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What causes red spots or rashes on my goldfish's body and fins?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Fish | Gold Fish | Male

My goldfish has red spots/rashes on his body and fins. What could this mean?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on March 4th, 2019

Although a picture could be extremely helpful to determine the underlying cause more specifically this presentation could be due to a bacterial or a fungal infection usually. I would recommend to make sure water quality is good first of all. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. Then, as a general approach, I would recommend to set up quarantine tank: make sure the tank is well oxygenation and has some plants for hiding; - add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon; - add this product https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/4410/?pcatid=4410 as indicated; - leave your fish there and feed him regularly for 3-4 days until you don't see any improvement - If no results at all are seen after 4 days a check up would be needed as more specific tests may be needed to establish a specific diagnosis. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Todd Cecil

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 11th, 2019

    Thanks for reaching out about Goldie. Unlikely to be fungal, as they are usually white. Bacterial, parasitic, or inflammatory more likely. Test and correct water quality for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. A veterinary visit might be needed to examine an affected area under the microscope, as different causative agents require different treatments. Good luck.

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