Jeannie wrote:
Many thanks to all for your comments and help. An update, now that I
have actually seen the fish...the redness is actually a largish lump
is just forward of the pectoral fin and only on the bottom; looks more
like a large hernia than anything else, and definitely not a skin-
disease type of thing. It's a bit smaller this morning since a 1/2
water change last evening, and the fish is perky and interested in the
(very little bit of) food we gave him.


Hi Jeannie,

There have been quite a few posts about lumps on goldfish recently on
another group that I frequent....can I suggest you go and read through
some of the threads there and see if it gives you the answer. The group
is a google group called The Freshwater Aquarium - read the thread on
"Fish Surgery" - don't get alarmed by the title....it has a lot of good
info on a similar problem.....IIRC there is another one as well so you
might need to do some browsing....

Link to TFA is:-

http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium

Gill