White Growth Keeps Coming Back on Oranda Goldfish

[moorrgannn]

Hi everyone! I previously started a thread but decided to repost using the emergency template this time:

I have a 37 gallon tank with 1 silver Oranda goldfish that has (what appears to be) a recurring fungal infection. White cottony spots first appeared on it's fins and tail in November so I dosed Pimafix and Melafix together for 7 days. The spots cleared up and stayed gone for almost a week but then began coming right back. I dosed Pimafix every couple of days which kept the spots from getting worse while I researched and tried to figure out what was wrong. Very small white cottony strings began showing up in the water and sticking to the sides of the glass (photo attached) along with off-white mucus-y growths in my filters. I did daily 50% water changes for a week to get rid of as much of the white stringy growths as possible and reduced feedings from 2x day to 1x daily. I then did a 5 day Paraguard treatment which cleared up the white strings on the glass/in the water and kept the fungus-y growths away for a couple of weeks. I thought that Paraguard had fixed my issue but yesterday I noticed that the white dots are coming back on his tail and head (not as bad as before but still there.) I saw some of the replies today on my previous thread and made the following changes this afternoon: 1. took heater out of tank 2. added 4 rounded tablespoons of API aquarium salt with water change.

Tank
37 gallon tank with a 40 gallon + 20 gallon filter
Running since July 2021
I did have a heater in tank set to 68F but took it out today after reading some forum replies to a previous thread I started
Water temp is currently 68F but without the heater I expect it to be lower tomorrow
I have 1 oranda goldfish in the tank

Maintenance
I do a 30-40% water change every 5 days
I use aqueon water conditioner
Glass is wiped and gravel is vacuumed each water change

Parameters
Using API freshwater master testing kit

Ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0.5 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm
pH: 7.6

Feeding
Automatic feeder on tank feeds Omega One pellets 1x daily
It dispenses about 1/2 teaspoon

Illness & Symptoms
Oranda goldfish was purchased October 2020; appeared healthy
White fungus-appearing dots have been persistent on it's fins and tail since November (2021)
Oranda isn't showing any signs of stress; I do not think these spots are causing discomfort

 

[TropicalFlow]

Ich? And 0r fungal jnfection

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

Are the white specks on the glass or free floating or both? Disregard you said they are on both. Boo.

Salt and no heat are good earlier advice. Try using vinegar/water solution or hydrogen peroxide solution to clean glass. The salt and water changes for now. Whether it’s fungal or something like columnaris and not saying it’s either right now may take longer to fully eradicate from the tank. This is to say consider what sort of a treatment protocol you could maintain for a month: frequent water changes, salt, spot treating/cleaning glass and decor.
Also can you think of any changes, plants, decor, diet that you might have done in the past few months that could have been a trigger? New light? Do you have other tanks and share water change equipment between them?
None of that changes needing to address this now but might help you determine a culprit.
Best of luck and keep posting updates hopefully you can get things squared away soon.

Hi everyone! I previously started a thread but decided to repost using the emergency template this time:

I have a 37 gallon tank with 1 silver Oranda goldfish that has (what appears to be) a recurring fungal infection. White cottony spots first appeared on it's fins and tail in November so I dosed Pimafix and Melafix together for 7 days. The spots cleared up and stayed gone for almost a week but then began coming right back. I dosed Pimafix every couple of days which kept the spots from getting worse while I researched and tried to figure out what was wrong. Very small white cottony strings began showing up in the water and sticking to the sides of the glass (photo attached) along with off-white mucus-y growths in my filters. I did daily 50% water changes for a week to get rid of as much of the white stringy growths as possible and reduced feedings from 2x day to 1x daily. I then did a 5 day Paraguard treatment which cleared up the white strings on the glass/in the water and kept the fungus-y growths away for a couple of weeks. I thought that Paraguard had fixed my issue but yesterday I noticed that the white dots are coming back on his tail and head (not as bad as before but still there.) I saw some of the replies today on my previous thread and made the following changes this afternoon: 1. took heater out of tank 2. added 4 rounded tablespoons of API aquarium salt with water change.

Tank
37 gallon tank with a 40 gallon + 20 gallon filter
Running since July 2021
I did have a heater in tank set to 68F but took it out today after reading some forum replies to a previous thread I started
Water temp is currently 68F but without the heater I expect it to be lower tomorrow
I have 1 oranda goldfish in the tank

Maintenance
I do a 30-40% water change every 5 days
I use aqueon water conditioner
Glass is wiped and gravel is vacuumed each water change

Parameters
Using API freshwater master testing kit

Ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0.5 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm
pH: 7.6

Feeding
Automatic feeder on tank feeds Omega One pellets 1x daily
It dispenses about 1/2 teaspoon

Illness & Symptoms
Oranda goldfish was purchased October 2020; appeared healthy
White fungus-appearing dots have been persistent on it's fins and tail since November (2021)
Oranda isn't showing any signs of stress; I do not think these spots are causing discomfort

Ok so I just saw your previous post. Sounds like problem came in on the plants you bought. Removing them didn’t remove the problem. Do you still have any live plants in the tank? Sorry for all the questions just trying to figure out best recommendations for you and your fish friend.

