Asking for Help when your Pet Fish in trouble

Ammonia Burns have become infected

Today I saw a Facebook post by a newbie fish keeper asking help about his or her Bubblehead Goldfish. There was a photo of the fish which looked like dying and there were no any other details. People has been trying to help giving all sorts of advice. But sadly its not going to work. Nobody can decide things with just looking at a photo.

First we need to find out if fish got sick so suddenly or it's been acting strange for a while. Or this might have happened after a water change. All these facts are important. If this has happened after a water change thing it is probably something to do with water conditions. Maybe too much Chlorine or change in PH Value. Or it might be water temperature.

If it's Goldfish or Discus Fish one of the most common problems are Swim bladder. This happens for Goldfish because of over feeding and as for Discus fish it's usually because of low quality food. This is something can could become fatal but in many cases fish can recover easily after right treatment.

Dropsy is another common problem. It can happen by parasites or because of organ failures due to various causes. Unfortunately if it's an organ failure then there isn't anything you can do. You can recognize this condition with scales that stand out with a pinecone-like appearance.

Ammonia Burns is another issue. This usually happens when your tank water is dirty. There are bunch of symptoms but a very common one is fish having strange red blotches or streaks  appear out of no where. these become black later. Can be even worse if it's a Nitrate Poisoning. Fish could die even before you figure something is wrong.