GOLDFISH SICKNESSES

Sickness is most often caused by stress. All fish (goldfish or otherwise) endure a low level of infection constantly. This is natural and normal. Their immune systems are in a constant cold war with all the various infections in their bodies, but their immune system can keep it in check so long as they are healthy.

When you handle the fish, or when they are scared, it will cause stress. This will weaken their immune system, which will allow the infections they already have to become stronger. Other factors are parasites and bacteria that are introduced through new fish or live food, injuries, and dirty or contaminated water.

The links to the right have more detailed information on specific illnesses, In this section I will simply give a summary of the most common illnesses in goldfish.

  Preventing Sickness

Maintaining good water quality is the best method of prevention, and the best way to help the fish's immune system recover. The less stressed the fish is, the better it's immune system will function. And poor water quality is the most common source of stress. Water changes in general are a great prevention for just about everything. Avoid doing more than 50% per day though, and make sure the water is dechlorinated.

You can take a sample of your aquarium water to most pet stores, and they will test it for you to determine your water chemistry. Most chain stores (and some smaller stores) will do this for free. Water test kits are available at most pet stores, and you can use them to determine the chemistry of your aquarium water. Many illnesses can be cured simply by improving water conditions. The important things to test for are ammonia, nitrate, pH, Nitrite and salt levels.

Adding aquarium salt to the tank will enhance their mucus layer and improve the function of their immune system. Salt is also toxic to most parasites as well. Make sure you use only aquarium salt (sold at virtually all pet stores that sell fish). Table salt contains iodine, which will probably kill your fish. Marine salt (such as Instant Ocean) is acceptable, though it may raise the pH of your tank since it contains calcium. If you do water changes, remember to replace the salt proportionally. It is important that you keep track of the salt levels in your aquarium. Goldfish cannot tolerate high levels of salt for very long (see below).

Another way to prevent illness is by maintaining the temperature at 72F to 85F. While it is true that goldfish can tolerate temperatures to below freezing (30F), this is not their ideal range, because goldfish parasites also like cold water. maintaining warm temperatures therefore enahnces the goldfish's immune system the same way salt does. Goldfish tanks can use normal aquarium heaters sold for tropical fish.

Do NOT pet your goldfish. Many goldfish can become very tame, and some even seem to crave this kind of attention. But petting them rubs off the mucus layer (sometimes called the "Slime Coat") that covers their scales and protects them from parasites and bacteria. Fish are not puppies. Handle them only when absolutely necessary.

  Treatment of Sicknesses

Most diseases can be cured using broad-spectrum anti-biotics from a pet store in conjunction with salt. "Broad Spectrum" means it is basically lots of medications rolled into one...a sort of shotgun solution that spams a bunch of medications at the disease in the hope that one of them will work. And this method often works. Follow the instructions carefully though.

Remember to remove carbon filters when medicating, as they will filter the medication from the water. What follows is a list of the most common types of Goldfish illnesses and brief instructions on how to treat them.

  Salt Dips and Baths

Salt is bad for virtually all aquarium parasites and bacteria. So a common solution to sickness is to submerge the fish in higher than normal concentrations of salt in an effort to kill off large portions of the disease and give the fish's imune system a running start. Salt baths and dips should only use Aquarium salt. Not Table salt or Marine salt.

You do not need an aquarium for a salt bath...just a container large enough for the fish to swim in for the duration of the treatment. Once you have a container, fill it with fresh dechlorinated water that is within 3 degrees (F) of the temperature of the tank you removed the fish from, and add the amounts of salt (fully dissolved) listed below. Never add undiluted salt to any container with live fish...raw salt will chemically burn your fish. The salt should not be dangerous to the fish so long as you do not exceed the treatment times. But it is uncomfortable for the fish, so minor agitation is normal. Small or weakened fish should not be subjected to a Dip, only a Bath.

A Salt Bath is the normal course of treatment. Add 1 tablespoon of salt per gallon of water volume. Treatment should take be between 30 minutes to one hour.

A Salt Dip is a more extreme course of treatment, and is more stressful to the fish. Add 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water volume. Submerge the fish for at least 30 seconds but no longer than five minutes.

  Medicating Fish

What follows is a list of medications. Please be sure to visit the links in the sidebars for a second opinion, as many of them go into far more detail about specific illnesses and their treatments. "Broadspectrum" means the medication treats for a wide variety of illnesses. In general, medications specific to one illness will probably be better than broadspectrum medications for that illness.

It is recommended that most medications involve a water change beforehand, raising the temperature to the 80F to 85F range, and especailly removing carbon filters. The function of carbon filters is to remove microscopic particles in your aquarium, and this includes medication. These are things that most treatments will probably require, but always follow the directions on the box.

