Orandas with white fuzz

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

Help!  I feel like a terrible fish keeper.  My orandas suddenly look like they have been rolled in some kind of powder.  This literally happened overnight.  They are also sitting at the very top of the tank. I have been battling ammonia provlems with high levels right out of the tap. 

* Ammonia Level(Tank)

2.0 ppm

* Nitrite Level(Tank)

Zero

* Nitrate level(Tank)

5.0 ppm

* Ammonia Level(Tap)

1.0 ppm

* Nitrite Level(Tap)

Zero

* Nitrate level(Tap)

Zero

* Ph Level, Tank (If possible, KH, GH and chloramines) 

6.5

* Ph Level, Tap (If possible, KH, GH and chloramines)

6.5

Other Required Info:

 

* Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops?

API MASTER test drops

* Water temperature?

65 degrees

* Tank size (how many gals.) and how long has it been running?

30 gal running for 3 years.  I am just cycling a 47 gallon tank.  I was going to move them into it this weekend.  Not sure what to do now????

* What is the name and "size of the filter"(s)?  Fluval 205 canister 

* How often do you change the water and how much?

50 % 2x per week

* How many days ago was the last water change and how much did you change?

80 % 3 days ago

* How many fish in the tank and their size?

2 -4 inch Orandas

1- 1 inch Oranda

* What kind of water additives or conditioners?

Prime at water changes.  Daily Seachem Safe or Ammo lock

* What do you feed your fish and how often?

Hikari Oranda sinking pellets once a day

* Any new fish added to the tank?

 No

* Any medications added to the tank?

Pimafix today only when i saw the fuzz.

* How long have symptoms been going on?

Just today.

I am in the process of setting up a rainwater collection system. I am also going to buy some 5 gallon water bottles and i will buy water if i dont have enough rain water.  I live in Victoria BC so we get about 60 inches of rain between october and march so i will be good until next summer. 

Im getting a bit discouraged. 

[koko 14,340]

Okay the first thing we need to do is make sure that PH is right. To me it looks like a PH crash.

Could you please test your ph High and low. Also take a photo of it with the card behind the test tubes. This way we can see it.

Also like you to get a one gallon jug of tap water. Test it, let it sit for 24 hours and test it again for me  

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

Doing this right now.  Here are piscs of today...im freaking out here....

 

Now it looks likethey are shedding....😢

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

Edited October 15, 2017 by vimandvigrrrpet

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

I just did a 50% water change prior to the test.

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

Svould i put the gallon of water in a closed jug or an open bucket?

[koko 14,340]

Do you have baking soda on hand? 

[koko 14,340]

Quote

 

1) Add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Record that you have added that much

2) Wait 30 minutes, then read, record and report the pH again.

If the pH is below below 7, repeat steps 1) and 2).  When you get the pH to 7, add up how much baking soda you have added altogether.  That is the amount of baking soda you must add to  raise your  pH to 7.

 Edited a quote  

[koko 14,340]

3 hours ago, vimandvigrrrpet said:

Svould i put the gallon of water in a closed jug or an open bucket?

I want you to do an open one.

I see that the ph is very low and its burning them. Is there any logs in this tank? Ornaments? anything besides a fish?

I also want you later to do the baking soda on the jug or a 10gallon qt tank so we can figure just how much you will need most of the time.

The other thing we need to do is a KH/GH test too. 

 

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

Yes i do have baking soda.  I will donwhat youve siggested and i will let you know 

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

I only gave a 2 gallon container...can i use it instead of the 1 gallon?

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

51 minutes ago, vimandvigrrrpet said:

I only gave a 2 gallon container...can i use it instead of the 1 gallon?

Never mind...i found a one gallon tub!  Lol

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

So they are looking way better. After the 50% water change and a bit of a raise in temp (up to 65) they sloghed off the fuzzy stuff.  And started swimming at the usual depth and became active and started eating.  I think i probably crashed the the PH with the ammo lock i was using to try and deal with the ammonia. I am setting up a rain barrel so i should be good for our rainy winters here...and i will have to get creative for the summer which is usually extremely dry... I also put the word out to find someone close by who has a well.  I figure if i get that set up for the summer i should be good to go. 

