BRITE* Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 I noticed a patch of about four scales missing from the side of my common goldfish...about a month ago. I have had him 3 or 4 years and he has never been sick. He is acting fine and just today I notice he is missing a few more. Not in the samse path but near it. It is only on one side of him too. Can someone help me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Have you added any fish or changed anything in the tank? Is he brushing up against something sharp or coarse enough to do the damage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 I too would suspect he is knocking scales off on a sharp object in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Hi Brite, The progressive salt treatment will repair the scale damage. Mix one tablespoon of "Sea Salt".. (Supermarket stuff).. into 4ltrs of tank water. Leave the fish in there for half an hour or so.. (longer won't harm it.. so don't fret).. then return it to the tank. The following day.. do the same.. but add more sea salt.. (one and a half tbl spoons this time. Use a new solution each day... don't use the old treatment water.. dump it. Third day.. Two Tablespoons.. leave in for around an hour. Repeat over the week using the two tablespoons and you should see some improvement. What the salt does is it strips the old mucus and damaged cells from the fish and promotes new growth.. both scales and protective mucus. As above.. check the tank for sharp objects.. rocks.. driftwood etc.. Hope it goes well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRITE* Posted January 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 He hasn't been rubbing up against anything. I'll try and do what you said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETEYPLECO Posted January 23, 2006 Report Share Posted January 23, 2006 I have a similar problem with my two tropical silver sharks - clamped fins very lethergic and unhappy then I was sitting there watching and one fish suddenly shot off in a crazy high speed swim around the tank and I saw a scale come off. I tried catching them both to administer the salt treatment but rounding them up with two nets was like trying to catch a bullet with a wet paper bag ! I cannot see any white spot but I noticed some scales look darkened compared to thier normally bright sliver colouring. No other fish seem affected or infected but I worry about treatment as I have some sensitive clown loaches in this tank and my plants may not take the salt. What is wrong and what to do? ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig Posted January 24, 2006 Report Share Posted January 24, 2006 hi, scale loss in goldfish can be caused by a parasite called myxosporidiosis, you can't kill it,but by doing lots of waterchanges you can get rid of it(vacume bottom). breeding can cause scale loss too. silver sharks being extremely flyty,i'd be looking at my water conditions, ph,ammonia, nitrate. larger fish usually show signs first. hope this is of some help. shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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