I have included links to sources where you can buy the medications (usually chain stores). I do not update links continually however...if they are broken, either call the store or search their site. I have included alternative name brands when possible.

(Be aware that some medications contain dyes, some of these dyes will permanently stain aquarium ornaments. So make sure you remove them first)

Quick Cure - This is a common Ick treatment. It is cheap and widely available.
- Petco

Maracide - This is an Ick treatment, and may work on other external parasites as well.
- Petco
- Petsmart

Coppersafe - This is a general parasite treatment. Treats ick, flukes (gyrodactylus), anchor worms, velvet and other external parasites.
- Petco
- Petsmart

Fungus Clear - Jungle Labs - Cure for Fungal and Bacterial infections. This product treats the entire tank in general.
- Petsmart
- Petco

Fungus Eliminator - Jungle Labs - This is a fungus treament applied directly to the fish. Use for fin rot, and fungus.
- Petstore.com

Fungus Guard - Jungle Labs - This is a fungus treament applied directly to the fish.
- Petsmart

Maracyn Two - A broadspectrum anti-biotic for internal and external infections. Treats Fin Rot, Popeye, various gill diseases, Dropsy, and Septicemia.
- Petco

Maracyn Plus - A broadspectrum anti-biotic for internal and external infections. Treats Mouth Rot, Fin Rot, Dropsy, and Ulcers.
- Petsmart

Melafix - An anti-biotic for external bacterial infections. Treats Fungus, Fin Rot, Eye Cloud, and has been known to be effective at healing Ulcers.
- Petco
- Petsmart

Tetracycline - A broadspectrum anti-biotic for external infections. Treats Fin Rot, Popeye, gill disease, and secondary infections.
- Petco
- Petsmart

MarOxy - Treats Fungus and bacterial infections.
- Petsmart

  Euthanizing Goldfish

If the goldfish is in such a state that you do not believe it will survive, you can put it out of it's misery by euthenizing it.

The most common method used to be simply putting it in the freezer...the idea being that the cold would numb the goldfish and it would fall asleep, eventually dying. But current evidence suggests that it can and does feel pain as ice crystals form within it's cells.

The method currently favored by many fish owners today is using clove oil. This method is used to anesthetize goldfish for surgery, but an overdose can be used to kill them humanely as well. Clove oil interferes with gill function in such a way as to put the fish to sleep. You can buy it at many health food stores, and it should be available in pharmacy sections of stores by the toothache stuff. You will not need a lot of it, as it is very potent.

Use twelve drops of clove oil per gallon of dechlorinated water. Make sure it is well diluted beforehand in a separate container. Mix it up with a small amount of water in a zip lock bag or small container. Then pour into the main container you will use to sedate the fish. Mix it up a littel more, then place the fish in the container as well. It is a good idea to use an airstone and pump to keep the clove oil mixed in with the water.

Note that this concentration is only used for euthanizing...if you simply want to sedate the fish (for surgery for example), drop the dosage down to four drops per gallon. Twelve drops may kill the fish otherwise.

Observe the fish closely. Once the gills stop moving, wait at least ten minutes. Then you can tanke it out of the container and put it in the freezer. It is important that it is frozen SOLID...goldfish can survive near-freezing temperatures indefinitely, as cold triggers a hibernation state in them. Once the fish is frozen solid however, it is dead.

List of Goldfish Illnesses

  Ick (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)

Probably the single most common disease in the aquarium hobby, Ick (sometimes called "ich") is a parasite that looks like tiny white dots on the surface of the fish. It is extremely contageous, and potentially fatal if left unchecked, but easy to treat.

Ick-specific medication is sold at any pet store and is cheap. Ick does not tolerate salt well at all, and adding aquarium salt to your tank will prevent ick infections and help to accelerate the recovery of fish that are already infected. When treated properly, ick can be cured in as little as 2 or 3 days. It is a virtual certainty that you will come across this disease eventually, no matter how clean your aquarium is, so you should always keep some ick treatment on hand just in case.

Common medications: Quick Cure or Maracide. Ick medications are common (and largely interchangable) and should be available at any pet store that sells fish.

  Swim Bladder Disorder

Fish maintain their balance in the water by use of an organ called the swim bladder. If it is deformed or diseased, they will be unable to regulate it and keep their balance. Symptoms include the fish being unable to stay upright and level in the water. The fish may sink to the bottom of the tank or be stuck at the surface. It may even float upside down. The fish will become listless and will probably stop eating, but will otherwise be alert. Though the fish will be irritated by not being able to stay upright, by itself Swim Bladder Disorder is not fatal and not painful to the fish.

