Help .. Sick Fish

[redshoe]

My little goldfish seems to have developed a soft gray film all over his body, eyes, mouth. like a snake molting and shredding it's skin. It's fuzzy like cotton. It's shredding and falling off and I also noticed that his fins seem to be shredding as well...like just flaking off. I've read all the fish disease and can't find anything that matches this exactly.

He also seems to just stay at the bottom, but then gets a burst of energy and swims around. He's eating ok. hasn't lost interest in food.

Help What should I do? What is this disease? This just started happening today and seems to be rapid.

[JohnL]

Hi redshoe,

Sorry to hear about your sick fish. I am moving this thread to the correct forum so that hopefully you will get some help from our resident fish experts.

In the interim, have you taken a look at our Disease Treatment Archives to see if there is a similar case that has been discussed?

Wait a minute...... did you say goldfish??? :eek1:

[redshoe]

Yes, it's your simple basic goldfish.

the only fish I have.

[billsreef]

Hi redshoe,

We're basically a salt water fish and reef forum here. But having been a long time fish hobbiest and LFS employee I can still help you out ;)

Basically if it is fuzzy like cotton candy it is a fungus. This is best treated with malachite green. If you can't find malachite green any where it can also be found as one of the 2 ingredients in the common FW ich medications Rid Ich and Quick Cure. You need to treat at the rate of one drop per gallon daily for at least week.

The real trick however is determining how and why the fish got a fungal infection as they are usually a secondary infection. The first question is what kind of tank and filtration set up do have? Any tank mates? How often and how much so you feed? How long have you had the fish?