Probably going to Euthanize my Goldie soon :(

My Fantail Gertrude has always had some swim bladder issues. Unfortunately recently she got an infection as well. I treated it with Tetracycline and all was well for about a week. But now it has become plainly obvious that she has tumors. They must have gotten worse or something with the recent infection . There are 3 white lumps below her scales which must be pressing on her swim bladder or something. They are also distorting her body. She's been in the hospital for a while now and yesterday was stuck upside down at the top and now today she is stuck at the bottom upside down. She's still eating and so excited to see me every time I walk by. But I have to stop walking by because she'll end up flipping herself back over

Here are two pics where you can see the big tumor, there are two smaller ones on the other side. It is forcing her scales to raise up on it. The lump is white and seems be solid. The tank looks dirty due to the tetracycline which creates a gross foam. She has lost tons of weight and is clearly emaciated even though she is actually eating more than normal. I guess I'm just feeding the tumors.






I'm just really sad, below are some pics of her when she was healthy. If anyone has suggestions for Tumors i'm all ears but I doubt there is much. I was thinking a salt dip but she's so weak right now, her other friends miss her. She's still eating and pooping as best she can.











Hanging out with the buddies and my arm

 

Oh my god! Your fantail's ALMOST identical to my own Fantail.


Well, if she's languishing and struggling to survive then I'd say euthanize but it's your call. I'll keep her in my thoughts

 

I'm sorry your fish isn't well. Gertrude is a cutie. It's always such a hard decision to make about euthanizing a sick fish or not. I don't think a salt dip will benefit her at all. I'm not too sure what can be done either for her seeing the tumor is under her scales. I know a lot of cysts can surgically be removed but can possibly come back and that fish can even lead a normal life, as normal as possible.

If Gertrude gets excited to see you and is still eating maybe that's your answer for it's not time to let her go. But you had also said she's lost weight. Whatever you decide you have my support along with others here I'm sure. Decisions like this are hard for they are emotional ones also.

 

Oh my god! Your fantail's ALMOST identical to my own Fantail.
View attachment 162426
Well, if she's languishing and struggling to survive then I'd say euthanize but it's your call. I'll keep her in my thoughts

they probably share some awesome attitudes with each other. Yours looks quite friendly, i'm sure ours would get along.

As for Gertrude i'm just not sure yet, she's still eating and as of the time i'm typing this she is sitting right side up but stuck on the bottom.

I'm sorry your fish isn't well. Gertrude is a cutie. It's always such a hard decision to make about euthanizing a sick fish or not. I don't think a salt dip will benefit her at all. I'm not too sure what can be done either for her seeing the tumor is under her scales. I know a lot of cysts can surgically be removed but can possibly come back and that fish can even lead a normal life, as normal as possible.

If Gertrude gets excited to see you and is still eating maybe that's your answer for it's not time to let her go. But you had also said she's lost weight. Whatever you decide you have my support along with others here I'm sure. Decisions like this are hard for they are emotional ones also.

Thanks, Gertrude and I appreciate your concern. It's good that you agree a salt dip probably won't help, I've decided to not do it. I wish the tumors were elsewhere.

She's still happy to see me as of this minute and still eating. I think I'll give her a few more days (if possible) since she is still acting like her self but it's just so stressful. I can't imagine how she feels. I had hoped to keep her for tens of years along with her friends, thus why I spent so much money and time on their setup. Sigh.

 

I'm sorry to hear your Gertrude is not well.
You know the situation best. You have our support no matter which you choose.
My goldies had tumors too, but not anywhere that affected their swim bladders. The whole family eventually developed them, as it was just bad genetics. They had tumors that would affect their kidneys causing them to develop dropsy. The parents and the "babies" developed the tumors. They all reached about 15 years of age before they died. They were able to live quite a while with the tumors and even with the bloat. They bloated slowly and lived with mild bloating for a few months before their kidneys shut down.
If it is a genetic issue and not threatening to the other fish, as long as the others won't pick on her, you may want to put Gertrude back with her family. It may help her get better. If you don't feel it is a good idea, maybe, if it isn't set up that way already, you may want to place the hospital tank in such a way that she can see the rest of her family. Depression does affect goldfish and their health is affected by it. I noticed a difference in how long my goldies lasted with the tumors away from their family and with their family. Again, they weren't injured in such a way that made them vulnerable to being picked on by the other fish, and they were a tight family. They actually helped each other if one was injured. I don't know how your goldfish family is, but you would know best how to proceed. I'm only giving you different points of view and different options from my own experience. I hope it helps.
Please keep us posted.

