PLEASE! HELP MY FISH ARE DYING! :(

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Inamorata

AC Members
Aug 30, 2007
5
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Hi guys.. I'm sorry if Im posting in the wrong place, I wasnt sure wether to post in the newbie section cause Im new to fishkeeping but this is serious.

Right I have a black moor, a normal goldfish, and recently bought 4 zebra danios. I know what youre thinking, I should have bought at least 6 danios, and also, I bought all my fish BEFORE I found out that fish need a lot more space than is commonly understood.

The danios that I bought were from a proper fish shop however 2 of them have died of what I think is a serious bacterial infection. This infection HAS passed on to the goldfish and I'm TERRIFIED incase it has passed onto the black moor whom I love very much.

Here are all the details, please dont shout :p >.< :'(

Bought a new 18 lr tank, new gravel, new filter, filled up, fake plants, left for a week (didnt understand the nitrate cycle at this point) Put 1 baby black moor in there. After 2 weeks, added a normal goldfish, the goldfish started trying to kill the fantail. So I bought a small bowl just for the time being and put the goldfish in there because I didn't want the black moors tail to get ruined.

2 weeks later i saw signs of amonia poisoning (quite inevitable really) in the goldfish. Went out to buy a new 16 lr tank with new filter new everything. fake plants. When I was there I was encouraged to buy 4 danios so I did cause I impulse buy :'(

That night I set the new tank up and put the goldfish in there, who seemed relatively happy, Until I put 2 of the danios (Yea I know thats even worse than 4 :() in with it. It didnt bite them or anything but 24 hours later 1 of the danios died, It hadnt pooed in days, its fins had rotted away and its swimbladder was out of control, it all happened suddenly and was dead within hours.

Today the other danio has died that was in the same tank, this ones fins havent rotted but its swimbladder was out of controll. AND NOW I HAVE SPOTTED FINROT ON MY GOLDFISH! IM SO UPSET AND ANGRY. I have added a fair ammount of salt in both tanks as it says that this combats some fungal infections though I doubt it.

The other 2 danios that are still in the 18 lr tank with the black moor appear fine, and the black moor does too although its swimming a little slower and doesnt look totally happy.

Now. I did a water test for everything before i went out to buy the new tank and the danios. The ammonia was too high and the nitrates also, so i did daily water changes and didnt feed, the amonia has settled well but its still not quite 0. The filter is brilliant in terms of oxygenation and actually filtering dirt. Its a sponge one. I live in the UK my tap water nitrate levels are close to 0. the ph of both tanks is 7, the temperature about 20 degrees C.

My goldfish is now thrashing around looking really unhappy and I will be jsut DEVASTATED if anything happens to my black moor, so my question is:

Is this a bacterial infection affecting all of the fishes body? What can i do and what can i buy to cure this, where can i get it from? How long do i have before they all die, Do you think I can save the black moor? Should I take the seemingly healthy danios out of the tank with the black moor?

I've heard about Melafix, Prazi gold, Dimlin, espon salts, Medi- gold, ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS but i just DONT UNDERSTAND what each one does, and ive read that i cant get medi gold in the Uk without vetinary perscription and I doubt my parents would let me take a FISH to the vets.

Please, PLEASE help, all the thanks in the world x.

That night
 
Rowangel

Rowangel

I like fish with tarter sauce
Jan 20, 2006
415
0
0
45
Champaign, Illinois
Sounds like you have a couple issues going on, #1 being that neither tank was cycled before you bought fish, so you essentially used your fish to start the cycle. Unfortunately this is hard on fish and ammonia/nitrite poisoning can burn the gills and cause permanent damage if left too long in those conditions. My initial guess is that your danios died from either nitrite or ammonia poisoning and it sounds like your goldfish and moor are also suffering from it. The cycle can take weeks to complete and until it does, you need to do daily water changes, sometimes more, to keep ammonia then nitrite levels down.

It sounds like the tank with the black moor and remaining danios is farther along in the cycle than the goldfish tank. But if your moor is swimming slow and looks in distress it is not far enough along yet to be out of danger either. I would keep that tank as is and monitor it in the morning and afternoon and do any needed water changes.

