# Will my Goldie be able to use his gill again? Red and bloody after gill flukes



## SparklE fin (Jun 8, 2012)

My poor Lil Aki has gill flukes! I'm going to get the medicine today, but my pet store doesn't open till 10. Bummer :-(. Im giving him salt baths so he can get relief for some time, but I have to put him back into his infested tank. I can't put him in my bucket for contamination in my cycling betta tank. He's such a sweetie. It breaks my heart to see him lay on the bottom of the tank I swear, if I could I'd choke those little parasites! 

But to my question, one of his gills is the most affected. It was red but I gave him a bath so it's only pink but still.. Is he going to be able to use that gill again? If not, what should I do? Add another airstone?


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

How did you come to the conclusion that it is gill parasites? Is the tank cycled? What size is the tank? 

His gills should regain most of its function. Adding another bubble stone right now isn't going to do too much. It will add more movement to the water, and if your fish is having trouble moving right now, that's not what you want. Just wait until you can get the Prazi (best thing for gill parasites).


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## SparklE fin (Jun 8, 2012)

thekoimaiden said:


> How did you come to the conclusion that it is gill parasites? Is the tank cycled? What size is the tank?
> 
> His gills should regain most of its function. Adding another bubble stone right now isn't going to do too much. It will add more movement to the water, and if your fish is having trouble moving right now, that's not what you want. Just wait until you can get the Prazi (best thing for gill parasites).


 
Yah, he was acting weird (darting for no reason, lying at the bottom of the tank etc.) , flashing, breathing at the surface, near the airstone/filter, not eating, white stingy poop and one of his gils was red. He has an airstone and a Hang on Back filter so I thought it might be gill flukes. I lifted up thegill flap a bit and it was bright red. Not to forget, about three little dangling things on his chin, right on his gills.

He's in a 18 gallon (Didn't fill to top- irrational fear of of tank cracking). I bought an old tank (upgraded from 10 to 20) and squeezed the filter juice from the old one and cycled for 2 weeks. PH 7.4 Ammonia 0 Nitrate 0 Nitrite 0

I think I got flukes from the new tank


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Unless the second tank was filled with water and fish, he didn't get them from that tank. More than likely he had them all along. Most goldfish do when they are bought from local pet stores. I'm currently treating my newest for gill flukes. Prazi is going to be the best thing to get rid of them. 

It does sound like he has flukes. The white stringy poop could also be a problem. Either constipation or internal parasites. Try feeding him only spinach leaves for a while. If it's constipation, those should clear him out; spinach leaves are great at pushing stuff through the GI tract and are also a natural anti-inflammatory. Constipation in goldfish is caused by overfeeding and bad quality food. Just like with bettas, flakes are terrible for them (all filler, no nutrition). In the fancy goldfish they are known to cause digestive problems. Goldfish should be fed either a high quality pellet like New Life Spectrum or Hikari or gel food. A change in diet alone might clear up the poop problem.


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## SparklE fin (Jun 8, 2012)

Thanks! I don't have spinach leaves, but I'll buy them tonight. I actually went to get Prazi. I live in a farm town so theirs no fishstore unless you count Walmart. It was a 2 hour drive and I just came back. I just got him and the new tank had water AND fish in it before they died. I was hit by a double whammy.


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