Class B Symptoms
Oxygen Deprivation
Class B Symptoms: Goldfish is gasping at surface; Goldfish has bleeding from eye; Goldfish has redness at gills; Goldfish has rapid gill movement; Goldfish has bulging eye(s) Goldfish is blowing bubbles from gills; Goldfish is swimming closer to the surface than the bottom of tank or pond
Oxygen Deprivation
If your goldfish exhibit one or more of the symptoms above, your fish house may have depleted oxygen levels. We can measure oxygen by testing pH and KH both, because pH is a measurement of carbonate hardness and oxygen combined. Levels drop if the carbonate hardness is low or if the water is slow moving or stagnant
Step 1 Reduce tank or pond water temperature by chilling fish house water. Scoop fish house water into containers and pitchers. Store the water in the fridge or the freezer. Pour all around fish house slowly. Refill and repeat until temps are at 54f. Goldfish use less oxygen in cold water because they become dormant. Placing goldfish into dormancy is a safe method of buying time
TEST pH The comfort zone for pH is 7.4 to 8.4 ppm with the higher side preferred
If pH levels are low, test carbonate levels (KH) The comfort zone is 70 to 120 ppm with the higher side preferred
If the KH carbonate value is low; increase by premixing bicarbonate of (baking) soda into a gallon of tank or pond water
Always premix in freshwater or a gallon of fish house water. Start by adding a 1/2 teaspoon per 10 gallons of fish house water. Wait for a half hour; test again and repeat if necessary. It’s important to buffer KH slowly to keep from getting the measurement too high
If the KH is healthy but pH low, the oxygen levels in your fish house are low, remove top of aquarium if enclosed. Push a pitcher deep into the water filling it. Raise it up and pour it back in. Repeat this process 10 times per 10 gallons of fish house water. This practice removes Co2, a gas created from the waste fish produce. Standard filtering systems do not remove these gases like a real pond pump. Carbon dioxide fills a body of water, keeping oxygen from entering
Test pH again after performing the pitcher method above. Did it rise? If so, consider adding a pond pump to your set up. Learn more about goldfish and how to oxygenate water by reading the 10 Steps to Goldfish Koi Keeping
Class B Symptoms
If pH and KH is healthy, check the gills of your fish to see if they are obstructed with fungus or parasites, red, swollen or inflamed. If so, perform the
Sea SALT Remedy
If the fish is darting through the water in a panic, check the nostrils and the mouth for obstructions Stone Lodged
The following contribute to low oxygen levels by filling the body of water, keeping oxygen from entering
Carbon dioxide, a nontoxic gas created from waste may be present
Green water algae
Bad bacteria bloom which looks like a white cloud
Enclosed aquarium
Slow or stagnant water
All of the items on the list above can easily be eliminated by installing a pond pump
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Author: Brenda Rand