Common Goldfish Gone White?

[Kasia80]

I have 30 l tank with two common goldfish for 2 years now (I know it's getting cramped in there, curently working on new home for them ) and recently I started to notice one of them is losing colour. I feed them with Tetra Goldfish Premium Goldfish foods. Today it seems to be all white.
Otherwise she acts as normal, eating well, active, all levels of water are fine.
Any ideas why?
TIA

 

[Truck]

does the tank get light for more than a few hours a day? I don't mean tank light, I mean any light at all.

Probably going to be a healthy problem, get the goldfish into a pond in the next month or so, and they'll grow like crazy for a few months, they'll possibly be stunted, and if they are the growth will resume very quickly when they're moved into a pond.

The fish going pale is going to be some form of stress, be it cramped living conditions or excess ammonia/nitrite (test if possible)

 

[kelly528]

Yeah tests would help a lot.

Also how fast did they go white? Tetra is not the best food and without fluorescent lights it could be loss of pigmentation. That being said rapid loss of color (ie over a few days) is a distress thing.

 

[Kasia80]

does the tank get light for more than a few hours a day? I don't mean tank light, I mean any light at all.

Probably going to be a healthy problem, get the goldfish into a pond in the next month or so, and they'll grow like crazy for a few months, they'll possibly be stunted, and if they are the growth will resume very quickly when they're moved into a pond.

The fish going pale is going to be some form of stress, be it cramped living conditions or excess ammonia/nitrite (test if possible)

Hi
yeah, they have tank light on for 5 h (timer) and plus light coming from window/ room light, thought they are not in direct sun light- if that makes sense. After the tank light goes off they still get a bit of light, minus night ofcourse.
The other fish is fine, still deep gold colour. Both of them did grow a lot over the winter Hopefully soon they will be able to go to their new home.
I have only Tetra test strips, everything came within the range, I test every 3 days or so, last test yesterday.

Yeah tests would help a lot.

Also how fast did they go white? Tetra is not the best food and without fluorescent lights it could be loss of pigmentation. That being said rapid loss of color (ie over a few days) is a distress thing.

Hi, It took few weeks, didn't happen over night- started with stripes, seemed like white from tummy spreads up.
Feel really bad now

 

[kelly528]

Started with stripes? Weeeird.

Bring your water to a pet store and have it tested with liquid test kits. Those strips are absolute junk. And make sure you get the actual numbers, don't just take 'the water's fine' for an answer... some pet store's idea of 'fine' water would make your hair stand on end!

 

[Kasia80]

Started with stripes? Weeeird.

Bring your water to a pet store and have it tested with liquid test kits. Those strips are absolute junk. And make sure you get the actual numbers, don't just take 'the water's fine' for an answer... some pet store's idea of 'fine' water would make your hair stand on end!

Thanks- I've decided and I'm getting master kit tomorrow esp that I have other tank, with tropical fish.
I did 1/3 water change and both fishes seem fine. I really really would hate if anything would happen to them, we have them for 2 years now and they are like members of family to me

Can you recommend good goldfish food?
x

 

[paw-paw]

goldfish do change their colors. It is not unusual at all for a previosuly red and white fish to become completely white...Even if kept in ponds.
But your tank really is too small...So an upgrade would be very welcome. But if the fish acts normally and eats normally and doesn't have any torn fins or signs or ilness than i wouldn't worry...

As for good food: try Hikari, but I also feed mine Nutrafin, Tetra and Sera as a staple diet. But I also add veggies, spirulina tabs, bloodworms, tubifex, daphnia...They need varied diet just like any other fish.