Fishy Advice??

[Marlin]

Hey y'all


I'd seen there had been a couple of fish (pet) related threads here, and wondered if I might pick the fishy brains out there!


One of my comets, Zippy Robinson (yes, they have names) seems distended to one side? It's odd, and I've noticed it over the last week. Any ideas? My other fish are fine; Zippy was born of the original frisky, fiendish fish in the pond, and has never been exposed to fish other than the 5 originals and the 3 other offspring (so thinking it can't be something picked up from a pet shop). He's about 4 years old now. I hope it's not some weird inbreeding thing, maybe??


Here are the best pics I could get - you better appreciate them, cos it was a challenge to get them (straddling over my pond I'm sure was a very attractive sight!! )


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[Bergamot]

I know that aquarium goldfish are susceptible to a swelling condition called " dropsy". If thier scales look like a pinecone, that's cause foe concern.


It really could be any number of things, though, including a belly full of eggs.


Whenever I had Goldfish trouble, I'd check placeslike Koko's Goldfish Forum. They're very nice, knowledgable folks!

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/

[HavACrumpet452]

I think it looks like he could be getting dropsy. If you had a complete side picture I could tell you the gender but it doesn't look like eggs and the water temp may be too cold for that depending on where you live. The problem with dropsy is that it isn't a disease, its a symptom. There are many causes so its hard to figure out a cure if at all. Sometimes its a tumor inside the fish, other times its bacterial. There really isn't much I recommend unless you have a vet who can give an antibiotic shot to a fish (yes large fish can get shots). Mostly its expensive show fish who get shots if they get sick. Fortunately dropsy doesn't seem to spread that easily and many times only one fish has it and the others its with don't get it. I guess that depends on the exact cause though.

[Marlin]

OMG.... I've just been reading about what dropsy is and looking at pictures of affected fish, and now I'm freakin' out 


Oh... my little Zippy     I'm going to hold out hope that it is something else (something else could be just as bad)...


I just threw some food in the pond to see how he responded. They had already been fed this morning, but they all rushed up, including Zippy who ate like a hog, so maybe he'll pull through whatever this is? He's swimming around happily enough, and doesn't seem lethargic. A good sign??


I'm pretty sure he's a fella, he tries to get in on the action with the other fish, chasing Momma Cass around the weeds when the spring time weather hits, so sadly, I don't think its eggs. None of the other fish are showing the frisky symptoms I've noticed when they spawn either, and we are coming into the colder weather, too.


I'm a bit worried it might be a tumour or something    I'll keep a close eye on him, to see if his behaviour changes. My fish are in a pond, and I don't have a tank to isolate him in. Maybe I could clean out my old plastic p.o.n.y box if I get worried (sorry, today's April fool fart box would just sound wrong! ), that'll do the trick just as well, I suppose.


Ohhh man. Thanks guys for the advice, and web link. If anyone else has a suggestion or had a similar situation, do let me know!

[kaoskat]

I hope your fish will be ok. I wish I had some useful advice for you.

[Bergamot]

Oh no! I didn't mean to scare ya'! When you have a sick goldfish, the best thing to do is remain calm. Keep doing research to figure out what's going on, and take action from there. Goldfish are incredibly hardy critters, especially comets. Places like Koko's forum are full of stories about people who were able to do amazing things, so don't give up hope just yet.

Since you have an outdoor pond (and probably pretty big fish!), you can get a big old Sterilite storage tote to use as a quarantine. They are cheaper than a fish tank, and useful for other things when you're done, too.

When you have a quarantine tank, filtration is very important. If you don't have the money to throw down on a big filter, you can consider changing a portion of the water out very often or something. Goldfish make a mess of their water very fast, unfortunately!

I don't have any experience with pond fish, because my state doesn't allow goldfish ponds. It's a real bummer! I'm sorry I can't help more!

[melodys_angel]

How warm is it there?  And your pond water.  Do you have a waterfall?  How clear is the water?

I think your fish might be holding eggs.  Its about the right time of the year for it.

We have pond fish too (goldfish and koi) so get 1 or 2 new additions every year.  Usually the babies hide inside the pump so the adults dont get at them

[Marlin]

Thanks again everyone for your thoughts 


Zippy still seems fine again today, perfectly normal aside from the swell. I'm keeping a close eye on him and the other 8 fish I have, and will quarantine as you suggest if I think he's going downhill. At the moment all my other fishies look great, but none are showing signs of spawning, so unfortunately I don't think its a belly of eggs 


My pond doesn't have filtration or a waterfall, but is cleaned fairly regularly and I have lots of weed and a couple of waterlillies. I've had the fish for about 6 years, and so far have only lost one fish when the really hot weather one summer caught me a bit off guard and the water got stagnant very quickly. Otherwise, they have always been happy, healthy fish. I think the fish regularly showing signs of breeding is an indicator that the conditions are good - fortunately the adult fish must take care of the spawn as I've managed to avoid having any extra fish over the last couple of years! A good thing, as otherwise the pond would be overpopulated. My biggest fish is about 15cm? Zippy is younger, and about 10cm probably.

[kittybethy]

After losing my 3 8-year-old goldfish due to an aquarium accident, I'm afraid to give advice to anyone.

 However, I agree with what everyone is saying, it looks like dropsy.

  I hope he can recover (there are meds for this kind of thing)!