911: Hurt Goldfish

[kiyannastar]

Hey all,

I work at wal mart in the pet dept., and while I was on break, someone thought it would be funny to put a small, less than an inch, goldfish in one of the beta bowls. By the time I got to it, it was missing one eye and most of it's tail.

I have obtained an old, ten gallon aquariam and a new aqua-tech bio filter. I need to know 1) what's the best fast way to clean an old tank with age and storage against it, and 2) What do I do about cycling and my hurt fish?

Squirt's in a bowl right now, so I'd like to get him to the tank ASAP.

Thanks for any help!

[maronov]

People are so cruel...

I would just put the poor guy out of his misery - maybe feed him to a carnivorous fish at the store.

[kiyannastar]

That's what Monica said, but I couldn't do that! <_<; I'm weird. I have no problem feeding rosy reds to oscars and cichlids, but this poor thing has been tortured.. Anyway, he seems to have gotten over the stress. He's eating properly as long as I sink the food, and he swims around happily up to about halfway to the top of the water, which is a little more than a third from the top. I heard his tail will regrow, but I need to get him so a filtered tank so infections won't set in.

[fishcatch22]

That's what Monica said, but I couldn't do that! <_<; I'm weird. I have no problem feeding rosy reds to oscars and cichlids, but this poor thing has been tortured.. Anyway, he seems to have gotten over the stress. He's eating properly as long as I sink the food, and he swims around happily up to about halfway to the top of the water, which is a little more than a third from the top. I heard his tail will regrow, but I need to get him so a filtered tank so infections won't set in.yes. buy some bio-spira to cycle the 10G immediately, and buy some melafix to makes sure his eye doesn't become infected. once he shows signs of recovering, move him into a larger tank, about 55Gs is fine. goldfish are NOT small fish, and will reach an adult size of around a foot (maybe more)

[maronov]

I'm glad the fish has recovered slightly. Since you are very nicely trying to save it, perform frequent water changes until you set the new/old tank up. Clean it without using soap - just rinse it out as best as you can. What kind of filter you have is important since goldfish get messy - what aqua-tech do you have? Hopefully his tail will heal... I know it does eventually with tropical fish.
Good luck!

[kiyannastar]

I have a 10-20 Aqua-Tech Power Filter. And thank you. ^_^

[5xevy]

I can't believe someone did that. When I first read your post, I thought a fellow employee did it. Was it just a Walmart shopper or another employee (if you happen to know)?

I think it's great that you brought him home. As long as he's not suffering massively (and it doesn't seem as if he is), then I wouldn't think of euthanizing the little guy.

Keep us updated on how he's doing!

:)

[phaedraeos]

My goldfishs' tails have always healed super fast.

Make sure the current isn't too strong for him! I bought a tailless fish the other day - a little 1 inch fantail that looked like he'd gotten his tail caught in a nasty filter accident - and he died overnight :( I think the stress, plus it being so difficult for him to swim, did him in.

You might want to get some Pimafix too, just in case. Maybe keep the temperature at around 74 to speed up metabolism and healing, if possible?

[InR reason]

Hey all,

I work at wal mart in the pet dept., and while I was on break, someone thought it would be funny to put a small, less than an inch, goldfish in one of the beta bowls. By the time I got to it, it was missing one eye and most of it's tail.


The future of this country gets more and more dim as time goes by. I'm sorry. Whether it's someone careening in and out of traffic at 90mph or someone dumping a goldfish into a small bowl with a betta, I see morals slipping day by day. No respect for life, or courtesy, or common sense. And we will "endure as a nation." Right.

[daniellehaagen]

Poor fishy! How can people be so cruel. What goes around comes around!

[Jessu]

What a :mad2::rant2::mad2::rant2::mad2::rant2: if only wallmart had a piranha tank you could throw them in.

[kiyannastar]

Hey all,

Sad to say, Squirt died about twenty minutes ago.:( I'm really sad about it. I actually cried a little, I felt so bad. -_-; I knew it was a possibility, but I still hoped. *sighs* That's what I get for getting attatched to a beat up fish. Oh well, I'm stubborn.
Well, thanks for your sentiments. And if it makes any of you feel better, those of us that work with the fish at my Wal Mart research the fish we carry and try our best to keep their tanks clean and keep people from just sticking oscars into fish bowls. <_<; Yes, I did have a customer who wanted to do that..
Anyway, thanks for the advice ya'll gave. I hope all of your fish fair better than poor little Squirt.