Help my poor Goldie

[AngelaM]

I had a blind goldfish in my pond. He was a rescue and came to me blind. I felt bad for him and took him in. He always hangs at the shallow end away from the much bigger Koi. Somehow he managed to get in the bag with my submersible pump. He was only in there a day before I found him. He acted like he wasn't going to make it but any time I tried to net him he would swim away again. I pulled him this morning after noticing white spots on him. Now it appears he has developed a fungus of some sort and I am freaking out. Any idea what this is and will he infect the rest of my Koi fish?! I don't want my beautiful Koi to get this. I can't get a good look at them to see if they already have it because they aren't use to me yet and hide in the deep end. Ugh! Can I treat the entire pond just to be safe?

 

[MitchM]

Do you have any medications on hand or any non iodized salt?

 

[sissy]

It could be ick but looks longer and not cottony .But salt will help but why is the fish laying on his side or was he swimming like that .

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Likely Saprolegnia. Treat this fish with an anti-fungal s.uch as Malachite Green in quarantine. Do not treat the whole pond.
The fish has obviously sustained some physical injury.

 

[AngelaM]

Do you have any medications on hand or any non iodized salt?

Yes I have salt for the pond

 

[AngelaM]

It could be ick but looks longer and not cottony .But salt will help but why is the fish laying on his side or was he swimming like that .

Yeah sissy he has been swimming on his side ever since he got caught with the pump

 

[AngelaM]

Likely Saprolegnia. Treat this fish with an anti-fungal s.uch as Malachite Green in quarantine. Do not treat the whole pond.
The fish has obviously sustained some physical injury.

OK that's what I was wondering my main concern is the pond.

 

[AngelaM]

It could be ick but looks longer and not cottony .But salt will help but why is the fish laying on his side or was he swimming like that .

The stuff on the back of his head is kind of cottony.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Salt alone rarely eliminates a fungal infection.

 

[MitchM]

I would follow Meyer Jordan's recommendations

 

[Lisak1]

Awww... poor guy! I second that recommendation to listen to @Meyer Jordan . No sick fish experience here to share - I'll just hope for the best for your little fish!

 

[CometKeith]

Sorry for him. Unfortunately I think it is an uphill battle for him to recover 100%. You would definitely need to quarantine him for quite some time. Honestly I have never done that for a goldfish. I would remove him from the rest of your fish population as soon as possible. They say there is always some bacteria present in every pond, but you definitely don't want to expose your Koi to it more of it than necessary.

 

[Rajesh]

Quarantine it!

why did you let a blind gold fish with koi?

 

[Rajesh]

I am new here! still, I have heard people say not to touch fish too often.It will remove the healthy slime coating making it prone to infection.

 

[Lisak1]

Quarantine it!

why did you let a blind gold fish with koi?

Easy there @Rajesh - a blind goldfish needs a pond, too.

Goldfish and koi can live in the same pond. This one just got himself into a bit of trouble.

 

[Rajesh]

Easy there @Rajesh - a blind goldfish needs a pond, too.

Goldfish and koi can live in the same pond. This one just got himself into a bit of trouble.

It need it's own separate space, it can't compete with others for food.

Fish try to isolate themself when they are sick, but other fishes around make it worse.

I am sorry, if I sound rude. But fact is fact.

I have see in an aquarium, sick fish end up becoming just floating heads with missing body.

 

[Lisak1]

Well, blind doesn't necessarily mean sick. Although in this case the fish has developed an infection, it wasn't necessarily sick when it was put in the pond. And I was just teasing you a bit - I know you weren't trying to be rude.

 

[AngelaM]

Only 4 days of treatment but I'm happy to report that Goldie is stable. Most of the cottony substance came off and he's swimming much better now. Looks like he will be spending winter indoors with me this year.

 

[AngelaM]

Quarantine it!

why did you let a blind gold fish with koi?

This fish came to me blond already. I rescued it. The koi didn't blind him. Someone who cleaned their fish tank with soap and didn't rinse it out well enough blinded him. They were going to flush him and I felt bad for him. He does fine with the koi. He doesn't eat the same food they do. Since he is blind, he only eats algae and other bits off of the bottom of the pond. He was actually in the pond before the koi came along but they don't chase him or anything. He likes the more shallow waters while they prefer the deep end.

 

[AngelaM]

Well, blind doesn't necessarily mean sick. Although in this case the fish has developed an infection, it wasn't necessarily sick when it was put in the pond. And I was just teasing you a bit - I know you weren't trying to be rude.

No it wasn't sick when it was put in the pond. He's been blind for about 3 years now if not longer.