 

[JustAFishServant]

That's not Ich, it looks like detritus worms in the water and fin injury. Fish can break and fracture rays (the bones in fins) and rupture the normally even slime coating. When they do it forms small, white spots on fins and scales, often mistaken as fungus or Ich. It can heal very quickly (2-4 days) or develop secondary fungal and bacterial infections if water conditions aren't good. Stress caused by nitrites, ammonia, too frequent water changes or poor quality food can cause the rays to weaken making them susceptible to breaking, fracturing and/or infection. It's often caused in a tank where filtration is too strong, gaps between the intake are too large/sharp or rubbing against sharp décor.

I hope it's the reason above as that would be the easiest to treat. However, it could be columnaris, fungus, ich, parasites digging or eating the slime coat causing deterioration or it could be serious like fish tuberculosis or lymphocystis, although I highly doubt it. However, because of the nitrites and ammonia that's present in the water which causes immense stress, it could be anything.

What I suggest? Find the cause or source. Add a pre-filter sponge to the intake and remove décor to reduce potential injury. Cycle your tank as fast as possible (ask a friend/store for seeded media or buy Tetra SafeStart), continue performing frequent, large water changes (not too large or it can cause stress. I suggest 30% every other day at most) and add freshwater/aquarium/dehydrated sea salt but not too much as it causes kidney failure (dropsy). Try some medications but just know, most kill the good bacteria in filter media. If all else fails, try a strong antibiotic like API fin & body cure or another form of doxycycline. I hope this helps, and I hope your goldie can get cured

 

[moorrgannn]

Are the white specks on the glass or free floating or both? Disregard you said they are on both. Boo.

Salt and no heat are good earlier advice. Try using vinegar/water solution or hydrogen peroxide solution to clean glass. The salt and water changes for now. Whether it’s fungal or something like columnaris and not saying it’s either right now may take longer to fully eradicate from the tank. This is to say consider what sort of a treatment protocol you could maintain for a month: frequent water changes, salt, spot treating/cleaning glass and decor.
Also can you think of any changes, plants, decor, diet that you might have done in the past few months that could have been a trigger? New light? Do you have other tanks and share water change equipment between them?
None of that changes needing to address this now but might help you determine a culprit.
Best of luck and keep posting updates hopefully you can get things squared away soon.

Ok so I just saw your previous post. Sounds like problem came in on the plants you bought. Removing them didn’t remove the problem. Do you still have any live plants in the tank? Sorry for all the questions just trying to figure out best recommendations for you and your fish friend.

Thank you for the advice! I do not have any live plants in the tank anymore; just gravel substrate and some smooth stones. The plants I bought have been removed for a couple of weeks now

That's not Ich, it looks like detritus worms in the water and fin injury. Fish can break and fracture rays (the bones in fins) and rupture the normally even slime coating. When they do it forms small, white spots on fins and scales, often mistaken as fungus or Ich. It can heal very quickly (2-4 days) or develop secondary fungal and bacterial infections if water conditions aren't good. Stress caused by nitrites, ammonia, too frequent water changes or poor quality food can cause the rays to weaken making them susceptible to breaking, fracturing and/or infection. It's often caused in a tank where filtration is too strong, gaps between the intake are too large/sharp or rubbing against sharp décor.

I hope it's the reason above as that would be the easiest to treat. However, it could be columnaris, fungus, ich, parasites digging or eating the slime coat causing deterioration or it could be serious like fish tuberculosis or lymphocystis, although I highly doubt it. However, because of the nitrites and ammonia that's present in the water which causes immense stress, it could be anything.

What I suggest? Find the cause or source. Add a pre-filter sponge to the intake and remove décor to reduce potential injury. Cycle your tank as fast as possible (ask a friend/store for seeded media or buy Tetra SafeStart), continue performing frequent, large water changes (not too large or it can cause stress. I suggest 30% every other day at most) and add freshwater/aquarium/dehydrated sea salt but not too much as it causes kidney failure (dropsy). Try some medications but just know, most kill the good bacteria in filter media. If all else fails, try a strong antibiotic like API fin & body cure or another form of doxycycline. I hope this helps, and I hope your goldie can get cured

That's not Ich, it looks like detritus worms in the water and fin injury. Fish can break and fracture rays (the bones in fins) and rupture the normally even slime coating. When they do it forms small, white spots on fins and scales, often mistaken as fungus or Ich. It can heal very quickly (2-4 days) or develop secondary fungal and bacterial infections if water conditions aren't good. Stress caused by nitrites, ammonia, too frequent water changes or poor quality food can cause the rays to weaken making them susceptible to breaking, fracturing and/or infection. It's often caused in a tank where filtration is too strong, gaps between the intake are too large/sharp or rubbing against sharp décor.

