Just returned Boo the vicious ranchu to the shop there, very sad but hopefully better for both of us.

Hi!

I started where you started - 2 goldfish in a bowl. They spent the first 3 days gulping at the surface, that's when I realised Something was Wrong! I then researched what I needed and should have done - I managed to pick up a cheap 110L tank and stand, and they lived in that for 12 months while I saved like mad for a 350L.

It can all be done in steps, if money is a concern, sites like Freecycle and preloved and even Ebay etc are great for picking up second hand tanks.

This seems to be healing back up, but it's still a large lump - as in, the wound is healing back up into the large lump that was there before!

He seems to be in pain, as he's very easily startled and hides when I walk near the tank, but he's flapping about merrily the rest of the time, no bottom sitting or anything.

His fins on that side are also looking a bit weird - they were pure black but now the tips are transparent - there's no ripping or whiteness, they just look like they're fading?

I hope he hangs in there, not prepared for another loss after Ronnie, and this guy is a real little character!

That divider is genius!

Not sure how good mine is - it's thick perspex, fits the tank perfectly in width but I gave the wrong measurements to the company heightwise so the biter ranchu was able to Free Willy over it earlier - I've dropped the water level in the tank to stop him. He's still bashing up against it trying to get to my poor sore chu though. It's like he's possessed! I think I'll have to return him, it'll upset me but my other fishies are my priority.

Anyway back to my perspex, I got my boss to drill 9 1cm holes through it to allow the water flow, may not be enough though.

I just iodined him, traumatic for both of us, he's a lot more suspicious of me and the net now. There was a LOT of flapping and general chu angryness.

I'm afraid with his flapping and my clumsiness I managed to iodine nearly all of his left side, so he's black one one side and gold on the other, hope it doesn't have any adverse affects :/

Did a water change and topped up the Melafix and Pimafix since it was already in the water, so we'll leave out the salt for now and see how it goes.

He's still eating and swimming and flapping as normal, but he's very subdued since the iodine.

Now I am faced with the dilemma of returning the big chu back to the shop, as he's very very bitey.

Also also I have the iodine now, should I switch from the myxazin to the iodine, or keep going with the myxazin?

I melafixed and pimafixed the tank last night, and also dabbed on the myxazin - should I still add salt, or is that mixing meds?

I managed to get a divider in there too, to avoid any more nipping.

Afraid not - I don't have a spare filter to put in one, and I'd rather keep him in a cycled tank for the moment just in case of an ammonia spike in a qt tank.

Thanks Suey, I was in a right panic!

I'm wondering what the lump is now of course, it's definitely filled with solid tissue so some form of tumour? Hopefully something he can live with rather than something fatal :/

Regretting going mad and buying that new fish - if not for him I'd have a quarantine tank for poor chu!

I just myxazin'ed him (and myself, and the coffee table) amid much flapping and splashing so hopefully that helps.

It's a little worrying as the lump is still there, there's just a chunk gone out of it, so I'll be setting up a divider in the tank tomorrow to give him some peace, and Mr V will pick up some iodine tomorrow.