In the second part of the goldfish disease series, we talked about 7 of the most common goldfish ailments that impact freshwater aquariums and ponds. We even looked at 14 goldfish disease symptoms to watch out for.

Now, let’s examine ways to prevent goldfish ailments by pinpointing exactly what caused your goldfish to get sick.

Yes, I know.

You may think you already have it figured out. In the last article, maybe you learned that your goldfish had ich (white spot disease). You probably already killed off the parasites, even.

But have you really treated the problem?

Poor Water Quality: #1 Cause of Goldfish Ailments

Most goldfish fall victim to goldfish diseases when they’re left to swim in murky water conditions, often flooded with poisonous ammonia and unhealthy pH or nitrate levels. You might forget to change the water one week or forgo water tests for a while. You might even give in to your goldfish’s seemingly constant plea for yet another morsel of food.

The next thing you know, your goldfish are on a wild feeding frenzy and pooping out buckets (overfeeding is very bad news for goldfish).

Poor water quality is common, especially in new tanks where goldfish are expected to survive in three-gallon bowls (they can’t, by the way). Poor water quality can also be lethal and cause all sorts of problems (goldfish ailments).

You’ll know when your goldfish are suffering from unhealthy water conditions when they start spending all of their time at the water line, gasping frantically for oxygen. And if you’re doing weekly water tests like you should, you’ll know the second water conditions start to go downhill.

Water tests are an important part of preventing goldfish ailments before they infect your fish.

To successfully treat goldfish ailments, you’ll need to first eliminate the cause – the reason why your goldfish are sick. If poor water quality is causing your goldfish to act strangely, it’s crucial that you make the aquarium environment healthy again before you start medicating. If you don’t, your goldfish might not recover.

Poor water quality is often caused by overfeeding or overcrowding, but it can also result from negligence. Your goldfish need you! They need a responsible owner who can give them high-quality goldfish care, the type of care that will promote long-lasting lives in a clean aquarium environment.

Before doing anything else, perform a water test. Make sure water readings are in the safe zone. And if they’re not, change 25% of the water. You should also vacuum the substrate thoroughly with a water siphon as you complete water changes. Doing so will remove any uneaten food rotting behind the scenes that could cause goldfish ailments.

You can buy a freshwater test kit at your local pet store or order one online. You can even take a water sample with you to the pet store. But get that water tested.

Depending on what the problem is, you’ll need to take different measures to make the water is safe for your goldfish (and prevent goldfish ailments). In the case of an ammonia spike, solving the problem may be as simple as changing 25% of the water every day until the filter can get things under control.

Once you’ve filled the aquarium with conditioned water (you are treating that tap water right?), sick goldfish will be able to breathe more easily with higher oxygen levels in the aquarium. At this time, you’ll also want to identify what caused your goldfish stress.

In the case of poor water quality, why were the water conditions so unhealthy?

Solving Goldfish Ailments: A Deep Look at the Process

We’ve talked about some pretty nasty goldfish diseases in part 2 of the goldfish disease series. By now, you probably think you have a good idea of what your next action steps should be.

If you haven’t done so already, you should really start thinking about what caused your goldfish to get sick in the first place. Was it poor water quality? If so, what caused the poor water quality? Overfeeding? Overcrowding? What can you do about it?

The goal here is to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again – and avoid goldfish ailments as much as possible. If you leave things how they are, you could be putting your goldfish at risk of another infection.

Let’s walk through the process.

1. First, determine the goldfish ailments (what made your fish sick?). Maybe your goldfish are suffering from fin rot. The ends of each fin might have developed cotton-like growths as they’re literally getting eaten away by bacteria.
2. Figure out what caused the infection. We already know one of the leading causes of fin rot is poor water quality. After testing the water you discover that an ammonia spike has run rampant in your tank and your goldfish suffered as a result.
3. Pinpoint how the water got so out of hand. Thinking back, you remember that you purchased a new goldfish a couple months ago. Could the aquarium be overcrowded?
4. Confirm the problem. If you read my goldfish tank guide, you’ll remember that fancy goldfish need at least 10 gallons of water per fish. Your aquarium is only 46 gallons and you already had it stocked with four goldfish before you bought the new calico ryukin goldfish. Now you have five goldfish in a 46 gallon aquarium. Your tank is definitely overcrowded!
5. Try to solve the problem. Now what can you do? The best course of action would be to buy a bigger tank, preferably a 60-gallon aquarium. If you’re on a tight budget, get one used. But what if you can’t afford a new tank right now?
6. Look for a temporary solution. You might decide to buy a cheap 106 quart Sterilite storage container (about 26.5 gallons, safe for one or two fancy goldfish) to take some weight off of the main aquarium until you can upgrade it. It won’t look nice, but at least your aquarium will no longer be overcrowded. And it will definitely prevent goldfish ailments, keeping water readings on a healthier level until you can afford a bigger aquarium.
7. Search for other solutions. Make sure your filter is in good working order. Clean out any waste buildup with hot water (don’t use soap!). You should also rinse out the filter cartridge with aquarium water (don’t use tap water!) to remove excess waste.
8. Find other problem areas. You admit that you have been a little lax in water changes lately.
9. Fix each new problem. You should probably step up your water changes. You may have to perform more frequent partial water changes (and change 25% of the water three times per week instead of only once per week). You should also schedule your water changes on a calendar so you don’t forget.
10. Check if the original problem is fixed. When you test the water, does ammonia stay at 0ppm (parts per million)? If so, you’ve solved the problem! Awesome work. If not, you still may have some fixing up to do. Go back over steps 8 and 9 to find other problem areas.
11. Prevent goldfish ailments. You’ve made the aquarium environment safe for goldfish, but you’re not home free yet! What else could you be doing weekly to prevent further water quality issues? For starters, you should always test the water regularly (so you’re aware of uncomfortable water conditions before they cause goldfish ailments). Especially in an overcrowded tank where water can deteriorate quickly.

If you took the temporary solution in the above scenario, you didn’t completely solve the water quality problem but you did improve it.

Make that aquarium purchase a priority. If you absolutely can’t afford a larger goldfish tank, you should give some of your goldfish away to friends who can. To completely treat overcrowding, you’ll need to upgrade your aquarium as soon as possible. Otherwise, your tank will remain overcrowded and susceptible to goldfish ailments.

Are You Asking the Right Questions?

Treating goldfish ailments can be tough, especially the persistent ones that don’t want to leave your aquarium alone.

Photo by Katie Brady (Flickr)

If a goldfish disease is running rampant in your aquarium, it’s important that you know what caused the problem in the first place. We’ve given you an example in the last section of how this process might look like. But your problem might be very different from the one above.

To solve your unique situation, ask these questions.

