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View Full Version : Pops (goldfish) refuses to swim.


fish43035
September 4th 06, 04:36 AM
Hi,

Here is a little background on me before my question. I have 4 fish tanks 3 fresh water and 1 salt water. I have had them all set up for at least a year and more for the freshwater tanks. I make sure their is NO cross contamination by not using the same net from one tank to another and such.

My PH is 6.5 (a little low for Goldfish but they are all doing OK but Pops), my nitrates read 0, nitrates read 0, on the stick kit I use and Amonia don't register in the other test kit I use. I do 2 weekly water changes and consider my fish my friends (pals). Yes I'm sick! I love them to death.

About 4 days ago my Chocolate Oranda Pops looked like he had a white film over his whole body and was refusing to swim. I did a 50% water change and pulled everything (decorations) out of the tank but the gravel and a few plants for him to hid around and munch on if he could. The decorations have been in the tank for over 8 months. I use a gravel vaccum every-time I change the water. NOTE: Pops is in a 10 gallon tank and is about 4 inches long nose to tail tip. Pops is also really fat from eating on the plants in his tank.

I do put live plants in the tank for him to eat and at one time found I was poisoning the fish with the metal weights that was on the plant (to hold it down). I have not had any metal in this tank for almost 6 months.

Pops has been slowly changing color to orange just as my Black Moor in my 20 gallon tank did and I just assumed it was normal as the fish gets older it changes color. But the white or grey film was a major setback for me. In the tank with Pops is 1 sucker fish and some type of snails that were on a plant when I bought it about a year ago . They (snails) constantly spawn and I had noticed one of the other fish in another tank eating the babies. So I don't know if he (Pops) ate one of the larger snails and can't swim or if it had to do with the grey/white film that had covered his body. Of coarse I assume it was the mucus but you never know.

I have been feeding Pops crushed peas and blood worms via a turkey baster that was bought for him but haven't seen him crap (forgive me). It's been 3 days now and I worry about him dying.

I had to remove the sucker fish since he started to eat Pops's tips of his fins. The sucker fish is in with another fish for now and he is doing just fine and has shown no signs of any illness.

The white haze over the body is gone other than on the eyes which is still a little foggy looking. His fins are damaged from the sucker fish but not to the point of not being able to swim.

I have another fish that has swim bladder issues (bought him that way) and Pops is not showing any signs of that other than just sitting still all day in the same spot. He refuses to move unless touched and then only moves an inch or so.

I have treated with coopersafe but not sure if that will help him or hurt him since the mucus looking grey/white film is gone everywhere but on his eyes. He is able to see as I notice his eyes follow my finger on the glass sometimes. Also when I say peas or bloodworms he perks up (dorsal fin goes up) for a second then goes down. Yes they know food comes after saying peas or blood worms.

I guess my question is what do you think I should do? The only other time I have seen a fish do this exact same thing was when they ate a food pellet that had swollen up in their stomach and died from the blockage. But then again that fish that died had black bruising on it's stomach and sides and Pops does not show any of these signs.

Any help is appreciated.

James

September 4th 06, 02:58 PM
unless a tank is heavily planted the nitrates cannot read 0. you may need new test
kits. white all over is sign of either parasites or toxic water conditions
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/technique/technique.html#Jo_Ann's_Fish_Physical
do the tub to tub method. basically changing water every day. dont use anything
besides salt and the dechlor for treating city water.
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/treatment/trtmnt.htm#TUB_TO_TUB
sucker fish are notorious for eating the slime on GF and creating terrible, deadly
sores. here is emergency protocol. coppersafe is VERY VERY TOXIC in low pH water.
Ingrid

