From: jangerma@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Jake Angerman)
Subject: Goldfish woes (LONG)
Organization: THE Ohio State University
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 02:12:08 GMT


I have a problem with my goldfish.  It seems that they are all getting
some sort of finrot or fungus.  I have three large veiltails and two
comets.

After cycling the tank for a couple of weeks after I bought it, I
purchased two comets ("Bill" and "Ted") to prime the undergravel
filter.  All was going well for about a month.  Then I noticed Ted had
a slight tear in his tailfin.  It got worse after three days or so, so
I moved him to a 10 gallon hospital tank and gave him Tetracycline for
five days.  He recovered wonderfully so I put him back in the main
tank.

I then bought 3 beautiful veiltails and also put them in the main tank.

Then Ted got sick again (note: Bill was still unaffected).  I moved
Ted back to the hospital tank, but now he is doing poorly.  I have
tried both Tetracycline and MarOxy, but I don't think it's helping.
I think he is suffering from a fungus infection.  There are little
cotton-like balls on his fins from which long, stringy white stuff
trails.  This is only on his fins, not his body.  His body looks a
little swollen, too.

I figured that the problem was only with this fish, as my other four
fish in the main tank were doing okay.

Then I looked in my tank today and one of the veiltails has a small
tear in his fin!  Another is starting to get small crescent shaped
wounds on his tailfin, so I know I'm in for trouble.  Bill, the other
original comet, is still fine.

Here are the specs of my tank:

size: 70 gallons.
filtration: two Penguin 550 powerheads for undergravel filter (3"
	    of gravel), Magnum 350 canister filter.  Cannister filter
            is refreshed monthly with carbon and floss.  I did not
	    introduce any pet store water when I brought home the fish.
pH: 7.4 
ammonia: my test kit says there is none (I change the water
         religiously, about 40% every two weeks).  There is no odor.
temp: 70 degrees, the temperature of my apartment.  My fish book (_The
      Complete Fishkeeper_ by Levine - an excellent book BTW) says
      that goldfish like temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees.
food: I feed twice daily, about three pinchfulls.

I have 5 theories about what I'm doing wrong:

1) The filtration is too powerful.  The outtake of the powerheads and
cannister filter water is causing the fins to rip and then the fish
suffer from a subsequent infection.  I've never actually *seen* this
happen to my fish -- you would think that the fins would be damaged
*immediately* upon entering the tank, not after one month.  They seem to
like the water movement. (I figured at the time I bought the tank that
the more filtration, the better.  The price differential between the
above filtration and the next smaller sizes was so small that I opted
at the time for the more powerful setup.)

2) I am over/under feeding them.  They get sick because of over/under
nutrition, and then suffer a subsequent bacterial infection.

3) The water quality is actually poor but I'm too stupid to realize
it.  I have a diatom cartridge with the Magnum.  Would polishing the
water get rid of any nasties?

4) The temperature is too high.  The fish get stressed and get sick.
Should I try to lower it?

5) The pH of 7.4 is not right for goldfish.

Those are my theories.  What am I doing wrong?
- - - - -                                                           - - - - -
Jake Angerman                                       email: Angerman.1@osu.edu
THE Ohio State University                           phone: (614) 292-1741  
College of Business Computing Services Center         FAX: (614) 292-1651

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