ADVICE! WHY MY GOLDFISH DIED.

[stirfry]

hi very sadly I had to dispose my veil fancy goldfish.

I think my fancy gold fish had dropsy, it had scales sticking out, resting a lot at bottom of the tank, it then seem to look see through, I can't really explain but if had to this is how I would describe.
It then seem to be slightly swollen the left been a bit larger the right.

I took it out to put in another tank, as I netted it looked had slime on it & felt that way to.

Can anyone tell me what caused this, & what to look for in the future.
None of the other fish have it, the water test was spot on, I do 2 water changes 50% a time, have rena xp3 filter.

Thanks in advance

[Diana]

Here are some of the optimum conditions and more common problems with fancy Goldfish:

The distorted spine affects the internal organs and these fish often develop swim bladder issues, constipation, and other problems.

Dropsy is as you describe: Scales lifted, swollen body (beyond normal for these fish), lethargy, poor to no swimming ability. May hover near the bottom.

Dropsy itself is not caused by a specific disease organism, but can develop in a fish that is under stress for other reasons. The 'other reason' may include a bacterial infection, for which antibiotics are a good treatment. If a virus or parasite is part of the reason then antibiotics may still help in case there is a secondary infection getting started. You can releave some of the bloating by raising the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) in the water by adding up to 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt per 10 gallons, plus 1 teaspoon of sodium chloride (table salt) per 5 gallons. Add this much daily for 3-5 days. Dissolve these 2 in some water and pour this into the tank slowly over several hours. Dripping it in a a good way to raise the level slowly.
(Hmmm... ROUGH translation:
5 ml salt + 2.5 ml Epsom salt per 20 liters added daily for 3-5 days)

Fancy Golds can have problems with digestion, and this seems especially bad if they are fed dry foods. I would concentrate on fresh or frozen foods (not flakes, pellets or freeze-dried) that are a combination or a rotation of fresh or lightly cooked vegetables, worms and shrimp sorts of frozen foods, and occasionally some fresh fruit. Roughage is very important. Peas are very good, and frozen Daphnia is another good source. Live plants are good food, but can be a bit expensive unless you have a separate tank where you can keep some growing.

Fancy Golds tend to be more delicate than their wild ancestors. They do better in warmer water (mid 70s F, mid 20s C) that is kept stable. A heater is important.
They prefer slightly alkaline water, GH and KH over 5 German degrees of hardness, and the water can be much harder than this, GH to 20 dGH. pH in the 7s.

High oxygen level is important, but they are not great swimmers, so slower moving water is better. For improved oxygen levels keep the water moving, but avoid the point source sorts of pumps, that shoot out a strong blast from a small opening. The Hydor Koralia and similar power heads are better, a spray bar is a good way to return the water to the tank from the filter.

Goldfish in general are among the high-end ammonia producers. They should be in a tank with a large volume of water to dilute ammonia, growth hormones and other wastes between water changes. Use the nitrate test to determine frequency and volume of water changes. I would aim to keep the nitrates under 20 ppm.

A large filter for both mechanical filtration and biological is another important piece of equipment. Even a large filter will need frequent cleaning.

Golds are social fish. If your tank is large enough keep several Golds. There is a rough guideline: 20 gallons for the first Goldfish, and 10 gallons more for each additional fish. This is fine for common Golds to about 4-5" long, or the fatter bodied Fancy golds to about 3-4" long.

I would quarantine a new Goldfish (any new fish) and watch and treat as needed for parasites or disease.