I will do the test on the Gallon of water tomorrow for you Koko.  And it took 3.tsp of baking soda to get the tank ph up to 7.2. 

Thanks for your help.  I love these little beings and i just hate it when they are in distress. 

 

Oh and do you think i should move them into the 47 gallon right away or should i wait?

[HNLim 0]

So they are looking way better. After the 50% water change and a bit of a raise in temp (up to 65) they sloghed off the fuzzy stuff.  And started swimming at the usual depth and became active and started eating.  I think i probably crashed the the PH with the ammo lock i was using to try and deal with the ammonia. I am setting up a rain barrel so i should be good for our rainy winters here...and i will have to get creative for the summer which is usually extremely dry... I also put the word out to find someone close by who has a well.  I figure if i get that set up for the summer i should be good to go. 
I will do the test on the Gallon of water tomorrow for you Koko.  And it took 3.tsp of baking soda to get the tank ph up to 7.2. 
Thanks for your help.  I love these little beings and i just hate it when they are in distress. 
 
Oh and do you think i should move them into the 47 gallon right away or should i wait?

pH of 7.2 is too low. You need to bringbit up to at least 8 to 8.3. Anything below 8 is uncomfortable for your goldfish.

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[Arctic Mama 3,626]

43 minutes ago, HNLim said:

pH of 7.2 is too low. You need to bringbit up to at least 8 to 8.3. Anything below 8 is uncomfortable for your goldfish.

Sent from my SM-G610F using Tapatalk
 

That’s not really accurate.  Goldfish can do well in a wide range of pH and close to neutral, especially if it is well buffered, is no big deal.  What we want to avoid are swings in pH or extremely soft water, which can cause them osmotic stress and pH shock.  That’s why adjusting a pH from 7.2 to 8 or higher is a bad idea - any time you’re adjusting pH you’re swinging it back and forth. It’s just one more factor to keep track of and try to get right, and goldfish are tricky enough as is.

 

Focusing on having well buffered, stable water is far more important for these animals than some ideal pH range.  That’s not the case for every species, but is true here

[HNLim 0]

That’s not really accurate.  Goldfish can do well in a wide range of pH and close to neutral, especially if it is well buffered, is no big deal.  What we want to avoid are swings in pH or extremely soft water, which can cause them osmotic stress and pH shock.  That’s why adjusting a pH from 7.2 to 8 or higher is a bad idea - any time you’re adjusting pH you’re swinging it back and forth. It’s just one more factor to keep track of and try to get right, and goldfish are tricky enough as is.
 
Focusing on having well buffered, stable water is far more important for these animals than some ideal pH range.  That’s not the case for every species, but is true here

I am not going to argue with you. I have given up goldfish keeping. These are some of the goldfish that I have raised. Some from eggs which I bred myself while some were rsised from baby.

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[Arctic Mama 3,626]

That’s great and they’re handsome fish, but pH is but one factor and isn’t the cornerstone of ideal goldfish grooming (I’d argue nutrition, overall water quality, and water depth make a much bigger difference), and most hobbiests are struggling to keep water parameters healthy, let alone ideal.  Breeding and grooming well bred fish is a fun topic, for sure, but not really the focus of fish being lost to disease or bad water

 

[HNLim 0]

That’s great and they’re handsome fish, but pH is but one factor and isn’t the cornerstone of ideal goldfish grooming (I’d argue nutrition, overall water quality, and water depth make a much bigger difference), and most hobbiests are struggling to keep water parameters healthy, let alone ideal.  Breeding and grooming well bred fish is a fun topic, for sure, but not really the focus of fish being lost to disease or bad water
 

Why don't you try one tank at pH8.3 and another tank at pH7.2 anf report back your findings after 2 months.

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[Arctic Mama 3,626]

 That’s a bit presumptuous of you - Interestingly I have essentially conducted this exact experiment.  

