[biggrin]

Hello people.

My 5 year old goldfish got its tail damaged when it got stuck in an aquarium toy around 6 months back. The poor fellow was constantly nipped at the tail by other goldfish tankmates and it made the healing process slow and painful. 2 weeks back I noticed that the goldfish was suffering from dropsy (which got worse due to injury and stress), and was in the last stage (pinecone appearance).

I moved her to the hospital tank and she has been doing fine. She is being fed normal food pellets, though she doesn't move much often in this tank and stays motionless at the bottom. Some scales have come off and I can see her swelling decrease (though it may be due to loss of appetite/difficulty in eating as she doesn't swim actively now) since the last one week. I do regular water changes and treat water with a blue medicine (melafix I think).

Should I feed peas? Or any other food item that she enjoyed (atta balls, cucumber)? Has anyone else faced a similar situation? If yes, please show me the way forward.

[R32_GTR]

Originally Posted by biggrin

Hello people.

My 5 year old goldfish got its tail damaged when it got stuck in an aquarium toy around 6 months back. The poor fellow was constantly nipped at the tail by other goldfish tankmates and it made the healing process slow and painful. 2 weeks back I noticed that the goldfish was suffering from dropsy (which got worse due to injury and stress), and was in the last stage (pinecone appearance).

I moved her to the hospital tank and she has been doing fine. She is being fed normal food pellets, though she doesn't move much often in this tank and stays motionless at the bottom. Some scales have come off and I can see her swelling decrease (though it may be due to loss of appetite/difficulty in eating as she doesn't swim actively now) since the last one week. I do regular water changes and treat water with a blue medicine (melafix I think).

Should I feed peas? Or any other food item that she enjoyed (atta balls, cucumber)? Has anyone else faced a similar situation? If yes, please show me the way forward.

Option 1: Improve water condition / quality with good supportive feed. Get some good quality Goldfish feed from Hikari or the likes, alternatively, look for something which includes multi-vitamins and spirolina (I'm used to feeding my discus these in the BHM/GHM). This might improve the condition to a certain extent.

Option 2: http://www.wikihow.com/Humanely-Kill-a-Fish

Option 3: If option 1 and 2 are too much effort, Flush it down and move on...

[v_2rahjo]

I don't agree with this. Killing your fish is no solution. Love and care for it Biggrin. I am not an expert but I have stopped using medication on my fish cause I did not see any results. Keep the water as clean as possible. Give her sinking pellets of she remains at the bottom and remove the uneaten food. Regarding melafix. Not sure if this is required for the injury. But post some photos and see if any experts here can help you with

[ptaneja]

Originally Posted by R32_GTR

Option 1: Improve water condition / quality with good supportive feed. Get some good quality Goldfish feed from Hikari or the likes, alternatively, look for something which includes multi-vitamins and spirolina (I'm used to feeding my discus these in the BHM/GHM). This might improve the condition to a certain extent.

Option 2: http://www.wikihow.com/Humanely-Kill-a-Fish

Option 3: If option 1 and 2 are too much effort, Flush it down and move on...

A big NO to killing it ... let it remain in isolation, change water frequently. I have seen my oscar with almost all the fins nipped, come back alive and active as ever.

[R32_GTR]

Originally Posted by v_2rahjo

I don't agree with this. Killing your fish is no solution. Love and care for it Biggrin.

Originally Posted by ptaneja

A big NO to killing it ... let it remain in isolation, change water frequently. I have seen my oscar with almost all the fins nipped, come back alive and active as ever.

That's exactly why I shared 3 options in order of my preference

The first time I read about the concept of euthanizing fish, I was amused at first and laughed it off. I'm sure a lot of people would find this amusing as well as a waste of time and effort.

Euthanizing is more commonly acceptable when it comes to our older four legged friends - Reason: put it out of its misery. Fish unfortunately do not share the same comfort / privilage.

• Some might find it easy to flush it down the toilet and put themselves and their fish out of misery. Most fish keepers I know do this.
• Some may take care of the fish and hope that they recover while running the risk of prolonging theirs and their fish' misery. Some fish keepers do this.
• Some may euthanize it using the vodka / clove oil bath means to be done with the pain of losing a loved pet (some may even have swig of it themselves). Few fish keepers do this.

But there are fish keepers and then there are fish keepers.

[deathwalkr]

@Biggrin: Hope your goldy recovers. And hope you cleared your tank taking out the harmful decorations [god knows what]. And what fin nippers did you have with the goldy?

Sadly in the hobby here, goldies are the worst treated and seldom do they get the requirements that they need to thrive.

[biggrin]

Originally Posted by R32_GTR

Option 1: Improve water condition / quality with good supportive feed. Get some good quality Goldfish feed from Hikari or the likes, alternatively, look for something which includes multi-vitamins and spirolina (I'm used to feeding my discus these in the BHM/GHM). This might improve the condition to a certain extent.