• Have I tested the water recently? Freshwater test kits are affordable and many include easy-to-follow instruction manuals that make monitoring the aquarium water simple and painless. You should test your aquarium for ammonia, pH, nitrate, and nitrite weekly to ensure that your water is always safe for your goldfish. I personally use an API Master Test Kit. It works well and lasts a couple years before I have to buy replacements. If the water ever gets out of hand, I’m able to prevent goldfish ailments because I can see immediately what went wrong.
• Have I quarantined new fish or plants for at least two weeks before placing them with my healthy goldfish? If not, make a commitment to quarantine from now on. Parasites are most common in aquariums with new fish, so you don’t want to put all of your healthy goldfish at risk by not taking safety precautions first.
• Did I pour questionable or unconditioned water in the aquarium? Remember to treat tap water with a water conditioner like Prime or AquaSafe each future water change. After purchasing a new fish, never dump water from the plastic bag into your aquarium. If you’re not sure what could be swimming in the water, pour it down the drain.
• Does the aquarium have enough oxygen? Poorly oxygenated water could mean that there’s a problem with your filter. Your filter might be clogged or the filter cartridge could do with a rinsing out. You might even need a new filter if yours is broken or not functioning optimally. Poorly oxygenated water can cause stress and make your fish susceptible to goldfish ailments.
• You should have either a power filter or canister filter for your tank. I personally use a Marineland Penguin Power Filter. It has lasted me years and comes with a bio wheel for extra oxygen.
• Whatever filter you use, you’ll want one with a flow rate (gallons per hour or gph) that is at least 10 times your tank volume. So a 20-gallon aquarium that can keep one or two fancy goldfish will need a filter with a flow rate of around 200 gph.
• It might also help to include an extra air stone or two to keep the water well aerated. Some aquarium decorations have built-in air stones for this purpose.
• Is my aquarium overcrowded? Remember, one or two fancy goldfish are most comfortable in aquariums that can hold a minimum of 20 gallons of water. For each additional fancy goldfish, you should add an extra 10 gallons of water. Otherwise, your goldfish might be susceptible to goldfish ailments. See my goldfish tank guide for more details.
• Have I been doing routine water changes? Depending on water readings, your goldfish tank might require more or less frequent water changes. I personally like to change my aquarium water once per week, and I take out 25% each water change. In addition to this, I test the water weekly and rinse out the filter media with aquarium water during each water change. You might have a similar routine, but make sure you do those water changes!
• Was there a sudden temperature drop in the aquarium? It’s recommended that you never place your goldfish tank near a window for this reason; sudden temperature changes can cause problems for fish. Goldfish ailments are more common when your fish are stressed, so make sure your aquarium either stays at a steady temperature or the temperature doesn’t change too drastically.
• Is my goldfish being fed quality food? If you’re unsure, take a look at my goldfish food guide for tips on what to feed your goldfish. Goldfish need a nutritional diet in order to stay healthy. Make sure you vary the diet to ensure your goldfish are getting the right nutrients. When feeding dry food, I typically alternate between Hikari Lionhead pellets, Omega One Sinking Pellets, and New Life Spectrum Pellets. My goldfish seem to like this combo, since they never know which brand they’re going to get each day. All three brands are very high quality, and I’ve noticed that my goldfish search for food more vigorously since the switch from Tetra food brands.
• Is there uneaten food at the bottom of the tank? You could be overfeeding your goldfish. Avoid goldfish ailments by vacuuming the substrate with a water siphon to remove any uneaten food that might foul the water. This is best done during your weekly water change (or after accidentally overfeeding). If overfeeding is a problem, consider feeding your goldfish less often (and less food per feeding).

These questions were designed to help you puzzle through common goldfish problems. Get in the habit of asking questions and always try to figure out ways you can avoid future goldfish ailments in the aquarium.

Keeping fish healthy is much easier than treating them if they become ill. – David E. Boruchowitz, author of Aquarium Care of Goldfish

Prevention is the key to keeping healthy goldfish that thrive. Remember to quarantine new fish or plants (if bought from an aquarium where fish are present) for at least two weeks before placing them in the same aquarium with healthy goldfish.

Don’t risk the health of your goldfish.

Always maintain a healthy aquarium environment by giving your goldfish the appropriate amount of water to swim around in (10 gallons of water per fancy goldfish), testing the water on a weekly basis, practicing routine water changes, making sure your tank is well oxygenated, and feeding your goldfish a high quality diet to prevent goldfish ailments.

Goldfish that are properly cared for will live long, enriching lives. You owe it to your pets to give them the goldfish care they need to thrive. So observe your goldfish carefully, catch goldfish ailments early, and treat harmful goldfish diseases quickly. Then take preventative measures to keep your goldfish healthy.

What Do You Think?

How do you prevent goldfish ailments? Do you have any tips for first-time goldfish hobbyists? Post your suggestions in the comment box below!

The post Prevent Goldfish Ailments: Determine the Root of the Problem appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

Thank you everyone for such amazing responses to my goldfish disease symptoms guide. As you know, it’s very important to catch common goldfish diseases early. The guide received over 100 responses, and I was so happy to help so many goldfish hobbyists create healthier environments for their fish.

I originally wrote a follow-up article about common goldfish diseases and how to prevent them, but the article was nearly 6,000 words of content. So I decided to make this article a three-part series instead.

• The first part in the series covered goldfish disease symptoms and gave you a list of fourteen behavioral and physical signs to look for when observing sick goldfish.
• This is the second part in the goldfish disease series, and here we’ll examine seven of the most common goldfish diseases that affect freshwater aquariums and ponds.
• The third part in the series covers goldfish disease prevention and ways you can find and combat problems that may result in infection.

If your goldfish are acting strangely, rubbing against objects in the aquarium or resting listlessly at the bottom of the tank, you know something is wrong. It’s especially alarming when your goldfish start developing cotton-like growths and discolored patches along the scales and fins.

Goldfish are hardy. It is unusual for them to get sick. – David E. Boruchowitz, author of Aquarium Care of Goldfish

Some goldfish are so good at withstanding common goldfish diseases that they can safely be kept in freshwater ponds. So what’s going on?

Goldfish may be hardy, but they’re not invincible.

Goldfish will fall victim to parasites, bacterial infections, and fungal diseases if kept in poor water conditions. If not treated and left to spread, these common goldfish diseases can take over your fish until their weakened bodies have exhausted themselves fighting.

The good news: If you catch common goldfish diseases early and treat them quickly, your goldfish will thank you by staying happy and healthy for years.

But be careful! Stay observant. Never medicate the aquarium without knowing for certain what the problem is.

Are Your Goldfish Actually Sick?

Certain types of goldfish have been bred to develop strange, yet very fascinating, traits. As your goldfish mature, they may develop special characteristics specific to their breed.

But don’t confuse these qualities with common goldfish diseases!

If you don’t know what you’re getting into, you might mistake the elaborate noses of pompom goldfish for fungal infections. If you treat the poor little ones unnecessarily, you’ll stress them out and they might become infected with real goldfish diseases as a result!

Medicating the aquarium with a treatment your goldfish don’t need is stressful. This stress will then lower the immune system and your goldfish might actually start developing common goldfish diseases when they really were quite healthy before.

Know your goldfish types. Most importantly, do your research!

Below are five goldfish with qualities that might be mistaken for common goldfish diseases.

• Pompom Goldfish – Pompom goldfish (also referred to as pompon goldfish) are known for their nasal outgrowths on the right and left side of their head. The puffy growths can become so elaborate that they resemble cheerleader pom-poms. But rest easy. These outgrowths are normal. Don’t mistake them for fungal infections!
• Lionhead Goldfish – Lionhead goldfish develop a pretty impressive head growth that looks somewhat like a lion’s mane (hence the name). The head growth not only develops on the top of the head (like an oranda), but it also grows on the cheeks and gill plates. As your goldfish age, their head growths will become much more defined (and can get quite large). Again, this unique characteristic shouldn’t be confused with common goldfish diseases.
• Oranda Goldfish – Like the lionhead, oranda goldfish have fleshy raspberry-shaped growths on the top of their head. This head growth is called the wen (or hood). While normal for oranda goldfish, the wen can grow so large that it sags down over the eyes and blocks the goldfish’s vision. Some hobbyists even confuse the wen for common goldfish diseases.
• Bubble Eye Goldfish – Bubble eye goldfish are named after the fluid-filled sacs that develop beneath their eyes, similar to large but fragile balloons. You might notice that these fluid-filled sacs keep growing. Sometimes the sacs can become so enlarged that it almost appears as though the eyes are looking directly up at the aquarium lights. The sacs under their eyes can easily break if there are sharp objects or rough substrate in the aquarium.
• Telescope Eye Goldfish – Telescope eye goldfish are known for their protruding eyes that almost resemble telescope lenses. But don’t confuse these swollen eyes with a bacterial infection, one of the many common goldfish diseases that affect freshwater aquariums. Unless one eye is abnormally larger than the other, your goldfish are probably just fine.

