I did my routine tank checks this morning, all was fine. Came home, and one of my goldfish has white spots on his tail. I'd assume the other one does too, but his tail is mostly white so it's hard to tell. They are fancy fantail goldfish, the temp is 76 degrees (no heater) I have a heater if need be that is availible. I have quick cure, and I am going to the lfs soon, is there a better treatment for goldfish I can get?
Help please
- Thread starter OrkyBetta
- Start date
yeah salt 
Using salt (aquarium, kosher or pickling) is more natural and kinder to the fish. If its what you want to go with then you will need to add the salt to the correct solution and then turn the heat up to 80f.
Salt the tank by adding 1 level teaspoon per gallon for a 1% solution. 12 hours later do the same to get a 2% solution, and the same again 12 hours after that to get a 3% solution.
You must remove any live plants and keep this solution for a few days after the last spots go and then do small normal water changes to slowly get the water back to fresh again.
What you need to do whilst salting, is to do gravel vacs every 3 days of 50% to try and get rid of any cysts in the gravel.
When replacing the water remember how much you took out as you will have to replace the salt taken out. For instance, if you take out 10 gallons add 30 level teaspoons to the water.
If you need to top up due to evaporation then dont add salt.
If after all that you still want to use the meds you have then make sure you have lots of aeration and you keep the lights on the tank off, and raise the temperature to 80 as well.
Hope that helped
Are there no other fish in the tank apart from the goldies? no loaches?
Using salt (aquarium, kosher or pickling) is more natural and kinder to the fish. If its what you want to go with then you will need to add the salt to the correct solution and then turn the heat up to 80f.
Salt the tank by adding 1 level teaspoon per gallon for a 1% solution. 12 hours later do the same to get a 2% solution, and the same again 12 hours after that to get a 3% solution.
You must remove any live plants and keep this solution for a few days after the last spots go and then do small normal water changes to slowly get the water back to fresh again.
What you need to do whilst salting, is to do gravel vacs every 3 days of 50% to try and get rid of any cysts in the gravel.
When replacing the water remember how much you took out as you will have to replace the salt taken out. For instance, if you take out 10 gallons add 30 level teaspoons to the water.
If you need to top up due to evaporation then dont add salt.
If after all that you still want to use the meds you have then make sure you have lots of aeration and you keep the lights on the tank off, and raise the temperature to 80 as well.
Hope that helped
Are there no other fish in the tank apart from the goldies? no loaches?
I'd agree to an extent if this were regarding tropicals but you are better off getting yourself a comemrcial ich cure when it comes to goldfish. Raising the temp. up to 80 deg F (and often that's still not enough - depends on the ich strain) would be very stressful for goldfish and the result could be susceptibility to further illness that could even result in death. If you want to attempt the salt cure, go ahead, but I wouldn't risk stressing them any more than they already probably are.
Raising the tamperature for goldfish raises the immune system.
I decided to use my best judgement and put in half the reccommended doseage of salt (dr wellfish, 1 tbs per 5 gals, I put in 1 tbs per 10 gals because the ich is VERY mild, will up if need be) and used the commercial product I already had on hand, Rid Ich and put it in for a little less tha thte reccommended dose, because i figure some of the 30 gallons is taken up by gravel and decos. I added in all of the medicine slowly, including the salt. I don't want to raise the temps until I can afford to buy them a bubbler.
I wish you luck but i will say that ich wont be killed unless the salt is at a .3% solution and you really shouldnt mix salt with the meds. I dont know why but in my time spent researching diseases they dont work together. You should really go for one or the other and as the salt isnt strong enough then using the meds to full dose should be considered.
Without the heat the ich will take longer to clear, so i hope you only have a mild case of it. Keep the dosage going for a few days after the last spots go.
Fins crossed for you.
Without the heat the ich will take longer to clear, so i hope you only have a mild case of it. Keep the dosage going for a few days after the last spots go.
Fins crossed for you.
Thanks. It appears to be an extremely mild case, and with them being fancy goldfish I know how sensitive they are. I've always had luck, and have read, that aquarium salt can be mixed with any med. And my hope is that since so many strains of ich are resistant to salt, the ich will take care of it. If, in a couple of days i see no results, I will try adding more salt.
Are you saying the spots have gone after two days of adding the meds?
If so then you must do the full course as the spots will have probably just fallen off to burst open, and the meds can only work at the free swimming stage.
If so then you must do the full course as the spots will have probably just fallen off to burst open, and the meds can only work at the free swimming stage.
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
461 -
279 -
274 -
243 -
238 -
176 -
170 -
159 -
146 -
120 -
109 -
73 -
73 -
69 -
65