Powerful Tips On How to Diagnose, Cure And Prevent Goldfish Diseases
Often times, visible signs of illness are the result of preventable problems that have been going inside the aquarium for days or weeks. While you're sitting there reading this, you're going to learn what are the signs of a healthy goldfish, how to diagnose and treat illnesses and browse trough the most common goldfish diseases.
At the age of nine, I got my first goldfish. Shortly after two weeks, my little pet died. So then I asked myself: How do goldfish get sick?
Well, there are a few main areas that will ensure goldfish stay healthy. If these go wrong, all the problems that you hear about can occur.
Water Quality
Nothing affects the health of your goldfish more than the quality of their water. You cannot know what the water quality is like by looking at it. Ammonia levels may be toxic, even if the water looks clear. So clear does not mean clean.
Fortunately, water quality is the most important factor. Using a water change diary and doing a 20% change will handle a lot of these issues. Ensure that your tank is not overcrowded and allows your fish to grow.
Fish do suffer from stress just as we have a variety of "stresses" we suffer from. It is therefore helpful to look at the main factors that cause stress in fish. Just as stress can result illness in humans, so it can in fish.
Types of stress can activate certain goldfish diseases:
Toxicity Stress - is a direct result of tank overcrowding and poor water quality.
Behavioral Stress - factors include bullying by faster-swimming single-tail fish varieties, noise pollution, too much light, lack of space.
Hypoxia Stress - is oxygen depletion. Just as we need oxygen for respiration, so do fish.
Temperature Stress - "thermal shock" can happen to fish when fish keepers want to do a water change. Don't introduce water that is different in temperature than the original.
The one common problem beginners(and pros) make is trying to fit too many fish into an aquarium. Most successful fish owners start small and build up from there.
List of Common Goldfish Diseases
Click any of the links below to discover what causes a goldfish disease, how to diagnose, cure and prevent it:
- Anchor Worm
- Clowdy Eye
- Costia
- Cotton Wool
- Dropsy
- Finrot
- Flukes
- Hole In The Head
- Ich
- Lice
- Swim Bladder Disorder
- Trichodina
- Ulcers
- Velvet
- All About Salt Baths
General Diagnose-Treatment Table
| Problem | Signs | Action Required |
| poor water quality | goldfish are sluggish, water color is dark, gasping at the surface | change 30-40% of the water, vacuum gravel, use gravel cleaner and dechlorinate new water |
| low oxygen levels | goldfish gasping at the surface | change 30-40% of the water, use gravel cleaner and dechlorinate new water |
| rapid increase(or decrease) in water temperature | water is too hot and fish are slowing down. Can result fungus or Ich | changing 30-40% of the water, ensuring that the temperature of the new water is even. If fish are still, distressed, float a bag of ice cubes on the surface to bring down the temperature |
| over-feeding | fish are constipated, water is getting dark or has bits floating in it | only feed the fish once a day. Reduce the amount you feed them. Do a water change and clean gravel |
| constipation | sticky or trailing feces visible | add fresh fruit and vegetables to diet |
| overgrown of algae | tank is clowdy and hard to look into. Strong dark-green color. Fish gasping at the surface | move the tank away from sunlight. Use a magnetic scraper to remove excess algae. Do an immediate 40% water change |
| Swimbladder disease | a buoyancy problem. Fish float on the side at the top of the tank struggle to swim. Or at the bottom and struggle to get to the surface. Often caused by constipation | Follow the Swimbladder Resolution Protocol. Some fancy goldfish have genetic problems with their swim bladders, so extra care is needed with diet |
| white spot "Ich" | parasites attack goldfish and attach to them; not feeding well; small white dots appear on goldfish; rub against the side of the tank | move sick fish into a hospital tank and maintain steady water temperature of 85oF proprietary anti-parasitic treatment may be needed. Follow instructions closely and don't add more treatment then needed |
Signs of a healthy goldfish include:
- having a bright consistent color
- eagerly gobble food at regular feeding time
- gills move in a regular and even manner
- swimming gracefully
- shiny, even and clean scales, reflect light well
- shiny and clear eyes
- fins, upright and without rips or tears
- healthy goldfish respond to changes in vibration and light, feed quickly and consistently
Love to you,
Flo
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