URGENT! SICK ORANDA NEARLY DEAD

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charmian-2008

Registered Member
Nov 24, 2008
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I bought a secondhand Jewel Rio 180 litre fish tank. The previous owner kept pharanna's in it.
i TREATED WATER AND LEFT IT RUNNING FOR ONE MONTH. then added one fish at a time with a period of one week inbetween. I then kept 8 fancy goldfish and 16 danios in it. First the tiny goldfish died (I had just bought her from the petshp but she had a white lump on her back), then a tiny black moor, then a calico, then another calico, then my 2" black moor, then a common goldfish, then another and now the last one being a white oranda (which I have had for 18 months and she is beautiful) is on her way out.
I have treated the tank with esha 300 which cures (supposed to) many things but none of them has been saved. Now, I have taken out the oranda and have her in a smaller tank by herself as she is at the bottom struggling to breathe. She is normally pearly bright white but from the mouth to the back of her gills she has a pink tinge under her gills. I know she has obviously got some bacterial bug or something that is affecting her breathing. That's how they all have gone. I took advice from the pet shop but to no avail each time they have gone down with it. I do 20% water changes every week with treated water, do everything I should with the filter media. Vacuum the gravel and have cared for my fish the best I can.
I am wondering if there is something wrong with the tank. Doe anyone think that it is because I used a tank which previously held pharanna's in? If they had a bug, do you thinkg that it has inpregnated the tank? Why, after all the good care I have taken and tried treatment etc, they have still died? By the way, they have died over the period of around 6 months or so. So I have lost one at a time every other month or so. I also only have 8 danios left.
Please help. My oranda is on her last legs, is there anything I can do. She was the best one I owned and a wonderful specimen. susan.ae@btinternet.com
 

Blueiz

THE TypoQUEEN
Sep 5, 2005
5,668
8
62
NC
Your tank isnt cycled. You need to test the ammonia and nitrite level in it. Tho at this point, I would do at least a 75 percent water change to get the levels down because they are guranteed to be there. Stop dosing meds, make sure the tank isnt to warm and provide some additional areation through use of an air pump, or manaully stirring the water every thirty or so minutes.

There is a great possibility that your oranda is to far gone, but in order to save the rest of your fish, youre going to need to do water changes to keep your ammonia as close to zero as possible, as well as nitrites when they show up. The size of your tank really will only allow ONE fancy goldfish, and they are coldwater fish so you really shouldnt mix tropicals, sich as danios with them.
 

charmian-2008

Registered Member
Nov 24, 2008
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thanks for getting back to me. over here in the uk they tell us it is ok to mix danios with goldfish but in hindsight i wish i had never done it. They say that for every 10litre of water you can have one fish
so 180 litres is plenty big enough for a 1.5 inch goldfish. she is as big as this line: __________________________ and that's just body.
 

blue2fyre

Blue Fish
Oct 7, 2008
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Wisconsin
Real Name
Ashley
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you said the tank has been set up for 6 months? It should have cycled by that point. It still sounds like high ammonia has killed your fish though. What kin of filtration is on it? Stop using chemicals until you know what's wrong, it can make things worse. Test your water to see what the parameters are and do water changes as needed. Blueiz is right a bigger tank would have been needed for all of those fish. Yeah your goldfish is small now but she's gonna get a lot bigger.

Good Luck
 

Flaringshutter

Befriend a feeder!
Oct 17, 2006
1,870
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Southern California
The tank has been set up for 6 months, but with nothing in it - you won't get a cycle going with no source of ammonia. charmian needs to establish a cycle - read our sticky on cycling here:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

I agree, stop adding whatever medications or chemicals you are adding (except dechlorinator) and do at least a 70% water change. Buy a good test kit and check your parameters.

Keep in mind that even the smallest variety of goldfish will reach a length of 10-12 inches, and an oranda can easily reach that size. Goldfish grow extremely quickly - often up to 6 inches a year, and your oranda won't be small for long.
Goldfish and danios aren't a good mix. Besides the fact that danios are tropical fish and need water a bit warmer than goldfish like, goldfish will eat anything they can fit in their mouths, including other fish. Once your oranda gets larger, the danios will likely begin disappearing.

Best of luck charmian. Keep us updated.
 
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