Please help, I'm new at this

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themidgen

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Nov 26, 2009
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Hi,
I just came across this forum looking for advice for my goldfish. I acquired 5 goldfish about 2 months ago. I have been having trouble lately getting my water stable for them. The ammonia levels and PH levels were off the charts to the point my fish were jumping out of the tank. lost 1 this way :( so i am trying to get it under control with water changes every other day and less food but that is not my issue. i have 2 fish problems. One of the bigger one's. Gill, has had major problems, usually after I change something in the tank, his skin is normally blue and white in color but he gets a bright red rash in blotches all over his body and fins, and he swims in one spot all day with clamped fins. it clears up after a few days. but right at this moment, the red has vanished (will probably come back again) but his skin seems to be more white than usual and almost looks like it is chapped, like cracking, and it looks fuzzy. His top fin is also starting to shred? What is wrong with him and why do no other fish in the tank have this? Then there is Squirt who is a small little orange and white guy and he is always very happy but I woke up to him this morning flipping out, swimming in circles and bouncing off tank walls. He is also breathing really heavy and won't eat. He is stressing the other fish out with his behavior. Could he have swallowed a pebble? Is that something he would pass through or is he sick? Any advice would be appreciated as this is my first tank of goldfish. I usually keep easy to maintain fighting fish. Thanks in advance :)
 

Rbishop

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Dec 30, 2005
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help us help you...

Tank size?
Filtration?
Do you have a good liquid test kit?
What are your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate readings?
Same on your tap water...
What dechlor are you using?
How was the tank cycled?
How often and how big have your water changes been?
 

themidgen

Registered Member
Nov 26, 2009
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i have a 55 gallon tank with 4 fish in it. my largest goldfish is about 5 inches long. I have bought a brand new Elite underwater filter made for 30 - 60 gallon tank, with an aeration bubbler attached. I do not have a test kit. I am waiting till payday. Next Tuesday I will be getting one but I have been bringing my water weekly to the local fish store and he has been testing it for me and telling me how i'm doing on the cycling. I don't know what the readings are other than he told me that the ammonia levels were really high and he gave me this stuff called ammo lock that I am supposed to put into the water every other day as well as an 80% water change. My tap water I was told has a very high chlorine content so I am using a tap water conditioner for chlorine as well as chloramine. I was doing an 80% water change about once a week but I was told to do more than that? But every time I do a change, Gill clamps his fins for a day or two and gets all red and flashes a lot. Him and another fish, Penny, have blood streaks in their tails . Is that just from the chlorine or ammonia that I am struggling to get rid of? And I still have the constant flashing problem with Squirt. He just won't stop. I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself.
 

kelly82

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Jun 1, 2007
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personally id up the water changes to every other day, maybe 50%, load the tank with tons of live plants, just pond weed or something cheap like that,and buy a test kit asap. also i would invest in a 2nd filter rated at about the same if not more, and run them both on the tank. it sounds like your poor fishies are really struggling, i hope you can sort them out soon, good luck.
 

mx4ever

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Nov 5, 2009
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You don't have nearly enough filtration. Right now I'm running two Aquaclear 70's and an old Aquaclear 20 I had layin' around on my 50gal, and I have 5 fancy goldfish in there. Even that's pushing it. Goldfish are "dirty" fish compared to most. Try this site to see where you stand with filtration: www.aqadvisor.com. As far as using products to reduce ammonia levels, I wouldn't. You'll inevitably starve the beneficial bacteria that start your cycle. Your better off to do as many water changes as possible until you get your ammonia problem under control. I would definitely say your fish behavior is because of poor water quality though.
 

themidgen

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Nov 26, 2009
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Should I be separating the fish that is flashing constantly as he seems really distressed and finding it hard to breathe as well as potentially injuring himself by acting so erratic?
 

bigwave

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Jan 23, 2008
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Should I be separating the fish that is flashing constantly as he seems really distressed and finding it hard to breathe as well as potentially injuring himself by acting so erratic?
Do you have another tank to put him in? If so then go ahead.
 

themidgen

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Nov 26, 2009
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I have a little bucket that holds 3 gallons of water but i would rather keep in with the other fish. will it be alright?
 

Rbishop

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Dec 30, 2005
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From how I read your info...you are in a fishey cycle with fancy goldies, which are messy fish.

I would minimize feeding for starters, once a day at most.

Use a good dechlor like Prime. It will handle chlorine and chloramine, and also locks up ammonia to a non-toxic form that will not hurt the fish but leave it available for the bacteria to consume.

Stop using the ammo lock.

Do daily water chnages of at least 50% to keep ammonia and nitrites below .25 ppm.

Get the liquid test kit, you need one. You could use the paper dip strips, not accurate but functional for an indication of ammonia to get by with.

Way too little filtration. You need at least an AC 110 on there if not a small canister like a C 360, Mag 350 or XP2.
 
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