As you keep goldfish and observe how they interact with their environment, you’ll learn more about their characteristics and traits, what they like and dislike. You’ll become so accustomed to their normal behaviors that you’ll be able to tell right away when something goes wrong.

If you’re on this page, most likely you know your goldfish are sick. And they need help.

Let’s pinpoint the problem and treat those common goldfish diseases.

Effective Treatments for Common Goldfish Diseases

Photo by Mikhail Esteves (Flickr)

Your goldfish aren’t acting the way they should. What should you do?

First, remove the sick goldfish.

Unless the whole tank is infected, quarantine sick goldfish and place them in a hospital tank. This will make treating common goldfish diseases much easier. As mentioned earlier, you don’t want to treat healthy fish unnecessarily. Doing so can cause your goldfish stress (and stress should always be avoided whenever possible).

If the goldfish disease is contagious, like white spot disease and most parasite infections, you can safely treat the infected aquarium without quarantining your fish. Of course, especially sick goldfish can still be placed in a hospital tank for special treatment if they’re in pretty bad shape.

After your goldfish are quarantined, you’re ready to begin treatment. Let’s take a brief look at 7 of the most common goldfish diseases that impact aquariums and ponds.

Goldfish Disease #1: White Spot Disease (Ich)

Very common in aquariums, white spot disease usually affects new goldfish that are stressed out after a long car ride (or shipment) home.

• Causes of Ich – White spot disease is caused by ich parasites in the water. These parasites attack stressed out goldfish with lowered immune systems, especially recently purchased fish. Anything that causes stress can make your goldfish susceptible to common goldfish diseases, so keep your aquarium water healthy and avoid drastically changing water temperatures.
• Ich Symptoms – If your goldfish are covered with what appear to be small grains of salt, the aquarium is probably infested with ich. Goldfish with white spot disease will also breathe heavily and scratch themselves against tank objects, even the aquarium walls.
• Ich Treatment – I suggest treating your goldfish with the salt and heat method mentioned in my ich treatment guide before looking into commercial medications. If you don’t notice improvement after a week of the salt and heat method, use Mardel’s CopperSafe (make sure there aren’t any invertebrates in the aquarium). You can find detailed instructions on how to treat your fish in the ich treatment guide above.

Keep up treatment for a minimum of 3 to 5 days after the last signs of white spot disease. Sometimes white spots can reappear if you stop treatment prematurely.

Goldfish Disease #2: Floating Problems (Swim Bladder Disease)

Fancy goldfish are commonly observed with buoyancy problems, and sometimes these floating problems will be incorrectly termed as swim bladder disease. Often, floating issues aren’t caused by a swim bladder problem at all and instead a result of other common goldfish diseases.

• Causes of Floating Problems – Your goldfish might experience floating problems if they are overfed, fed poor quality food, or not fed enough fiber. Dry floating pellets can sometimes cause fancy goldfish problems when the pellets absorb liquids and expand in the digestive tract. Constipated goldfish or goldfish with excess internal gas may also experience difficulty swimming. Genetic floating problems can even occur after a spawning (in this case, there is no treatment).
• Floating Symptoms – If you notice your goldfish swimming erratically, swimming sideways, or even swimming upside down, your goldfish are having buoyancy problems. Goldfish may also look physically swollen or bloated.
• Treatment for Floating Problems – Test the water and make sure the water is clean, since unhealthy water is one of the main causes of common goldfish diseases. In part three in this series, you’ll find out how to solve problems with poor water quality. After water conditions are healthy again, fast your goldfish for 3 days. If your goldfish are still having trouble swimming, try feeding them veggies and low-protein foods. I recommend frozen peas (see my guide here. Some hobbyists also recommend daphnia to treat constipation.

Complete weekly water tests with a freshwater test kit (I use API’s Master Test Kit) and keep a watchful eye on ammonia, pH, nitrite, and nitrate levels. Continue feeding veggies and daphnia to your goldfish. Your goldfish should be swimming fine within a few weeks.

Goldfish Disease #3: Fin Rot (Tail Rot)

Goldfish under a lot of stress might develop fin rot, a bacterial infection also known as tail rot. Fin rot is usually a secondary infection that may infect your fish if they’re already stressed from another goldfish disease or injury.

• Causes of Fin Rot – Stress will make your goldfish susceptible to certain types of bacteria. Common goldfish diseases, poor water quality, overcrowding, sudden temperature changes, fin nipping, or aggressive fish can all cause the immune system to lower and fin rot to develop.
• Fin Rot Symptoms – Your goldfish will show signs of fin rot if they have ragged, torn, or red-streaked fins. If allowed to get worse, the edges of torn fins will become white as bacteria eat away the fins on your goldfish. The bacteria infection might become so bad that it will completely deteriorate fins to the body tissue. If the disease is allowed to spread to the fin base, your goldfish cannot regrow their fins. So treat fin rot early!
• Fin Rot Treatment – Good water quality is a must! So test that water. Your goldfish cannot start the healing process if water quality is poor. After the water environment is healthy again, treat the water with 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of water. If you don’t notice an improvement after 5 days, move on to commercial treatments. Before treating, take out the active carbon from the filter. I recommend Maracyn-Two. It works great for many bacterial infections and uses minocycline as an active ingredient. Once you’re done with treatment, change out 25% of the water to get rid of excess salt. Continue your weekly water changes as usual.

Treat fin rot early. Don’t allow the bacteria to completely deteriorate the fins or your goldfish will not be able to grow them back. If treated quickly, you should notice signs of healing after a couple weeks.

Goldfish Disease #4: Fungal Infection

Your goldfish may develop fungal infections if water quality is poor. Fungal diseases can also affect goldfish that are already sick from other common goldfish diseases.

• Causes of Fungus – Stress and a lowered immune system will prompt fungus to grow. Goldfish suffering from parasitic infections, ulcers, or open wounds have a higher chance of also becoming infected with a secondary fungal disease.
• Fungal Disease Symptoms – Cotton-like growths along the body and fins are sure signs of a fungal infection. Fungal infections can be fatal if given enough time, as it will spread and attack other areas on the goldfish.
• Fungal Disease Treatment – As mentioned earlier, move infected goldfish to a hospital tank before treatment. Fungal diseases are not contagious. Take out the active carbon from the filter and treat the aquarium with Methylene Blue. Methylene Blue works great on sensitive fish and can be very effective when combined with aquarium salt to help your goldfish rebuild their slime coats.

Fungal infections should clear up after a couple of weeks, as long as you continue to keep the aquarium water healthy. Feel free to move your goldfish back to the main aquarium once all signs of fungus have disappeared.

Goldfish Disease #5: Gold Dust Disease (Velvet)

Very similar to white spot disease, gold dust disease or velvet resembles small grains of dust and starts on the backs of goldfish. These small parasites are smaller than ich and can be difficult to detect.

