Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi DT:
I've seen the red blotches when my goldfish were dying. I think it is a reflection of stress. I had thought it meant septicemia (which might be true), but now I think it is something you see when they are very stressed.

I suppose the bloody part could be injuries. They had them packed 125 to a bag. ome were big and others small.

the bloody part didn't look the same as Murray's ich fish (big bloody splotch near the tail). The marks look more like injuries.

Stress would also account for it but I would have though the stress thing would have happened closer to when they were first introduced to the new tank.

I will have to say they look fairly stressed some of them.

They are starting to move more, I think there are a dozen or so that looked doomed but if I can hold it to that number, I will still have plenty to go around. No effect yet on the breeders.

I ended up putting in 24 lbs (10.8 kg) of salt in 600 gallons (2271 liters)so if my math is right, that is about 5 ppt. I am wondering if I should start tomorrow with the water changes or wait a couple of days. The water sure looks a lot more brackish than before.

+sounds like you should wait a couple of days DT, make sure the fungus is gone

Ok, just not sure how it is affecting the well fish.....Janet says they can stand much higher levels so I am going to wait and make sure the fungus is gone.

5 ppt shouldn't hurt them. Sit tight.

will do....

It's that "P" word again

It keeps appearing....

hey, I'm bordering on legend! hmm

Well here it is Wednesday and I have lost 10 of the 12 that I thought looked doomed. There are still two more that I don't think are long for this life. To compound things, we lost power for 4 hours during the night. I think just taking the dead ones out of the tank boosted morale just a bit.

The remaining fish, though not active, seem to be in better shape. When this is all said and done, I will be left with about 250 fish in a 600 gallon tank....
IFFFFFF I can hold the deaths to just a few more.

I really want to start water changes soon as my plants are really suffering. I lost my potato and a few tomato plants. they just shriveled up! Maybe tomorrow.

What's the appearance of the fungus itself? Reduced, I hope?

Well not on the ones that died, but the ones I can see in the tank don't have real noticeable blotches like the others.

One thing that is interesting is that it only affected the ones that I brough in last. The ones that were already in the tank, show no signs. I can tell which is which because the newer ones are a darker color. I think either the new fish were sick when they came or stress borugh it on and only affected the new ones.

Either theory is valid, DT. Transporting fish can be very stressful, and if they were the least bit sick before the move, they'll come down with full-blown illness.