Many exotic goldfish suffer from this to some degree due to their body shapes. Countless generations of inbreeding have deformed many of their internal organs, and the swim bladder is no exception. If it is due to a genetic deformity of the organ, there is probably not a lot you can do. But if the fish was swimming normally before, and these symptoms appear in the space of a few days, it is probably due to disease (internal bacterial infection) or a dietary problem (like constipation), and not a genetic flaw.

The dietary problem is easy to fix; stop feeding the fish for a few days. Then feed it steamed, de-skinned, and crushed peas (which will cure constipation) until it starts swimming normally again. If it is due to disease, you will need to cure the underlying infection. If you do not know what the infection is, try a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

High nitrate levels can cause symptoms similar swim bladder disorder as well, so be sure to test for Nitrates to make sure swim bladder disorder isnt simply a symptom of Nitrate poisoning.

Common medications: If it is due to an internal bacterial infection, use Maracyn Two or Maracyn Plus. If the problem is food based, stop feeding the fish for several days, then feed it cooked and skinned peas (they act as a laxitive). .

If the problem is due to diet or disease, it could become serious enough to kill the fish. If it is due to a genetic flaw, it is likely the fish will live just fine (though it will probably be irritated at not being able to move around), assuming it can eat.

  Fin Rot

Probably the result of bacterial or fungal infection due to stress, but it can also mean the water has a PH that is too high. Symptoms are ragged or frayed fins. Fin Rot starts at the outer edges and eats it's way to the base. If treated, the fish will eventually recover fully and the fin will re-grow normally. If it reaches the base of the fin however, the fish will never be able to re-grow the fin again. So while it probably wont be fatal, you still need to treat it as soon as possible.

If the fin rot is due to pH, you will need to fix your aquarium pH to stop the fin rot. If it is due to an infection, you simply treat it with medication. There are fin rot-specific medications you can buy at the pet store, but broad spectrum antibiotics will usually medicate fin rot infections as well. Fin Rot may require multiple cycles of treatment to erradicate completely.

Common Medications: Fungus Eliminator, Melafix, Maracyn Two, Maracyn Plus.

  Dropsy

Dropsy itself is not a disease, but a symptom. Usually caused by a bacterial infection of the Kidney, the fish's body will bloat due to fluid build-up in it's organs and it's scales will stand out like a pinecone. Symptoms can also include bulging eyes.

There are dropsy-specific medications available from many pet stores. Epsom Salts in a salt bath will also help by leeching fluid out of the fish (use a small amount...1/8 teaspoon per 5 gallons or 20mg per liter). Use this IN PLACE of Aquarium salt, not in addition to aquarium salt. The sooner treatment is applied, the greater the chances the fish will survive.

The consensus seems to be that Dropsy is 95% fatal however. The organs are destroyed, and even though the fish may appear to get better for a week or two, eventually the organ failure will kill it. By the time symptoms become apparent, the damage has already been done.

Unlike Ick, Dropsy is not very contagious. It is usually caused by poor water conditions. But the infected fish should be removed from the tank as soon as possible. Medication for Dropsy can be bought from any Aquarium specialty store. If the fish survives at all, it should recover with a week. Even if the fish survives, it will likely suffer permanent damage from the disease.

Common Medications: Maracyn Plus or Maracyn Two. The earlier the water is corrected and medication applied, the better the chances of survival.

  Oxygen Deprivation (aka "Anoxia")

If the oxygen content in the water is too low, the goldfish will become lethargic (sitting at the bottom of the tank and not moving around), and attempt to gulp air from the surface (a behavior commonly known as "piping"). Eventually the fish will suffocate and die.

Warm water has lower oxygen content than cooler water, so the warmer the water the more you have to pay attention. Surface agitation (bubbles) will encourage gas exchange and put more oxygen into the water. Power heads, airstones, and bubble walls will also oxygenate the water very well for the same reason. Contrary to popular belief, the bubbles themselves are NOT oxygenating the water...it is the agitation they cause at the surface that is oxygenating the water.

An immediate solution to oxygen depravation is a simple water change. Thats it. Changing the water will instantly give the fish oxygen. But if it is a continual problem, it may mean you need a bigger tank (more surface area for gas exchange) or fewer fish.

  Ammonia Burns

Ammonia burns are black marks that appear on the fish's scales when ammonia levels are dangerously toxic. If the ammonia is allowed to stay at high levels, the fish will eventually die. The only way to be sure whether or not ammonia levels are toxic is to buy a test kit from a pet store, as ammonia is colorless and cannot be detected by smell except in high conenctrations. These symptoms will also result from Nitrite poisoning, but are treated exactly the same way as Ammonia burns, so it is really irrelevant which one it is.