• Causes of Velvet – Like many common goldfish diseases and parasite infections, gold dust disease is usually found in tanks where new fish are present. Your goldfish might also be susceptible to velvet if water quality is poor or your goldfish are under stress.
• Velvet Symptoms – Goldfish with velvet might have a whitish-yellow film on their skin and what might appear to be golden specks of dust. Velvet will often start on the backs of goldfish before spreading to the body and gills. Velvet causes your goldfish to scratch against objects in an attempt to get the parasites off. If allowed to get worse, it might almost appear as if the slime coats on your goldfish have thickened or are even peeling off. Affected goldfish may also have clamped fins or show signs of heavy breathing or weight loss.
• Velvet Treatment – Since velvet parasites receive a portion of their energy from photosynthesis, cover the aquarium with a blanket and turn off the aquarium lights during treatment. Raise the water temperature to 80 °F (26 °C). This will quicken the parasite’s life cycle. Add 1/2 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of water and remove the active carbon from the filter. Remove any invertebrates from the aquarium and treat the water with Mardel CopperSafe for 10 days. Once you’ve finished treatment, do a 25% water change and continue routine water changes as usual.

Continue treatment several days after the last signs of gold dust disease to ensure all parasites are exterminated. You should notice signs of improvement after a week of treatment.

Goldfish Disease #6: Anchor Worm (Lernaea)

Despite its name, anchor worm is not caused by a worm at all. One of the most common goldfish diseases in freshwater ponds, anchor worm is caused by Lernaea copepod crustaceans.

• Causes of Anchor Worm – Anchor worm can develop in tanks with recently purchased goldfish. If you don’t quarantine new fish or plants (purchased from tanks where fish were present), you may notice an outbreak of anchor worm after a week or two. You could also also be at risk of other common goldfish diseases if you don’t quarantine.
• Anchor Worm Symptoms – Look closely and you may notice whitish green hair-like creatures hanging from the bodies of your goldfish. The attached areas are also usually red and inflamed, often with raised ulcers around the wounds where female parasites embed themselves deep into the muscle tissue. Your goldfish may attempt to get the parasites off by rubbing against objects in the aquarium.
• Anchor Worm Treatment – Treat the aquarium with 1/2 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon. The salt will help prevent secondary infections and future parasite re-attachments. It will also guard against other common goldfish diseases. Now you’re ready for treatment.
  • Remove the active carbon from the filter. Then treat the aquarium with a commercial medication to kill off the parasites and stop eggs from hatching. I recommend Parasite Guard to cure anchor worm.
  • Some goldfish hobbyists also recommend using tweezers to remove Lernaea parasites from the fish. Be careful. Sometimes these parasites can burrow so deeply into the goldfish to cause harm. If using tweezers, I recommend using medication in the aquarium first to kill off the parasites before gently taking them out of the fish (gripping the parasite as close the wound as possible). Slip your goldfish underneath water every so often so they can catch their breath.

It might take a couple of weeks before signs of anchor worm disappear. Though, you may notice improvement (reduced redness and swelling) after a few days of using Parasite Guard. After treatment, change out 25% of the water to remove excess salt and continue routine water changes as normal.

Goldfish Disease #7: Fish Lice (Argulus)

Fish lice, also known as fish louse, are from the Argulus species of parasite crustaceans. They’re very common in goldfish ponds. They’re uncommon in freshwater aquariums though, unless new fish are brought in from an outside source.

• Causes of Fish Lice – Fish lice like to hop a ride on new goldfish that haven’t been treated in a quarantine tank. So make sure you always quarantine new goldfish to prevent common goldfish diseases.
• Fish Lice Symptoms – Fish lice have round greenish-brown, disk-shaped bodies. They’re often seen moving around the stomach, throat, and bases of fins. When lice attach to your fish, small red spots may be noticed around the wounds. Infected goldfish will try to rub against objects in the aquarium in an attempt to get the fish lice off.
• Fish Lice Treatment – Raise the water temperature slowly to 80 °F (26 °C) to speed up the fish lice life cycle. Add ½ rounded teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of water to help your goldfish guard against parasite re-attachments and other common goldfish diseases. Now you can treat the aquarium with medication.
  • I recommend Parasite Guard, as it works very well with external parasites. Parasite Guard includes Dflubenzuron as an active ingredient, which is very effective against fish lice.
  • In addition to medication, goldfish hobbyists recommend using tweezers to remove visible adult lice on goldfish. As with anchor worm, be careful when doing this and make sure you medicate the entire tank beforehand to exterminate free-swimming lice and prevent eggs from hatching.

A complete fish lice life cycle can take longer than that of many other parasites. So treatment for fish lice in an aquarium or outdoor pond may take up to a month. You should stop noticing signs of common goldfish diseases within a week though, often sooner.

Keep Your Goldfish Tank Disease Free

If you’ve followed the steps outlined in this article, your tank is on its way to staying completely free from common goldfish diseases. But it isn’t there yet!

You may have successfully battled nasty goldfish diseases this time around, but are you taking preventative measures to keep your goldfish safe? It’s important to determine what causes common goldfish diseases so you can take strives to prevent future tank nightmares.

We’ll talk more about this in part three of the goldfish disease series. Until then, maintain a healthy aquarium environment for your goldfish.

Photo by 22Lauren (Flickr)

Remember: One or two goldfish require at least 20 gallons (75 liters) at the very minimum to thrive (read more about this in my goldfish tank guide). In addition to a large aquarium, goldfish need routine water changes, weekly water testing, a nutritional diet, and a good filter to manage all that waste.

You should also be quarantining all new fish for a minimum of two weeks before introducing them to your healthy fish. After all, you don’t want your new pet to infect all of your goldfish if parasites decided to hop a ride before the drive home.

Goldfish care shouldn’t be taken lightly. Just like any pet, your goldfish need your ongoing love and attention. If you can give your goldfish the care they crave, they’ll reward you many times over with years of enjoyment. And it will go a long way to prevent common goldfish diseases.

How Do You Treat Common Goldfish Diseases?

What is your preferred method for battling common goldfish diseases? Have you successfully treated common goldfish diseases in your aquarium? What tips can you give other goldfish hobbyists? Write your responses in the comments below!

The post 7 Common Goldfish Diseases: Are Your Goldfish Sick? appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

If you’ve immersed yourself into the delightful fish keeping hobby for any length of time, you’ve likely stumbled across white spot disease. White spot disease is a nasty infection caused by ich (or the longer version: Ichtyopthirius multifiliis). In fact, most aquarists have had to use an ich treatment at some point.

You come home one morning, brand new goldfish wiggling excitedly in their plastic bag. You’ve already set up the perfect aquarium environment for the little ones.

A cascading waterfall ornament spits out bubbles as your goldfish weave to and fro through the plants. Dazzling light bounces off green and blue rocks to pool streams of color across the glass. You’ve already cycled the tank. Everything is functioning the way it should.

You’re excited. Your goldfish are thrilled. And they enjoy their new home.

But three days later, you notice something odd.

Help! There Are White Spots on My Goldfish!

Your goldfish are smashing their bodies against every available surface, only to circle back down to the substrate with rapid, straining breaths. What’s more, your goldfish have become salted pretzels!

That can’t be right. You take a closer look through the glass and confirm that, indeed, your goldfish are sprinkled with tiny white spots. What do you do?

First of all, don’t panic!

White spot disease is actually pretty common in aquariums. This is especially true after buying new fish and forgetting to quarantine them before introducing them to the family.

