My GoldFish is Sick! Please Help!

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

I brought this goldfish Flubber home from vet tech school. There they use them to teach Anesthesia and blooddraws and radiographs to the vet tech students. 

He seems very pineconeish and fat. He sits near the bottom and does nothing. He does eat and gets lively for food then will sit and gasp for minutes afterward. His poop is thick and black and sometimes a stringy clearish grey. He eats goldfish flakes and I fed him a little oats yesterday. 

Can you help me? I don't know how to treat him and I don't want him to die! 

[Arctic Mama 3,627]

Hi there!  He actually looks just right for a little fantail goldfish, not pineconed at all. But he is a little clamped looking and bottom sitting isn't good.  Poop looks good to me, though.  Let's get to the bottom of this.

 

We have a diagnostic form I need you to fill out to the best of your ability, preferably with details about how long the school had him and what, if any meds he has been exposed to.

 

Test Results for the Following: * Ammonia Level(Tank) * Nitrite Level(Tank) * Nitrate level(Tank) * Ammonia Level(Tap) * Nitrite Level(Tap) * Nitrate level(Tap) * Ph Level, Tank (If possible, KH, GH and chloramines)  * Ph Level, Tap (If possible, KH, GH and chloramines) Other Required Info: * Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops? * Water temperature? * Tank size (how many gals.) and how long has it been running? * What is the name and "size of the filter"(s)? * How often do you change the water and how much?

* How many days ago was the last water change and how much did you change? * How many fish in the tank and their size? * What kind of water additives or conditioners? * What do you feed your fish and how often? * Any new fish added to the tank?

Edited September 12, 2017 by Arctic Mama

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

I do t know what the school did but they had 16 of these in a 30 gal tank for a week and had 2 die. I don't know what they used to sedate the fish for rads but I will see what I can find out. I am using regular tap water in a Rubbermaid Container, about 5-6 gal with a little filter system with sponge filter and using an oxygen pitcher to help oxygenate the water. I will check the water and get those results for you. 

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

Why would his poop be black, do you know?

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

API test kit

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 0

PH 7.6

 

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

They sedated with MS222

[Mothercrow 37]

Hi, Goldfish Rescuer 101! This is a fantastic place to get goldfish advice, the people here are very knowledgeable. They do need that form filled out as well as you can, though, so they can be as thorough as possible when looking for illness or other problems. You never know what can help.

 

If I remember right, you said in your other thread that you use Seachem Prime to treat the tap water, and that your water temperature is between 68 and 70 degrees, is that all correct? And there is one other goldfish with him, who looks in the pictures to be a long-bodied goldfish of about the same size as Flubber?

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

Yes, that is correct! 

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

I posted everything I know. He was a Petco fish, I included the tank stats and the only med he was given was the ms222.

[DawnMichele 6,045]

Welcome to Kokos and hope your Goldfish feels better.

[Arctic Mama 3,627]

Okay, please obtain either praziquantel from the fish store (like PraziPro) or API General Cure.  The former is preferable since the General Cure has an antibiotic he might not need at the moment.

 

Do you have plain aquarium or rock salt on hand with NO additives?  We want to start a salt bath in the meantime, since the first best guess is that he is suffering from gill flukes, and the salt will help ward off secondary infections and increase his slime coat productions.  Once you have the meds and salt I will give you dosing instructions, okay?

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

Ok, let me get those supPlies and I will get back to you. 

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

Ok, my friend is bring Prazi and also has Morton Canning and pickling salt. She said to let you know it isn't actually awuarium salt becuas the dosing will be different. 

[FishyMandy 6,278]

The Morton Salt is actually what a lot of people here use, so that's great
 

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

So I wanted to post this. Looks like he has a few raised scales near his tail and on top of his tail and he is swimming kinda sluggish and breathing heavy tonight. I did add Prazi yesterday, half a tsp for 10 gal tank like the bottle said. His belly looks really distended and he just seems not right. Should I dose with Kanaplex or if he did have Dropsy, is the Prazi too hard on him and should I dump the tank and put him in clean water and do the Kanaplex? I don't want to lose this fella!

Please help!

IMG_7914.MOV

[koko 14,341]

Kanaplex is kinda hard on the kidneys. If we need to treat see if you can get Metro. I don't see a lot of raised scales, I see a slight bloating but this just might be a reaction to the Prazi. Do you have an air stone in there.? With prazi you need to get some air in there to help the fish breath  

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

I have a filter system... no airstone. How would I medicate with metronidazole, and does that mean dumping water with the Prazi in it? If I Medicate with metro, what's the dosing?

[koko 14,341]

20 hours ago, Goldfish Rescuer 101 said:

I have a filter system... no airstone. How would I medicate with metronidazole, and does that mean dumping water with the Prazi in it? If I Medicate with metro, what's the dosing?

Okay I didn't see that cord in the back  sorry 

We can go two ways ordering the Metro and we can go by the instructions on the bottle or We can go the General Cure by API. That has both Prazi and Metro in it. You put the stuff in and redose in 48 hours then water change. Pretty easy just a little more costly  

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

What would be best for Flubber? 

[koko 14,341]

1 hour ago, Goldfish Rescuer 101 said:

What would be best for Flubber? 

If it was me I would go the General cure way. Its easier to deal with since it has both meds.  

[Goldfish Rescuer 101 0]

Thank you!