# Black Moor with Various Symptoms



## ank1214 (Mar 20, 2010)

I have a black moor that is a few months old. When I woke up this morning I found him stuck to the side of my filter, so assuming he had died, I put in the net to scoop him out. To my surprise he was still alive.

He seems to be unable to swim - I liken it to a person that has had a stroke. One side of his body seems okay - the other he can't seem to control. 

I assumed he was on his way out so I netted him out of the tank and placed him in a large jug of water with the proper water conditioner and some aquarium salt. I set him in my sunny windowsill and fully expected that he would have passed by the time I came home this afternoon. He was floating on the top kinda sideways.

To my surprise, when I got home, he was still alive. He was no longer floating on the top, but just below the surface. He had righted himself, but was still unable to swim. I also noticed that he had stringy, white, cottony somethings on the side that he is unable to use. 

I looked at some different websites but none of them had quite the description I was looking for. It doesn't appear that there are any sores, blood or salt like specs. His fins don't seem to be deteriorating. 

The fish lives in a 10 gallon tank with 2.5 guppies (one is a baby), a fancy goldfish that looks like him but different colors, and two zebradanials. None of the other fish seem to be experiencing the loss of body function or have the white stuff. The tank has a water filtration system and a heater that keeps the tank at 78 degrees (it only has one temperature). I use aquarium salt for the guppies.

Any suggestions of what my fish may have? I appreciate any answers.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

First test the water quality, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. You'd think that poisoning wouldn't take one fish at a time, but it can. 

This partial paralysis is a really bad sign for a fish, but its not very diagnostic, lots of diseases cause it. And the fish will probably die in a day or two. The string stuff is more likely to be a good clue. Sounds like fungus or something bacterial that looks like fungus like columnaris (nasty), but could also be injury, shredded skin or scales because of the swimming problem.

Check out sites like http://fishyfarmacy.com/ and see if the charts help. 

I would probably isolate the fish and treat with one med at time. If it looks like fungus, I might try quickcure (malachite green and formylin). If you think it could be bacterial, maybe a maracyn/Maracyn II combo. 

The warm temps of the tank aren't ideal for goldfish, but are seldom an immediate cause of death.

Even though I think the fish will die soon, I would still try treating. If you find that something does or doesn't help you will be one step closer to a cure if your other fish get sick.


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## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

Really, your goldfish need 20 gallons for the first and 10 gallons for every goldfish afterward. This is because of the sheer amount of waste the produce. You need to check your Nitrates Nitrites and Ammonia. To do this you need a test kit. The API master test kit is a good one. Good Luck with your fishy.


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## pinetree (Nov 29, 2009)

Fancy goldfish aren't great swimmers and it's possible that he just simply got stuck to the filter intake, injuring him. Some goldfish keepers put DIY protective coverings around the filter intake to prevent this. 

He might be diseased, but it could be that his paralysis is just the result of the injury and that the white stuff is extra slime coat his body is producing to protect the injured portion. 

Do you have a hospital tank you can put him in? I'd do that and salt the water at 1 tsp/gallon aquarium salt while you observe him for more signs of disease.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2010)

try feedin him boiled shelled peas. lemme know how it goes.


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## ank1214 (Mar 20, 2010)

I appreciate all of your advice.

Unfortunately, I don't have another tank to put the fish in. I was worried that he might get too cold or not have enough oxygen, so i swapped half of his water last night and put him on top of the refrigerator to give him a little heat. I also cleaned out my fish tank, and changed about 60% of the water just in case.

He is looking a lot better this morning - the white stringy stuff appears to be scales that were injured by the filter. He is still not very good at swimming, but he's moving everything and staying upright and not floating on the top (nor is he laying on the bottom). From what I've read it sounds like swim bladder disease.

However, as I was examining him this morning, he has one little spec of blood in one of his eyes. He can still see okay, his eye is not cloudy or swollen. I did some quick searching this morning and found that his eye could explode? I surely hope not.

I'm going to the pet store today to get him some different food, get another opinion, and get a water testing kit. Hopefully he and the rest of my fish will be okay.


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## Cacatuoides (Feb 2, 2009)

unless it is like freezing in your house your goldfish won't get to cold. They are suppose to be kept at room temp without a heater anyway. Feeding him the shelled peas will help him swim better.


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