Help My Big Goldfish are Dying Part 2

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wxguy23

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May 22, 2006
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First off, I have a 55 with two aquaclear 70s and no live plants. A big snail, sucker fish, 2 comets, 2 small fantails, and two big fantails(for now).

So now I am about to lose another two big fantail pot belly goldfish, about the size of my fist.

This will make 4 over the last few months. I have water test, everything but the nitrates are fine. I have been doing more water changes...once a week about 30% but my nitates don't budge. Today I risked it all and did a 70-80% water change. I stress coated the heck out of the tank and the rest of the fish are fine.

Right now one of my goldfish is on the back corner of my tank with his head pointed down and his tail up, just floating there not moving, just like the last one that died. The other is "wobbly" Are these signs of nitrate problems?

I treated the water with medicine that the shop gave me last time. "Macryal??" pills that help with tail rot, wobbly and fuzzy eyes. I also coated some food with digestive medicine that the shop gave me.

Other than changing my water more frequent(Daily?), what can I do? I thought I was helping with a weekly water change, but I quess I am just maintaining the high nitrate, so I will work on more changes to get it lower.

Can I save my fish? My wife is starting to doubt me!
 

Aussie_hippie_2

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Sep 17, 2006
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Get them a much bigger tank. Like a pond sized one. Get a nitrate/nitrite tester to find out the levels, that's what it sounds like.
 

wxguy23

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May 22, 2006
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I am not getting a bigger tank. 55 gallon is all I can take. I have an option of giving away the 2 comets which are about the size of my pointer to my thumb.

I have a test as stated above. My Nitrates are high 60-80

My nitrites are fine along with everything else(ph, amonia(sp))
 

Dangerdoll

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Aug 27, 2002
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The problem is the food you're feeding the fish. Dry, it expans and because they are deformed (in a sense) fish with rounded bodies, they can't handle it and they are gulping too much air as they do gulp madly at the surface during feeding time. Your fish are having classic goldfish swim bladder problems. Sometimes this can be fixed, sometimes it can't. Try not feeding the fish for 3 days. After that, feed them skinned peas, they act as a laxative kinda thing to try to push the air out. Regularly, with your food, you need to soak it before feeding the goldies. Soak it in a saucer with tank water to make sure the food will not float and has expanded fully. When 's you have done that, pour the solution into the tank.

As far as the water changes, they need to be at least twice a week if you are noticing the nitrates are still elevated. 6 goldfish and a large sucker fish are a strain for that tank. As it is, you should have 3 goldies maybe 4, 6 is too many. If that large sucker fish is a pleco, he also needs a new home as he will outgrow that tank as well. The reason your nitrates are so high is because of the wastes produced from these high-producing waste mongers.
 

wxguy23

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May 22, 2006
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Look, Is it easier to give these fish back, if they don't die and getting more traditional tropical fish?

I just like the big fish, and I don't want and oscar or of that type.

Now all my goldfish are at the bottom right, just sitting there. I is even upside down.
 

wataugachicken

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Jul 14, 2005
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if they live, it would probably be best to give them back to the store. then you can come home, do some research, looks at pictures, and ask questions before getting any more fish. that way you won't be stressed out with fish dying all over the place, and you can find fish that are more suitable for each other and for the tank size.
 

cshepard

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Jun 17, 2005
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Give the comets to someone who has a pond. Also give the "sucker "fish away. If it is a common pleco, it may hurt your goldies by trying to suck the slime coat off them. If not then find out what it is and then figure out whether to keep it or not.

Also consider giving the two small fantails back to the store. Keep the two large ones in the 55 g. Consider upgraging your filtration. All will be happy.

Goldfish are big waste producers, but a 55g tank will limit any large species of fish to only a few, so if you like the goldies, then just keep them, only not so many!
 
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