fragile

this is Baby, my little blue shubunkin goldfish. I had baby while he was small, as big as a thumb 3 years ago. He is the only one left from the original group of goldfish, the rest got eaten by raccoons or opossums, he came a year after I set up the little pond at the backyard on a thanksgiving weekend.

When I was a kid, I used to have a small tank, my elder brother always told me to throw away the fish, it costs more energy and money to treat them than buying a new one. I agreed but I can not just throw them away, this fragile little life totally rely on you, had no control of when the food is coming or how the water quality is going to be like, just totally rely on you.

However well I think I keep the pond, there are action going on when we are not around, brunch of frogs are there also increase the load of waste, birds may carry decease or parasite while bathing in the pond, squirrels from the tree top shitting into the pond....etc. We could only do so much, the rest we have no control over so we can not worry about it.

I noticed there are ulcers developed on baby's gill plate and his fin is rotting away, this is clearly a sign of bacteria infection. I had anti-bacterial remedy in the water for the last 3 weeks and it took away the ulcers for a few days, soon after it came back on other area of his body. I soon found out he needs more than just a remedy in the water.

Eventually I took him out to the Goldfish ICU on monday, these are photos I took while he checked into his hospital tank, the redness on his tail fin and gill plate is ulcer and it could be a secondary infection that he got bit by something, the skin had a tiny hole and the bacteria attacked him in those area.

I am using an anti-biotic treatment in the ICU called Minocycline, similar to humans anti-biotic Doxycycline, it would take 6 days for his treatment to end, then I would observe him to see if he is healthy enough to go back with his friends and family in the pond, if not I would have to put him to sleep with a dose of clove oil.

This is the third day after his first dosage, the ulcer is clearing up, he is swimming a little bit, hopefully he could make it!