Goldfish died mysteriously?? Ideas?

[ZergDaDragonLord]

I have a 55g aquarium with four fancy goldfish (1 Moore, 1 ryukin, and 2 Orandas). My temp hovers around 68 to 70 degrees. My nitrates are 0, my nitrites are 0 and my ph is 8.5-9. (Yes I know that’s high but it literally comes out of the tap that way and I have tried a lot to lower it. I’ve just come to accept that it will have to be high). For the last 4 months or so my red cap has been having some swim bladder problems. Every time he ate he would float up. If I left him for a while he would eventually come back down and swim normally. I assumed it was just gas. Today he was very listless and floating around. I did a water change and added some Epsom salts and went to take a nap. When I woke up he was dead. It was that fast. When I did an examination he looked like something was protruding from his cloaca and if I pressed on it I could see a little blood. I am wondering if he was injured on something in the tank or if he had a growth that ruptured or if it was parasites. Ideas?

 

[MotorbikeAngelfishGirl]

I could be wrong but sounds like it could have been dropsy. What you're describing sounds similar to what happened to one of my Angelfish I lost to dropsy a few years back.

 

[Freshfishguy]

Dropsy is a symptom, not an illness. How often do you do water changes? When did you get them and did you do any quarantine? Have you added anything new to the tank recently? 0 nitrates is extremely low for a tank with four poop monsters in it.

 

[mattgirl]

I am sorry for your loss. It is never easy but is even worse if we don't know why it happened. One thing I wanted to point out. We should be doing Epsom Salt dips/baths instead of actually adding it to the tank. Any salt without iodine can be added to the tank. In my humble opinion a little salt is good for a goldfish tank. Epsom Salts and actual salt are not the same thing. I would do several water changes to get the ES out of the tank.

I agree with Freshfishguy It is unusual to be seeing 0 nitrates in a fully cycled goldfish tank. This tank should be fully cycled if you have had these fish in this tank 4 or more months. How often are you doing water changes? How much do you change each time?

 

[ZergDaDragonLord]

Dropsy is a symptom, not an illness. How often do you do water changes? When did you get them and did you do any quarantine? Have you added anything new to the tank recently? 0 nitrates is extremely low for a tank with four poop monsters in it.

I do water changes about every 2 weeks (20%). I added a new fish around three weeks ago and quarantined first. I have a fluval 406 filter. The fish that died I have had for a little over a year.

I am sorry for your loss. It is never easy but is even worse if we don't know why it happened. One thing I wanted to point out. We should be doing Epsom Salt dips/baths instead of actually adding it to the tank. Any salt without iodine can be added to the tank. In my humble opinion a little salt is good for a goldfish tank. Epsom Salts and actual salt are not the same thing. I would do several water changes to get the ES out of the tank.

I agree with Freshfishguy It is unusual to be seeing 0 nitrates in a fully cycled goldfish tank. This tank should be fully cycled if you have had these fish in this tank 4 or more months. How often are you doing water changes? How much do you change each time?

I may have used the wrong term. I put aquarium salt in. Should that not be in there? I have read online that it may reduce stress. The tank has been active for a little over a year. I did add a new fish around three weeks ago, but he is active and healthy as well as the other fish in the tank.

 

[mattgirl]

I do water changes about every 2 weeks (20%). I added a new fish around three weeks ago and quarantined first. I have a fluval 406 filter. The fish that died I have had for a little over a year.

I may have used the wrong term. I put aquarium salt in. Should that not be in there? I have read online that it may reduce stress. The tank has been active for a little over a year. I did add a new fish around three weeks ago, but he is active and healthy as well as the other fish in the tank.

Aquarium salt is fine. In fact adding a little bit of it to a goldie tank is good for them.

 

[Freshfishguy]

He could have had an anatomical issue where an organ in his body didn’t grow right. Based on his having issues for a while, that’s kind of what it sounds like to me. I’m also really sorry this happened, it’s an unfortunate part of the hobby. 20% seems low to me for a water change in a goldfish tank every two weeks, but you know your system best of course.

 

[FishDin]

Just want to point out again that it is very unlikely that the nitrates are zero unless you tank is not cycled. You should confirm that reading by having a LFS test it as well. Goldfish produce a lot of waste and your only doing small water change every 2 weeks. Doesn't seem to add up.

 

[mattgirl]

I do water changes about every 2 weeks (20%). I added a new fish around three weeks ago and quarantined first. I have a fluval 406 filter. The fish that died I have had for a little over a year.

I missed this the first time around. I agree with FishDin Changing 20% of the water every 2 weeks really isn't enough. Bigger water changes done every week is even more important in a goldfish tank. Like FishDin I don't understand how the nitrates can be zero in this tank.

The main reason we are stressing this is we fear they are actually astronomically high. If they are this could be the reason for the loss.

 

[Freshfishguy]

What nitrate test are you using? API? If so, it’s important that you really hit the second bottle hard against your hand or a surface to mix it around and then shake it very vigorously for the time it says before doing the test. If you aren’t doing that it’s possible you’re getting inaccurate results. I’d suggest doing that or just buying the Salifert freshwater nitrate test. IMO it’s a lot easier to use and read than the API nitrate test.