The good news is that white spot disease can be cured with a natural ich treatment, without having to use strong medications that take weeks to rinse out. We’ll talk about this in a bit.

But before we begin ich treatment, let’s make sure your goldfish are suffering from white spot disease.

White Spot Disease Symptoms

If water tests come out clean but your goldfish are acting funky, you probably have a parasite problem.

Good thing that you can use an ich treatment to cure white spot disease quickly. But it’s important to treat ich early, before the parasite takes over the aquarium. Otherwise, numbers will become too overwhelming for your poor goldfish to handle.

Sick goldfish symptoms include…

Photo by Jan Smith (Flickr)
• Heavy breathing: Your goldfish aren’t getting enough oxygen, so their gills speed into overdrive.
• Persistent scratching and brushing against objects: Your goldfish itch! They’d just as likely scrape their skin and damage their scales to make the itching stop.
• Small white spots on goldfish: Ich parasites won’t be visible at first. But after these pesky organisms feed on the bodily fluids of skin and fins, they encyst themselves and appear like small flecks of salt or sugar. The result? Your goldfish turn into swimming, breathing salted pretzels!
• Larger white patches on scales and fins: If you don’t use an ich treatment before white spot disease worsens, more ich parasites will attach to your goldfish to feed. So many that they might resemble salty white patches on gills, scales, and fins!

White spot disease can get downright scary as parasites quickly multiply. But don’t confuse this nasty infection with breeding tubercles on male goldfish. If white spots are only concentrated on the gill covers and head, your goldfish are ready for loving action.

Ich attacks all over.

These parasites don’t just attach themselves to the gills and head. If you want to be sure that your goldfish have white spot disease, look for spots on the body and along the fins. Besides, young eager-to-mate males act far differently from how a sick, infected fish would – they’re restless and not afraid to chase down a few females if given the chance.

Read more on goldfish disease symptoms if you don’t think an ich treatment will help.

So we know what ich looks like, but…

What Exactly Is White Spot Disease?

White spot disease, scientifically named Ichtyopthirius multifiliis, is commonly referred to as freshwater ich or ick.

The disease is caused by single-cell organisms (protozoa) that attack fish with lowered immune systems. If your goldfish have recently survived an infection, sudden temperature change, or long period in dirty water, they could be vulnerable to white spot disease.

And if they’re infected, treat goldfish promptly with an ich treatment!

Most ich is brought into the aquarium from the outside. When selecting goldfish, always look for signs of trouble and don’t buy anything from a tank with even one fish with ich. – Quick & Easy Goldfish Care by TFH Publications, Inc.

While ich is common in freshwater aquariums, the infection should by no means be brushed aside as something trivial. Begin ich treatment immediately. If ich parasites are allowed to run rampant, they can quickly overwhelm goldfish until their weakened bodies can’t handle the attack and your goldfish die.

Don’t risk the health of your fish because of one lousy judgment.

Always quarantine new fish several weeks before you let them explore the main aquarium. Even if your goldfish don’t appear sick, you should still practice safety first. You don’t know what kinds of goldfish diseases or parasites are swimming around in the water your bagged fish are in.

When ich parasites first attack, they won’t be visible unless you take a microscope to your aquarium. By the time you notice any signs of white spot disease, all of your fish will be infected.

Before Ich Treatment: A Deep Look at the Ich Life Cycle

You might not think it’s important, but learning how the ich parasite attacks and feeds off of your goldfish will help you understand why and how an ich treatment works. Better yet, it will help you understand how to wipe out ich once and for all so you never again have to use an ich treatment.

Feeding Stage

Each white spot on your goldfish is actually a nodule, or small lump, that an ich parasite has formed on your fish’s skin. What you’re observing is known as the feeding stage (source). The parasite (now a trophozoite) attaches itself to the skin and devours your goldfish’s body fluids until it’s ready to reproduce.

In fact, parasites have likely been feeding off of your goldfish a few days before the small lumps, or white spots, are even visible.

Ich trophozoites are resistant to most ich medications during the feeding stage. So if you try to use an ich treatment strong enough to kill them while they’re hidden away in their nodules, your goldfish will also receive the brunt of the attack.

Encapsulated Dividing Stage

When the ich parasite has finished feeding, it detaches itself from the skin and finds a piece of substrate, plant, or ornament where it will develop a cyst. The parasite becomes a tomont and the encapsulated dividing stage begins.

Hundreds of new parasites (theronts) will be produced within the next 24 hours.

Free-swimming Stage

According to Marshall E. Ostrow, author of Goldfish: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual, over 500 new parasites break through each unattached cyst. This starts the free-swimming stage, where hundreds of new ich protozoa swim around looking for a host to attach to.

It’s now that you’ll want to begin treatment for white spot disease. Ich are most vulnerable during the free-swimming stage, when they’re not surrounded by a cyst. So before they attach to your goldfish, you’ll want to kill off as many of these free-swimming parasites with an ich treatment.

Once the parasite finds a host to attach to, the cycle repeats itself. They’ll feed for a few days, detach themselves, and form new cysts on the substrate and plants. Each new cyst contains hundreds of more parasites.

But hold in your tears! Curing your goldfish from white spot disease shouldn’t be daunting. You can speed up the process by raising the water temperature, forcing more parasites into the free-swimming stage.

Water temperature affects how long or short the ich life cycle is. Since goldfish enjoy cooler temperatures, naturally it might take weeks to a month for one parasite to finish a life cycle. At room temperature, an ich life cycle may complete in about five to seven days.

Luckily, you can speed up the life cycle even faster than that without harming your goldfish in the process. Here, I’ll teach you how with first a natural ich treatment before we dive into commercial ich treatment options.

How to Cure White Spot Disease: 2 Highly-Effective Ich Treatments

Remember: Don’t stop treatment when white spot disease is no longer visible.

You have to realize that not all of the parasites in your aquarium will be at the same stage in their life cycle. During the encapsulating dividing and free-swimming stages, you won’t even see the parasite until it attaches to your goldfish and enters the feeding stage.

For this reason, it’s important that you continue ich treatment even after you stop noticing signs of white spot disease. Otherwise, you might just miss a few parasites in the encapsulating dividing stage. The next thing you know, your goldfish are once more infected by white spot disease and you have to start ich treatment all over again.

With that in mind, let’s start exterminating nasty parasites! There are two methods for total ich destruction.

The first method is what I call the natural ich treatment. I recommend trying your hand at this one first, since it’s less expensive and undoubtedly less stressful on your goldfish than several commercial remedies.

The second method calls for the purchase of a commercial ich treatment. Depending on the medication, you’ll need to be cautious to make sure it doesn’t have a negative impact on any other pets in the aquarium.

All of the below ich treatments are very effective. However, if you plan to move very sick goldfish to a hospital tank, you should also treat the main aquarium to kill off any lingering parasites.

Ich Treatment #1: Natural Ich Remedy

I recommend this natural ich treatment, as it combines heat and salt to cure white spot disease.

First, the heat stops ich from dividing into hundreds of more parasites after it has detached from your goldfish. Next, the salt will help your goldfish develop their much-needed slime coats, which will safe-guard them against ich reattachments. Lastly, both the salt and heat will attack free-swimming ich with dagger-precision until the last of the parasites are killed off.

It’s important that you don’t medicate your goldfish during this process or else the heat and medication may work together to deny your goldfish oxygen (source). Some medications lower the oxygen levels in the water and, because heat also reduces oxygen, it’s safest for your fish if these two ich treatments aren’t combined.

