Hi,

I purchased a three litre Bi-orb fish tank about three weeks ago and having let the tank run for three days I added two fantail goldfish (one black moor and a normal orange one). Both seemed fine for a week or so and then the black moor got lethargic and died. I tested the water at my local pet store and the amonia levels were too high. I've since bought a home testing kit for amonia and through two 25% water changes (whereby I'm boiling the water first before allowing it to cool to room temperature and adding Nutrafin Aqua plus and Nutrafin Cycle before adding it to the tank). After a week the amonia level is now down to 0.25.

However, the other fan tail which lived has now developed some white spots on his tail and a small amount on his sides behind his gills. I've tested the nitrite level tonight and its reading 0.7. He's also regularly swimming near the surface and is starting to get lethargic.

Can anyone please offer advice or help?.

Thank you in anticipation

Its been a long time but I think that's called ick. And I think its contagious to other fish.

Try going to a specialty forum like this: Freshwater Emergencies and Diseases

You might like to read up on the cycling process of a fish aquarium.
This process takes weeks to complete and is stressful on fish which causes death and disease breakouts.

StaticFX is right, sounds like the living fish has ick, or it could even be a fungus. Jungle brand fizz tab products work really well and will not effect the cycling process your tank is going through.

It may very well be ick. My fish had a white cottony looking spot. It turned out to be a bacterial infection but not ick. Treated similary with another water additive. Best to take picture to you local tropical fish retailer. They can tell you what it is and how to treat it.

Nasty story: I have a small pond with some goldfish in it. The biggest one had 2 spots on it... kind of whitish... so I scooped it with the net and looked closer. Um no... they were 2 puncture holes from some animal!! Fish got lucky!

Thanks for your help, I treated the tank with some anti white spot formula (recommended by my local pet store) and it seems to have done the trick. The fish is a lot more lively now and there's no more sign of the spots. It a double treatment so I need to do another dose on Saturday but hopefully the fish will be fine.

Only problem now is the nitrite levels have risen?. I bought a nitrite testing kit and amonia testing kit and it recommended testing during treatment (I also had to remove the carbon resin from the filter), anyway the nitrite levels are high now and some forums have recommended 10% water changes daily/every other day till it improves. Does this sound like good advice?

The high nitrite level is the second faze of the cycling process.
Those levels will reach a peek and then begin to dwindle down as you notice a nitrate level forming.
Once ammonia and nitrite levels have reached 0 and you have a nitrate level, the tank is fully cycled.
You want to keep the nitrate levels low by doing partial water changes.

So that your tank stays cycled, be careful to not over clean the tank.
Did the filter system come with any type of bio media like ceramic pieces? Or a sponge?
If so never clean these, they are home to the beneficial bacteria that will
Keep the cycle going and your tank free of toxins.

Making a 10% water change daily is what is recommended to help keep toxin levels low during the cycling process so this is OK.
By doing this though, you will be removing the medication treating the illness.
Continue the 10% water changes and retreat with the medication as recommended in the instructions.

If after the tank is cycled and you notice the your fish showing signs of illness again, retreat with medication.
It might be possible for the illness to come back due to not receiving the full strength of the medication since your doing water changes to keep toxins low.
Changing the water to remove the toxins is more important than having full strength medicated water right now.
By removing the carbon, you are allowing the medication the stay circulating in the water.
Carbon acts like a sponge and would have absorbed all the medication so
That's the reason you remove it.

If you have anymore questions or concerns, we are here to help:)