 

Where I live now has pH that is 8.4 and my old residence had a pH that was 7.2.  The water is harder here as well, so I had to add in buffers to my previous residence with the lower pH.  No appreciable differences in fish behavior or health.

 

If you want to continue this discussion we can start a thread in the general forum, I’m happy to talk grooming!  Someone’s disease thread in a forum I assist with probably isn’t the place  

[HNLim 0]

 That’s a bit presumptuous of you - Interestingly I have essentially conducted this exact experiment.  
 
Where I live now has pH that is 8.4 and my old residence had a pH that was 7.2.  The water is harder here as well, so I had to add in buffers to my previous residence with the lower pH.  No appreciable differences in fish behavior or health.
 
If you want to continue this discussion we can start a thread in the general forum, I’m happy to talk grooming!  Someone’s disease thread in a forum I assist with probably isn’t the place  

Not necessary to start another thread. As I have said before. I no longer keep goldfish. I am just sharing my keeping techniques that has helped me won mant prizes in many parts of South East Asia. All the best to your goldfish hobby.

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[koko 14,340]

12 hours ago, vimandvigrrrpet said:

So they are looking way better. After the 50% water change and a bit of a raise in temp (up to 65) they sloghed off the fuzzy stuff.  And started swimming at the usual depth and became active and started eating.  I think i probably crashed the the PH with the ammo lock i was using to try and deal with the ammonia. I am setting up a rain barrel so i should be good for our rainy winters here...and i will have to get creative for the summer which is usually extremely dry... I also put the word out to find someone close by who has a well.  I figure if i get that set up for the summer i should be good to go. 

Once we get those water numbers we can figure out how to go from there. 

12 hours ago, vimandvigrrrpet said:

I will do the test on the Gallon of water tomorrow for you Koko.  And it took 3.tsp of baking soda to get the tank ph up to 7.2. 

Not bad at all some ppl have to use more  We can look into something like a Wondershell too. This helps with PH/KH issues. I have to use one in my tank. It also help to dechlorante the water too. I would like you to get some Prime if you can find it. 

12 hours ago, vimandvigrrrpet said:

Thanks for your help.  I love these little beings and i just hate it when they are in distress. 

 

Oh and do you think i should move them into the 47 gallon right away or should i wait?

Well If it was me I would set the 47 up and get it cycled before moving them. This ph can crash again if our KH is to low. 

I don't know if I missed it but what else is in this tank besides fish. Could you get me a photo or video of the tank  

[koko 14,340]

4 hours ago, HNLim said:

pH of 7.2 is too low. You need to bringbit up to at least 8 to 8.3. Anything below 8 is uncomfortable for your goldfish.

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 nice to see you again. Some goldfish sometimes do do well in that, right now we just need to get these fish out of danger. 

[HNLim 0]

 nice to see you again. Some goldfish sometimes do do well in that, right now we just need to get these fish out of danger. 

You still remembered me?

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[koko 14,340]

18 minutes ago, HNLim said:

You still remembered me?

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yes I do  

[vimandvigrrrpet 35]

2 hours ago, koko said:

Once we get those water numbers we can figure out how to go from there. 

Not bad at all some ppl have to use more  We can look into something like a Wondershell too. This helps with PH/KH issues. I have to use one in my tank. It also help to dechlorante the water too. I would like you to get some Prime if you can find it. 

Well If it was me I would set the 47 up and get it cycled before moving them. This ph can crash again if our KH is to low. 

I don't know if I missed it but what else is in this tank besides fish. Could you get me a photo or video of the tank  

Hi again.  I dont mind a good discussion!!  So no problem wirh many streams of advice.  I ti k my main problem is the amount if ammonia i have right out of the taps. The Ph out of the tap is 6.5.  So im not sure if i shoud try to adjust for that if it is the swings that are the problem. 

 

I put the gallon of water out late last night so i will get you the new numbets on that later. 

 

The fish look way better.  They seem happy and are eating.  I am.going to have to deal with the ammonia problem though... I hope i can figure soething out... I love these little critters and i would be heartbroken if i couldnt keep them. 

 

And i have been cycling the 47 gallon for about a week and a half.  It is just about ready to go.