Goldfish worry!!! Help!!

[Missy]

Hi
Yesterday I noticed these tiny spots/bumps on one of my 2 oldest goldies tail fins. Today I noticed them on my other old guy, a comet. Each one of these guys is about 6 years old. I think the fantail is a male-not sure about the comet. The other fish-a 3-year-old koi and some new little watonai-look clear. No apparent behavioral changes-both of the oldsters came up readily for breakfast and ate their usual amount. MAYBE I noticed something a  tad odd about the comet-after he ate he was just kinda hanging out 4-5 inches below surface, and seemed to be wavering back and forth (side to side)just a little, not anything extreme or something that you might even notice if you weren't looking.
Pond has gotten nice and warm now, water quality is good, fish always looking hungry. I have never had a fungal infection or fish disease in the entire 6 year life of this pond. The fish load is fine I think-the 3 little guys (none exceeding 4 inches) the fantail, the comet and the small koi about 8" long. The watonai have been in 1 month (did not quarnatine them however, they look good).
I have not noticed any spawning activity since the one fish I KNEW was a female died early last spring-she was a little black moor. I think I killed her with my pond vac. These guys used to harass her horribly in the spring. After she croaked I didn't notice any spawning activity last spring, whch makes me wonder if both these older fishies are boys. The koi has never engaged in any sexual dalliance with the goldies that I have observed. And too early to know about the new little ones.
Any ideas? Do I need to get these boys out ASAP?

[aravenschild]

it looks like ick, :'(.... I know how to treat it in an aquarium, but never (knock on wood) had to treat it in my pond.

Perhaps someone with more experience treating their ponds will post, if you can not wait (the longer you wait the harder it is to cure), call your local pond supply or pet store, they should be able to help.

Good luck

[tracey_shafer]

Are the spots on the gill plates also? I mean are they just on the gill plates and tail?

[Julles]

Looks like ich to me, too.  That's short for "White Spot, Ichthyophthirius or Ich. Common, but dangerous parasite disease."

Someone here will pop up and give you some help, and perhaps in the meantime you can Google and see what you learn.  

You might also come back and edit your post, so the title mentions the word "ich" so that will attract the attention of someone who knows how to cure it in a pond.

In aquariums, you use Methlyne Blue, I think... it's been years since I've had an indoor tank.

It's very contagious, so you may want to get the sick ones out, or get the others out.  There will probably be pathogens remaining in the water.

[Missy]

I didn't see anything on the gill paltes-but I been burning up Google and I think I found something for treating it in ponds. I can get these products (ProForm C, Quick Cure) at place about 20 miles from my house and I'm headed up there on my lunch break.
This is from ponddoc.com. Great resource
You have to buy a product that stays active in the water for at least 2 weeks, bcasue of the parasite's life cycle-before reaching adult, the larvae develop in a cyst that's impervious to any outside influence. They can only be killed in the free-swimming stage - this is also when they're on the fishies, and vulnerable. Both these products stay active for that long-but if you need to retreat, you have to do a 25% water change so that you don't get an overdose of the med in the water.

http://www.ponddoc.com/koihospital/Diagnostic/Parasitic/Ich.htm


Treating Ich

Treating for ich is the easy part!  Yes salt will kill ich but it has to be in a strong enough dose. 3 lbs. of non-iodized salt per 100 gallons (yes, that's the amount!) will kill ich.  The salt must stay in the water for at least 2 weeks so that it will kill any baby ich as well.  We have a very pure salt that we use on our own guys that is wonderful to use for treating ich.

Salt in that high of a dose will kill or retard the growth of many water plants so often a salt treatment is more trouble than it's worth.  For planted water gardens and koi or goldfish ponds that have plants we suggest you use either ProForm C or QuickCure.  If your water temperature is not very warm you should use the ProForm C.  You can use Quick Cure in spring or summer but not when the water is cold.  Quick Cure is part of our Parasite Pak that addresses flukes, fish lice and anchor worm as well as ich and other parasites that salt will kill.

You may need to change most of or a portion of the water when treating for parasites.  Make sure to have de-chlorinator on hand.

Emergency Procedures

Perform a salt treatment or treat with ProForm C or QuickCure.
What to Expect Next

Once ich is eradicated from your pond you should not have any residual affect from either the ich or the treatment except maybe that the fish have been stressed so that they are susceptible to anything that may come along.  Just be "gentle" with the fish for a while and keep an eye out for ulcers or other problems that arise when fish are stressed.

[WV Kim]

Missy,

I use MelaFix for my pond. It has always taken care of what problems my fish might have. It does not hurt the beneficial bacteria. It does not hurt my frogs or salimanders. It does a different smell for a day. Not bad just different.

WV Kim 

[tracey_shafer]

Missy,

I use MelaFix for my pond. It has always taken care of what problems my fish might have. It does not hurt the beneficial bacteria. It does not hurt my frogs or salimanders. It does a different smell for a day. Not bad just different.

WV Kim 

Melafix is like snake oil for our fish, it contains tea tree oil which coats the gill plates of the fish and prevents 02 exchange. How would you like to have the inside of your lungs coated with oil when you are sick and laboring for every breath? Tea tree oil is great for our skin and scalps for not for our fish pets.

You are on the right track with preform C or salt but do not use them together. And Talking with koikennel last night about treating ick with the preform C he says to use the preform every other day for 4 treatments instead of 3 treatments every day to be sure you kill the ick in the only stage it can be killed in.
I am fighting it here also.

[Missy]

I suppose maybe I introduced it with the new, unquarrantined babies from Hawaii-but I would be surpised if they were infected as I bought them from a  very reputable dealer. Oh well, maybe it's just one of those things. I will have the stuff in the water in a couple hours and hopefully all will be well. I would hate to lose these two old guys-they been with me all my ponding days! (And the watonai, which cost... well.. I don't even want to say in case my DH reads this )

[Missy]

I've also introduced some new plants recently, I suppose it could have hitchiked on them.

[tracey_shafer]

I am thinking it might have been from bird droppings.

[aravenschild]

shipping is stressful on fish, it also lowers their immune system,.........

this makes it easier for the parasite to spread