Note: If you have other species of fish or invertebrates in the same aquarium, make sure they aren’t sensitive to salt before using the natural ich treatment. Fish like the scale-less variety can’t withstand large doses of salt. If your fish are sensitive to salt, do your research to determine how much salt to use in the aquarium.

Salt is optional. In fact, some fish hobbyists have successfully treated white spot disease without the use of salt at all. If you’re worried about giving your fish a salt bath, feel free to use just the heat method.

1. Slowly raise the temperature of your aquarium water to 86 °F (30 °C). Do this over a 48-hour time period, raising the temperature in small increments (2 °F/1 °C every hour) to give your goldfish time to adjust to the heat (and prevent shock). High temperatures will stop ich parasites from reproducing (source).
2. Maintain high oxygen levels. As the temperature rises, water won’t be able to hold dissolved oxygen as well (source). Oxygenate the water by reducing the water level (this will boost surface area agitation from your filter), aiming power heads towards the surface of the water, or placing a few extra air stones (or ornaments with embedded air stones) into the water.
3. Add salt (optional). Use salt specifically for freshwater fish (aquarium salt), not table salt. Follow the directions on the back of the container for best results. I like to use API Aquarium Salt – it really works great on white spot disease. Simply add 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) for every 5 gallons (19 liters) of aquarium water. Many specialists also recommend 1 teaspoon per gallon instead.
4. Keep your water temperature at a steady 86 °F (30 °C) for 10 days, changing the water every couple of days. While ich symptoms are visible, change 25% of the water every two days to keep oxygen levels up and remove excess parasites (adding the appropriate dose of aquarium salt after each water change). Wait 3 to 5 days after the last signs of white spot disease and reduce water temperatures once you’re sure all ich parasites are gone.
5. Gradually reduce the water temperature back to 65 °F (18 °C). By this time, your goldfish should be swimming around happily in an ich-free environment. Do one last 25% water change and continue your water changes on a weekly basis as usual.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully conquered ich. Your goldfish should be very happy indeed.

If you notice more white spots on your goldfish after using the natural ich treatment (and you’re sure you continued treatment for at least three days after the last visible signs of white spot disease), it could mean that the parasite has grown resistant to the heat and salt treatment.

Don’t worry! If the ich parasite continues to attack your goldfish, the next step is to begin medicating. Let’s walk through the steps.

Ich Treatment #2: Using Commercial Ich Medications

If ich could win rewards, it would be for being persistent.

It’s okay though. While unpleasant, ich can’t stay alive forever. If you still notice parasites after 10 days of the heat and salt ich treatment, follow these steps.

1. Change 25% of the water and remove excess waste. Vacuum the gravel with a water siphon and remove the active carbon from your filter. Increase surface agitation by lowering the water level or increasing water flow at the surface of the aquarium. Make sure your filter is still pushing a healthy flow of water into the aquarium.
2. Slowly raise the water temperature to 80 °F (26 °C) over a 48-hour time period. The goal here is not to kill the ich with heat alone, like the natural ich treatment described above, but to speed up the ich life cycle. Basically, you want to force each parasite into the free-swimming stage as quickly as possible (where the ich medication will begin its work) without harming your goldfish in the process. Make sure you only raise the water temperature in small increments (2 °F/1 °C every hour).
3. Treat your goldfish with ich medication. There are a host of commercial ich treatments on the market and many are effective. I personally like Mardel’s CopperSafe Fish Treatment. This ich treatment is copper-based and doesn’t stain like some medications. It can also be used to treat velvet, anchor worms, and other parasites. But be careful if you have invertebrates or plants in the same aquarium. Copper-based ich medications can be harmful. If you have a few lucky snails that have survived being goldfish food, try shopping around to find the best solution for your particular fish community. When you do find an ich treatment that works with your tank, read the label thoroughly and only use the recommended dosage.
4. Add salt (optional). As mentioned earlier, salt can protect your goldfish by boosting its slime coat. It’s also effective when combined with medication. Words to the wise: If you have other fish and invertebrates in the aquarium, make sure they aren’t sensitive to salt treatments. If they are, you’re better off without.

If you’ve followed these directions exactly and you still notice signs of white spot disease, give it a couple weeks. Each ich parasite needs to begin the free-swimming stage before it can be exterminated. Eventually, white spots on your goldfish should disappear.

So now your goldfish are swimming away, carefree in an ich-free environment. Good work! I’m sure your goldfish are grateful to have conquered that itch.

But can the aquarium stay that way?

No More Ich: Preventing Future Infections

Photo by Pete Brown (Flickr)

There’s nothing more frustrating than having to battle another ich infestation after dealing with one once before. Luckily, you don’t have to if you actively work to prevent white spot disease from rearing its parasitic head.

• Give your goldfish a once-over, before they leave the store. Shop wisely. Don’t purchase a fish before checking for signs that its tank mates might be sick. Make sure every fish in the aquarium looks healthy, even goldfish you aren’t buying. Never buy goldfish from an infected aquarium and never, ever, buy from a pet store trying to sell medicated fish.
• Quarantine new fish and plants for at least two weeks. Observe your goldfish during this time and begin ich treatment if they start showing signs of sickness. Some hobbyists also like to treat quarantined fish with anti-parasitic medication, even if the fish look perfectly healthy. Prazi-Pro is great as a preventative against internal parasites and is very safe to use for otherwise healthy goldfish.
• Never pour pet store water into your aquarium. Acclimate new fish with water from your own aquarium, but don’t spill the bag’s contents into the tank water. You don’t know what goldfish diseases or parasites could be swimming around, so play it safe.
• Purchase plants from fish-less aquariums. Quarantine new plants for at least two weeks when purchasing from a tank where fish are being sold. Otherwise, you could unknowingly transmit harmful parasites to your goldfish.
• Don’t use the same fish net until it’s all dried out. If you’ve just netted several fish out of their travel bag, don’t use the same fish net to then clean the main aquarium immediately after. There’s a chance parasites could have hopped a ride onto the net and you could just as well infect your main aquarium if you aren’t too careful. Keep an extra net nearby for these sticky situations and never use the same wet net after you’ve just moved fish to quarantine.

The best ich treatment is prevention. Preventing infections before they happen goes a long way in maintaining happy, thriving goldfish.

Remember: your goldfish depend on you for their care. If your goldfish do suffer from white spot disease or other infections, it’s up to you to find the best ich treatment that will nurse them back to health.

Your Turn

Do you have experience with treating white spot disease? How do you cure ich?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, including any recommended ich treatments or tips on battling white spots on goldfish, in the comment section below!

The post White Spot Disease: Your Complete Ich Treatment Guide appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

There are a lot of responses to this article – I’m very happy to have helped so many sick goldfish.

If you notice goldfish disease symptoms and need help, please scan the comments/replies already posted (click the link at the very bottom of the page to view previous comments). Your question might be answered already! And always test the water before writing a comment.

This is the first part in the goldfish disease series. In this three-part series, you’ll learn…

1. How to tell if your goldfish is sick (we’ll look at 14 goldfish disease symptoms)
2. How to treat 7 of the most common goldfish diseases in aquariums and freshwater ponds
3. How to keep your aquarium completely disease free by solving common tank problems

Goldfish are remarkably hardy creatures and don’t often fall prey to goldfish diseases. You just need to maintain good water quality, keep up with tank maintenance, feed your goldfish a varied diet, and test the water regularly. In fact, chances that you’ll find goldfish disease symptoms are slim if your goldfish are kept in a healthy aquarium environment with proper goldfish care.

