Goldfish looks dirty/black spots. Help please

[michaelsf90]

I'm over in the UK and it's currently winter. Weather is still rain and cold. The odd rare day it can get to 10C. I feed wheatgerm when it gets to 9/10C. Filter and pump is still running. Clean filter once a month. Pond needs a clean. Its netted but some leaves have still got in. I have 3 shubunkins, one comet and one goldfish from a tank inside my mum and dad's. It's the first winter the large goldfish has had to endure in the cold. The only way I can describe it is it looks dirty. Like it needs a wipe. Their is muck on the liner and at the bottom and on roots of plants. They hide under a sedge plant I have in a pot which is balanced on a shelf and half over the deep part. I've took the best pictures I can. I'm worried it's a disease/fluke. Would flukes survive at such cool temperatures? Should I catch the fish over the weekend and see if the stuff wipes off?

 

[WaterGardener]

Flukes are microscopic. They can't be seen with the naked eye.

Those spots may be shimmies, small black spot that show up in cold weather. They may disappear when the water warms up. I have one fish that used to get them every year, but doesn't anymore for some reason.

They can also be healing ammonia burns. Check you water for ammonia levels. You may need to clean your filters more often and clean the debris out of the pond.

 

[TheFishGuy]

WaterGardener had some good ideas, but it is also possible this is just a natural color change, these are quite common and nothing to worry about.

 

[michaelsf90]

Just for comfort I cleaned the filter yesterday and the pump today. Netted some leaves out and changed 20% of the water. All in the middle of a storm and heavy rain! When I took the filter cover off the pipe being bent caused it to split. It's smooth on the inside but corrugated on the outside. Got it all up and running again but need to replace the pipe in spring. I may put a y valve/connector on further up so its easier to drain the pond when changing water and so it doesn't damage when removing the filter cover. I've tested the water and ammonia has always been 0. I wondered if it's with it being the fishes first ever winter in these temperatures. She was in a goldfish bowl indoors for 10 years before going into the pond in spring last year

 

[brokensword]

Just for comfort I cleaned the filter yesterday and the pump today. Netted some leaves out and changed 20% of the water. All in the middle of a storm and heavy rain! When I took the filter cover off the pipe being bent caused it to split. It's smooth on the inside but corrugated on the outside. Got it all up and running again but need to replace the pipe in spring. I may put a y valve/connector on further up so its easier to drain the pond when changing water and so it doesn't damage when removing the filter cover. I've tested the water and ammonia has always been 0. I wondered if it's with it being the fishes first ever winter in these temperatures. She was in a goldfish bowl indoors for 10 years before going into the pond in spring last year

if I'm guessing correctly, this 'pipe' is one of those 'kinkless' hoses? You just found out why most here will tell you to replace it with some flex pvc.

Fixin' and cleanin' in the storm; you MUST be a die-hard ponder! Good job!

As others have noted; I see dots on some of my fish too and it doesn't seem to hurt them; I'm with the 'color' change gang on this one...

 

[j.w]

I'm over in the UK and it's currently winter. Weather is still rain and cold. The odd rare day it can get to 10C. I feed wheatgerm when it gets to 9/10C. Filter and pump is still running. Clean filter once a month. Pond needs a clean. Its netted but some leaves have still got in. I have 3 shubunkins, one comet and one goldfish from a tank inside my mum and dad's. It's the first winter the large goldfish has had to endure in the cold. The only way I can describe it is it looks dirty. Like it needs a wipe. Their is muck on the liner and at the bottom and on roots of plants. They hide under a sedge plant I have in a pot which is balanced on a shelf and half over the deep part. I've took the best pictures I can. I'm worried it's a disease/fluke. Would flukes survive at such cool temperatures? Should I catch the fish over the weekend and see if the stuff wipes off?

I'd just keep an eye out on them and if anything gets ugly looking then start to worry. As of now they look fine to me

 

[brokensword]

I'd just keep an eye out on them and if anything gets ugly looking then

yeppa; that's OTG policy here at GPF; if anything looks ugly, we take it down to the moat and hold it down under the water for a bitty. Oh, not what you're thinking; it's so's they gets themselves an eyeful of something worse!!!
Lil Queenie rulz, don'tcha know!

