A couple of days ago I purchased a goldfish for my aquarium because it's been having temperature issues and I wanted a more cold-hardy fish. Well, over the past two days I've noticed white poop in the tank, with what looks like short white pieces of something in it. I'm pretty sure it's parasites but it's been a good 20 years since I last had a goldfish. I've seen some more holistic ways to treat parasites by using garlic when you feed them or by just using aquarium salt but I was wondering how effective that would be or if I should just stick with regular medications. I've had bad luck with fish this year because the temperature in the house is just too cold. The tank heater only raises the temperature by a couple of degrees, so if it's 62 in the house, it's too cold for most fish. I lost my 5 year old angel on superbowl sunday. I got three more baby angels that lasted about two weeks. Not sure why all of a sudden the temperature has been an issue but it could just be a string of very rotten luck (losing my job in a couple months, and everything else has been turning to complete crap or breaking, including the car. Must mean that something fantastic is headed my way). During the day when I have the curtains open for my plants, the temp in the aquarium can get down as low as 71. At night the temp increases to 76-78 depending on just how cold it got during the day. Those windows were new when we moved in : (
I only have the new goldfish and my 12 inch pleco in the tank. The tank is a 20 gallon, very wide and flat (more pond-like for Dobby), with a waterfall filter and two large airstones. I can't keep aquarium plants, Dobby devours them. The water has a lot of surface area exposed to the air, which is why it is so sensitive to the temperature in the room. The heater is actually rated for a larger tank but still doesn't make much of a difference. I use Carib-Sea Tahitian Moon substrate, the PH stays around 7.2-7.3 and is pretty stable. I ran out of ammonia testing stuff so I'm not sure what those levels are at the moment. I use Dr. Foster and Smith live nitrifying bacteria, rinse the filter media in spring water, and I have an eco-bio block. Dobby produces a prolific amount of waste but since I've changed substrates, I rarely ever see any. The new goldfish poops large white poo with bits of white in it. I've never had an issue with fish parasites before, so I'm wondering what the best course of action is and how will it affect the biological filtration in my aquarium in the long run?
I only have the new goldfish and my 12 inch pleco in the tank. The tank is a 20 gallon, very wide and flat (more pond-like for Dobby), with a waterfall filter and two large airstones. I can't keep aquarium plants, Dobby devours them. The water has a lot of surface area exposed to the air, which is why it is so sensitive to the temperature in the room. The heater is actually rated for a larger tank but still doesn't make much of a difference. I use Carib-Sea Tahitian Moon substrate, the PH stays around 7.2-7.3 and is pretty stable. I ran out of ammonia testing stuff so I'm not sure what those levels are at the moment. I use Dr. Foster and Smith live nitrifying bacteria, rinse the filter media in spring water, and I have an eco-bio block. Dobby produces a prolific amount of waste but since I've changed substrates, I rarely ever see any. The new goldfish poops large white poo with bits of white in it. I've never had an issue with fish parasites before, so I'm wondering what the best course of action is and how will it affect the biological filtration in my aquarium in the long run?