You may be surprised to find out that most experienced aquarists have very little experience treating fish diseases. This is because they are experts at keeping their fish healthy. – David E. Boruchowitz, author of Aquarium Care of Goldfish

But even under the best conditions, goldfish aren’t entirely immune to diseases.

When you have sick goldfish, you want to catch goldfish disease symptoms early on to prevent goldfish diseases from spreading and infecting other fish in the aquarium.

Some infections are even fatal and can quickly kill your goldfish in a matter of days. This makes it even more important to have a medication like this on hand and treat goldfish disease symptoms quickly.

Treat Sick Goldfish Early

There are two types of goldfish diseases: those that are contagious and those that aren’t. Even if the infection isn’t contagious, you should still put your goldfish in a “hospital tank,” a smaller tank separated from the other fish, so that your goldfish can recuperate without being stressed out.

Separating infected goldfish prevents your healthy fish from receiving medication they don’t need (what is called being “over-medicated”).

First, we’ll look at abnormal behavior signs that could hint that something’s not quite right in the aquarium. Next, we’ll dive into the visual signs of diseases on the body and fins. Later, I’ll walk you through your next steps after you’ve discovered potential problems.

Let’s take a look at a few goldfish disease symptoms to look out for. If you notice any of these symptoms in your own aquarium, it might help to write them down on a notepad. This will make it easier later to determine what caused the goldfish disease and how to treat your sick goldfish.

Goldfish Disease Symptoms in Behavior

• Gasping for breath, rapidly breathing, or hanging at the water surface – One or more of your goldfish might be gathered at the surface of the water, noisily gobbling up packets of air or sucking in oxygen just below the surface. This usually happens when the water isn’t oxygenated enough for your goldfish to breathe comfortably (poor water quality). So sick goldfish will try to find any means they can to get more oxygen. If water quality doesn’t improve, the stress of not breathing in enough oxygen will lower the immune system and cause other goldfish disease symptoms to develop. If you notice gasping at the surface, test the water with a freshwater test kit immediately.
• Refuses to eat or losing weight – This is another goldfish disease symptom you should catch early. Goldfish are naturally ravenous creatures and will eat just about anything if given the chance. So a goldfish refusing to eat or showing noticeable signs of weight loss should be a warning sign that there’s a problem that needs closer looking into. Your goldfish might be suffering from internal parasites or poor water quality.
• Erratically swimming or swimming upside down – Erratic swimming is a sign of buoyancy problems. Trouble swimming could be caused by swim bladder disease, dropsy, or improper feeding (and sometimes feeding peas will help). Poor water quality might also be the culprit (or a result of overfeeding). If you look closely, are there other goldfish disease symptoms you may not have noticed?
• Listless or laying at the bottom – Healthy goldfish actively swim around and interact with their environment. If you have a sick goldfish that never gets up from the gravel, something is seriously wrong and you should take immediate action to find the underlying cause. Usually sick goldfish that are listless are also suffering from poor water quality or an infection.
• Slow to react to disturbances and stimuli – Are you about to feed your goldfish, only to find that one of them doesn’t seem to notice the food until it’s smack against his nose? Sick goldfish often have trouble reacting to certain things in their environment. Look for other goldfish disease symptoms, test the water quality, and do an immediate water change if test results are less than ideal.
• Rubs against the aquarium glass and other surfaces – This could be a sign of parasites, like ich, or even a fungus infection. At least, something is making your goldfish very itchy. If your goldfish is just rubbing his nose on the glass whenever you come nearby (what I like to call the “goldfish dance”), it could just be a friendly greeting and a demand to be fed (of course, don’t give in to those demands if you already fed your goldfish just moments ago).

Goldfish Disease Symptoms on the Body or Fins

• Clamped or folded fins – Maybe your goldfish constantly holds his fins close to his body or he’s lethargic and doesn’t move around much. There are actually a few potential goldfish diseases that can cause your fish to act this way, and your job is to look for other goldfish disease symptoms that might give the disease away. It might just be a case of poor water quality or parasites. Testing the water with a freshwater aquarium testing kit will give you a better idea of what is causing the problem and how to make the aquarium environment healthier for your goldfish.
• Torn or frayed fins – This is often a sign of stress, especially if you notice little red veins branching out in the fins. Simply changing the water and separating your goldfish from more aggressive fish can quickly solve this problem. If you find that the fins are actually starting to deteriorate into a stump, your goldfish may be experiencing fin or tail rot, which is caused by bacteria (and could attract fungus infections).
• Fluffy patches, discolored spots, or raised bumps – Do you notice a slight fuzz in some areas that shouldn’t be there? If your goldfish has discolored patches on the body or fins, chances are that he’s suffering from fungal or bacterial infections. Hospitalize the goldfish immediately and run some water tests on the main aquarium to determine what caused the goldfish disease symptoms. If the discolored patches actually look like little white specks of salt, your goldfish is suffering from ich, often known as white spot disease. Ich is fairly contagious (even common) in aquariums. If black spots are visible, your sick goldfish have an ammonia burn or parasite infection (this parasite is very rare in aquariums).
• Bloated or has raised scales – If one of your goldfish is abnormally round, large (be careful not to mistake this for a maturing female goldfish), or even resembles a pine cone, he may have dropsy (often caused by bacterial infections and sometimes incurable). A bloated sick goldfish might also be overfed or, if your goldfish have buoyancy problems, filled with packets of air after extended periods of time gasping for breath at the water surface.
• Pale gills – Pale gills can be caused by a number of goldfish diseases, including parasites. Salt is a popular treatment in this case, though you should also consider medications. Medications will depend on the type of parasite that is infecting your fish and can be determined by other goldfish disease symptoms.
• Noticeable lumps or parasites – External parasites are usually visible on the body or fins, and many will cause ulcers and lumps along the scales. Such parasites include ich (white spot disease), anchor worms, fish lice, and flukes. There are many ways you can get rid of parasites, ranging from medication to salt baths. You can even have them manually removed (though I don’t recommend this unless you know what you’re doing).
• Protruding eyes – If one or both eyes of your goldfish are abnormally large (don’t mistake this for natural characteristics in black moor or telescope goldfish), this could be early goldfish disease symptoms of pop eye or a bacterial infection.
• Bleeding wounds, sores, or missing scales – Do you have aggressive or territorial fish in the same aquarium? Solving this problem could just be a matter of finding a separate tank to house your goldfish. Your goldfish could also be infected with parasites, causing him to rub on gravel or other sharp objects.

By catching goldfish disease symptoms ahead of time, you can prevent infections from getting worse, spreading, and taking over the aquarium. And by taking immediate action to treat the disease, your sick goldfish has a better chance of surviving through the infection.

It’s always a good practice to watch your goldfish on a daily basis for signs of abnormal behavior or growths. A good time to do this is right before or during feeding.

Once you’ve noticed signs of a potential disease, you’ll want to put the sick goldfish into a hospital tank as soon as possible so that other fish in the same tank don’t get infected. Then you’ll need to determine what caused goldfish disease symptoms (so that you can effectively treat the disease) and identify problems running rampant in your tank. We’ll discuss more about this in the third part of the series.

You’ll then be able to take measures to ensure your other goldfish don’t get similarly infected.

Test the water with an aquarium test kit will help you identify tank problems. Also think back to events that led up to this point. Did you recently just introduce a new goldfish to the aquarium (without quarantining him first)? Did you just add new water to the tank without letting it adjust to room temperature?

