Pompom Fish...lost An Eye?

[Robyn1012]

Hi there,

We have a "Pompom fish", not sure if it's the correct name, but like below:
http/www.petforum.com/images/oranda_choco_pompom_w270.jpg

My mother picked him out, but one of his "nasal lobes" was much larger than the other. I know you're suposed to look for them with mainly equal nasal lobes, but my mother didn't know this.

Anyway, his nasal lobes disappeared. The small one first, then the larger. Now, one of his eyes are gone He is acting normal, eating, etc. but I'm wondering if something could be wrong with him, or if anyone's had experience with this.

Thanks!

Edited to add the form thing;

Size of aquarium/pond - 35 gallons
Types of fish - Koi, different types of goldfish(a moor, bubble eye, orandas, telescope, etc)
Number of fish and sizes - 10-11
Filtration used and how do you clean it and how often - Not sure exactly(mother does this), but we got a new filter recently.
How much in the way of water changes and how often -- We don't change the water often at all, it stays pretty clean and our fish rarely get sick.
Do you dechlorinate - no
Symptoms of sick fish ie, spots, behaviour, etc - Lost his eye, no other symptoms.
How long has the fish been sick and which medications are your currently using or recently used - N/A

 

[GoldLenny]

To help us help your your fish, we will need to know a bit about your fish and set up.
Please take the time before posting to copy and paste this into your thread and answer as many questions as you can.
If you dont have test kits then most pet stores can test a sample of water for you. Always ask them to write the values down.


Size of aquarium/pond -
Types of fish -
Number of fish and sizes -
Filtration used and how do you clean it and how often -
How much in the way of water changes and how often --
Do you dechlorinate -
Symptoms of sick fish ie, spots, behaviour, etc -
How long has the fish been sick and which medications are your currently using or recently used -
Test results for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph both from the tap and tank -
Anything else you need us to know -

 

[aquila]

I'm hoping that's a typo and you're not keeping all those fish in a 35 gallon!

Koi and fancy goldfish are highly incompatible - koi require vast gallonages only provided by large outdoor ponds with good filtration, whilst fancies are almost always only suited to an indoor aquarium. Koi will pick on and eat fish smaller and slower than they are which is probably what has happened to your fancy.

Have you ever tested your water? Weekly water changes are absolutely essential. If there really are 11 fish in a 35 gallon tank, the water parameters are likely to be off the scale and contributing to a general level of stress on the inhabitants of the already cramped tank, which could exacerbate agressive behaviour.

My advice to you would be to separate immediately any 'regular' shaped fish, such as koi, common and comet goldfish from the fancy shaped ones to prevent any further injuries. Secondly you need to consider how many fish and how many gallons of water you have - goldfish require around 10 gallons a fish as a minimum amount, preferably much more. Even the little fat fancy ones can grow in excess of 9 inches long and about twice as much around and they produce a vast amount of waste, all of which is polluting the water - it appears clean but may in fact have near lethal levels of ammonia.

 

[Yazan]

Do you have a chineas alage eater in your pond. I heard when they grow they become nasty and will try to suck out a fish's eye.

 

[black angel]

the koi or goldfish would have attacked him.
too many fish in a small tank as koi need at least 250 gallons each to grow properly. if you dont do something with your fish then the poor pompom wont have any eyes at all.
take your koi back to the store or find a pond for them and the goldfish.
fantails shouldnt be mixed with faster sleeker fish as they become bullied and get killed.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I agree with the others- its most likely the pom pom was attacked by the koi, fancy goldfish should never be mixed with slim type goldfish or koi since they have no defence against them and once bullying starts, the fancy goldfish often suffer badly.

My main advice to you is to rehome the koi (a fish which can easily grow to over 2ft long has no place in a 35gal tank)- the tank is really only large enough for 3 fancy goldfish maximum (all fancy breeds of goldfish can potentially grow to 6-8inches long), by reducing the amount of fish you have in there you will improve their quality of life by miles.
I would also strongly advise buying some dechlorinator/water conditioner and start doing 30% once weekly water changes- although goldfish are often as tough as old boots, its no reason to put them through any unesarsary stress or suffering from lack of proper tank maintanence or lack of thought/care put into the tanks stocking.
You should always thoroughly research any fish you buy before you get them (and this does not mean asking the people at the store if the fish are fine- most petshops will sell you anything given half a chance) and make sure your tank can actually fit them in the first place .

 

[Yazan]

Is it okay to mix a fantail with a shubankin.

 

[GoldLenny]

I don't think any round-bodied goldfish should be mixed with long-bodied goldfish, even though some people do it. It's too hard for the round-bodied species to compete for food and they can be harassed too easily and not be able to get away due to their much slower swimming abilities.

 

[Robyn1012]

Thank you all very much! I am not really the "fish person", but I've written out all of your advice to pass on to my mother, and I am sure she will learn a lot.

If it helps, our Koi stay in an outdoors pond during the warm months, so I'm sure she will change their winter situation as well after reading the coments.

I've tried to research any of the fish we have, however that was always after we already had them, as my mother doesn't think they need much. Thanks again, I hope this helps her!