Help My Goldfish

My goldfish has been sick on and off since I got him from a friend who got him at a carnival last August. Sometimes it’s white spots, sometimes it’s dark specks, sometimes he’s bloated, sometimes he can’t swim off the bottom of the tank BUT sometimes he’s totally fine. His water quality is good, I’ve tried aquarium salt and medications and nothing seems to work. It’s like he just doesn’t have an immune system. I’m moving soon and can’t take him, but I don’t know where to rehome him if he keeps getting sick. I don’t want to make fish at a store sick or any other hobbyists’ fish sick. Help. Please.

 

What is he being kept in at the moment? How large is the fish and the tank? What is the temperature? Last question, is it a common or a fancy goldfish?

Goldfish are cold water species, meaning they are perfectly fine at room temperature and prefer temps right around 70F. If this is a common goldfish, I suggest you find a goldfish friendly pond and toss him in. Common goldfish just don't belong it tanks as they are large pond fish. We keep them here outside all winter, the ponds freeze over and everything but the fish are just fine. I can't see keeping an active and messy 12in fish in a home aquarium.

If this is a fancy goldfish (the fat ones with weird tails) then a 29gal is ideal. No heater is necessary, just a cycled aquarium with some rocks/wood as a hardscape and some fake plants. Fancy goldfish can live just fine in ponds too, but if there are common goldfish and koi they may out compete it for food.

 

He’s a short bodied, single-tailed goldfish—I don’t know exactly what kind that would be. He’s about two inches long (hasn’t grown at all the past couple months, he’s grown maybe half an inch since I got him) and is in a 20gal tall tank with one mystery snail kept at about 68F

 

I haven't a clue why your having so much trouble then. The setup is good and the temp is perfect for a 2in goldfish.

If you got is from a fair then chances are it wasn't being kept in prime conditions. Poor thing may have already been stunted and ill when you got it.

Sometimes when a fish is taken from bad conditions and moved to a perfectly good home, they become ill. Had a fancy goldfish act the same way. It was kept in a 1-2gal cube tank that was absolutely filthy. The fish appeared fine but when it was added to a 36gal tank it got finrot then got stuck to the filter intake. I tossed it in a 5gal bucket with a sponge filter and gave it daily water changes along with melafix and salt, after a few weeks it was good to go.