Diseases

Leeches are not among the most common of goldfish parasites, but nevertheless, they are rather nasty, and easily introduced into an existing tank.

Leeches live by latching onto a living host (such as a goldfish) and feasting on the blood of the host, before detaching and dropping away when they are full, and then repeating the process every time that they are hungry.

Understandably, leeches can pose a health hazard to goldfish, both through blood loss and through the risk of infection to the abrasions left behind after they detach from the skin.

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Fish pox, also sometimes known as carp pox, most commonly affects domestically kept koi carp.

However, goldfish and many other species of fish are also prone to contracting the condition, particularly if they are kept together with koi carp in ponds.

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All fish can potentially suffer from constipation, regardless of the type of diet they are fed, and goldfish are no exception. As goldfish are prolific eaters, constipation is one of the more common problems they face.

So, if you’re wondering how to tell if your goldfish is constipated – and what you should do about it if so – then read on to learn more about constipation in goldfish.

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Ulcers in goldfish can be caused by a range of different diseases, but they are almost exclusively bacterial in nature.

The two most common types of bacterial goldfish ulcers are Aeronores and Pseudomonas. However, as the treatment of bacterial goldfish ulcers are the same regardless of the bacterial strain responsible, in this article we will simply refer to them as “ulcers” rather than drawing the distinction between different strains.

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Cotton mouth is not one of the most common afflictions of goldfish, but is one of the more serious ones and one that often gets wrongly diagnosed. It can lead to a wide variety of health problems in the goldfish, and should be dealt with as soon as it is spotted, as it is very contagious and can soon go on to affect all of the goldfish within your tank.

If you want to ensure that you will be able to diagnose and treat cotton mouth if your spot it, read on to learn more.

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“Flukes” in goldfish doesn’t refer to an actual disease, but rather a parasite, which comes in two different varieties depending on whether it affects the body or the gills of the fish. Flukes are one of the most common types of aquarium and pond parasites, and one of the largest too, which can be seen with a very low magnification but still, not with the naked eye.

While there are two different types of fluke parasite- gill flukes and body flukes- treating them and eradicating them is undertaken in the same way.

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The condition of “velvet” in goldfish might sound rather prettily named, but in reality it is anything but! Velvet, or to give it its correct name, “Oodinium,” can soon take over a whole tank of fish, and have a significant effect on the health and wellbeing of your goldfish within a short space of time.

Read on to learn more about velvet, how it is caused, and what to do about it.

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