Goldfish looks dirty/black spots. Help please

[michaelsf90]

Janet the water round here is also very soft. Ph manages to stay at between 7 and 7.5. I haven't done anything over winter. I cleaned the filter monthly but hadn't changed any water. I feed them tetra gold goldfish mix in summer and tetra wheatgerm in autumn and the odd day it gets to 10 degrees. I'm wondering if I shouldn't be feeding at all. I use Blagdon dechlorinator which contains aloe Vera when changing water

 

[TheFishGuy]

I would not recommend feeding once the water temperature gets below 45 ish. ( air temperature has no direct affect other than changing water temperature, the fish cant feel the air, just the water )

I have never heard of flaking skin on any sort of fish, so I will let others weigh in on that topic.

 

[michaelsf90]

I know its hard to tell but if you look at the pics. The black parts seem to be flaking. It's either that or it's a physical injury. If it's black thats starting to peel should I add some pond melafix for protection. The other 4 fish are fine it's just the largest goldfish. Their are also frogs in the area. I don't want to do something that will cause more problems but I don't want to do nothing and then the fish not recover

 

[WaterGardener]

You don't need to add anything to the water. Just make sure your water is in the best possible condition and your water parameters are as close to perfect ad you can get it. Good water is the best medicine and if given the chance, fish will usually heal themselves if the water is in good shape. But they can't do that if the water is making them sicker.

What are your test results for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and KH? Those will tell you how healthy your water is.

 

[GBBUDD]

45

55is what the KOI fanatics recommend as the shut off point

 

[michaelsf90]

Im going to test tonight and then il let you know tomorrow. I imagine kh will be low. Obviously it gets topped up when it rains and its very soft water from the tap. I have crushed coral in my filter in my fish tank inside to buffer the pH and stabilise but when I have tested pH in the pond its always shown as between 7 and 7.5. Il test tonight and post the results

 

[michaelsf90]

Sorry its took a few days. Just tested the water now. The nitrite is 0. The wide range ph was showing between 6.5 and 7. Ammonia was 0.25. Tested again and its 0. I tested kh which turned yellow straight away so it's very low and did a proper low range ph test and it was 6.6. The water is very very soft round here. In my shrimp tank I use salty shrimp to get the right parameters and in my fish tank I have limestone in the tank. Only a tiny bit and crushed coral in the filter. Obviously the pond is a lot bigger. I could throw some limestone rocks I have in. My tanks ph is 6.8 and I change 30% water every week. In winter I've done a pond water change once every month or 6 weeks. So I'm guessing that if I put crushed coral in the filter will it not keep raising and raising the ph with not doing water changes the same? My tank inside has 100 litres of water. I reckon the pond is only about 500 litres so I could fill a small filter bag and throw it in the pond filter and see if it actually does anything? What do you reckon?

 

[WaterGardener]

Your KH is definitely a problem. The crushed limestone would help, but it may take some time to dissolve it enough to be beneficial. I suspect you are having pH swings from morning to night. That puts a lot is stress on your fish.

I, like many others, use baking soda to raise the KH. It will also raise the pH, which yours need to do. The pH at 6.5 is acidic and your beneficial bacteria will have trouble living in that water.

You need to raise the KH gradually over a few days to keep from adding even more stress to the fish. The pH will rise as well, but if that is a gradual rise it will not be a problem.

My KH is kept around 200 or more ppm. That is where my filters work their best. The pH is always at 8.2 or 8.3 and stable. That level is not a problem for the fish. The fluctuating pH is the problem. It doesn't need to be a specific number, but it should not be acidic as yours is.

I would start raising that KH asap. Just go slowly and test often to make sure you aren't raising it too fast. With your water, you will probably need to boost the KH whenever you do a water change.

Also, since rain is acidic, it can affect the KH. I boost mine whenever we are expecting heavy rain.

 

[michaelsf90]

Boost it with what? For me baking soda is a temporary solution as it exhausts fast. Crushed coral or limestone is permanent. I agree it takes time. The other 4 fish are perfectly fine. My tank kh is only up to 2 but the fish in there prefer soft water. I can add baking soda to raise the water I charge but I think crushed coral in the filter will help stop any pH crashes?

 

[WaterGardener]

As I said, the crushed coral will work, but slowly. It doesn't dissolve quickly, and that rate will slow down as the water becomes less acidic. To me, this issue needs to be corrected asap so you don't have a pH crash that kills all your bacteria and your fish.

Not all fish react the same to their water conditions. Some are more sensitive than others. That doesn't mean that your other fish are immune. It may just take them longer to respond.

Baking soda is an inexpensive and easy way to boost the KH. And yes. It needs to be monitored and boosted on occasion. You can buy large bags of it at a very reasonable price.

I don't need to boost mine very often, less than once a month. It doesn't deplete quickly. But my well water isn't soft like your water is.

I would get the KH up with baking soda and use that until the limestone can take over the job

 

[michaelsf90]

Il add some baking soda today and to the water I change. I have crushed oyster shell which I've heard may be better. Need more of it than crushed coral but it dissolves so I know when to add more. I can put some in the filter its just where. Its a large box filter. A hozelock ecopower plus. Water comes into the bottom where the plastic rings are. Then back up through sponges and out the top. It needs to be near the filter outlet but I don't want to reduce flow

 

[WaterGardener]

I don't feel that one method is better than another. They both do the same thing. It's just a matter of preference and how immediate the need.

 

[michaelsf90]

Where is the best place in the filter? Its getting all the water to flow through it so it does its job to it's full potential. I can put it in some tights for now but the filter is large

 

[WaterGardener]

Are you talking about baking soda or the coral?

With baking soda, I would dissolve it in some water and pour that into the pond where there is good circulation. I put it in my waterfall. Just don't add a whole box at once. Go slowly and raise the KH and pH gradually over a few days.

With the coral, just put it where water can run through it. It's not critical exactly where.

 

[michaelsf90]

The oyster shell. It'll only be in a small bag. If I go off what I have doing 100 litres it isn't a lot. That keeps it stable at 6.8. So if I add a whole medium sized filter media bag. That should do it. Il take a picture when I take the filter cover off. I just don't want to restrict flow