EMERGENCY
1. check the water parameters: pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrates
2. do the fish physical
3. change some or all of the water
4. from the water parameters and physical decide on a course of action
5. if there is nothing specific, do the tub to tub method

fish43035 > wrote:
>My PH is 6.5 (a little low for Goldfish but they are all doing OK but
>Pops), my nitrates read 0, nitrates read 0, on the stick kit I use and
>Amonia don't register in the other test kit I use. I do 2 weekly water
>changes and consider my fish my friends (pals).
>
>About 4 days ago my Chocolate Oranda Pops looked like he had a white
>film over his whole body and was refusing to swim. I did a 50% water
>change and pulled everything (decorations) out of the tank but the
>gravel and a few plants for him to hid around and munch on if he could.
>The decorations have been in the tank for over 8 months. I use a
>gravel vaccum every-time I change the water. NOTE: Pops is in a 10
>gallon tank and is about 4 inches long nose to tail tip. Pops is also
>really fat from eating on the plants in his tank.
>
>I do put live plants in the tank for him to eat and at one time found I
>was poisoning the fish with the metal weights that was on the plant (to
>hold it down). I have not had any metal in this tank for almost 6
>months.
>
>Pops has been slowly changing color to orange just as my Black Moor in
>my 20 gallon tank did and I just assumed it was normal as the fish gets
>older it changes color. But the white or grey film was a major setback
>for me. In the tank with Pops is 1 sucker fish and some type of snails
>that were on a plant when I bought it about a year ago . They (snails)
>constantly spawn and I had noticed one of the other fish in another
>tank eating the babies. So I don't know if he (Pops) ate one of the
>larger snails and can't swim or if it had to do with the grey/white
>film that had covered his body. Of coarse I assume it was the mucus
>but you never know.
>
>I have been feeding Pops crushed peas and blood worms via a turkey
>baster that was bought for him but haven't seen him crap (forgive me).
>It's been 3 days now and I worry about him dying.
>
>I had to remove the sucker fish since he started to eat Pops's tips of
>his fins. The sucker fish is in with another fish for now and he is
>doing just fine and has shown no signs of any illness.
>
>The white haze over the body is gone other than on the eyes which is
>still a little foggy looking. His fins are damaged from the sucker
>fish but not to the point of not being able to swim.
>
>I have another fish that has swim bladder issues (bought him that way)
>and Pops is not showing any signs of that other than just sitting still
>all day in the same spot. He refuses to move unless touched and then
>only moves an inch or so.
>
>I have treated with coopersafe but not sure if that will help him or
>hurt him since the mucus looking grey/white film is gone everywhere but
>on his eyes. He is able to see as I notice his eyes follow my finger on
>the glass sometimes. Also when I say peas or bloodworms he perks up
>(dorsal fin goes up) for a second then goes down. Yes they know food
>comes after saying peas or blood worms.
>
>I guess my question is what do you think I should do? The only other
>time I have seen a fish do this exact same thing was when they ate a
>food pellet that had swollen up in their stomach and died from the
>blockage. But then again that fish that died had black bruising on
>it's stomach and sides and Pops does not show any of these signs.
>
>Any help is appreciated.
>
>James



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carlrs
September 5th 06, 12:10 AM
fish43035 wrote:

> My PH is 6.5 (a little low for Goldfish but they are all doing OK but
> Pops), my nitrates read 0, nitrates read 0, on the stick kit I use and
> Amonia don't register in the other test kit I use. I do 2 weekly water
> changes and consider my fish my friends (pals). Yes I'm sick! I love
> them to death.

Your ph should be 7.2 to 7.5 for for proper health. Your KH should be
80 ppm to assure proper ph and proper calcium levels which are
important for healing and general health. Wonder shells are good for
this.


> gravel vaccum every-time I change the water. NOTE: Pops is in a 10
> gallon tank and is about 4 inches long nose to tail tip. Pops is also
> really fat from eating on the plants in his tank.

A ten gallon aquarium is too small

>
> Pops has been slowly changing color to orange just as my Black Moor in
> my 20 gallon tank did and I just assumed it was normal as the fish gets
> older it changes color. But the white or grey film was a major setback
> for me.

Pimafix is a good idea to try for this. But if ineffective, you may
need stronger medications. Also a dip in double strength methylene blue
would be helpful.


> I have been feeding Pops crushed peas and blood worms via a turkey
> baster that was bought for him but haven't seen him crap (forgive me).
> It's been 3 days now and I worry about him dying.

