We all love and take great care of our pets, regardless of whether they are large or small.
While different species require different types of care, a goldfish is a pet that is quite easy to care for.
As long as you keep your friend fishy in a properly treated environment and provide healthy food options, the good health of your fish is almost guaranteed.
However, you should still observe the behavior of your fish and be aware of any changes, especially if your fish begins to turn black.
Here are some tips on how to diagnose, cure and further prevent the disease in your friend.
Why is My Goldfish Turning Back?
Diagnosis of a problem
As a prologue to the diagnosis of your fish, the best person for this job is the veterinarian of your fish. Consulting with them is the first step, but if you feel safe and qualified for this job, there are some things you can do.
It is quite easy to realize if your goldfish have problems in your tank. It only requires a little careful attention from you. A good way to diagnose a problem in your goldfish is simply to observe them.
Watch your goldfish to detect any signs of difficulty swimming up and down the tank or difficulty floating easily. These are usually the first telltale signs of an underlying problem, such as having a problem with the swim bladder or problems with digestion.
You may also notice that your goldfish do not eat as much as it used to, or is completely ignoring its food. This could be a sign of overeating and a blockage in the fish’s digestive tract.
Last but not least, you can see that your goldfish is turning black. You may be tempted to think that maybe your fish has always been a little black since these changes do not occur overnight and are usually more subtle.
But in reality, the skin of your fish is changing color. To understand how to solve this problem of color change, we must first determine and understand why it happens.
Forever black?
The truth of the matter is that what you are thinking is a problem that changes color may not be a problem at all. Actually, it is a common occurrence in some species of goldfish to change the color of their skin and scales several times throughout their lives.
Many goldfish turn black because it is part of their genetics to be completely black or make some part of their body turn black as they age.
In this case, you have nothing to worry about, and your fish is likely to be in good health. They are only meant to be eternally black.
Going black due to illness
In the rare case that a fish turns black due to illness, this can be caused by several different reasons. One of the main things that cause this color change is the environment in which your fish live.
In a tank, goldfish are constantly exposed to the same type of water every day. If there is an excessive amount of ammonia in the water, fish scales may begin to turn black due to the chemical burns they suffer due to ammonia.
Eventually, those chemical burns can alter the color of your entire body, so eliminating ammonia in the environment is key for the fish to return to their normal color.
Another thing that causes goldfish to turn black is the presence of parasites in the water. These parasites that alter color are often found in water snails and can sink into the skin of unsuspecting colored fish.
This causes the goldfish to change from its original bright color to a blackish color. As with ammonia in the environment, removing parasites from water can help remedy the situation and make the fish regain their normal color.
Curing Your Fish
If your fish has turned black and you are sure it is not due to old genetics, there are some steps you can take to help your friend feel better. The first thing to do is control the excess ammonia in the water.
Having a water filter in your fish tank is an easy solution for this, since having food debris, plant debris or debris causes ammonia levels to increase. Keeping a clean tank and a filter running enough usually does the trick to reduce ammonia in the water and restore the health of your fish.
If you think your fish is turning black due to parasites in the water, you can also easily eliminate them. Since these parasites are found in water snails, simply removing any water snail or similar from your tank can be effective.
These snails can come in quite small sizes, but they are mostly hooked next to tanks or ponds, so they are generally easy to detect. Removing them from their fish’s bathing area will help their fish feel better in a short time.
If your fish is not yet returning to its normal color, it may be time to get help from a marine veterinarian. Your fish’s veterinarian is specifically trained to handle any type of fish disease, so your advice on the situation is a good tool you can use to discover how to remedy your fish’s disease.
Disease prevention
With luck, your fish does not have to deal with any disease and finds them in good health. In this case, preventive care is the best care for your friend.
You can prevent them from getting sick by doing what you probably already do. Keeping your tank clean is the number one way to keep them healthy since they spend their entire lives there. Changing and cleaning the water, decorations and the water filter also helps with this.
You can also give them a good diet to keep your immune system healthy and also so that your digestive system works well. A good variety of flakes, pellets and even small vegetables, such as peas, is a great way to keep your fish happy and healthy.
Finally, having a veterinarian see your fish from time to time is also a good idea. It is possible that your fish do not seem sick and probably they are not, but having a professional’s second opinion on the subject is excellent to give you peace of mind and provide your fish with the preventive care they need.
Our pets are our responsibility, and our job as pet owners is to make them feel their best at all times. A little extra care from us in the observation, diagnosis, and cure of diseases, and the use of preventive care is a great step to give them the best life they can live.
