# Ugh- Goldies aren't doing well



## Mari (Jan 24, 2005)

I've now been treating with coppersafe for 5 days and things only seems to be getting worse on a daily basis.The ich looks like a powdery dusty coating now instead of traditional Ich like I've seen it before. The fish are all at the bottom just droopy though they have not stopped eating they do seem excited when food comes and swim up and around for a little while to eat. the temp has been consistently around 75 though its gotten close to 80 at times- never lower. My black moore-previously the happiest bully fish is hiding today underneath a plant where the other two had been hiding before- the other two have been in a different area but sometimes up at the top looking stressed. 

I haven't done water changes since saturday but I also didn't remove the carbon from the filter as the medicine bottle stated I didn't have to and I didn't think it would be a good idea for a goldfish tank to be without filtration for a week. I was thinking of doing a large water change in a couple days and starting the medication over but since they seem worse I was wondering what you would recommend?

I've had these guys for 7 days and all it has been is suffering  I was hoping they would get over this hump faster and survive, but it seems bleak now


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

i cant remember have you had your water tested? It may be time to try a mixed dose of medicines if you have the money to do it. there could be something else that are inflicting the fish and the ich is just their from the stress of it all. At work when i couldn't get rid of ich i thoght it was due to something else and coppersafe alone wasn't doing it so i treated with coppersafe, marycin pluss, melafix, and pimafix. at slightly lowered doses of each and they cleared up in a day. they also had fin rot and a fish lice on them(they were also fancy goldfish)


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## Mari (Jan 24, 2005)

So I looked in my tank today as I went to administer the last dose of coppersafe and looked at my moore. He is covered in a fungusy looking thing- to the point where he almost doesn't look black anymore- this guy, being my healthiest one or so I thought up until yesterday/2 days ago- the one that was most avidly swimming and picking on the big one. He is depressed, fungusy though still swimming up to eat as they all are. I had bought tetra fungus cure fizz tabs and I wonder whether I should just do a huge water change tomorrow and start those as I am out of coppersafe? or should I try pimafix or melafix or some other medication that would help them out? I know that the Ich is probably not all gone yet but I'm sure that now they all have that fungus, its just less visible on the other fish of course. I am a little weary of mixing meds but if you give me safe ones I can try I really want to save these guys! 

Thanks! 

Also- can I take my water to get tested even if there is all this medication in it? It won't affect anything?


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## sbetsy (Apr 6, 2010)

The powdery dust coating kinda sounds like velvet, not ich. But copper should get rid of that too.


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## Mari (Jan 24, 2005)

No its a white powdery cover not red. I think for sure that it is a fungus now that I am looking at the moore covered in it. Do you think I should try a fungus cure next? or mix meds?


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## pinetree (Nov 29, 2009)

Can you post some pictures?

It could be that the fish are so stressed from illness/water issues that they are making excess slime coat and that is what is giving them the appearance of white powdery coating. 

It could be columnaris (flex), which is bacterial in nature.

It could be fungus, although usually when a fish gets fungus it's usually in a particular spot.

Are you still salting the water? Unless the medications say otherwise, you might want to add 1 tsp per gallon of water to act as a mild antiseptic.

If it is flex, and it does sound like it might be, I've read that Maracyn Plus or Jungle Fungus Clear are effective. My fish have never had it so I don't speak from any experience.

Definitely get that water tested and have them give you the number values.


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## Mari (Jan 24, 2005)

Going to lose them for sure. My big one is going to die really soon actually he is just at the bottom and not eating today  that big water change is today and I will treat with the fungus tabs to try to save the others but I doubt they will make it unfortunately. I think I might just have to start over and do it right this time so that I don't have this issue again. I by no means am giving up on these guys I will still treat them and work on it till I lose them or not- Oh poor fishlets.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

It sounds more like Velvet to me, too.


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## pinetree (Nov 29, 2009)

One way to tell if it is velvet is to shine a flashlight on the fish and see if the coating has a yellowish or rusty sheen. Another symptom is flashing or scratching against objects.

Still if it is velvet I'd think the coppersafe should treat it? I'm not experienced with velvet.

I'd add 1 tsp of aquarium salt/gallon and add extra aeration to the tank if you can. I still suspect you have poor water quality due to possibly being uncycled and the salt will help if there are nitrites in the water. It doesn't sound good, but you might as well try to save them if you can.


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## Mari (Jan 24, 2005)

Lost one last night- oddly one of the ones I thought was going to make it because it didn't strike me as though he had that much growth on him. I think its is columnaris or a variation- I think I made a mistake in my description by calling it a powdery covering the second time I described it. I think the powder covering was when the Ich was still on the fish but I see no signs of Ich anymore only white growths. Today I noticed white on my biggest ones mouth too and my moore now has white stringy things coming out of his mouth. He appears to be the most heavily infected and I really do not expect him to survive. I did not add medication last night, I did a close to 80% water change and added 5 tablespoons of salt and I wasn't sure I should stress them out more by adding medication right away. I added maracyn plus about an hour ago. So far no difference- no one reacted to it negatively so far. Everyone just remained in their respective spots. I noticed yesterday while I did my water change that the little one now has swim bladder disease. He is struggling to stay upright and is just up at the top on his side but still alive. He was working on staying upright by laying under things and today he is still hanging around though sometimes is up at the top on his side. 

It really doesn't look good- but I'll keep trying. While treating with maracyn plus do I need to do water changes in between? should I remove the carbon from the filters? What would give these guys the best chance to survive?


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## Mari (Jan 24, 2005)

RIP goldies. my moore and the little one died between last night and this morning. I have one fish remaining but I doubt he will make it. I will definitely start over and do it right this time- fully cycle the tank and buy some goldies from a reputable LFS versus petsmart. I don't want to go through this again. 

Thanks everyone for all your help.


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