Treat Goldfish Itch
You can see white spots on the head of this goldfish. Sometimes the spots are smaller and more densely packed.
Goldfish itch is a very common parasite found in fish tanks and can seriously effect the health of your fish if untreated.
The main symptoms of Goldfish itch is an outbreak of tiny white spots appearing a various locations on the body. The Goldfish will become unwell quite quickly and show signs of lethargy and heavy breathing.
Take note of how your fish is acting and ask at your local fish store if the symptoms sound like Goldfish itch. When you have identified the problem you can start treatment.
It is always important to check the water chemistry of your tank to see if anything is out of normal range, then perform a 25% water change ideally using RO water. However treated tap water can be used as well.
It is always a good idea to treat an ill fish in a quarantine tank using the mature tank water from the main tank. If however you do not have a quarantine tank then remove any plants as they can be adversely effected by the medication.
Add a teaspoon of salt per gallon of tank water making sure you use salt that is fish safe. Repeat this process again in twelve hours.
Observe your fish over the next two to three weeks and if the fish has recovered you can start performing a water 25% water change every five days four times over to remove the salt out of the aquarium.
You can use a 'High precision Portable Salinity Refractometer to check the salt levels of the fish tank. Readings should be zero. These can cost 50 US dollars and are not essential.
Often the cause of goldfish itch is when new fish are introduced into the tank bringing the bacteria with them. If this happens you should tell your fish store so they can treat their fish before selling the onto other customers. They should be more than happy to be told about anything wrong concerning their fish.
It is always important to check the water chemistry of your tank to see if anything is out of normal range, then perform a 25% water change ideally using RO water. However treated tap water can be used as well.
It is always a good idea to treat an ill fish in a quarantine tank using the mature tank water from the main tank. If however you do not have a quarantine tank then remove any plants as they can be adversely effected by the medication.
Add a teaspoon of salt per gallon of tank water making sure you use salt that is fish safe. Repeat this process again in twelve hours.
Observe your fish over the next two to three weeks and if the fish has recovered you can start performing a water 25% water change every five days four times over to remove the salt out of the aquarium.
You can use a 'High precision Portable Salinity Refractometer to check the salt levels of the fish tank. Readings should be zero. These can cost 50 US dollars and are not essential.
Often the cause of goldfish itch is when new fish are introduced into the tank bringing the bacteria with them. If this happens you should tell your fish store so they can treat their fish before selling the onto other customers. They should be more than happy to be told about anything wrong concerning their fish.