Option 2: http://www.wikihow.com/Humanely-Kill-a-Fish

Option 3: If option 1 and 2 are too much effort, Flush it down and move on...

Thanks. I will look for better quality feed at the fish store. Problem is that most pellets are floating type and my goldy stays at the bottom of the tank. I tried a sinking-type pellet but it goes to the bottom before my goldfish can realise/reach for it. I tried feeding peas and it worked. Peas do not sink quickly to the bottom.

Euthanizing is not an option. I have kept the fish for many years and it is the oldest one in the tank. I can not even think of killing it.

Originally Posted by v_2rahjo

I don't agree with this. Killing your fish is no solution. Love and care for it Biggrin.

Originally Posted by ptaneja

A big NO to killing it ... let it remain in isolation, change water frequently. I have seen my oscar with almost all the fins nipped, come back alive and active as ever.

Originally Posted by R32_GTR

[*]Some may take care of the fish and hope that they recover while running the risk of prolonging theirs and their fish' misery. Some fish keepers do this.

I am of this type.

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

And what fin nippers did you have with the goldy?

Sadly in the hobby here, goldies are the worst treated and seldom do they get the requirements that they need to thrive.

I have only goldfish in the tank. Two of them are new and are (were) nipping the fins and scales every now and then (not chasing or sexual behaviour). I have read online a lot about goldfish before I took the plunge to get myself a tank some 5-6 years back. I have chosen same variety of fish to avoid complications (of water temperature, treatment, etc.) and try my best to keep them happy/healthy.

Yes I cleared the tank and the goldfish in question is in a plain hospital tank.

[deathwalkr]

Size of fishes and tank?

Could you put up a pic of the goldy?

[biggrin]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Size of fishes and tank?

The fish troubled with dropsy is 4 year old, around 2.5 inch. Other one is 3 year old and just under 2 inch. The two new ones I got are barely 1.5 inch. Tank size is 69.xx gallons according to online volume calculator.

Could you put up a pic of the goldy?

Yes I will do it in the evening when I reach home.

[biggrin]

Originally Posted by biggrin

Yes I will do it in the evening when I reach home.

This is the best I could manage.



The pine cone appearance and tummy swelling has reduced when compared to the condition before. I hope the goldy recovers soon.

[biggrin]

Ah, I thought my goldfish is on its way to recover as the pine cone appearance had reduced. She had lost quite a few scales. I even got Spirulina flakes from my LFS last night.

In the morning, as I was approaching her to feed, I found that the goldfish was no more. She was floating upside-down. Not feeling bad now as she is relieved from the stress that she had to undergo every day.

Question - Are spirulina flakes good for other healthy fish also? The remaining fish are also goldfish.

Also thinking of adding a pleco to the tank. Has anyone kept them together? How long does a pleco get in an aquarium? Is it better to get a younger fish or a normal (full size) one? I thought they won't need much space as they hardly move around but internet suggests otherwise.

[v_2rahjo]

Originally Posted by biggrin

Ah, I thought my goldfish is on its way to recover as the pine cone appearance had reduced. She had lost quite a few scales. I even got Spirulina flakes from my LFS last night.



In the morning, as I was approaching her to feed, I found that the goldfish was no more. She was floating upside-down. Not feeling bad now as she is relieved from the stress that she had to undergo every day.



Question - Are spirulina flakes good for other healthy fish also? The remaining fish are also goldfish.



Also thinking of adding a pleco to the tank. Has anyone kept them together? How long does a pleco get in an aquarium? Is it better to get a younger fish or a normal (full size) one? I thought they won't need much space as they hardly move around but internet suggests otherwise.

Sad to hear. But if this is what nature had planned then nothing that we can do. Regarding the pleco. I feel it won't go well with goldfish. Reason - goldfish are slow movers and the pleco will stick to their body and harm the fish. Plecos will do well with fish who swim fast

[biggrin]

Originally Posted by v_2rahjo

Reason - goldfish are slow movers and the pleco will stick to their body and harm the fish. Plecos will do well with fish who swim fast

Oh. So in that case, which fish would you suggest that goes well with goldfish? I need to get one fish as the tank feels under-stocked now, and parents insist on keeping odd number of fishes. I don't want any aggressive fish. In worst case, I can pick up another goldfish and let the tank stay happy.

[v_2rahjo]

Originally Posted by biggrin

Oh. So in that case, which fish would you suggest that goes well with goldfish? I need to get one fish as the tank feels under-stocked now, and parents insist on keeping odd number of fishes. I don't want any aggressive fish. In worst case, I can pick up another goldfish and let the tank stay happy.

There are variety of choices. But another gold fish will be the safest bet. My friend had an apple snail with his gold fish and they went along perfectly well

[jkdas]

Was a dream for couple of years to get a Neon tank done. Wasnt easy but I did it.
Many thanks to deathwalkr for the advice and deals

Oh and I redid the tank once coz I saw r32's thread

Gotta do a better aqua-scapping sometime later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZQWI9xzr_4