Do NOT feed bloodworms, they constapate. Use brine shrimp instead.
Feeding bloodworms to a goldfish is like feeding dog food to a horse.


> I had to remove the sucker fish since he started to eat Pops's tips of
> his fins. The sucker fish is in with another fish for now and he is
> doing just fine and has shown no signs of any illness.

Great.
>
> The white haze over the body is gone other than on the eyes which is
> still a little foggy looking. His fins are damaged from the sucker
> fish but not to the point of not being able to swim.

Good


> I have treated with coopersafe but not sure if that will help him or
> hurt him since the mucus looking grey/white film is gone everywhere but
> on his eyes.

Again, try Pimafix and/or methlylene blue dip.

For more resources and information from feeding to medications, check
out this site:
http://aquarium-info.blogspot.com/

Good luck, Carl

fish43035
September 5th 06, 08:03 PM
fish43035 wrote:

Your ph should be 7.2 to 7.5 for for proper health. Your KH should be
80 ppm to assure proper ph and proper calcium levels which are
important for healing and general health. Wonder shells are good for
this.

I am sorry. I ment 7.5 and just put the wrong number. I was told before that Goldfish likes 8.0 to 8.5 PH. I just purchased a new test kit and it also reads the same as the old one. White means 0 or less than 19 ppm



A ten gallon aquarium is too small


I agree 10 gallons is too small as well. I had no intent on keeping Pops their but he was being attacked by another fish in the larger 30 gallon tank. This was the only thing I could do since he was injured and I didn't expect him to make it. He has been doing fine for over the past year though.


Pimafix is a good idea to try for this. But if ineffective, you may
need stronger medications. Also a dip in double strength methylene blue
would be helpful.


Is the color change a bad thing? My other fish (Snorkle) is fine and shows no sign of anything wrong.


Do NOT feed bloodworms, they constapate. Use brine shrimp instead.
Feeding bloodworms to a goldfish is like feeding dog food to a horse.


Ok. Will look for brine shrimp at local pet shop today.


Again, try Pimafix and/or methlylene blue dip.


I just want to make sure I'm not going to misunderstand you so I'm going to ask a quick question on this. Is Pimafix and/or methlylene blue dip only for his color or is that a general medication?

Good luck, Carl

Thanks Carl. I appreciate all your help.

............

fish43035
September 5th 06, 08:20 PM
]
:unless a tank is heavily planted the nitrates cannot read 0. you may need new test
kits.

The tank is heavily planted and Pops normally feeds on the plants daily leaving me plenty of leaves to dip out so they don't rot. LOL! I realised I had a test kit for my sal****er tank that also can be used for freshwater. So for a 3rd test I used the kind that you use water from the tank and drip 5 drops of a solution in and it says 7.4 to 7.6 range.

:white all over is sign of either parasites or toxic water conditions
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/technique/technique.html#Jo_Ann's_Fish_Physical
do the tub to tub method. basically changing water every day. dont use anything
besides salt and the dechlor for treating city water.

My local water PH is pretty low so I must add PH 7.5 to fix the PH. Is this still allowed or not? I have also been changing 50% of the water every day for the past week and was affraid to do more than that since the water gets so low in the tank.

:http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/treatment/trtmnt.htm#TUB_TO_TUB
sucker fish are notorious for eating the slime on GF and creating terrible, deadly
sores. here is emergency protocol.

:coppersafe is VERY VERY TOXIC in low pH water.
Ingrid

I have not re-added coppersafe since the waterchange.

:EMERGENCY
1. check the water parameters: pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrates
2. do the fish physical
3. change some or all of the water
4. from the water parameters and physical decide on a course of action
5. if there is nothing specific, do the tub to tub method

What is the fish Physical?

Pops also has become un-affraid of the Turkey baster and now trys to reach for it to get food. He has also moved a (little) around the tank (4 inches away from where he was). He is still laying on the bottom as though he is just too fat to swim but also just don't try to swim. He will if I accidently bump him with the baster but only enough to move slightly.

Thanks again,
James