What to Do for a Sick Fantail Fish?

If you notice that your fantail goldfish is behaving somewhat out of the ordinary, or looks sickly, chances are it may be ill. It can be hard to diagnose an ill fish if you don̵7;t have much experience doing so, but many times if your fish is sick and you catch it early enough, you can cure it of its ailment.

  1. Symptoms

    • In order to treat your fish, you have to be certain that it is sick to begin with. If your fish is sick, it will likely be more listless than usual. You may notice that it has a change in color, or, in the case of fin rot, the fins may look as though they̵7;re deteriorating. If your goldfish̵7;s scales are raised, or if there appears to be fuzzy growth on them, this can be a sign that your fish is sick. Your goldfish may stop eating, or it may begin to stick to the bottom of the tank or in a corner. If you spot any of these signs, or a combination of them, it is best to begin trying to treat your goldfish̵7;s illness before it gets worse.

    Treatments

    • One of the first steps in treating a sick fantail goldfish is to change the water in the tank and clean the filter. Disease can affect your fish when its water is unclean, or if there isn̵7;t enough oxygen due to a dirty filter. If your fantail shares a tank with other goldfish, isolate it from them and clean the tank thoroughly. Make sure the water you replace is thoroughly dechlorinated. Clean your filter well before replacing it. Let the water cycle through the tank for a few hours, ideally overnight, to bring the water back to an acceptable condition for your fish. If there still isn̵7;t enough oxygen, you can purchase a separate oxygen-boosting apparatus.

      If you̵7;re feeding the fish more than once per day, scale back to feeding it only once. Get your fish back in good health, then return to usual routines. Add aquarium salt to the tank to create an environment that is less likely to be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. The salt will also reduce your fish̵7;s stress level, which is beneficial in the healing process. To further treat your fish̵7;s illness, add a water conditioner or dechlorinator to your fish̵7;s water. This will protect against fungal and bacterial infections, and reduce fish stress. Disease treatment drops are also available.

    Preventing Recurrence

    • Be diligent about changing your fish̵7;s water. Dirty water is harmful to fish. Treat the water with a dechlorinator before adding your fish. Clean your filters often to make sure that the oxygen is getting through. If your fish shares a tank, make sure there isn't any overcrowding. Clean the gravel in the bottom of your fish̵7;s tank from time to time as well. Either wash the gravel when changing water and cleaning the tank, or use a siphon. By practicing good tank maintenance, your fish̵7;s chance for getting sick is minimalized.