# Sudden problem - would appreciate help please



## PaulMidsUK (May 5, 2009)

Hi folks
Great forum!
I have an outdoor pond in the UK, around 400gallons with bio filter and small waterfall, built around 17 years ago. Being Springtime here, the weather has been warming up lately and the fish becoming more active. The pond houses two Ghost Carp around 10yrs old and 12" long. There are some marginal plants, reeds and a couple of water lilies. Every year frogs make it their home and tadpoles emerge, most are eaten by the fish I think, but enough survive to make adult frogs. Nitrate, Nitrite and ammonia test ok, and the fish are behaving normally. A month ago I noticed a small whitish gel-like appearance on a quarter-inch section in the middle of the top fin of just one of the fish. The local fish centre suggested it was carp pox - apparently common here in the springtime, and I treated the pond with the correct dose of Acriflavin (a pond antiseptic / antibacterial treatment). No difference, so I treated again 10 days later. Still no difference.
One of the fish has a tendency to hover at a 35% angle when resting, head down and with part of the tail fin flat on the surface. It's done that for years and doesn't seem at all bothered by it, its behaviour is otherwise perfectly normal and active. Today I noticed that the part of the tail fin that normally rests on the surface is covered with a gel-like semi-clear whitish coating, more noticeable between the "lines" of the tail. It's odd that it's only on the "air-exposed" part of the tail. It extends almost to the body and is around one square inch total. The other side of the affected area (the other side of the tail) isn't affected - only the "exposed" side. It wasn't there two days ago.
These are beautiful fish - I'd truly appreciate the advice of the forum members. Thank you.


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