Diseases, Symptoms and Treatments
''Tall fins, clear eyes'' This describes the healthy Goldfish, add to it fast acceleration and brisk and lively performance when you offer food - then you have nothing to worry about. All is well in the aquarium.
There may be odd days when the general good bearing of the fish is maintained, but it is a fraction sluggish and lacking in its normal lively response. It may be a sign that something is going wrong, but more generally it indicates an environmental defect which may be associated with oxygen/carbon dioxide unbalance, or temperature faults, or excessive organic decompositions. In such cases always stop feeding for three or four days, at the same time stirring up the bottom of the tank and removing or replacing water at the same temperature. In the aquarium it is merely a case of taking out 2-3 inches of water from the bottom of the tank, and replacing this with fresh water. If this procedure brings the fish back to sprightly good health it confirms an environmental fault.
When sluggishness is accompanied by clamped fins and lack-lustre colouring, perhaps too with a somewhat smokey clouding of the body mucous and laboured breathing, body and gill parasites are indicated. The same symptoms may be accompanied by spasmodic darting with a twisting motion to rub against plants or appliances, then we know that there is possibly a combination of Infusoria parasites and Gill Flukes. If the fish displays reasonably good health but occasionaly rubs itself, a Fluke infection is indicated, not very intense, but unaccompanied by other parasites. If fish move violently in this sort of way but tend to break the surface of the water rather than rub themselves it is a clear indication of a chemical toxic in the tank. 'Dettol' is still a good all round treatment for body parasites either Fluke or Infusoria and is used in a treatment bath of one teaspoon ful for every two pints of water, with the fish immersed for 15 seconds and then swilled in clean water. Egg-laying Flukes may require two or three treatments spread over three or four weeks, but the live-bearing Flukes usually respond to no more than two treatments.
From a treatment point of view the Infusorial parasite ''White Spot'', does not come into the same category as the other Infusoria. Excepting in the epidemic form, when it clusters in immense numbers to form creamy-white blotches, virtually unrecognisable as ''White Spot'', and peels off the body mucous, the easily recognised individual white spots are beneath the body mucous and in the epidermal tissue. In coldwater fish there are a number of trade treatments for ''White Spot'', and are most effective when used properly according to the manufacturers instructions.
Changes in body shape will indicate internal disease. Irrespective of their type as to whether they are supposed to be slender like the Common, London,Comet or Bristol Shubunkin, or fat round and chubby like the Veiltail, Fantail, Lionhead or Pom Pon, when looked side on, should have a smooth proportionate curve of the body outline top and bottom from tip to tail. If the sweep of the body curve is irregular the fish is almost certainly a sick fish. The most usual defect in this regard is what is called ''keel back''. The body becomes concave just in front of the dorsal fin and the outline curve becomes a a straight line. Often this symptom is accompanied by a similar alteration in the underside body curve which also becomes straightened, giving the fish an angular look. This is a symptom of Ichthyophonos, an endo-parasitic fungus infection which in most cases attacks the kidneys. It is a deep-seated condition but may respond to treatment.