# Please help... Goldfish mites



## kegley (Sep 17, 2009)

My sister has just set up a tank cold water witha filter and air pump! She bought some gold fish from pets at home and a couple of days later she's noticed some mites on them, she went back to pets at home- and their advice was take the fish out of the water in a damp cloth and pluck the mites off with tweezers! Is this the correct way to get rid of them? Will the filter and stuff need changing? I'll be grateful for any advice cheers xxx


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## littlefoot (Dec 6, 2007)

Hi,firstly what do these so called mites look like? Do not take the fish out of the water.When was the tank set up?Has she tested the water ?


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

are they fish lice? fairly large round critters attached to the fish? ive seen them on the goldfish at our local [email protected] before. we had them in our tank a long time back and we were too advised to fish the fish out of the water to remove any lice that can be seen, and treat the tank with kusuri discus wormer+ which worked a treat and cleared them up in no time.

as for the fish themselves, the tank will be going through a cycle so the water will need testing probably every day to ensure ammonia and nitrites dont harm the fish. they will need a large tank when grown so hopefully they arent ina small one right now.


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## kegley (Sep 17, 2009)

It's a 75litre tank, with 4 goldfish, she's been advised not to treat the tank but is in the process of making it into a tropical tank and has just added a heater, do these lice lay eggs should she take out the equipment and sterilise it? The only thing I can compare it with is snake mites and I had to take everything out!


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

ouch, 75L and goldfish, not good. do not turn the heater on with the goldfish in there, they need cool water. 

as for the mites, can you get a picture of them? how large are they and what colour?


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## littlefoot (Dec 6, 2007)

In order to help you we need to find out what exactly they are and if indeed they are mites.Yes the tank will need treating you can't just treat the fish.The tank is too small for goldfish and as goldie said goldfish can't be kept in a tropical tank it's too warm for them.


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## TSG (Jan 16, 2012)

Fish the fish out and pluck the mites off? i use to work in a pet store in the fish department and ive never heard that before, is the mites all over the body or just on the fins, are they black?


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## kegley (Sep 17, 2009)

As I said its not my tank I'll try and get a picture today, the people at pets at home said that she can increase temps slowly with the gold fish and they will climatise to the environment, I argued this with her but she reckons the [email protected] people are experts and iv told her in my opinion they are not! She's not like me I would have done alot of research and made sure that I had the best advice but she is taking what the [email protected] people are saying as gospel! 

As for the mites/lice they are white and tiny and are found clinging to the fish! That's all I know really! I'll try and get a pic today, thanks for all your help I'll be sure to tell her about the temps ect!


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## kegley (Sep 17, 2009)

And as for it being to small a tank I got mixed up its 75 gallons not litres x


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## littlefoot (Dec 6, 2007)

It is possibly white spot but need more info or pics.You certainly don't need to be taking the fish out of the water and picking them off no matter what.If it is white spot it is very contagious to other fish and they will also live in the tank bottom.If it is white spot and i am saying IF as we don't know yet,it may be a good idea that she is getting a heater as this will help in getting rid of them.First we need to find out for sure what it is and the sooner the better for the fishes sake.


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## Moogloo (Mar 15, 2010)

Is it definately mites?

Id agree sounds more like either White Spot or if the white spots are only on the pectoral (side) fins and the gills (cheeks) of the fish, its normal in maturing male goldfish.

I hate to say it but if [email protected] staff didnt ask the right questions or get the right answers, they might have assume when told it was 'fish lice/mites' that it was Argulus as they are commonly referred to as fish lice a lot of the time and the only guaranteed way of getting rid of them is to use a nail (or equivalent) and pick/scrape them off. They bit with their mouth parts and suction their bodies tightly to the fish, if you medicate the tank, it doesnt always kill them if they are suctioned on tightly or if it dos, they might not come off even when dead.

I can see a tiny bit of logic in what [email protected] said but probably wrong situation as argulus dont look like white dots!

Argulus Fish Louse
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White spots on a mature male goldfish
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Whitespot on goldfishes body
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There arent any other fish lice that crawl all over the body like snake mites do...


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