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Hi, Yesterday my dad told me that he'd taken 3 dead baby goldfish out of our pond. I went out to get some water to test it and the water was fine-ish. NitrAtes were up slightly but not enough to wipe out 2 fish. i looked in the pond and found a baby goldfish struggling to breathe covered in fungus. I took my puffer fish out of my 15g and took in next door so i could use the tank. it has been 24 hours and At the present time i have two fish in the tank. I treated them yesterday with medication for fungus and fin rot. One covered in fungus and one that started with a small bit but has spread all over his tail. I am surprised to see that the one covered in fungus is still alive. i didn't think he would survive very long but is still managing to breath. is there anything else i can do exept waiting here hoping they don't die. it's a bit sad really because threw 10 years of having the pond last summer was the first time the goldfish bread.
If theres any more info you need about the pond just ask

Go and get some melafix or pondfix (same stuff, different dosages for the different size "tanks) and start treating the babies...keep up with the water changes, and probably need to either put the goldies back in the pond, or something larger than a 15...I used melafix on one of my goldies years ago when she got really sick and she pulled through...so go get the melafix or pondfix now...and start treating them...best luck, Heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

How big are these babies?

What is the temp where you are at right now (outdoor)?

What is the pond temp from which the fish came?

Can you post numbers for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH? I know you said "fine-ish", but lets have some numbers as they are easier to comprehend .

Thanks Diane, I knew I was missing something, I have just been way off for the past day or two...Test both the tank, and the pond waters and give us numbers, but do treat the goldies....Heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

I just wanted to know if these were babies that are like 1/4 inch (6.25 mm) or something along the lines of 1 inch babies.

Parameters are still a must.

Temperature is a big issue. Care must be taken not to expose the fish to a rapid increase or decrease in the same day. The most optimal temp change suggested is 1-1.5F daily. In extreme cases where there is an issue, you can go 4F max, but it should be spread out throughout 24 hours, not just abrupt. It is very shocking to them since their temp is governed by the environment.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 14-Mar-2005 09:51

i only have test kits for ph and no-2 sorry.
no2 - 0mg
Ph - 7.0

the fish are about 2 1/2

Just an update - unfortunately the fish with the most fungus died. However the goldie with a little fungus on his back and tail is doing ok. The fungus on his back has gone but unfortunately his tail has gone too. he swims ok but he has an open wound where his tail used to be. i treat him everyday with anti fungus and fin rot medicine and he seems to be improving. His colour is back and he's aclimatising to tank life.

The temperature hasn't changed much. The tank is in my garage so it is still very much depending on the enviroment.

Once he is well again i don't really want to put him back into the pond where he could get fungus again. Should i treat thew whole pond for it. None of the big fish have fungus just a few little ones which i am yet to net. Should i bulk them up for a year in my 2 foot or is it best for them to return to the pond? i think my 2 foot might stunt thier growth. Just incase anyone needs to know the 2 foot is 15g.
thanks

YOu can bag some water and have it tested at any fish store for free for ammonia & nitrates.

I was interested in the pond water temperature and the temperature of the air. I don't know what part of the world or region you are in to understand what season it is for your fish. If you can give those two temps it will be helpful.

Pond fish are typically treated in quarantine/hospital so that you do not have to mess up the pond filter. It will kill off the good bacteria. If your filter is running, I would not add much other than Pond Melafix, which will not harm the good bacteria in the pond filter. Anyone symptomatic should be treated outside of that pond either in a tank or in some other rubbermaid bin, or what ever you can find. I would then return them to the pond when they are well .

If it is spring and your pond has recently thawed and temperatures are above 50F consistently, then its possible fall debris has started to rot making alot of bad bacteria. If your pond is warmer than that throughout the year, then I'm inclined to wonder if the pond has become overstocked. Stress will bring on such conditions, as will parasites. Spring is a good time for pond parasites so watch for signs that any fish in the pond are scratching against objects or the gravel. If you see that, you may need to use treatment methods to kill the parasites that would by-pass your filter. But, evidence of parasite involvement is really needed as that is drastic for a pond.

For the fish with the tail that has rotted, I strongly suggest you gradually increase the salinity of the tank he is in, if it is only goldfish in there. Get some freshwater aquarium salt and predissolve 1 US tsp per gallon in a separate container. When it is fully dissolved, dribble it in. It is best if you can do it slowly over an hour or two. Repeat this two more days and the fish will be in a 0.3% solution. 0.3% can kill many parasites, but more importantly will prevent or help him through osmotic shock. This can happen with any opening in the skin or gill plate, especially if it is bloody. Start that quickly. Any new fish brought into quarantine should also be gradually subjected to the 0.3% salt solution. It will also hinder the fungus infection. But, they should not be just placed directly into 0.3% straight from the pond. It must be gradual. Large rubbermaid bins from the dollar store make good receptacles for treating pond fish. But, pull from the center of the stack and rinse it well without soaps or detergents. Fill with as much pond water as you can spare without taking too much from the pond and any refil should match the temp. If you prefill a second large bin with tap water, you can condition it and allow it to come to room temp so you can simply add to the container with a bucket, fresh water.

In addition to pond water temp and air temp, I'd like to know how big the pond is, how many fish are in it, and roughly the sizes of each, provided there aren't dozens.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 15-Mar-2005 13:38

Pond temp - Unkown (will find out tomorrow)
Air temp - Around 7c

I live in the south of england so it's not to warm I wish i could tell you how big the pond is and how many fish are in there but it's basically imposible. The pond was here when we moved in and it's curved plus i have no idea of the depth as it has a few drops in it. so obviously for me to even calculate the volume is going to be tricky. As to how many fish are in there, they have been added over a 11 years and have bred. From looking at the pond overstocking isn't an issue even with the new unexpected arrivals.

Thanks for the good advice. I'll go out at the weekend and buy some aquarium salt.