Updated On January 14th, 2017
Pet's info: Fish | Unknown - Fish | Male
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT 44
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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You should separate the affected fish out into a smaller hospital tank for ease of treatment and to prevent spread. Monitor the remaining fish for symptoms. A wide variety of minor infections (bacterial, fungal and parasites) can be effectively treated using simple aquarium salt. Dissolve one teaspoon of aquarium salt (NOT table salt) per gallon of water in the hospital tank. Perform daily water changes, replacing any water with salt in the same dilution. Do not simply continue to add salt to the tank. Treat for 7-10 days. You should see improvement or resolution within this time frame. If not, you may need antibiotics or antifungals. These can be purchased at most pet stores. Do not return the fish to the home tank until all symptoms have resolved. You will need to reevaluate your tank space with that many goldfish. For fancy goldfish (double tails), the general stocking rule of thumb is 20 gallons for the first fish, then 10 gallons for each additional fish. This amount can double for single tail goldfish. The reason being they create large amounts of ammonia which can be deadly in high enough concentrations. Overfeeding and dead plant material can compound the problem. Powerful filtration, careful monitoring and avoiding overcrowding are all keys to keeping goldfish.
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