Why is my goldfishes head red/bruised??10 pts. please help :(?

Question

i am looking after 2 common goldfishes for a friend that is on holiday. last night i posted a question aabout why one of their eyes look like it was going to 'pop' out of its head and people said it was normal. obviously not. today its head looks very purple/bruised like a human bruise and i dont know what i am doing wrong.

My grandma told me to put in an ermmm..? (thing that blows bubbles for oxygen in) .. but when i noticed its eye looked different i took it out as that was the only thing i did different.y It is currently at room tempreature at around 21 degrees celcius and i have been given 'Tetrafin' to feed them (twice a day)..

Please please help me and tell me what i am doing wrong.. will they be ok?.. what can i do differently? have they got enough oxygen? should i put the bubble thing back in it? (it used to be in her pond but she said it was way too small and suited something much smaller like a tank -it is about 32cm wide((about 10inches)).

10 pts for best answer.

Thanks alot!

Answer 1

The problem is the tank it's in.  Goldfish are POND fish, with the common varieties reaching more than 30 cm and produce massive amounts of waste.  Pop eye is a bacterial infection common in stressed fish, as is septicemia (the "bruising"), and stress is commonly caused by nitrogen compounds like ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate as well as cramped living conditions.

I'm not sure what fish medications are available near you, but look for a broad spectrum antibiotic (Maracyn + Maracyn 2, Triple Sulfa, Trisulfa, Maracyn TC, TC Capsules, etc.), as pop eye is gram positive, while septicemia is gram negative.  Both these infections are internal and will not be affected in the least by topical treatments like Melafix or other snake oils.  Also, let your friend know that the Goldfish needs to get back into the pond as soon as it is healthy again.

Septicemia: http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/guppies/...

http://www.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/d...

Answer 2

This could be a disease called exophthalmia. Or mor4e commonly known as pop eye. Its basically a bacterial infection that causes a build up of fluid behing the eye. It very difficult to treat but probably the best treatment would be a salt bath.

Put the fish in a salt solution of 2-3 teaspoons of sea salt per gallon of de chlorinated tank water for about 15 minutes per day.

Tom

Answer 3

sounds like there has been some mechanical damage to the eye. If they were handled in a net, sometimes the person can whack them with the net and cause internal bleeding.

If you have an antibacterial like Melafix, put it in the tank (it wont hurt the other fish) and keep the air stone in there to keep the tank oxygenated and the water circulating.

If there is a filter in there remove the filter medium (sponge, charcoal etc) as this will remove the antibiotic and kill the beneficial bacteria that lurk in the filter itself. Follow the instructions on the side of the antibiotics as each one has a different dosage rate.

21 Celsius is great for fish, dont let it get over 25 in the tank especially if it has in infection, it stresses the fish and races the metabolism.

Answer 4

Put a pump in but if she didnt have it in before i cant see what the difference would be.

Maybe it hit its head on the tank and it got internal bleeding :S