Sick Goldfish

[Chrisk-K]

You need to provide more symptoms. "Listlessness" is vague. Also, get a water test kit ASAP.

 

[Fishfriend1]

Would adding another filter help in the long run?

 

[Fishfriend1]

With the koi gone for a day i think the filter is starting to catch up with the fish. The water is less cloudy and the fish are moving more. Even the one that got stuck to the filter is moving a little. Im not ganna feed them for a couple of days and im still ganna o the water change. I hope the fish make it.

 

[Somervell]

I think it's possible, but it sounds as if you have an acute problem on your hands. I was trying (gently) to suggest the same thing that Chrisk-K suggests. There are so many possibilities here. Besides the condition of the fish, the most telling features here may be the water parameters. If you have done no water changes on an overstocked goldfish tank for 5 months, I think you may have a large part of the culprit. There may be other issues with the fish, but a large part of it, I suspect, is water quality. When I started, I killed half a dozen goldfish by assuming the water was right, and not being able to read the signs in the fish. Now, I swear by the liquid test kit. Right now, in the middle of a blizzard, I would suggest your best bet is a water change. I am by no means a goldfish expert, but I have kept them off and on for 20 years, and pretty successfully

 

[Fishfriend1]

I just did a 25% water change and the fish look confused now. They are all moving agien and i will be getting a test kit from now on. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Somervell]

Glad we could help. "Confused" is better than "listless" don't you think? They have to be active to be confused. You did add some kind of water treatment (like a dechlorinator) right? (I know it sounds like a dumb question, but sometimes I forget.)

 

[Fishfriend1]

Yep thanks for the help.

 

[kyryah]

Looks like you are off to a good start. While koi and goldfish are related, they do not make good tank mates. Koi get VERY large - up to 4 foot in length - and have slightly different diet requirements than goldfish. They also are known to literally beat the snot out of the poor goldfish they are housed with. You need a base size of 1000 gallons to keep koi properly. Most people don't have room for a 1000 gallon fish tank.

Second, please, please, do not feed these fish rosy reds. Ever. Rosies are not only carriers of parasites, both internal and external, but they are too high in protein for your fish. A proper diet for your goldies is a vegetable based diet, with limited protein.

Be careful doing water changes in the begining, since it has been so long. Wait a week, and do another 25% change. In another week, do 30%. Eventually you should be changing 50-75% per WEEK at least with that many fish in that small of a tank. I have 6 goldfish in my 100 gallon, with 330 gallons worth of filtration, and still change 80% a week. Fresh water is like a breath of fresh air to your fish. Sure, you could live your life in a closet, with the door shut and with only minimal air exchange, but would you be happy? If someone opened the door every once in a while and let fresh air in, you would be much happier

Kristina

 

[Chrisk-K]

Since the tank is 40g, your filter should process about 400 gallons of water per hour and have powerful bio-filteration. Get an API multi-test kit or something like that so that you can do several key water tests.

 

[Fishfriend1]

Ok i will. They are moving around and even the sickest one looks much happier. The tank now has six goldfish from 3-8 in long.

PS: if anyone wants them you can have them.

PSS: the reason i had rosy reds was to feed my Cichlid. I didn't expect the Cichlid to only eat 3 of them.