# sick goldfish



## something_fishy (May 15, 2005)

I have just returned from work to find one of my goldfish looking reallly really sick, to the point that i think i may have to do the right thing and put it down. I'm having problems identifying what the cause might be. I have ruled out water parameter issues (p.H 7.9, nitrites 0, nitrates 0, ammonia 0) and the other fish in the tank look perfectly healthy. It is sitting on the bottom of the tank not moving very much at all and it's eyes have sunk back into its head. The fish is white which makes it quite difficult to actually see any problems on its body, but it's colour has definately dulled and its scales look a bit tatty. Otherwise fins etc look in reasonably good order. Could it be a bacterial infection?
I have isolated it from the rest of the fish just in case it is contagious.
Unfortunately it looks so sick that i don't think there is any chance of a recovery, but i'm worried that it may spread to the rest of the tank.
Advice would be appreciated, Thanks!


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

It's eyes have sunk back into it's head? YIKES.

Well , this does sound very bad indeed. it could be an infection, and probably is, but whether it's the primary cause of the proublem or a secondary infection we may never know.

Eyes sunk into it's head? What exactly do you mean by that? Is this a goldfish with normally big protruding eyes which have gone "flat," or is this a normal-eyed fish with sunken eyes?

It might have lost a lot of fluid, perhaps to an internal haemmorage, or maybe to a wound to the eyes? 

You can try a course of treatment with something strong like Maracyn, but it sounds iffy. 
What are the other fish?


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## something_fishy (May 15, 2005)

All my goldfish are comets.
It's eyes just look flat, much more so than usual, it really looks very odd! One is more so than the other. I think it is probably likely that it has lost fluid somehow, it looks very emmaciated although it's appetite only went over the last day or two.


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## ALFA WOLF (May 24, 2005)

What do u mean by lost fluid?


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## something_fishy (May 15, 2005)

The fish did die in the end - shame. But it was the oddest thing i have seen in a long time, it went a very odd colour just before it finally popped it - like a transparent purple, REALLY strange considering it was always albino (white with red eyes!). 
I think it must have been some sort of major internal haemorage. Altogether a bit odd for my liking...whatever it was it was NASTY and i definately do not want it spreading to the rest of my tanks.

Don't think i'm likely to ever find out exactly what it was, but if anyone can come up with any suggestions i would be hugely greatful.


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## ALFA WOLF (May 24, 2005)

u shoudl hve looked it up to find out if it was somthing like that causes fish to suffer to death or kills slowly. If that wzs the case i woudl have taken it to a LFS and asked them and they confirm it then i woudl have had it euthanized, but only if u know it will be a horrible death. NO fish animal or human shouldl have a death like that.


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