HELP! My Goldfish has blister-like things on its side

[rrkss]

The biowheel does have gunk on it. When I clean it, the only thing I do is stick it in the tank and scrub the sides so it turns well.

When last have you cleaned your filter's impeller and the intake tubes? I never have to clean my biowheel in order to get it to turn. Usually if it has problems turning it is because my impeller is dirty or something is stuck in the intake tube. My biowheel is pretty gunked up at the moment.

 

[lilchris_28]

I don't clean it because it doesn't turn, I just clean it to keep it turning. I clean the tube and propeller everytime I do a water change, which I had been doing about once every month.

 

[Roan Art]

Jenny,

You need to change the water weekly, at least 50%, and clean the impeller and intake tubes with every water change.

Roan

 

[lilchris_28]

Good news... Fluffy is doing better!

 

[Roan Art]

Excellent. Keep us updated, please.

Roan

 

[lilchris_28]

Excellent. Keep us updated, please.

Roan

No problem.


When I say he's doing better, the sores on his sides seem to be healing. There's scar tissue looking stuff coming in. The veins on the tail on starting to be less pronounced. He's not where I'd like him to be on his dropsy though. His scales are still sticking out. Is it just going to take time? I'd give him medicine for it but I was told that would kill the bacteria that he needs that's growing in the tank. He's still doing much better than I expected. I truly expected him to die. He's swimming around his tank like crazy, and he just discovered the new food on the surface. I appreciate all the advice.

BTW, how often do I add the aquarium salt? Are my guppies and bichir eel suppose to have it too?

 

[lilchris_28]

Quick question... I tested the ammonia level again tonight and it has gone from .5 to 1.0. The pamphlet that came with the test kit says that in a new aquarium it can shoot up to sometimes 4 and then drop just as quickly, so is this just normal new tank fluctuactions? I am using ammonia rocks.

 

[rrkss]

The ammonia rocks are not going to help too much. Right now you want to waterchange your ammonia to below .5 ppm. The lower the ammonia the better. Keep in mind that you are treating with drugs designed to kill bacteria so the bacteria needed to eat ammonia might not develop. Until the dropsy situation is taken care of you will need to really sit on top of waterchanges and then wait for it to cycle once you stop medication but still stay on top of testing and waterchanges.

 

[Beeker]

With the ammonia going up as it is, you should increase the frequency of the waterchanges. Only add salt for the amount of water you change. If you take out 50% of the water, only add 50% of the salt four your tank.

Roan,
Considering that the fish has dropsy, wouldn't Epsom Salt be better to use than table salt? Just something I was told.

If things are working well now, don't do anything different. Just keep changing the water. The fish having dropsy means that the water was loaded with bacteria and the fish became very ill. Both goldfish and plecos are notorius poop machines. To have them in such a small tank together is a disaster wating to happen. Each fish alone requires no less than 20 gallons of water to stay healthy with 50% water changes weekly. It is amazing that they stayed alive as long as they have.

 

[Persimmon]

Ok...it's either 0 or .25 in the hex. I can't tell if it's yellow or yellowish green.

The biowheel does have gunk on it. When I clean it, the only thing I do is stick it in the tank and scrub the sides so it turns well.

You shouldn't be cleaning it at ALL unless it totally stops turning and then you shold only clean the spokes. You are taking off all the slime that hold the good bacteria. A GOOD colonoized wheel will have tons of gunk on it. You need to leave the gunk alone.