#2 you mentioned you thought you might have a case of fin rot, specifically on your goldfish. Again, fin rot is usually a sign of poor water quality, either poor filtration or not enough water changes. I would still guess it’s ammonia and nitrite that are the issue, but if you feel strongly you have fin rot you can treat for it. Most lfs stores carry medication for this; I don’t think you would need any type of prescription, even in the UK. Just to note, when treating for fin rot you need to make sure you take out any charcoal media in your filter, or it will simply filter out the medication you are trying to treat the fish with. Keep an eye on ammonia and nitrite levels and do power water changes as needed. You may already know this, but I thought I might mention it just in case, always be sure to use a de-chlorinator before adding new water of the same temp as your tank water. Not only can the chlorine hurt your fish if you don’t but it will kill any good bacteria you have cultured in your filter. And water the wrong temp can cause shock.

I think if you keep up with water changes things will improve. I hope other people will voice their opinions as well.
Keep us posted
 
I

Inamorata

AC Members
Aug 30, 2007
5
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Thankyou very much for your advice. Yea I do dechlorinate the water before I add it and come to think of it, when I put the goldfish in the smaller, new tank, I didnt let it adjust to the temperature, and i dont have a themometer. Im going out to get one and also to get some medicine that hopefully cures fin rot and other bacterial infections.

I really don't want to sound disrepectful but I have posted many times on other forums about similar things and everybody always says the nitrate cycle problems are the cause of everything. I understand how important it is, but on the other hand, the tank was COMPLETELY new and clean when I put the danios in, I spent 45 minutes adjusting them to the temperature, yet they died within 24 hours. The goldfish lost the black spots from amonia posioning that it had when it was swimming in its own poo and wee in the bowl, only now it has a red streak on its fin instead.

You see, the goldfish seems to be slightly bloated, not having any swimming problems yet, and its eyes are slightly puffy, finrot, neither it, or the danios deficated for 3 days, this is what leads me to believe that the problem is somewhat more serious, that the fish's internal organs are being attacked, and yes the uncycled state of things isnt helping, but the danios didnt show signs of amonia poisoning before they died cause the amonia in the water was 0!

thanks again, im just so worried, sorry if im being annoying.
 
Rowangel

Rowangel

I like fish with tarter sauce
Jan 20, 2006
415
0
0
45
Champaign, Illinois
Inamorata said:
I understand how important it is, but on the other hand, the tank was COMPLETELY new and clean when I put the danios in, I spent 45 minutes adjusting them to the temperature, yet they died within 24 hours. The goldfish lost the black spots from amonia posioning that it had when it was swimming in its own poo and wee in the bowl, only now it has a red streak on its fin instead.
Click to expand...
Well it isn't a matter of having a completely clean tank or temp here that is the problem. The problem is the high amounts of ammonia the fish produce with in the first 24 hours. Without bacteria to turn it into Nitrite and then into Nitrate there is nothing but water changes that will rid the water of these harmful chemicals. If it is not consistently monitored and regulated then the fish suffer from ammonia poisoning that can lead to all sorts of physical issues and then death. Ammonia poisoning can manifest in many ways, most commonly the first symptom is listlessness and hanging around the bottom or top of the tank and lack of appetite. As I mentioned before it can burn the gills, cause swim bladder issues and the stress on the fish will do other things like make it susceptible to bacterial infections, parasites and often bloat. I would still guess this is the cause of the danio death, especially as the other two are fairing better in the tank farther along in it's cycle.

I'm not so worried about the lack of pooing. Unless they are being monitored 24/7 its hard to know just how often and when they go. Plus stress alone can cause 'hold-ups.'

Please treat the fish with medication if you think it is needed, but I think keeping up with the water changes and getting the cycle completed are the main issue here. Without a completed cycle, treating the fish wont matter if they later die from stress or poisoning. Know anyone with a cycled tank that you could beg, borrow or steal some media from?

Good luck!
 
smbjedi

smbjedi

May the fish be with you.
Dec 20, 2006
343
0
16
Dallas, TX
i hope your fish make it! just a side note, danio are tropical fish and like warmer water, goldfish like colder water. good luck. (reread the cycle process sticky at the top of the newbie forum, it is confusing at first but you will get it)
 
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