top of page
Top of Page

SICK FISH CONSULTATION

The ECR Sick Fish Consultation is provided FREE of Charge to customers who have purchased an ECR goldfish (upto 3 Consultations per customer). This service is limited only to goldfish purchased from ECR. Unfortunately I can't give you advise on goldfish you've purchased from another store. 

​

If you're currently experiencing issues with your goldfish, I will REQUIRE photos/videos and a completed Form before I can help. If you fill out the form without submitting photos/videos I won't reply. If you send a message directly to my Gmail, Instagram or Facebook account regarding a sick goldfish I will always and automatically redirect you to this page. I'll give you my time if you give me the courtesy of yours and respect my process.

​

Use these consultations sensibly -- you only have 3 opportunities to ask for help. If your goldfish develops something so basic like ICH or Fungal infections #GoogleIsYourFriend. 

​

  • Why Not Just Diagnose From A Picture?
    I have an idea that filling out the form below is 10th on the list of things you have to do today but I don't want to kill your fish with the wrong diagnosis. Photos/videos are critical visual aids however it's not enough. I can't determine an illness without evaluating circumstances and related data that only you can provide. I've formulated the questionnaire below to allow me a better overview of what's going on. So please - if you care about your goldfish kindly refrain from giving me vague answers or skipping questions. It just prolongs the process if I have to ask you to redo the form all over again. If you're not into it, or have an excuse not to fill out the form - I can't help you. Forget for a moment that I'm an annoying Type-A control freak. I'm here to help. I'll give you my time if you give me the courtesy of yours and respect my process.
  • Issues I Can't Help You With
    Please ONLY submit this form if this is a real and actual issue with substantial and apparent manifestations of illness or infection. I can't help with imaginary non-issues: I think its sad and lonely I think it can't breathe I think it's scared It's very "skittish" It's acting weird when I'm in the room It's trying to jump out How can I possibly diagnose this? If you're an experienced fishkeeper - you understand exactly what I'm talking about. If you're not seeing clinical signs - let's not waste each others time. Thankyouverymuch.
  • Regarding Water Parameters
    As long as you're aware of your tank's parameters, I don't need to know the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrate levels. Majority of illnesses in goldfish are almost always caused by unstable or deteriorating water conditions and/or poorly maintained filter media. In the many years I've been consulted on sick fish - nearly everyone has claimed they have EXCELLENT WATER PARAMETERS. There's no way for me to assess the veracity of this info whether this is true prior to the onset of the illness, throughout the past week, the past month and so on and so forth. Some fishkeepers have a tendency to distort, fabricate and/or omit information for fear of being judged/lectured or the need to present oneself in a positive light. Anytime there's an attempt to preempt my diagnosis with a claim that the water conditions have always been excellent and so "don't even go there Cynthia" but the fish is presenting characteristics and symptoms contradictory to those perfect parameters - then it's a moot point. So we'll just skip this counterintuitive exercise, you go ahead and enjoy your water test kit. I'll stick to the science that's consistent with the symptoms along with the variable data provided on the form. I'll give you my recommendations after. The main goal is to help your fish heal. Regardless of the TRUE parameters at the onset of illness, please be mindful of the fundamentals of the Nitrogen Cycle and the importance of regular water changes along with careful filter maintenance.
  • Differences in Opinion
    I understand that when a fish is sick some fishkeepers can get a little touchy, emotions can run high specially if my assessment is something you don't want to hear. ​​The insights I provide are there for you to use as a guide. If an issue is within my knowledge and experience I will always give it to you straight. But if you're already consulting with a BOOK, another website or another fishkeeper and all you're looking for is to debate with me, question the validity of my analysis or "educate me" with your own research​ in some kind of self-serving bias - then it's no longer about the sick fish. When that line is crossed there's no need to proceed with a consultation. I'm not trying to win a prize, all I want is for your fish to get better. I don't want to confuse you or complicate the situation with ​my interpretation of the facts that you're not willing to accept. We make the best decisions with regards to our goldfish when we can achieve a careful balance between emotions and logic. Pride, Ego & Excuses will not heal your fish. If I stop corresponding in the middle of a consultation that means you and I have hit an impasse. No further actions or discussion is required.
  • New Customers
    All ECR customers received the Care History Information with every fish purchased - this means you were given recommendations on the Support Pages along with the Care History information. If you're a new ECR customer and your fish gets sick shortly after you received it - it's possible your goldfish has developed an adverse reaction to something it's never come across before. I strongly recommend that you read the QUARANTINE INSTRUCTIONS and the rest of the Support Pages to see potential causes.
  • For Beginner Goldfishkeepers
    There are many prompts all over this website asking Beginner Goldfishkeepers not to proceed with an ECR purchase if you've only just began goldfishkeeping or if you're going to be difficult. If you've ignored those suggestions and proceeded with an order kindly note the following: Please don't just outsource the problem-solving to me every single time something goes wrong. I won't guide you every step of the way. Tank setup, tank cycling, ich, fungal infections, high ammonia --- these are all basics you should put time in to educate yourself.

