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lethargic goldfish - new tank....

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lethargic goldfish - new tank.... EA 04-10-2007
Posted by EA on April 12, 2007, 9:05 am
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Thanks everyone =)

We bought some "cycle biological aquarium supplement" which claims to
"release massive amounts of beneficial bacteria to mature new
aquariums and control ammonia and nitrite levels". We're going to get
the ammonia/nitrite test tomorrow (from a different pet store - the
one we went to today assured us it was unnecessary).

Our sick little fellow is still hanging around the bottom of his tank,
but his friends are still healthy.

I really hope I can help him get better and keep his friends well,
thanks for all of your help!



Posted by EA on April 12, 2007, 9:09 am
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Now that we've bought this bacteria, should we still be doing the
partial daily water changes?

Thanks!


> Far too many fish, far too quickly and far too small a tank!!!
> Your filter is brand new.... not good mate.
> unless you fed the tank fish food for the 2 months before the fish went
> in.... then there will be very very very few waste processing bacteria in
> the tank.
> Not good now they have to take care of 8 fishes poo!!
>
> The fish that looks bad/sick....
> he's your canary
> the rest of the fish will follow quickly
>
> you have set yourself up a nightmare.....
> to solve it
> 1) feed very lightly
> 2) partial water change every 1 0r 2 days (remove prob 50% of water)
> 3) don't clean filter until flow slows (and then only squeeze out in a
> bucket of aquarium water)
>
> I am glad I am not in your shoes anyway!
> Research 'new tank syndrome'
> and prepare for ammonia/nitrite hell
> :)
> In 3 weeks time
> if all goes well
> you'll be able to change to 1/3 partial water changes every week
> but until that ammonia/nitrite drops......
> gotta dilute to save ya fishys!
> gasping and sitting on bottem are bad bad signs!
>
>
>
> > Hello,
>
> > We've just purchased 8 goldfish and put them in a 50 Litre tank. The
> > tank had been filled for about 2 months, and there are plants in there
> > too. We have a filter that ran for about an hour before the fish were
> > put in the tank.
>
> > We also used "water ager tap water conditioner" before we put the fish
> > in.
>
> > 7 of the 8 fish seem very happy - they swim around a lot and rush to
> > the the top when we feed them. The 8th seems to sleep a lot and move
> > quite slowly - although he does move occasionally. He likes to suck on
> > rocks and then spit them out as well.
>
> > I am worried that he is sick - we've only had him a few days but I am
> > still very worried.
>
> > Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
>
> > EA



Posted by swarvegorilla on April 13, 2007, 12:26 am
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The bacteria you have bought is usually more gimmick than saver of the day.
If you don't want to do water changes.... then DON't feed!!
Fish should be right with a few days of not eating.
Do a nice big water change (to dilute the toxic ammonia/nitrite)
Add your bacteria in a bottle (would be much better to add a bit of sponge
from a filter thats been setup for a while)
and hope for best.

If you could take out some fish that would be good
otherwise
keep up the partial waterchanges
prob for 2 weeks or so
by doing the water changes, you are keeping the fish alive
Ammonia and nitrite do PERMANENT damage to fish
so reducing it as much as possible NOW means your fish will live longer
LATER.
I know, that the bottle of bacteria was probably expensive.
But ya gotta dilute those toxins.
Once you get a result 0ppm ammonia and 0ppm nitrite
then you can slow the partial water changes down and slowly increase the
food fed.
:)




> Now that we've bought this bacteria, should we still be doing the
> partial daily water changes?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>> Far too many fish, far too quickly and far too small a tank!!!
>> Your filter is brand new.... not good mate.
>> unless you fed the tank fish food for the 2 months before the fish went
>> in.... then there will be very very very few waste processing bacteria
>> in
>> the tank.
>> Not good now they have to take care of 8 fishes poo!!
>>
>> The fish that looks bad/sick....
>> he's your canary
>> the rest of the fish will follow quickly
>>
>> you have set yourself up a nightmare.....
>> to solve it
>> 1) feed very lightly
>> 2) partial water change every 1 0r 2 days (remove prob 50% of water)
>> 3) don't clean filter until flow slows (and then only squeeze out in a
>> bucket of aquarium water)
>>
>> I am glad I am not in your shoes anyway!
>> Research 'new tank syndrome'
>> and prepare for ammonia/nitrite hell
>> :)
>> In 3 weeks time
>> if all goes well
>> you'll be able to change to 1/3 partial water changes every week
>> but until that ammonia/nitrite drops......
>> gotta dilute to save ya fishys!
>> gasping and sitting on bottem are bad bad signs!
>>
>>
>>
>> > Hello,
>>
>> > We've just purchased 8 goldfish and put them in a 50 Litre tank. The
>> > tank had been filled for about 2 months, and there are plants in there
>> > too. We have a filter that ran for about an hour before the fish were
>> > put in the tank.
>>
>> > We also used "water ager tap water conditioner" before we put the fish
>> > in.
>>
>> > 7 of the 8 fish seem very happy - they swim around a lot and rush to
>> > the the top when we feed them. The 8th seems to sleep a lot and move
>> > quite slowly - although he does move occasionally. He likes to suck on
>> > rocks and then spit them out as well.
>>
>> > I am worried that he is sick - we've only had him a few days but I am
>> > still very worried.
>>
>> > Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> > EA
>
>



Posted by EA on April 13, 2007, 9:01 am
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Firstly, thanks SO much for all your advice - if only you worked at
our local pet store! The advice that we've been given by these people
has been well intentioned but, apparently, ill informed.

To complicate matters further, we spoke to a girl at the pet shop
tonight who said that the shop "often has a tank or two out of action
for quarantine" and that we may have purchased a sick fish. GAH. Thank
goodness these people only sell supplies and not other animals too!

So, we're following your advice:

- another partial waterchange (the second since my first post) -
including gravel vacuum and clean
- more "cycle" - the bacteria stuff (other posts in this and other
groups have rated it - am keeping my fingers crossed!)
- addition of ammo-lock (there has been some debate of the merits of
this product, but most people seem to think it's okay as it makes the
ammonia less toxic, but doesnt break the cycle)
- addition of sea salt (which looks suspiciously like normal sea salt,
but the price tag and picture of a fish on the pack tries to convince
me otherwise....)
- our ammonia levels (pre water change) were at 0.25, and the nitrite
was at the same level - although this is bad news for the fish, I
think this is good news because they cycle is under way?
- quarantine of sick fish (whose condition has deteriorated - he is
moving less, and lying on his side) - in half tank water, half tap,
treated with all above additives, et cetera
- we've also lined up a new tank (approx 100L - which is 4 times the
size of the current tank) that we will get our hands on and start
"fishless cycling" soon (I may be back to get advice on that soon - if
you can tolerate any more annoying questions!)

I hope I can save all the fish, I feel horrible that they are
suffering because of my ignorance!

Thanks again for all your help, we'd have been lost (and our fish
crook) without you!


Posted by on April 14, 2007, 9:26 am
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do NOT use sea salt for goldfish. get kosher salt with no additives, get the
rock
salt they use for water softeners with no additives. it should be cheap. Ingrid

>- addition of sea salt (which looks suspiciously like normal sea salt,
>but the price tag and picture of a fish on the pack tries to convince
>me otherwise....)


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