Frequent Aquarium Questions

• My angelfish have developed red eyes. What is it and how do I treat it?
  
  
• My bloodfin tetras have a problem with their mouths. They seem to get deformed, rot away, and the fish eventually dies. How do I treat this? Is it contagious?
  
  
• I have a goldfish that has a swollen belly. It appears to be eating normally but does stay isolated to one side of the pond.
  
  
• I have five different types of goldfish in a 29 gallon tank. One of them has started tearing up the fins of the other fish. Why is it doing this and what should I do?
  
  
• My angels, gouramis, and silver dollars are all losing their fins. They do not appear to be "nipping", and I see no cottony film nor anything that looks like ick. What would you recommend?
  
  
• I have a calico goldfish and noticed it floating belly up and slightly aggitated. It also has dark red spots at the gills. These spots are also in my other goldfish, too.
  
  
• My fish are fine for the first week or so when I first add them to the tank, then they start staying on the bottom of the tank and eventually die. What's the problem?
  
  
• My algae eater has developed a red spot on his head (below his eyes). It looks like it might be fuzzy, but it also looks like it might be a bleeding sore. How do I determine exactly what it is and then treat it?
  
  
• My Clown Trigger has recently started to lose his color and developing white patches on his scales. When I feed it, it eats, but it starts to twitch and dart around the tank. Please help me figure out what is wrong with it.
  
  
• Recently 3 of our 7 goldfish died in less than 2 hours due to an unknown condition. They had bloated stomachs and their bodies were coated with what seemed like cotton wool, also their scales were falling off. The remaining 4 fish had the same problem but did not die. Do you have any idea what my fish died from?
  
  

• My angelfish have developed red eyes. What is it and how do I treat it?
  
  This is most likely due to a bacterial infection of some sort. Eye infections such as this are most often caused by handling with coarse nets or by poor water conditions. Start by doing a partial water change, then treat with any type of broad-spectrum antibiotic.
  
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• My bloodfin tetras have a problem with their mouths. They seem to get deformed, rot away, and the fish eventually dies. How do I treat this? Is it contagious?
  
  This is a serious bacterial infection, sometimes called cottonmouth or "mouth fungus". It is often caused by injuries to the mouth, usually due to the fish running into the glass or being handled roughly, which then become infected. Poor water conditions can also be a factor, and in this situation it can sometimes be transmitted to otherwise healthy fish. Treat this with a broad spectrum antibiotic that lists this condition on the package. Medications that treat Fin and Tail Rot are also sometimes effective against this disease. It is important to note that although this disease is sometimes called a "fungus", it is infact bacterial in nature and will not respond to fungal remedies.
  
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• I have a goldfish that has a swollen belly. It appears to be eating normally but does stay isolated to one side of the pond.
  
  It's difficult to say for certain form you description, but it sounds like your fish may be sufferring from a condition called dropsy. This is typically caused by a bacterial infection and causes the abdonimal cavity to fill with fluid. Fish with this disease often become so swolen that their scales stand on end. If you see this, it is a sure sign that your fish has this infestion. It is easily treatable with any of a number of broad spectrum antiobiotics currently available on the market.
  
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• I have five different types of goldfish in a 29 gallon tank. One of them has started tearing up the fins of the other fish. Why is it doing this and what should I do?
  
  It is not unheard of for a goldfish to turn aggressive. This is sometimes due to a male entering the breeding season, but may be the result of other factors. Your best bet in this situation is to remove the offending animal.
  
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• My angels, gouramis, and silver dollars are all losing their fins. They do not appear to be "nipping", and I see no cottony film nor anything that looks like ick. What would you recommend?
  
  This sounds like a bacterial infection called Fin-and-Tail Rot. This is often brought about by improper water conditions, so check your tank's temperature and perform a partial water change. The next step is to treat with some form of antibiotic medication that lists this disease among those it treats. I have found Melafix to be an effective cure for this.
  
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• I have a calico goldfish and noticed it floating belly up and slightly aggitated. It also has dark red spots at the gills. These spots are also in my other goldfish, too.
  
  Calico goldfish often have translucent gill covers, which allows you to see the red color of their gills. If the spots you described have been there since you brought the fish home, it may well be that it is normal coloration. If the red spots you are seeing have appeared recently, then perhaps your fishes' gills have become inflamed for some reason. In that case, high ammonia levels are the most common culprit. This is usually the result of overfeeding and/or overcrowding. The goldfish floating upside down at the surface can also be a sign of overfeeding. If the goldfish eats too much, the food will start to decay in its stomach faster than it can be digested. This produces large amounts of gas, which cause the fish to float in this manner, and will usually kill the animal. Start by performing a large water change, and reduce the amount of food you are giving your goldfish.
  
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• My fish are fine for the first week or so when I first add them to the tank, then they start staying on the bottom of the tank and eventually die. What's the problem?
  
  Sounds like you have a new tank and are trying to start with too many fish. The rule is 1" per gallon and you should start with no more than 25% of the total capacity of the tank. However, without more information, it would be impossible to tell if that is really the problem. What you describe could also be caused by low temperatures.
  
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• My algae eater has developed a red spot on his head (below his eyes). It looks like it might be fuzzy, but it also looks like it might be a bleeding sore. How do I determine exactly what it is and then treat it?
  
  It sounds like it got an open sore and fungus is developing. Your bets solution would be to treat it in a separate tank with Aquatronics Spectrogram.
  
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• My Clown Trigger has recently started to lose his color and developing white patches on his scales. When I feed it, it eats, but it starts to twitch and dart around the tank. Please help me figure out what is wrong with it.
  
  Sounds like marine Oodinium, a one-celled parasite. The best treatment would be copper sulfate at a concentration of .20 ppm for 14 days.
  
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• Recently 3 of our 7 goldfish died in less than 2 hours due to an unknown condition. They had bloated stomachs and their bodies were coated with what seemed like cotton wool, also their scales were falling off. The remaining 4 fish had the same problem but did not die. Do you have any idea what my fish died from?
  
  That is a severe internal bacterial infection known by the common name of "dropsy" which really just describes the condition and not a specific bacteria species. Goldfish are particularly susceptible to this problem which affects fish that are overcrowded and kept in dirty tank conditions. Goldfish need a lot more room than tropical fish. A good rule of thumb is one fish per 5 to 10 gallons of water. Excellent filtration should be used and regular partial water changes done every two weeks.
  
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