 

[michaelsf90]

Also I don't know if you can see but the top fin looks split/frayed which I'm guessing suggests damage or water quality issue? With it being winter I hadn't cleaned the pump in 2 months. The filter I did last month. With a lot of rain I haven't done a water change either until today

 

[michaelsf90]

Honestly it looked like dirty bits on the fish. Like it needed wiping and a good clean. Not that they permanently live in water or anything I'm making the pond deeper in spring this year so should be easier to maintain and shouldn't get as dirty as the sides will be more built up so their won't be any run off

 

[j.w]

Uh oh split frayed fins doesn't sound too good. Might need some more expert advice to pop in as maybe your water quality is not well?

 

[TheFishGuy]

To me it just looks like one split down the middle, if it doesn't continue, its possible that was just some damage, and you just want to monitor it to make sure it doesn't get infected.

there are some better educated people out there that could probably provide better advice than myself though.

 

[michaelsf90]

I could get some pond melafix if that would do anything? I know it doesn't tend to harm anything/isn't harsh on the beneficial bacteria and any frogs/snails. She also has some damage to scales on the side from when they were spawning in summer. Being scraped against plants and stones etc

 

[GBBUDD]

ANYthing that effects a fish on the skin is generally a sign that the water parameters are lacking or too much of something. in the winter this is no surprise that such start to show. I wonder if start right or fish safe one of the aquarium stress additives" usually little more than aloe in a bottle wouldn't help. but like adding any chemicals to the pond do it slowly add a little at a time best if the fish can be caught and put them in a hospital tank

 

[Janet.]

Honestly it looked like dirty bits on the fish. Like it needed wiping and a good clean. Not that they permanently live in water or anything I'm making the pond deeper in spring this year so should be easier to maintain and shouldn't get as dirty as the sides will be more built up so their won't be any run off

Hiya. I come from Devon. In winter everything slows down including the good bacteria that live in the pond and filter.l clean the filters monthly and water changes but l have soft water and lm on a water meter so l use Envii products A pond equaliser and then a winter pond treatment which you can use throughout the winter into spring. Which amongst other things adds bacteria into the pond to give you no more sediment and a clear pond water, it also helps the pond in spring when blanket weed becomes a problem for some.Goon the Webb site and read about the products and the maintenance and how it keeps fish healthy. One small thing to say, do buy the best fish food you can afford.

 

[michaelsf90]

I have an update. It appears as tho some of the skin seems to be flaking which would appear to me as tho it's a healing injury or ammonia burn. No other fish shows symptoms. Tomorrow I will test for ammonia. I tested once a month. On Friday I plan to clean the leaves that have managed get through the net and any sediment at the bottom. Il also do a 50% water change. Does flaking skin sound like ammonia burn?

 

[michaelsf90]

Janet the water round here is also very soft. Ph manages to stay at between 7 and 7.5. I haven't done anything over winter. I cleaned the filter monthly but hadn't changed any water. I feed them tetra gold goldfish mix in summer and tetra wheatgerm in autumn and the odd day it gets to 10 degrees. I'm wondering if I shouldn't be feeding at all. I use Blagdon dechlorinator which contains aloe Vera when changing water

 

[TheFishGuy]

I would not recommend feeding once the water temperature gets below 45 ish. ( air temperature has no direct affect other than changing water temperature, the fish cant feel the air, just the water )

I have never heard of flaking skin on any sort of fish, so I will let others weigh in on that topic.

 

[michaelsf90]

I know its hard to tell but if you look at the pics. The black parts seem to be flaking. It's either that or it's a physical injury. If it's black thats starting to peel should I add some pond melafix for protection. The other 4 fish are fine it's just the largest goldfish. Their are also frogs in the area. I don't want to do something that will cause more problems but I don't want to do nothing and then the fish not recover

 

[WaterGardener]

You don't need to add anything to the water. Just make sure your water is in the best possible condition and your water parameters are as close to perfect ad you can get it. Good water is the best medicine and if given the chance, fish will usually heal themselves if the water is in good shape. But they can't do that if the water is making them sicker.

What are your test results for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and KH? Those will tell you how healthy your water is.

 

[GBBUDD]

45

55is what the KOI fanatics recommend as the shut off point