 

I'm sorry to hear your Gertrude is not well.
You know the situation best. You have our support no matter which you choose.
My goldies had tumors too, but not anywhere that affected their swim bladders. The whole family eventually developed them, as it was just bad genetics. They had tumors that would affect their kidneys causing them to develop dropsy. The parents and the "babies" developed the tumors. They all reached about 15 years of age before they died. They were able to live quite a while with the tumors and even with the bloat. They bloated slowly and lived with mild bloating for a few months before their kidneys shut down.
If it is a genetic issue and not threatening to the other fish, as long as the others won't pick on her, you may want to put Gertrude back with her family. It may help her get better. If you don't feel it is a good idea, maybe, if it isn't set up that way already, you may want to place the hospital tank in such a way that she can see the rest of her family. Depression does affect goldfish and their health is affected by it. I noticed a difference in how long my goldies lasted with the tumors away from their family and with their family. Again, they weren't injured in such a way that made them vulnerable to being picked on by the other fish, and they were a tight family. They actually helped each other if one was injured. I don't know how your goldfish family is, but you would know best how to proceed. I'm only giving you different points of view and different options from my own experience. I hope it helps.
Please keep us posted.

I'm sorry you had to deal with tumors in an entire family. I wish Gertrude could get to 15 years or even 5 . But i'm following a bit of your advice, i've moved Gertrude beside the 75 G so she can see her family. She is barely able to cope in the 5.5 G, she can't even move a few inches up in the water. She's currently watching her friends and seems really pleased. Her family is staying near the tank and seems happy to see her.

 

Seeing Gertrude is in such a small tank, I'm sure your keeping her water clean with daily water changes. Having her in this shallow tank is a lot better than a deeper one for her issues that she's displaying.

 

Seeing Gertrude is in such a small tank, I'm sure your keeping her water clean with daily water changes. Having her in this shallow tank is a lot better than a deeper one for her issues that she's displaying.

yep, her water is clean. Her tank is cycled...ish, the meds interfere with the cycle so I have to keep up by adding more bottled bacteria and fresh water.I actually bought a brand new 10G and have a 40 and a 55 as well. But she can't cope with the depth, so i'm just doing the changes. If she survives the night I'll switch her to the 10.

Can't give an ammonia reading since i'm using Prime with daily water changes but below is NitrIte and NitrAte

 

Prime is awesome to use. I think the 10 will work great for more water to keep the param. better in check.
The colors looks good above.

 

I'm not sure about the bottled bacteria that you mentioned? Can't you just do 100% wc and use your prime. This is what I'd do.

 

I'm not sure about the bottled bacteria that you mentioned? Can't you just do 100% wc and use your prime. This is what I'd do.

I add TSS between water changes. I currently do a 25-50% change depending on how she is doing. A 100% change could drastically change the PH for her.

 

I've never used tss before. I just know when I've had new goldfish before I'd do 100% w/c daily in their qt tank and if I had a sick fish I'd get the water down to the nitty gritty or depending if I wanted to scoop the fish out I'd do a 100% w/c.

Yes, though. Drastic change in ph wouldn't be good.

 

I've never used tss before. I just know when I've had new goldfish before I'd do 100% w/c daily in their qt tank and if I had a sick fish I'd get the water down to the nitty gritty or depending if I wanted to scoop the fish out I'd do a 100% w/c.

Yes, though. Drastic change in ph wouldn't be good.

TSS is good stuff.

I went ahead and switched her over to the 10G. It's always better to do things sooner than later with fish , at least I feel that way. It didn't' stress her too bad and the tank is now a 50/50 old water and new. The tank is in the same position as before just on a different table.

 

She made it through the night, she's still glued to the bottom of the tank but still hungry.

 

Hi, I'm so sorry

I had a calico fantail who looked a lot like yours. She was upside down on the bottom of the tank for a month before I finally euthanized her. It was heartbreaking because other than that she seemed well. The tumors may not be related as so many goldies get them and live a long time with them. Either way its a sad situation. I'm assuming you've tried fasting her? giving her peas? beans? etc.

 

Hi, I'm so sorry

I had a calico fantail who looked a lot like yours. She was upside down on the bottom of the tank for a month before I finally euthanized her. It was heartbreaking because other than that she seemed well. The tumors may not be related as so many goldies get them and live a long time with them. Either way its a sad situation. I'm assuming you've tried fasting her? giving her peas? beans? etc.

It kind of sounds pretty common based on what i've heard. Maybe they are all coming from the same place and somewhere down the line they have tumors. Yeah i've fasted with peas, she isn't constipated...she's still a poop machine. I'm glad she's able to stay right side up now though, she can watch her friends

 

I think as long as she's upright she can live out fairly happily. You might have to switch to a bare bottom tank if you don't already have one so she doesn't get sores from being on her stomach if she stays that way. I know someone with a telescope who has been on the bottom of her tank for two years! He just scoots around....

