Topic: Sulking goldfish?

[tricia]

Can anyone tell me if there is anything wrong with one of my latest acquisitions? I bought a 7-8" (male I was assured!) goldfish a month ago. At first he seemed quite happy to mix with the other pond inhabitants but for the past week or so he is to be found on one of the ledges hiding in shallow water, facing the side of the pond, between two plant pots. He stays there for hours on end. There are no wounds to be seen and I have not seen any of the other fish annoying him. He's not eating either. Do goldfish sulk? What could be the reason for such strange behaviour?

Tricia

[maz]

Even though I have a couple of ponds I dont know much about fish.  ::)  Could it just be that its a nice warm part of the pond.

At the mo mine are sitting for hours with their head under lily pads and their bodies in the sun. I thought perhaps yours is doing the same thing in his own way.

[Roy Bham UK]

Goldfish are generally as tough as old boots, take him out and put him in a bowl of pond water and have a close look at him checking for damage to scales fins eyes, look out for fungus or parasites.

Did you buy him from a shop that keep fish indoors? where the water is considerably warmer as your pond water a month ago even in Paignton would be very cold. :(

This can cause fin congestion and shows on the fins as blood streaks and can be caused by a chill through moving the fish from warm to cold water. :(

The list goes on, I think a salt bath is worth a try it helps cure many ailments in fish and relieves stress that is another killer. :o

Keep him in a vessel near the pond mix 1 ounce of salt per gallon of pond water and leave for a week or two. :)

[Anthony]

Hi Roy,

I'm having similar symptoms with a koi I bought last summer.  Would I be correct to assume that this would be the best course of treatment for it as well?

thanks

Tony

[Roy Bham UK]

I know this may sound cruel and cold blooded (pardon the pun) but if your fish are large and expensive then I would suggest you take them to a reputable aquatics supplier for an expert medical check as there are so many reasons for a fish's ill health. :o

Tony, always check your water quality first, I fell foul of this one winter and regretted it >:( if that is OK then the fish will need treatment, your fish can come to no harm if you mix the correct amount of salt to salt baths, it reduces stress increases mucus over the body that protects them from disease. 8)

The problem with treating Koi in baths is that it is difficult to maintain water quality over a period of up to two weeks without a filter, this is why most koi keepers treat the pond and all the fish in it. :(

My ponds were not wildlife ponds but mainly Koi with goldfish, orfe, tench and rudd, I kept salt permanently in the water at a little under ½oz per gallon that also kept the nitrite toxicity in check. 8)

Worth a try before you take him to the vets. :o

[tricia]

<Did you buy him from a shop that keep fish indoors? where the water is considerably warmer as your pond water a month ago even in Paignton would be very cold>

The aquatics centre where I buy my fish keep the fish outside.

I tried to catch the sulking goldfish twice today and had a  salt-water tank prepared for him - but no go. He was just so fast and disappeared into the depths beneath the oxygenating plants each time. Now, when he sees my shadow he is down in the depths in a wink! I don't want to stress him - or the other fish - too much, so I'm going to the aquatics centre tomorrow to buy some Medifin and will try treating the whole pond.

I was advised not to use salt in the pond as it could damage or even kill the plants. Is this a fact?

Tricia

[Roy Bham UK]

The list goes on, I think a salt bath is worth a try it helps cure many ailments in fish and relieves stress that is another killer.

Keep him in a vessel near the pond mix 1 ounce of salt per gallon of pond water and leave for a week or two. 

I don't recall saying treat the pond, especially if it is to encourage wildlife, I said bathe the fish :o

I was advised not to use salt in the pond as it could damage or even kill the plants. Is this a fact?

Not sure as I have only one plant in my pond and that is a Thalia dealbata that has thrived in salt water since 1999. :)

[Anthony]

Thanks Roy,

The koi in question is only a small "pond mutt" aquired from the local garden centre last year for a couple of quid so although I've given the salt bath a try I'll not worry too much if he doesn't pull through.  I did notice when I caught him that he looked like he had started to show the initial signs of dropsy which I know is not good.

I'll see how he gets on after a few days and re-asses the situation then.

thanks

Tony

[Margaret]

Hi all.I suppose it all depends on getting a correct diagnosis on what is wrong with a fish,and even then ,like us humans,one treatment can work whereas another doesn't  even on the same problem.

Ii have never found salt to do any good,whereas the last 3 years i have dosed with medifin in the spring and it really has saved my orfe,who ,now they are getting old,lose their condition in the spring.

The only time i used salt i nearly ended up killing my tropical catfish,but it did do the trick.He came with a nasty parasitic skin infection after I got him from someone who had neglected him.It had to be a strong solution to work,which it did,but he keeled over just as the time was up(2 mins) and i thought he was a goner!! But at 14 years old he is still going strong.

I always reckon that if you can net the fish easily it is best to treat separately unless you have white spot or some other parasite which means you have to treat the whole pond.But if the fish is eating and swims around well then better to treat with something like medifin.I have never heard of salt treating dropsy,Tony but worth finding out first.

[Anthony]

Hi Margaret,

It would appear that from most the books and whatnot I have read then dropsy is pretty much untreatable but as I had already prepared the salt bath and I managed to catch him easy enough then I thought what the heck and in he went.

After the problems I had with losing fish last year I have become pretty much de-censortised to the odd fatality these days ::)