sick fish maybe see what you think photot attached

davidparks · New member Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

this fish has been this way for a month i though she was pregant but i am not sure how long gold fish are pregant for
so see what you thing [img]http://community.webshots.com/photo/551083721/2276310830035311363GtiTiR

see fish closest to rock on left side really fat

let me know what you think [/img]

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3436

The two most likely causes are either a blockage/constipation or dropsy.

The first thing I would do is set up a hospital tank so you can more closely observe him/her. If your setting it up from scratch, I'd use some seeded filter media (you could probably take some from the pond filter).

There's a couple things you can check to see if it's a blockage/constipation.
Is it eating?
Pooping?
Having trouble swimming (can't keep from floating)?

Generally constipation can be treated with either fasting, feeding peas (a natural laxative for fish), or in more extreme cases, an epsom salt bath.

Bacterial dropsy is a little more serious than a blockage/constipation. It's generally caused by a bacterial infection in the kidneys. They start to shut down and the body fills with fluid. In tropical fish it is pretty much always fatal, but luckily goldfish tend to respond a little better to treatment.
Are the scales sticking out like a pine cone?
Does the body look kind of transparent & fluid filled?
Is the swelling throughout most of the body? Or just in the belly region?

The best thing to combat dropsy is an oral antibiotic food like Medigold (Jungle also makes some) combined with antibiotics added to the water (I recomend Maracyn Two). And in extreme cases epsom salt baths and possibly aspiration of the fluid (which is a very tricky proceedure and I don't recomend it to most people).

-Chelle

davidparks · New member Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

fish is eating all right and swimming just fine but just seems to be getting bigger this has been going on for about 6 weeks

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3436

One other possibility is maybe it's egg bound. Generally when that happens, the breeding tube stays sticking out but you probably can't see too well with it in the pond.

I'd definitely try to get it into a hospital tank ASAP. In a tank, it will be a little easier to see the fish and figure out exactly what it is and start treatment.

-Chelle

davidparks · New member Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

i will get it in new tank and take some more photos

davidparks · New member Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

new pictures on webshots of fish finally after chaciing her all over pond

http://community.webshots.com/album/551083721tsAFOl

she is now quite comfortable in the hospitile tank with pumphttp://community.webshots.com/album/551083721tsAFOl

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3436

Is that bowl what you're using for a hospital tank? And by pump, do you mean just an air pump? Or an actual filter? For a hospital tank, You really need about 8 - 10 gallons and a filter with seeded media (you might be able to take some of the media from the pond filter, or if you have gravel in your pond, you could put some of that in the hospital tank). Putting her in a tiny, uncycled, unfiltered tank isn't going to help any and will most likely make things worse.

As for treatment, I'm still a bit undecided as to what the cause is. The scales don't appear to be sticking out which is a bit unusual for bloat that severe. I would probably do an epsom salt bath (make sure it's epsom salt and not some other kind of salt). Here's a good article describing the different methods of doing epsom salt baths. I'd probably start with the medium term bath.
http://www.oscarfish.com/cms_view_article.php?aid=51

-Chelle

davidparks · New member Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

thats not the tank she was in there just long enough for me to take a picture

i put here in a 10 gallon bucket with filter and aerator used water from discharge of pond filter to fill

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3436

Okay, just checking.

Really monitor the ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte readings in the tank. Water itself contains hardly any beneficial bacteria so just using pond water probably wasn't enough to cycle the tank. So if the readings ever get above 0 ammonia or nitrIte or 20 nitrAte, you'll need to start doing water changes.

-Chelle

davidparks · New member Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

added epson salt today 1 taplespoon 5 gallons of water

davidparks · New member Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

seems ok water clear

davidparks · New member Joined: 05 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

added 5 tablespoons epson salt to 5 gallon water fish showed no signs of stress one day later condition of fish has not changed help
now what changed water to fresh fish still ok but condition no better

additional info

no tubes protruding from fish fish seems to go to restroom normally

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rolling Eyes

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3436

I'd probably start on antibiotics then. Try to find some medicated food. Medigold is probably the best, but I don't think it doesn't seem to be all that readily available (you can probably order it online). If you can't find that, I know Jungle makes a medicated food.

In addition to the medicated food, I'd get an antibiotic that goes in the water. Personally, I like Mardel products, so I recomend Maracyn 2 (not plain Maracyn).

-Chelle