# Please Help Little Oranda



## brondie (Jun 6, 2006)

Hi,

Need urgent help. My Oranda which I have had for five days has a white cotton like thing on its red cap and I can see two very tiny ones as well. Orando is swimming well and eating fine and does not look ill at all. Am really worried.
What is this?
Is it treatable and how? How long will the treatment last? 
I do not have an isolation tank and there are two other fancy goldfish with him. Do I treat them all together? If I need to isolate what can I do? Can I put the other two in the 55 G tank with other tropical fish? Will the other fish chase them or the water temp not be right and the food not OK?
Sorry for ever so many questions....but I need help.
Live in London UK so may not be able to get the same name of medicine here but can try.
Thanks for all your help..........


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

First........ NO don't move the other fish to the 55.

Read down this list and see which fits the closest......
http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/fish_diseases/skin_disorders.html

Then tell us which you think it is.
Adding a little salt will help... non iodized, and 1 Tablespoon per gal to start.
We'll go from there.


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## brondie (Jun 6, 2006)

Hi Sue,

Thanks for your reply. None of the skin diseases in the link fit. Just a tiny blob of white, like a cotton blob on the red cap and the 2 very tiny ones. Could it be a fungus? Do I add ordinary non iodised salt and for how many days? Will it affect the filter bacteria and other fish? 
I checked the ammonia levels and they are high today. 1.25 so am doing 25% water change daily and adding 5mls live bacteria.
Hoping to hear from you soon
Many thanks......


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

Well brondie,
Its sounds to me like he has a decay fungus. It happens to Orandas when they are fed floating foods. When they come to the top to eat, a piece may get lodged in the folds of their bubbly head, then get infected. Its not contagious. Its kind of like a fungus that would grow on fish eggs. The best way to help him sounds bad, and causes a little pain, but no more then your mom cleaning a scraped knee. Net him out, and using a soft tooth brush and hydrogen peroxide, brush it off and well... basically open the infected area. Then just put him back in the tank. You need to do this quickly, as we all know they cant breath to good out of water. 
As far as your ammonia levels, sounds live your Bio crashed. Do you have a creek near you? go get some slimy/bio covered rocks, rinse them lightly in the creek and put them in your tank. Live plants will help too. Remember to never rinse anything in un-dechlorinated water. 
Keep doing your daily water changes, but dont rinse the filter media or anything else till the ammonia and Nitrites go back to 0
I hope this helps, take care


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## brondie (Jun 6, 2006)

Thanks again Sue,

I will do what you suggest, Yes lil one is being fed goldfish flakes......will let you know how it all goes. Just got up and he is swimming fine and seems well. The white spot is still there. Am going to change the water before going to work and then again this evening when I am back. Love the lil ones and do not wish to loose them.
Regards,
pam.


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## brondie (Jun 6, 2006)

Sue,

Lil oranda was fine this morning. The white cotton thing now looks like a wound and you were right it probably is what you said.
Could not find any non iodised salt but have bought some sea salt. Will that be fine? Do I put salt in every day and for how long? When do I do the next water change and will the salt be harmful for the other two goldfish?
Thanks for all your help


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

Sea salt is fine, you only want to add with the water changes, to the per gallon equivalent of the amount of water you add. Salt does not dissipate or evaporate, so it would just keep building to a very high dose that you could put sea creatures in.
If the wound looks like its opened itself up and draining, you don't have to worry about cleaning it, but if it looks worse, I would clean it.
It wont hurt the other goldies, and its only temporary. The salt will help them develop a better slime layer, and a better defense.


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## brondie (Jun 6, 2006)

Sue,

Been very brave and done what you suggested. Had the lil one in the net slightly underwater whilst my husband used the toothbrush. The wound is now open and the white cottony fluff gone. Put sea salt in the water. Do I have to add more tomorrow morning or once a day and how much? For how many days do I add salt and do I change any water? If the water is to be changed how much and when?
Many apologies for asking ever so many questions.....you diagnosed the problem and need your expert help get the lil one back to normal again. He/she seems fine otherwise; the ammonia nitrite levels are still not down and bothers me. Amazing how one gets to love and care for these darling fishies.
Much appreciated....
Regards,
pam.


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

You only add the salt once.

You can keep doing your daily water changes, if you take out 1 gal of water, you replace it with 1 gal of fresh & 1 tablespoon of salt. After a week, dont add anymore salt at all, the water changes will slowly remove the salt from the tank, and everything should get back to normal.


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## brondie (Jun 6, 2006)

Hi Sue,

Report on lil one.....he is doing fine. There is like a tiny ulcer thing on his red cap but the cottony white stuff is not there. Changed 2 gallons water this morning and added the required amount of salt. Will do this for a week; the nitrite levels are coming down.
Another question....is it OK to add some aquarium salt to both tanks as a routine. Believe salt is good for the fishies. Have some loaches in the big one. If so how much?
Thanks again for all your help and advice.


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

That's great brondie, I'm glad hes doing good!! Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, we went to our mountain cabin for the weekend.

No, I would not add salt to your tanks as a regular regime that would turn your tanks into a Brackish tank, and most tropicals can not handle it for very long periods. It's great when they need a little help from certain problems. But not for long periods. There are fish like guppies and Mollies that like a little added salt. But most tropicals don't.


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