Ammonia burns are easy to treat...simply remove the ammonia from the aquarium. The easiest way is a simple water change. The greater the amount of ammonia, the more water you should change. While water changes over 50% are not normally recommended because they stress the fish, high levels of ammonia are worse. So do more than 50% if necessary.

The biological filter in your aquarium will go a long way in mitigating ammonia problems. Ammonia levels will spike easily until an aquarium has cycled and the biological filter is established. So they should be carefully monitored for the first few weeks. If the tank is cycled, the best way to prevent ammonia spikes is to make sure you are not overfeeding, remove dead plants/uneaten food/other organic debris, and make sure you are doing regular water changes.

Common Medications: None. Amonnia burns are basically scars...correcting the condition asap will stop the damage and allow them to heal over in time.

  Velvet (Oödinium)

Velvet, also known as Oödinium, appears similar to ick, but the spots are much smaller and have a yellow color to them (which is why it is sometimes also called "Gold Dust Disease"). Velvet can be white, gray, or gold, or any color inbetween. Like Ick, Velvet is also a parasite, and is usually caused by damage to the Goldfish's slime coat. Symptoms can include "flashing"...where the fish rubs up against objects or gravel. Velvet is more contageous than Ick, and more likely to kill the fish than Ick.

Most pet stores sell borad spectrum antibiotics that include medication for Velvet, but medications that cure Ick may work against Velvet as well (including salt). Velvet can spread quickly, so the fish should be medicated as soon as symptoms are discovered.

Common Medications: Coppersafe.

  Septicemia

As with dropsy, this condition is a symptom and not a disease. The symptoms include red streaks running along the fish's body or through it's fins. The fish will probably be sluggish, and lay at the bottom with clamped fins. The anus may be swollen up as well.

This is the result of bacteria infecting the fish's digestive or circulatory system. It is often caused by dramatic temperature drops. When the temperature is cold, the goldfish goes into a hibernation-like state and stops digesting food. Any protiens in it's digestive tract will eventually rot and infect the goldfish's digestive system internally. If left untreated, this condition could lead to dropsy. Internal infection can be treated with anti-biotics.

If the underlying causes (such as temperature) are corrected, the fish should recover. Secondary infections (fin rot, ulcers, ect..) may occur while the fish is recovering because it's immune system is compromised...treat these infections as you would treat them normally.

Common Medications: Maracyn Two.

  Anchor Worm

Named because their heads are anchor-shaped, these are white, green, red or brown string-like worms with forked tails, approximately 1/4 inch long. They embed their heads in the fish's flesh and feed on it's blood. They can occur anywhere on the body, and will stress the fish and make it vulnerable to other infections.

They are contageous, and should be treated urgently as soon as they are detected. You can kill them with specific medications such as Dimilin (usually sold at stores that sell pond fish supplies). Note that Dimilin is not toxic to fish, but will kill insects and crayfish, and probably other crustateans as well. Local pet stores might also sell medications that treat Anchor Worms (make sure it says so explicitly on the package, and follow the directions carefully).

You can also remove the worms physically with tweezers. However it is probably a good idea to medicate the entire tank anyway, just in case. The embedded worm is most likely female, and there may be free-swimming offspring in the tank. If they cannot find a host however, they will die within a week

Common Medications: Coppersafe. Maybe Maracide.

  Nitrate Poisoning

This results from excessive nitrate levels in the aquarium. Symptoms include loss of appetite, unusual positioning (similar to Swim Bladder Disorder), and spending a lot of time on the bottom. Nitrate poisoning may happen because the tank is not properly cycled or is overstocked.

The solution is a water change, and removing the cause of the nitrates. Either completing the cycling process or getting a larger aquarium (or getting rid of some fish). The biological filter will go a long way in controlling nitrate levels.

Common Medications: None. A water change is the only immediate solution. Live plants (including algae) consume nitrates, so they might help as well.

  Nitrite Poisoning

See "Ammonia Burns". Salt is known to protect against Nitrite poisoning.

  Ulcers

These are open wounds (sores) on the goldfish's body, usually caused by bacterial infection. The picture shown here is an extreme example...they can appear much smaller and shallower. Ulcers can also result from excessive Nitrate, Nitrite, and Ammonia or a pH that is very high or very low.

If the problem is water conditions, they need to be corrected first; water changes are an immediate solution for excessive Nitrates/Nitrites/Ammonia. If the problem is bacterial infection, there are medications which can help. Once treated, the fish will probably recover fully. But ulcers are capable of killing the fish if they are left untreated.

Common Meciations: Melafix, Maracyn Two, Maracyn Plus.