Fish Fungus or not?

[Kalei]

So not too long ago my friend Beki was over and she noticed something really weird on my fish SeaKing. I was surprised I hadn't noticed before, I guess I am so use to my fish never catching anything that I wasn't looking for it. But SeaKing had a really weird line of cottony, whiteish looking spikes sticking out of one side of her tail. It literally looked like whiteish brownish spikes.

So I read up online and the only conclusion I could come to is fungus. And I also noticed that Sir Knight had a little bit of it on his fin too, just not as bad. Anyways I went to the store and bought some Fungus Eliminator and put it in. And after two days something really weird happend. The Part of Seaking's fin that had the thick line of spiky white stuff fell right off.

I woke up and saw a big peice of fin on the gravel and then looked over at SeaKing and it looks like his tail was sliced perfectly off where that white stuff had been. Here's what it looks like now after the fin fell off.

This is before when he had no problem on his fin:


And this is after he got the problem and it fell off:








Soo, what I'm wondering most is if this was actually fungus or not? If the fin falling off was it's own way of healing by getting rid of the infection? If anyone has ever seen this happen before or not.

SeaKing is doing great and fine! He's happy and doesn't even act like the missing peice of his tail bothers him. And it wasn't the other fish that took it off either, it fell off itself, like it dissinigrated right through to the other side of the fin.

My other fish Sir knight is doing great now, his fin is great and healed now

Anyways if anyone knows anything it would be greatly appreciated!

[sweetpatata6]

I think it was a way of the tail healing it's self... I couldn't help to laugh, because I just couldn't believe it!!

[Kalei]

I think it was a way of the tail healing it's self... I couldn't help to laugh, because I just couldn't believe it!!

lol I know, it scared me in the morning, I was half asleep and seen a fin laying on the blue gravel lol. IT's like when you are half asleep you are wondering if you are dreaming lol. Anyways I dipped my hand down in there and took the fin out and in the garbage lol.

So far it seems like it was just healing because SeaKing's fin only seems to be less red and normal now, it just has to grow back now.

[IRescue452]

It could also be columnaris bacteria. You need to keep a close eye on them. Continue dosing the fungus eliminator and keep the water conditions just right. If it gets any worse you should consider antibiotics, but that will harm the cycle of the tank and I know you aren't able to set up a hospital tank.

[Beki]

Hey Kalei,
I was really amazed when you told me that on the phone about the tail. i sure didn't know what it was. :S lol. how is your fishey doing now? hopefully Seaking can grow that tail back soon! go Seaking go! take care Kalei and animals! from becky and animals. (ps Kitty is getting touchy and cranky over her belly so i believe that its POSITIVE ) take care.
Becky

[Zippy]

Wow that is werid.I hope all your fishies feel better.
Seeing your beauitful goldies makes me want some.

[Genny]

Hey Kalei, first off I have a goldfsh that looks just like the one in the picture! His name is Apatche!

I really have no idea what that might have been. I've had lots of fish for 10 years or longer and I've never had that happen. I've had fish get ick and then I had my fish get some kind of bacteria or something go wrong with them before, but I always have gotten med. for them and they've got better.

I hope Sea King gets to feeling alright soon.

[sweetpatata6]

Sea king likes to scare his mommy lol

[king2005]

I always ran into fungus & other nasty things when I had a heated tank for my goldfish. I was told to remove the heater & room temp will be jsut fine (I use to feed golfish in the middle of winter outside). I had my last pet goldfish for 7yrs... My neighbour accidently killed them She really didn't mean to & felt horrible.

So if you keep running into fungus issues & other illness, try removing the heater

[Kalei]

I always ran into fungus & other nasty things when I had a heated tank for my goldfish. I was told to remove the heater & room temp will be jsut fine (I use to feed golfish in the middle of winter outside). I had my last pet goldfish for 7yrs... My neighbour accidently killed them She really didn't mean to & felt horrible.

So if you keep running into fungus issues & other illness, try removing the heater

lol i would do so if I could but I don't have a heater in the tank lol. but thanks for the advice!

don't worry, my SeaKing is getting all better now, and his tail is starting to grow back very slowly Yay!

[IRescue452]

Its wasn't the heater hurting the fish. Heat only makes the already there disease surface faster and go through its course faster. It doesn't hurt the fish in any way because the bacteria/fungus already must be in the tank. I keep all my golds at 78F now because of some diseases that thrive undetected at low temps. In all though, temperature isn't a factor in fish getting a disease.

[BorderColliez]

I know a lot about fish, and that looks a lot like fungi -- one of my bettas had that. I just took my betta out of the water and pulled it off, it was at the tip of the tail but with the fungi being there it might be a problem since it has formed all the way around the fin, and if you were to pull it off you would be pulling off his fin as well, which would cause a big deal of pain. My best guess is that the goldie got his fin torn by another fish, it got infected and formed fungi. I don't know how to get rid of it in this case - but good luck.