Instead of looking for terrible diseases, you should concentrate on keeping your fish healthy. – David E. Boruchowitz, author of Aquarium Care of Goldfish

Remember: the best cure for any disease is prevention. By keeping your goldfish in a healthy environment, you reduce their chances of getting fatal goldfish disease symptoms. And it’s much easier to care for healthy fish than it is to treat sick goldfish.

How About You?

What sort of goldfish disease symptoms have you noticed? How did you treat your sick goldfish? Are there any goldfish care tips you can offer to help prevent infections? I’d love to hear from you!

The post Goldfish Disease Symptoms: 14 Early Signs that Your Goldfish Are Sick appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

Goldfish care can be difficult to get right, especially for a new pet owner. Yet millions of goldfish are bought each year.

It’s easy to see why.

Goldfish are a delight to watch as they bump against one another to chase after the next morsel of food, often nipping at fins and shoving their greedy mouths straight up to the water surface. And there are so many goldfish varieties, in all sorts of colors and shapes, that it’s hard to choose which ones to bring home!

Goldfish are the most popular domesticated aquatic life in the world and there are over 125 varieties – more varieties than any other fish species. – Carlo DeVito and Gregory Skomal, authors of An Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet: The Goldfish

Goldfish have their share of benefits. Simply watching their day-to-day activities can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and even improve how well you eat meals at the dinner table. That’s why you’ll usually see an aquarium smack in the middle of waiting rooms.

But sadly, most goldfish don’t live to see their first year. In fact, a majority die young!

Goldfish care requires so much more than simply filling an aquarium with water.

If given quality goldfish care and the proper environment needed to thrive, goldfish can actually live 10 years or more. And there are records where goldfish have grown to be over a foot long!

Our goal is to walk you through the process of raising goldfish that not only last, but flourish in their aquarium environment. If you want your goldfish to give you years of entertainment, you’ll need to get those basic requirements right. Because so many things can go wrong in a small glass bowl.

Complete Goldfish Care focuses on seven key areas.

Goldfish Care Tip #1: Set Up a Healthy Goldfish Tank

Maintaining a healthy aquarium environment where goldfish can thrive is crucial.

You’ll want to…

• Buy the largest aquarium you can afford
• Enhance the beauty of your aquarium with substrate, artificial or live plants, and aquarium ornaments
• Treat fresh water with a tap water conditioner
• Test the water on a weekly basis with a freshwater test kit
• And practice routine water changes

If you don’t look out for the health of your goldfish, your fish will become sick. And if you’re not too careful, stunted growth might be in your goldfish’s future, along with a host of other problems!

Goldfish, especially fancy varieties, are very susceptible to diseases if forced to live in unhealthy conditions. Prevent diseases before they can infect your fish by learning which goldfish tank to buy and how to keep it running.

Goldfish Care Tip #2: Discover Goldfish Types

Selecting the right goldfish types for your aquarium, personality, and lifestyle is the first step to keeping goldfish that thrive. And since all breeds have their own special goldfish care requirements, you should find out what those requirements are before you make the mistake of buying a fish you can’t keep.

Learn more about…

• Unique goldfish types available (and rarities too)
• Special eating patterns and diets
• How to establish a goldfish community
• And why goldfish shouldn’t be kept with tropical fish

Before going to the pet store, learn everything you can about the goldfish you’re interested in.

Goldfish Care Tip #3: Find Goldfish for Sale

Ready to buy your first goldfish? Or looking to compare prices?

If you purchase a goldfish from poor stock, one that’s already stressed out and exposed to disease, things may get ugly – quickly – once you take that fish home. Avoid the risk altogether and be aware of telling signs that something’s amiss.

Find out…

• Where to buy healthy goldfish
• How to buy goldfish online
• What goldfish cost
• All about goldfish breeders
• And signs that your goldfish are healthy before you make the purchase

Goldfish are so popular that it’s hard to find any pet store that won’t have them in stock. But you should know what you’re getting into before you visit the pet store.

Goldfish Care Tip #4: Buy Quality Goldfish Food

To feed your goldfish on a regular basis, you need goldfish food.

Don’t just buy the first brand you see either. To meet all of the nutritional and dietary needs of your goldfish, you’ll need to know what to look for.

Not all commercial brands are created equal. If your goldfish are malnourished, an overwhelming disease outbreak might be around the corner. Goldfish need particular nutrients to thrive. Young goldfish and many fancy varieties especially need protein-rich foods to develop and grow.

Goldfish are also ravenous scavengers. Many times, they’ll swim right up to the aquarium glass and nuzzle their noses, begging for an additional meal. But don’t let their begging antics fool you!

Goldfish have sensitive digestive systems. If fed too much too soon, there might be even bigger problems than a hungry goldfish.

Learn all about…

• Goldfish nutrition
• Recommended brands
• Foods unique for certain goldfish types
• How often to feed your goldfish and when
• And the importance of food variety

There are many different kinds of food available, but the key is finding the right brand for the dietary needs of your goldfish.

Goldfish Care Tip #5: Prevent Goldfish Diseases

Goldfish are hardy creatures. But even under the worst conditions, they can’t withstand disease. Don’t take their hardiness for granted – things will go downhill fast. And when your goldfish do get sick, it’s important to know how to treat goldfish diseases quickly and effectively.

Of course, it’s also useful to learn which diseases will potentially infect your goldfish before they get sick (and take measures to prevent possible outbreaks).

Get the nitty-gritty on…

• Which goldfish diseases to look out for
• Signs your goldfish is sick
• How to treat common goldfish diseases (and even rare infections)
• And how to prevent deadly outbreaks from impacting the aquarium

If your goldfish tank is properly maintained and regularly cleaned, chances are your goldfish won’t get sick at all. But if/when they do, you want to take action immediately.

Goldfish Care Tip #6: Explore Goldfish Breeding

Goldfish breeding is a fun and worthwhile experience if you’ve been raising goldfish for a while. You can even make a side income just breeding and selling goldfish fry (once they’ve matured of course). Goldfish breeding is also an incredible learning experience, and hatching your first batch of fry can be exhilarating.

Learn the fundamentals of…

• Goldfish breeding basics
• How to prepare your goldfish for mating
• How to hatch your first batch of fry
• What to do when those babies hatch
• And how to raise young goldfish

If you want to explore goldfish with different traits or even show off your goldfish at local shows, breeding is an excellent first step.

Goldfish Care Tip #7: Build a Goldfish Pond

Goldfish, like koi, are wonderful pond fish because of their large sizes and hardiness. Some goldfish varieties were even developed to be looked upon from above (celestial eye goldfish, for example).

But while most goldfish with streamlined bodies are fine kept in ponds, other fancy varieties do best indoors because of their sensitive, exaggerated features.

Get detailed advice on…

• Which goldfish types are best kept outdoors
• If a goldfish pond is right for you
• How to develop a pond environment
• How to care for goldfish in a pond
• What to feed your pond inhabitants
• And what to do over the winter before the pond freezes over

Keeping goldfish is a wonderful experience. But it’s up to you to take the actions necessary for long-lasting, healthy fish.

Since goldfish can’t care for themselves, they depend on you for their goldfish care. It’s up to you to maintain a healthy goldfish tank, feed your fish quality goldfish food, prevent (or treat) goldfish diseases, and even take your goldfish hobby to the next level by setting up an outdoor pond or hatching your first batch of fry.

Remember: You control the lives, happiness, and well-being of your goldfish. If you give these amazing creatures the goldfish care they deserve, they will thank you for years and years to come.

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