I hope it's the reason above as that would be the easiest to treat. However, it could be columnaris, fungus, ich, parasites digging or eating the slime coat causing deterioration or it could be serious like fish tuberculosis or lymphocystis, although I highly doubt it. However, because of the nitrites and ammonia that's present in the water which causes immense stress, it could be anything.

What I suggest? Find the cause or source. Add a pre-filter sponge to the intake and remove décor to reduce potential injury. Cycle your tank as fast as possible (ask a friend/store for seeded media or buy Tetra SafeStart), continue performing frequent, large water changes (not too large or it can cause stress. I suggest 30% every other day at most) and add freshwater/aquarium/dehydrated sea salt but not too much as it causes kidney failure (dropsy). Try some medications but just know, most kill the good bacteria in filter media. If all else fails, try a strong antibiotic like API fin & body cure or another form of doxycycline. I hope this helps, and I hope your goldie can get cured

I did see damaged slime coat photos and thought some resembled the white spots on my fish's fins and tail! I do not have any decorations in the tank but obviously my water parameters are off so it doesn't sound like it would take much for the fins/tail to be damaged in these conditions. I also have 2 40 gallon filters in the tank; would you recommend I remove one? One of them has a long intake filter with pretty wide gaps but I never see my fish get close to it.

I hope once my water parameters are fixed, things will go back to normal. I think I started a vicious cycle though using medications and that's why my ammonia/nitrite levels are high.

 

[JustAFishServant]

Thank you for the advice! I do not have any live plants in the tank anymore; just gravel substrate and some smooth stones. The plants I bought have been removed for a couple of weeks now


I did see damaged slime coat photos and thought some resembled the white spots on my fish's fins and tail! I do not have any decorations in the tank but obviously my water parameters are off so it doesn't sound like it would take much for the fins/tail to be damaged in these conditions. I also have 2 40 gallon filters in the tank; would you recommend I remove one? One of them has a long intake filter with pretty wide gaps but I never see my fish get close to it.

I hope once my water parameters are fixed, things will go back to normal. I think I started a vicious cycle though using medications and that's why my ammonia/nitrite levels are high.

I agree. I think your cycle crashed. Keep the filters on and purchase some TSS or Seachem Stability and Prime, it'll help keep your tank healthy before the cycle reestablishes

 

[jtjgg]

what filters are you using? and what media is inside?

do you rinse out the filter media in a bucket of old tank water each time you do water change?

 

[moorrgannn]

what filters are you using? and what media is inside?

do you rinse out the filter media in a bucket of old tank water each time you do water change

I have a topfin silenstream (30-40 gallon) and an aqueon quiet flow 40 gallon; both have carbon filter pads. I do rinse them the best I can with each water change - since I haven’t been feeding 2x day there hasn’t been as much gunk on them.

 

[jtjgg]

it is recommended to change out the carbon after about 6-8weeks.

have you changed their factory media? instead of using their factory filter cartridges you might want to use diy media.
Diy Media Guide For Top Fin Silenstream, Aquaclear And Other Hob Filters | Aquarium Filter Forum | 385506

 

[moorrgannn]

it is recommended to change out the carbon after about 6-8weeks.

have you changed their factory media? instead of using their factory filter cartridges you might want to use diy media.
Diy Media Guide For Top Fin Silenstream, Aquaclear And Other Hob Filters | Aquarium Filter Forum | 385506

That’s a great idea - thanks!! Going to pick up a sponge for the intake filter today

 

[moorrgannn]

Okay so I made a trip to the aquarium store today and bought course sponge, filter floss, mesh bags of bio media, & tetra safe start. Covered my filter intake with sponge then added sponge at the bottom of my HOB filters topped with filter floss and then the bio media bags. I cut the padding out of the activated carbon filter cartridges that had been in the tank and put them in with the filter floss to preserve some BB. Put safe start in the tank and am hoping that my water parameters will be better tomorrow!

 

[moorrgannn]

Happy update! Just checked my tank levels and ammonia is at 0ppm!! Nitrites are between 0-0.25 but the white spots have gone away and my water looks SO much better. Hopefully after another day or so Nitrite levels will be down to 0 but overall, it looks like I've just been dosing fungus medications for weeks instead of fixing the source of my issue (water quality.) Really wish I had upgraded my filter media earlier on and realized how amazing aquarium salt is.

Thank you everyone!!

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

So glad to hear things are clearing up! Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make a difference and just having the patience to do the water changes.