STEP 1

Please upload :

 

  • a close up picture of any visible and evident signs of ailment (lesions, spots, bleeding, swelling, tear, discoloration etc)

  • a minimum 1 minute-video if the problem is behavioral (lethargy, swimming disorder, clamped fins, piping at the surface etc). Please don't send me a still picture if the problem is behavioral. I need to see the video.

  • If the issue started when you first received your fish - I need to see the most current video and the Day-of-Arrival media files. Please submit the actual UNBOXING VIDEO that shows you received a sick fish. This will be cross-referenced with any supporting email on the day of arrival.

STEP 2

​

All the information I require below refers to the MAIN tank or system where the fish originally got sick. If this is a new purchase - kindly take a moment to review the Care History Information and Quarantine Instructions provided to you with your ORDER CONFIRMATION email before filling out the form. Please use a computer if you can't fill this out on your smartphone. 

If you don't receive a response within 24 hours of sending this form, it's possible you entered an invalid email address or the email server has marked your email address as unsafe/spam. (This security function is beyond my control). If this happens, kindly resubmit the form using a different email address. 

​

For Yahoo Email Account Holders: always check your spam folder in case my reply got lost in there by mistake.

​

For AOL Email Account Holders: Unfortunately AOL is an outdated email service with obsolete security protocols and program limitations. If you're not receiving ECR emails, Shipping Rates, Order Invoices, or Tracking Information - this is an AOL issue. Be advised that AOL is notorious for arbitrarily blocking or discarding emails that other leading email providers readily accept. I strongly recommend using a different email address other than AOL. 

​

POLICIES AND REMINDERS

 

  • Disclaimer: While my treatment recommendation and procedure is intended to help - it's not all inclusive. I'm not a Doctor or a Scientist and so therefore any conjectures made will be based solely on my own goldfishkeeping experience. No guarantees or assurances are made regarding the treatment itself. Individual results may vary.   

  • 3-Limit Policy: As of Jan. 2018 I'm imposing a 3 Consultation Limit for all ECR Customers. To clarify, I explain more on this policy here: LINK  

  • I will take care of you but kindly refrain from sending SMS/Text messages to my mobile number (I don't text). 

  • Mondays are the busiest days of the week for both my companies. Tuesdays & Wednesdays are days when I ship. I can't guarantee my availability on these days. I encourage you to seek other avenues for help. The rest of the week, I'm able to attend to consultations by order of PRIORITY and usually around midnight.

  • If the situation is extreme based on the details you provide this may require me to call. Please be available when I call. If you see an incoming private number or a New York call soon after you filled out a Sick Fish Consultation form - it must be me.

  • Be prepared for medical expenses and other incidentals.

​

ECR MEDICATION

I have goldfish medications available for sale here. Obviously, you can purchase these meds from other stores but I do get these in bulk and wanna make sure all my customers have immediate access to medication I reliably use.

​

​

bottom of page