 

Thank you for the pictures.
I'm glad you put her near the main tank. I'm sure it will help.
You may want to try giving her homemade food. is really easy, and the garlic will be very helpful to give her an immune boost. Healthier food = less poop. That seems to be the trend for all animals. More nutrients get absorbed which leaves less waste.
I hope all goes well.
Keep us posted.

 

I am just curious, how do you euthanize a fish? What is the humane process? I have never heard of euthanizing them but it might be beneficial to be educated incase I end up in a devistating situaion like yourself!! I am so sorry to hear about your fish. That is just devistating!! You are certainly bending over backwards to help the little guy be healthy again and that is so admirable! :-(

I am concerned with this talk of tumors.....I have no experience with sick fish in my 3 years of fish keeping. I consider myself very lucky. But I do have a rasbora that has a bloated belly. She looks pregnant. But she has been that way from day one, which was 3 years ago.. I just assumed she is unique. Should I be concerned? Her behavior is totally normal. But I never considered the bloated appearance as being a tumor or something of that nature. What do you guys think?

 

It is a sticky at the top of this forum section.

 

It is a sticky at the top of this forum section.

Thanks, I didn't even pay attention to what forum this was from. My bad!

I don't mean to ask my own questions on someone else's thread, but you all seem to know a lot about this stuff. But can some fish have a bloated appearance and NOT be ill?

 

Yes,
Overeating, constipation, and pregnancy are the most common reasons that your fish will be bloated.

 

I am just curious, how do you euthanize a fish? What is the humane process?

I have used clove oil method numerous times. It works well and they go right to sleep.

 

Clove Oil in my opinion is the best method to use. You can purchase it usually through your pharmacist. Walmart carries it also. Two of my fish in the past have passed on very peacefully with Clove Oil.

 

She made it through the night, she's still glued to the bottom of the tank but still hungry.

I'm glad she made it through the night and she did good with the transfer into the 10g.

 

Thanks for all the support everyone

I have some positive updates, she has gone through some phases lately. I'm really glad I didn't euthanize her. She did go through a terrible phase of staying stuck on the bottom but after removing all the meds with Carbon and a bunch of water changes she began to improve. Then she ate some food and went to the surface after eating and went right back to being stuck to the bottom upside down. Then she went to being stuck at the top. But she eventually improved, she is now capable of swimming and staying up right. She's still thin and lethargic but she is still very hungry and pooping. Today she is swimming very normally and loves swimming along side her friends beside the 75 G. The most positive result is that the "tumors" have shrunk...so maybe they weren't tumors. Maybe they were pockets of puss or parasites? I'm just speculating but since they shrank I feel like they're not tumors at this point.

Which lead me to my current treatment for Gertrude. After I removed every bit of medicine that might have remained in the water I began using API General cure. I chose general cure since she is staying thin and has had some poop that resembles parasites. The General cure seems to be helping a ton, the growths are shrinking and she is gaining energy. Below i've attached some photos of her current state

You can see the growth on her left side is much smaller and isn't pushing her scales out as much. The growths on her other side are hard to see but they are semI white dots which have also shrunk.

 

Wonderful news!
I'm glad she is improving.
Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

 

That's great that you seem to think your fish is doing better. I hope Gertrude continues.

 

Gertrude is on her way to a full recovery

She's almost completely back to normal. I think her gills were damaged at some point either from meds, parasites or the infection. She's gone through quite the debacle. Currently she goes to the surface and gasps after eating which causes bouncy issues.

Current treatments;
1.50% water change every other day using Prime and Kordon fish protector.
2. Vitachem 1-2x a week.
3. API aquarium salt: this has been very beneficial for her bouncy issues. Initially I added two table spoons and she seems to breathe easier. I then removed that salt after a few days via water changes. Last night I added 1 tablespoon of Aquarium salt. She's doing great and is going to the surface less and less.

Hopefully in a week or two I can put her back in the 75. She is chasing her friends as they swim by in their tank, she's very perky now

 

that's so awesome! i'm so glad, good job!

 

I'm so glad she is back to her perky self.
That is so great.
Your plan sounds perfect.
Let us know how everything works out.

 

That's wonderful news that Gertrude is doing better.

 

Gertrude is going back in the main tank right now!!!!

Also i'm upgrading the 4 of them to a 125 Gallon tank I recently purchased, which should help keep them healthy!

 

Yay! Congrats! She's a beautiful girl.

 

Wonderful news!
I hope to see pics in the near future! Especially of the new 125 when it is set up!

 

I euthanized Gertrude tonight, her abdomen burst open...there was apparently a severe blockage.

 

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

I euthanized Gertrude tonight, her abdomen burst open...there was apparently a severe blockage.

I'm so sorry for your loss. She lived a good life.

 

I'm sorry for your loss