Opinion Needed : )

[Shoebox_16]

Hey.

As you can see [well, i hope, I've never posted on anything before], i have a pretty small tank with 3 fish.

My tank has been running for a week now.

I have a filter, and use plastic plants.

I do a 20% water change once a week, on the guy at my LFS's advice. I use AquaSafe on the tap water.

I feed my fish a mixture of pellets and flakes [TetraMin].

I thought everything was going OK until today when I noticed tiny white spots all over my little fish. Went to the LFS, and got AntiWhiteSpot [a liquid to be mixed in the tank water]. What i'm confused about is how my fish got White Spot...my tank is still immaculately clean...i've done two water changes already...i pick up any left over food before it sinks and the filter is brand new.

Any ideas? Also, they've only had visible spots for a maximum of 2 days....are there chances good? I've heard it can be fatal?

Another thing.

I'm really concerned about the size of my tank. The guy at the LFS said 3 fish would be OK...but when i look at them in the tank I don't think so. They range from 2" to 2 1/2". I wouldn't say they seem visibly stressed, and they get on surprisingly well [no tail-biting or aggression].

What do you think?

Really appreciate your opinion.

Thanks xxx

 

[lucy42083]

As for the stock, we would have to know what size the tank actually is, and what species of fish you have. And if you have pics, that is always good also. If it is ich (looks like little white grains of salt), which it sounds as if it is, it is a parasite, and a lot of fish from not-so-great fish stores will come with this parasite. Often the fish carry it but not show signs of it until they are stressed, which allows the parasite to take a greater hold over them. Did you cycle the tank before you added fish? Do you know your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels? If you did not cycle the tank, chances are you are experiencing an ammonia and/or nitrite spike, which is toxic and potentially fatal to your fish, and would definitely stress them, leaving them susceptible to ich.

Oh, and welcome to AC!

 

[Captain Kitty]

A couple of specific questions first.

How big is the tank (in gallons)?

What KIND of fish do you have in there?

What are the water parameters? If you have not done so yet, buy some test kits for NitrAte, NitrIte, Ammonia, and Ph at least. Let us know what the results are and we can better help you.

The white spots may be ich, but alas, posting pictures would be more helpful.

 

[Captain Kitty]

=) Ya beat me Lucy. =)

 

[Shoebox_16]

Oh sorry.

The size etc. is listed under 'this tank' on the side.

But I'll say anyway - it's a 14"/8"/8" tank with a 13L capacity.

The 3 fish are freshwater/fancy goldfish.

I don't know what 'cycling' is...sounds stupid I know...

Thanks for the replies guys x

 

[Captnslapy]

Well the guy at the fish store got ya on this one. That tank is WAY to small for 1 goldfish let alone 3. They grow to be as big as your fist. No doubt they are stressed and that water is full of ammonia. Did they talk you into a heater as well? They do best in cooler water, 68 to 74 . Your best bet is going to be to start over and get some small tropical fish. good luck

 

[Captain Kitty]

13 liters is about 3.43 gallons. Captnslapy said it best about the fancy goldfish being too small for it even at the size they're at. Fully grown, a fancy (like a Ryukin) really needs about 30 gallons (114 Liters) each to be happy. Also, fancies tend to produce a LOT of waste, so a 20% change each week isn't doing much. Is there any way you can sell the fancy goldfish back to your Local Fish Store? As for cycling, just do a search on here or your favorite search engine and you can read up on what it is, how long it takes etc. Given the size of the tank, personally, I'd go with a Betta, a few plants and leave it at that. Just my opinion though and I'm by no amount an expert. Please keep us posted though, we're here to help! =)

 

[Shoebox_16]

Nah, no heater. I really wanted to keep cold water fish - I'm going to buy a bigger tank within the week.

Is it OK to move fish to a new tank? I would use the existing tank water, and the filter now has a build-up of bacteria, but is there a treatment I can use to help?

x

 

[lilim10]

Its fine to move them, but a new tank needs to be cycled and your existing tank is not fully cycled, so I'm pretty sure the filter won't help much.

 

[jaylin]

Its fine to move them, but a new tank needs to be cycled and your existing tank is not fully cycled, so I'm pretty sure the filter won't help much.

On the contrary ... even if it's not fully cycled it has been being fed a lot of ammonia and bacteria will already have started to move in. Any bacteria at all will help speed things along.