Regular Member ashlee18 Posted October 29, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 29, 2010 [*]Test Results for the Following: [*]Ammonia Level? 0 [*]Nitrite Level? 0 [*]Nitrate level? <5 [*]Ph Level, Tank (If possible, KH, GH and chloramines)? 6.8 [*]Ph Level, Tap (If possible, KH, GH and chloramines)? 6.8 [*]Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops? API Freshwater Masters Kit [*]Water temperature? 74* [*]Tank size (how many gals.) and how long has it been running? 30 gallons. Running for 3+ years but just switched over from an angel tank. [*]What is the name and size of the filter(s)? AC 70 + Tetra Whisper 20-40 [*]How often do you change the water and how much? 50% every three days [*]How many fish in the tank and their size? 3 - All 4 inches or larger. [*]What kind of water additives or conditioners? Prime and Salt up to .2% [*]What do you feed your fish and how often? 2x Hikari Gold [*]Any new fish added to the tank? All 3. [*]Any medications added to the tank? None [*]Any unusual findings on the fish such as "grains of salt," bloody streaks, frayed fins or fungus? Frayed fins, from getting stuck on filter. [*]Any unusual behavior like staying at the bottom, not eating, etc.? When I got Mr. Mackey he was a headstander. I put him in super clean water and he continued the behavior until I added salt. He immediately perked up at .1% and I got the tank up to .2% before a water change. I did a 50% water change and thorough vacuum, as per normal for all my tanks, and he immediately started headstanding again before I could add the salt back in. The salt was at .1% for about ten minutes. They are back to .2%. This was yesterday. The other two are acting normal and being the pigs they should be. He however doesn't want to eat anymore. He has also started to plant himself head first into some of the plants. Right now he has his head wedged into the spot where the two airlines cross each other. He isn't swimming much and just drifting until he can wedge his head into another spot. Any thoughts? I'm pretty sure he won't be there tomorrow 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Sakura Posted October 29, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 29, 2010 I'm sorry to hear this 6.8 is too low of a pH for goldfish. Are you sure it's that low? I'd recommend getting some crushed coral to add to your filter boxes. I'm sure that will easily bring it up to a safe range. Ideally it should be at least 7.2. About the headstanding; combined with wedging himself in plants, it makes me think this could be a bacterial infection. The other possible cause is a swimbladder issue, but since he is refusing food and hiding in plants, it seems more serious than that. Do you have any antibacterial medicated foods on hand? Injections would be even better, so the best thing would be to talk to a vet and see about getting some Baytril injections. But the next best thing is medicated food. It may be that he refuses to eat these though, since he is already not eating. If so, you can try mixing it into a slurry and squirting it into his mouth using a syringe. I have done that with sick fish before. Or you can try soaking it in garlic juice, because that is supposed to smell really yummy to them and encourage them to eat. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Hidr Posted October 29, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 29, 2010 Unless your goldfish are sick they don't need salt as a regular thing. I would start with a huge water change see if that helps. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member shellbell4ever Posted October 29, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 29, 2010 I agree with the above post no salt unless recommended for treatment of something...start with a large w/c and lets go from there 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Sakura Posted October 29, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 29, 2010 Ashlee is salting these fish as part of QT because they are new from a pet store. Right Ashlee? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ashlee18 Posted October 29, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 29, 2010 (edited) Ashlee is salting these fish as part of QT because they are new from a pet store. Right Ashlee? Right, I've had them for a week now. The salt helped his headstanding in the beginning. I do have some medicated food that I will try with him. He did come from a tank that had a clogged filter He was a rescue. I'll be adding the crushed coral asap. I do have some and its in my other tanks already. Edited October 29, 2010 by ashlee18 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Sakura Posted October 29, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 29, 2010 Okay sounds good. How is he today? Better, worse, same? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ashlee18 Posted October 29, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 29, 2010 He is the same. I thought he would be worse but so far he is hanging in there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member kukana d Posted October 29, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 29, 2010 I would try adding some baking soda as an acting buffer,while the coral kicks in. It takes a little while to kick in,right? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Sakura Posted October 30, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 30, 2010 I believe it does take a while, yeah. I've never use it though, so I could be wrong... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member number20121 Posted October 30, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 30, 2010 As far as I remember it takes about 3 days to kick in, and should be filtered for a day or two, like putting them in a stocking in the filter or on top of a bubble pad etc. Just to get the water flowing through it. Not sure what that does, but it does somehow activate it, I guess. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ashlee18 Posted October 30, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 30, 2010 Well he pineconed tonight. Since he is so skinny, it was easy to notice looking at him from the side. With all that I'm going through with Butters II, I don't know if I want to deal with another dropsy fish. I know that that makes me sound so mean, but I just can't emotionally handle it. Should I separate him from the other two? With Butters II in the hospital tank and my other 20 gallon qt being sterilized, I don't know where I would put him. I don't have a rubbermaid bin and won't be able to get one until Sunday. Tomorrow being the day before Halloween, I don't think I'll have any energy after work to go out and get him one 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member kukana d Posted October 30, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 30, 2010 Where/for how long is the 20g sterilizing? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ashlee18 Posted October 30, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 30, 2010 Its gonna be a couple of days. I just tore it down today and used bleach 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Sakura Posted October 30, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted October 30, 2010 My advice is DON'T stress yourself out about it. You do not deserve it. Do what you can for him without putting yourself out too much. Dropsy is tough to defeat, and in almost all cases it's fatal. So IMO it's not worth you stressing yourself and overworking to try and make every little thing perfect. Do what you can and try not to worry about the rest. And don't feel like a bad person. Secondly, I think you can use the 20g you just bleached sooner than that. This is just my opinion. What I'd do is let it totally air dry, and then fill it with water and tons of Prime (or any dechlor). Like 5 times the regular dose at least. Let that run for a while, drain, and then refill with only like 2 times the normal dose of Prime. Then IMO it would be safe for the fish. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ashlee18 Posted November 1, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 1, 2010 Haven't been on in a few days but wanted to say that Mr. Mackey passed on I called the lfs I got him from and gave them the update, they wanted to know if he got better. When I called they told me that all of Mr. Mackey's tankmates died from dropsy two days after I rescued him. They wanted to tell me but didn't have my number and I didn't make my weekly trip. So this thread can be locked now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Sakura Posted November 1, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 1, 2010 So sorry you lost him You did your best, but since all the tankmates at the store died, there probably wasn't much you could do to help him anyway it sounds like. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member kukana d Posted November 1, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 1, 2010 Sounds like neither 1 of you ever had a chanceI'm so sorry,Ashlee-you did really well w/ him 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Cynders Posted November 1, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 1, 2010 I'm sorry. This is definitely no fault of your own if all of them passed on from dropsy. Sounds like a bad shipping to me. I am so sorry. Sending you love! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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