My Oranda goldfish looks sick. What's wrong and how do I treat it?

This could be bacterial or parasitic infection. It is difficult to determine definitively since the image provided is not clear. Fish can be difficult to photograph. Basic care includes checking water quality and chemistry. This can be done using a home test kit or by submitting a water sample for testing. The local Petco may do this for free or for a small fee. There should be an absence of ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20-60 ppm. pH should be as close to 7 as possible, avoiding large swings. Koi can tolerate a wide range in temperature, but generally do best between 65 F and 75 F. Again, avoid large swings in temperature to prevent stress or shock. If necessary, a partial water change can be done to stabilize chemistry and/or improve water quality. If you have other koi, consider placing this one in a hospital tank to make treatment easier and to prevent spread if the condition is infectious. Plain aquarium salt (NOT table or Epsom salt) can be used to reduce stress, improve gill function, treat minor infection and aid in recovery. Dissolve 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of water in a cup or two of tank water and gently pour it into the tank. Treat for 14 days then reassess the condition. If there is no change, consider a broad spectrum antibiotic or "all in one" treatment. Either can be found in the Aquarium section at Petco. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated. All that said, if the spots multiply and appear like tiny grains of salt, it could be an ich infection. In this case the entire tank will require treatment. There are several commercial ich medications that can be used. You will also need to thoroughly vacuum the substrate/gravel in the tank and wipe down all tank furniture.

Thanks for reaching out. Have you tested water quality for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Correct problems. Don't see any signs of external lesion on the pictures, except fine erosion, and possible gravid fish. A veterinary visit is probably needed to trouble shoot for disease. Randomly adding chemicals to the water could have detrimental effects. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about your aquarium and including photos. Did you test your water quality prior to the water change? Continue to test for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Pristine water quality is needed for health. Are any of the fish new, that could have introduced parasites? Itching/flashing can be due to water quality, external parasites, bacterial or viral infections and other causes. The white lesions on the photo could be fungal infections. A skin scrape and examination under the microscope (at a veterinarian's office) is needed for an attempt to determine a cause. Fungal infections are often secondary problems, so check water quality first. Good luck.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite concerning presentation and it is likely to be related to water quality. Begin by submitting a water sample for quality testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. Clinical examination should always include a water quality check, even if you have done so already. Water testing should be performed with a quality test kit, measuring NH4, NO2 and NO3. High ammonia levels, PH imbalances may be responsible for these signs. Oxygen concentration and quality of the filters should be determined as well. If water quality is good and there are no major imbalances, your fish should get examined to look for any sign of bacterial/fungal infection and eventually water should be treated. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for reaching out about Peaches and including photos. One concern would be a parasitic infestation, such as Ich. Contacting Petsmart to see what their recommendations are, would be a first start. A veterinary visit should be scheduled, a skin scrape to identify the parasite and recommend a treatment. If it is Ich, this requires a prolonged treatment over several weeks. Good luck.

This could be a bacterial or fungal infection. If there are other fish in the tank, trauma cannot be ruled out. if there are other fish, ideally Tiny should be removed to a quarantine or hospital tank for treatment. If not, you can treat Tiny in the main tank. First, confirm adequate water quality. You can use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. The local Petco may offer water testing for free or for a small fee. Aim for an absence (0ppm) of ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20ppm or less. perform partial water changes, no more than 30% total volume at a time, using conditioned and temperature matched water. Goldfish are cold water fish that do best between 68 and 74 F. The filter should be rated for at least twice the volume of the tank. Plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) can be used to reduce stress, treat minor infection and aid in recovery. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons in a cup or two of two of tank water and gently pour it in. Treat for 10-14 days then perform water changes to reduce salinity. Only treat the amount of water being replaced. More often than not, pristine water quality will allow recovery of minor infections or trauma. If necessary, you can use a broad spectrum antibiotic or all in one product, such as LifeGuard (Tetra) or All In One Remedy (Marineland), to treat the tank. You can find these products in the Aquarium section of the local Petco or online. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment.

Although a picture could be extremely helpful to determine the underlying cause more specifically this presentation could be due to a bacterial or a fungal infection usually. I would recommend to make sure water quality is good first of all. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. Then, as a general approach, I would recommend to set up quarantine tank: make sure the tank is well oxygenation and has some plants for hiding; - add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon; - add this product https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/4410/?pcatid=4410 as indicated; - leave your fish there and feed him regularly for 3-4 days until you don't see any improvement - If no results at all are seen after 4 days a check up would be needed as more specific tests may be needed to establish a specific diagnosis. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.