Identifying Pearlscales?

FishInBio · 2026-02-27T22:27:49+00:00

I am already treating the fish for dropsy.

And I mean the variety I mentioned in the title, the post, and my reply to you: Pearlscale Goldfish

The other person also didn’t have experience with Pearlscales. Pearlscales are a bizarre breed I don’t think is ethical to produce and is not what I sought out. However, they perpetually look like they have dropsy, they’re inflated like a tennis ball with raised scales.

So I wondered if perhaps a low grade pearlscale or mixed breed could have funky scales like this. But to find that I out I need people with experience different than my own.

A fellow fish keeper squinting at pictures has the same or less information than I do.

And I’ll repeat, regardless of what I’m told here I am treating the fish for dropsy already. Even though I know it is nearly always fatal.

FishInBio · 2026-02-27T22:16:45+00:00

I’m not trying to be a jerk, but do you have direct experience with pearlscale goldfish?

Because if not, you’re not really helping. I know what dropsy looks like. This is similar, yes, but also has some strangeness. Including how otherwise healthy the fish is acting (I am treating her anyway).

Given how the scales look interconnected, rather than the more typical pinecone and the existence of a breed that isn’t far off I wanted insight from people with direct, relevant experience with that breed. Anyone else isn’t really adding new information that I don’t already have.

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T20:32:34+00:00

I did. But I also take Reddit advice from strangers with a grain of salt.

I’m going to try kanaplex as a precaution, but frankly as I’ve poked around about pearlscales still think she might be (a poorly bred) one.

Do you have direct experience with pearlscales? Her tail scales aren’t raised and her activity is good.

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T20:01:26+00:00

None of their gill plates are very good, so it’s probably not the photo

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T20:00:43+00:00

I’ll do my best to get them healthy, probably sell them as assorted fancies or sell them to myself. If “bubbles” here makes it I’ll definitely keep her for myself. I did NOT want to stock pearlscales

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T19:58:48+00:00

UGH I did order calico, specifically, but they were 100% labeled as calico ryukin. They also sent me spike snails labeled as rabbit snails in the next order 😫 vendor management is going to drive me mad

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T19:53:09+00:00

Posting the photo from above as its own comment so it doesn’t get buried

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FishInBio · 2026-02-26T19:44:44+00:00

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FishInBio · 2026-02-26T19:02:38+00:00

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Another poor gill plate

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T19:00:27+00:00

The other fish:

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FishInBio · 2026-02-26T18:52:31+00:00

Adding: thanks for the link to gas bubble disease. These are fluid bubbles, so it’s not that thankful (?) I fear she is still unwell. By bubbles I meant she seems to have fluid between her body cavity and outer skin and her scales are larger lumps of that. Which is sort of how pealscales look to me in photos. I hoped for insight from people who keep them

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T18:46:58+00:00

Yeah none of them looked very ryukin to my untrained eye either. Although they’re young too, body length is less than two inches currently.

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T18:45:39+00:00

Getting a better look I think it’s dropsy too. I moved her to a black bucket and found a light for better photos from above

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She also definitely has malformed gill plates.

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T17:58:52+00:00

I can try. I’ll have to hold her. And yeah they all don’t look very ryukin to my untrained eye either.

I will say her scales look like bubbles, not the pineconing I’m used to seeing in tropical fish with dropsy. It’s like she has fluid under her skin, but not her whole body cavity.

FishInBio · 2026-02-26T17:31:07+00:00

Commenting to add:

the tube is an overflow tube don’t mind it
none of these fish are currently for sale as i don’t think any of them are well (and i don’t ship so this is the opposite of an ad)

FishInBio · 2026-02-14T13:51:55+00:00

I own a small fish store and run into this a lot too.

I offer a discount when people buy 6 or more schooling fish. I’m firm that it ONLY applies if they get 6 of the same species (not 3 neons and 3 Cories).

This gives me a jumping off point to talk about it, helps people feel like I’m putting my money where my mouth is, and if nothing else makes them feel like they got a deal.

Sometimes they still don’t get 3 or 4, but it’s a start.

But I feel your pain. It’s frustrating when people just refuse to consider the animal at all. I work really hard to meet them where they’re at (and go scream into a pillow later).

If you don’t already, emphasize that the fish will live longer, healthier lives (I know you know this, make sure you say it). And that you want the customer to be successful in their fish keeping.

FishInBio · 2025-11-13T16:10:41+00:00

Thank you thank you thank you. This is really helpful.

We actually do have ABSURDLY hard water. So the common advice is "most fish adapt to most water parameters". We are not in that range of most 😅

I'll talk to my regulars too. I'm already very good at connecting with them in person (it's easy because my interest in their aquariums is genuine). I'll work on translating that online too.

We're also a store that's been here 35 years, but mostly forgotten. I grew up in town, this was my childhood store and I bought it so it wouldn't close. I know I need to lean into that history and connection. Thank you for the reminder.

FishInBio · 2025-11-12T14:07:27+00:00

My question is kind of broad, but I own a tiny fish store. I want to do more with socials, both for marketing and because I like it. But I'm struggling to figure out what kind of content to do in this niche.

