t do this with nitrites

    Yes, it happens, fish being poisoned by both toxins, and it’s doubly dangerous

    If you’re interested in a remedy, I would recommend the chlorophyll and the garlic as well. If you like, I could blend them together for the same cost, or you could make your own

  17. dozierjennifer April 9, 2017 at 9:33 pm

    For 2 days the Pleco sucked on the Goldfish before we were able to rehome it. Day 1 is after the Pleco has been rehomed and we have started treatment. Timeline begins in the evening so the video and picture descriptions are a bit off.

    Day 1- Injury treatment, pretty much panic on my part

    Day 2- My husband changed the water around 11PM and gave goldfish a salt bath with aquarium water and Aquarium Salt. Did not take water parameters. 8AM another Aquarium salt bath, increased the oxygen by turning the bubble wand back on and adding 5Tbs of Hydrogen Peroxide. 4:30 another Aquarium Salt bath. Water parameters taken with a Master Test Kit and read as follows:

    Nitrate( taken 3x) 0-0.3ppm
    Nitrite (taken 2x) 0ppm
    Ammonia (1x) 0.25ppm
    PH (1x) 7.6
    High PH (1x) 7.8

    Feed peas 2x. Evening bath with Epsom Salt 7:30

    Day 3- 2 More Epsom Salt baths planned. Only feeding peas.

    Day 4- Aloe treatment planned.

  18. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 9, 2017 at 8:50 pm

    I was unable to post a video at this time, but I was able to view one. I’ll work on that later

    Were you able to get test results?

    If you notice the red streaks in the tail fin in the first photo? These are broken blood vessels caused by nitrite poisoning. Nitrite is the second toxin to form in the cycle. A cycled tank has only nitrates. In most cases, the symptoms shows up long after the nitrite has converted. Test for this toxin. Let’s see if nitrites are still present. With some luck the toxin will test at zero

    If oxygen levels are low, this makes for a difficult and slow recovery. Nitrite robs the blood of oxygen, and a low pH value combined with nitrite poisoning is a deadly combo

    In the video I managed to watch, the fish was floating and rolling a bit. It’s possible the fish has a floating issue caused by dry pellets, but I can’t be sure. If we can rule out nitrate issues it would be helpful. Nitrates cause loss of appetite, and bottom sitting. Fish poisoned by nitrates press to the bottom in order to relieve pressure caused by the toxin. Increased depth combined with water rich in oxygen is the key

    In the final throws of nitrate poisoning, the fish begins to curl to the side, and then loses the ability to stay put on the bottom. You may see it swim in circles. I don’t think this is what your fish is doing though

    Let’s see some readings so we’ll know a little more

    I don’t see any signs of infection caused by the Pleco, but I could only view one video. The sand should be replaced with natural pea gravel. In their natural habitat, there is no sand, and being bottom dwellers, goldfish develop numerous issues when they dig in the sand for food. It also harbors bad bacteria

    Do you use a gravel vacuum to clean the sand? Does it stir up a cloud?

    Did you perform the 911 water change?

  19. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 9, 2017 at 10:03 am

    Okay. Here’s what’s happening. The water has bad bacteria in it, and these bad bugs eat away at tissue, starting with the tail fin. For some unknown reason, fish are attracted to these infected areas. If you had another goldfish, it too would be nibbling at the tail fin. A lot of people think one fish is attacking another

    The fin will grow back if the water quality is improved

    If you’re only using Melafix, this is okay, and will not damage the good bugs

    The salt bath is okay, but tread lightly

    Perform the water change in the link, and this will get you on the road to healthier water. Heavily oxygenated water is the key. Bad bugs can’t tolerate O2, and because you have bad bugs, this tells me your oxygen levels are low

    I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the test, as this will tell me what we need to do to improve the environment

    It sounds to me like you seem to know your way around a fish tank :good:

    Create a new post to post pics or videos. Comment don’t support pics

  20. Venus (Goldfish Master) April 9, 2017 at 8:17 am

    I would love to see a video of your fish’s behavior. The symptoms you describe sound somewhat like nitrate issues, and or floating issues

    It’s true Pleco’s shouldn’t be kept with goldfish, but unless you see red areas or sores on the body, no harm done. Their nibbles are toxic, and create sores that lead to bacteria infection, that eventually kills the fish. It doesn’t always happen, but better to be safe than sorry. Do you see external sores on your fish? Did you see the attack?

    Goldfish sleep at night, so you won’t see them eating or swimming about when the lights go out. Pleco fish are the opposite. This makes goldfish an easy targot

    Feeding sinking pellets is okay, but soak them in tank water first. If a fish eats dry pellets, they will swell in the tract, impacting it. This leads to floating issues. The swim bladder organ (organ that gives fish ability to sink or rise) is connected to the tract. The swim bladder uses Co2 (gas created from waste in the tract)

    If the tract slows or becomes blocked, gas becomes trapped in the bladder, causing the fish to float. The more severe the issue, the higher the fish floats. In most cases the fish rolls, and turns upside down, and as the condition worsens, it eventually ends up at the surface. Does this sound like what’s happening to your fish?

    I hear it time and time again; not wanting to do a water change for fear of stressing the fish, but there is nothing more stressful than poor water quality. As for testing; there’s nothing more important than knowing your water parameters. Use your master test kit, and report the results of all the parameters here, so we can learn more about the water your fish is swimming in.

    Follow the link below, and perform the water change. Follow the instructions carefully. If you believe your fish is floating as described above, don’t lower water temps. This water change will lower nitrates safely, and improve the oxygen levels in the water

    https://goldfish-emergency.com/goldfish-koi-archives/goldfish-koi-health/911-water-change/

    Let’s get this fish in shape, along with your water, and then get it a friend to liven it up

    As for the meds, what exactly are you using? Pet shops meds will destroy bad bugs in the tank, but they also destroy the good kind, breaking the cycle. Do you understand the nitrogen cycle and how it works? Test for ammonia and nitrite to make sure the fish isn’t being poisoned by one or both toxins. Your freshwater kit may not have an ammonia tester. If not, maybe you could pick one up

    Use the Prime with your water change; in fact, double the dosage just in case

    • dozierjennifer April 9, 2017 at 9:14 am

      Thank you Venus. I did see the attack, and the whole tail was damaged. I have a picture of the damage and a video of her floating but I am not sure how to post it. I watched her for a long time, at first she was having trouble swimming with her tail and it eventually got to the point that she couldn’t swim at all.

      Day 2- continued- My husband took over last night since he was finally off work. He did a water change without testing the parameters, getting rid of the 1 does of Melafix I had put in and gave Fortune a salt bath. He said that her tail is rough like tree bark.
      She is at the bottom on the tank, tilted on her side. When he wakes up this morning he is going to do another salt bath. I gave her a breakfast of peas.

      I will test the parameters and figure out how to post pictures and videos and reread your responses. If anything else comes to mind in with this new information I would appreciate it.

Leave A Comment

Skip to toolbar