If you have other fish I would think it wise to remove the very sick one to a separate tank. You could then try some treatments, a salt bath or whatever is suggested when you examine the porr thing.
Jim and Sara Humphries, Victoria, BC
"Dominique" wrote in message ...
I have had a fist sized Oranda missing since Oct. (I live in the Kansas City area, and water temp is held at 45*). Well it miraculously appeared today in the middle of the pond laying on it's side but breathing. It used to be very orange, but is now mostly black. It is really scraped on one of it's sides.

I guess it is just a waiting game to see if it will survive. I guess it has been stuck behind a rock all this time.

Any suggestions on care I should be giving this fish?

DY

go here http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/p...se/disease.htm
do the physical. if the gills are bright red, do a fast 30 second salt dip and put
it in well aerated water and bring the temp up. add a bit of salt to the water.
then follow the clean up brining fish in from the pond
http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/p.../care/care.htm
keep the water pristine. Ingrid

"Dominique" wrote:

I have had a fist sized Oranda missing since Oct. (I live in the Kansas City area, and water temp is held at 45*). Well it miraculously appeared today in the middle of the pond laying on it's side but breathing. It used to be very orange, but is now mostl
y black. It is really scraped on one of it's sides.

I guess it is just a waiting game to see if it will survive. I guess it has been stuck behind a rock all this time.

Any suggestions on care I should be giving this fish?

DY

it could be slime coat and that would indicate flukes or other parasites. If you
have it, potassium permanganate is probably the best treatment, Quick Cure second
best. usually a salt dip (for fishwith good gills) will take that right off. but
gotta clean the fish up. INgrid

"Dominique" wrote:

Thank you....It also has a gray fungus of some sort over it hood and one of it's eye.

It does sound as if he was stuck somewhere. When GF are injured, they will
scab like you or I, this is what that black is. Every part of a GF that is
injured will turn black. Now babies can be black and then they will turn
orange or whatever color. You need to keep him in very clean, but not
pristine water, this means you need conditioned water, filtered. Use the
salt and or the PP, check his eating, is he bloated, he sounds like he may
be to far gone, orandas are very hard to cure when they are past a certain
point. What type of oranda is he? don't overfeed as he will have enough
problems to deal with, what color is his poop? if it is blackish that is ok,
if it is white or has air pockets that is something else.
wrote in message
...
it could be slime coat and that would indicate flukes or other parasites.
If you
have it, potassium permanganate is probably the best treatment, Quick Cure
second
best. usually a salt dip (for fishwith good gills) will take that right
off. but
gotta clean the fish up. INgrid

"Dominique" wrote:

Thank you....It also has a gray fungus of some sort over it hood and one
of it's eye.