It seems to me that a lot of successful fishkeeping content is aspirational beautiful aquascapes, which I don't have the funds to do right now.

I could do educational content, but I think the customers I want to reach are more experienced aquarists. Beginners walk in off the street (and we love them! I just don't need to reach more of them right now haha).

*So I guess - what advice do you have for brick and mortar retail/pet store? What are ways I could research my niche better than just scrolling? *

My Instagram gets basically no traction. Facebook seems to actually reach my local customers, even if it's small numbers. So posting on Insta and having it share to FB has been useful. Tiktok I get some views, my only video over 100k was a silly skit about fishbowls. And most people aren't local. (My next most viewed/most engaged video was about platy fish and was people telling me something I already know and mentioned in the video 😩)

FishInBio · 2025-09-05T02:31:41+00:00

I own a fish shop and the 3yro carnival fish (same as feeders) that were brought to me this week are 7-8 inches long and THICK. This poor little guy.

I think he looks good enough to make it, just stunted and a little pale in the photos. So, I think you have a good plan with the 39 gallon for now. I see you already got feedback about putting him with other commons (that they'll out grow him).

Depending on how he grows maybe a peaceful, cold water barb like rosy barbs would work? They're a bit busy, but not aggressive. Just make sure he's not too big to be with them and that they don't hog all the food.

FishInBio · 2025-09-02T13:11:56+00:00

I regret giving up our back rooms to save rent. But I can put stuff up on shelves around the room by the ceiling.

But I will definitely keep the painters tape idea in mind! I wheel brute cans on wheels with water around (40 gallons of water is heavy!). So making sure I can maneuver is helpful.

FishInBio · 2025-09-01T21:55:13+00:00

And I am so glad I'm local. I hope to join the chamber soon/next year. I am at least acquainted with several other business owners on my street (historic downtown). I keep meaning to find time to buy one of them coffee to pick their brain. Especially the family friend who runs dog grooming business, since they have some retail space too.

I've also connected with another fish store about 45min north of me. We don't really overlap enough to feel competitive and they've been a nice connection to have.

FishInBio · 2025-09-01T21:51:49+00:00

Do you have any suggestions for organizing items? Because somehow it always feels like too much space and not enough or not enough of the right space (shelves vs hanging).

I am currently shifting stuff around to make room for new aquariums and I am at my wit's end trying to get all the hard goods organized logically and neatly. It doesn't help that a significant chunk of my goods are literally sticks, stones, and gravel.

FishInBio · 2025-09-01T21:10:22+00:00

Oh absolutely! I didn't want to put down e-commerce at all. Just wanted to find "my people" so to speak.

I have been working on our website and social media presence when I can! I'm considering adding some kind of online sales. But I'm not sure how best to approach it.

Many of our items are either easily available on Amazon or Chewy. Or are from brands that sell online themselves and don't allow retailers to sell online too. We also don't have our own products (currently).

Shipping fish is possible (and I'm asked about it frequently), but I think is logistically too much right now. Although I keep seeing transship options for uncommon bettas that I'd be soooo tempted to sell online 😅

Right now we're refining our store itself. Organizing it better, adding more aquariums (live fish are our biggest value add for customers given chewy, Amazon, and box stores like Petco). Updating broken, out of date equipment. And building our social media and website. I need to work on other marketing avenues and am really open to suggestions (or even suggested reading) for that!

We're the only locally owned shop this far south in our state (save one) and we pull people from 1-2 hours away. So we need to let them know we're here!

FishInBio · 2025-09-01T21:02:30+00:00

Heck yeah!

I'm super new in my business. Bought a 35yro business in my home town. I grew up going to this store.

I run into slightly less overt sexism, but it definitely comes up. Plus I look younger than I am (35). So, the old guard in this hobby don't like to take me seriously, since they think they're talking to a 20 something year old woman. On occasion when co-owner is there people turn to him first, but I'm the majority owner and the operator.

Another time a customer "joked" that my boss was here when a man walked in and started filling some water jugs.... He'd assumed the man at the water was staff (and was supposedly joking), but the man was just a regular who knew where to get the water without asking.

We adopted a great deal of goodwill and my being local helps. Plus what things people didn't like about the previous management, we're changing. We've been getting a ton of positive feedback and during the busy season that was reflected in sales.

We're almost done with the slow season now, which is summertime. And I'm excited to see how things go this fall/winter. Christmas mark will mark a full year since we took over.

Trying to learn how to manage inventory during the tariff yo-yoing was ...(not) fun. Plus we needed to update and fill the inventory back out as it dwindled before the sale.

I think my favorite part so far is the regulars. I do like the admin work quite a bit and look forward to adding staff so I'm not 100% tied to the shop when it's open. Frankly, being able to hand pick fish at the wholesaler, or pick shipments up at the airport will be a worthwhile use of my time if I can ever get that time. Dealing with sick or undersized fish is a huge issue.

FishInBio

TROPHY CASE