well, im a returning keeper here, we had to move a few years ago and gave away my beautiful 55 gallon freshwater planted tank. it left a bit of a hole in my heart, and as we plan to move again, i didnt want to set up another huge planted tank.
well.. as fate would have it, grandma took the little one to the fair... and what did she come home with? hmmm? thats right, you guessed it, GOLDFISH! she brought home three little things last year. (i believe theyre comets, not commons, judging by tail shape, they have a "deeper V")
i dug out the old ten gallon, (knowing i was in for it all over again... it never ends... bigger tanks, filters, test kits, medications, the list goes on.) and settled them in without a filter, just doing frequent water changes and gravel vacs. everyone was healthy and happy, though two of the originals died due to mysterious causes. (no symptoms, just... died shortly after she brought them home... probably just trauma from being sloshed about in that bag all night while they did the fair...)
knowing goldfish are social creatures, and seeing how lonely the one little fish was, i went to the local LFS to get him a buddy. the owner convinced me what i "needed" was a fancy goldfish, im not sure on its identity, and didnt have much experience with goldfish (none) but its a long finned single tailed goldfish... looks like the comet, but slightly larger. not only did i "need" a fancy goldfish, but three chinese algae eaters.
they had a grand old time, healthy, happy, swimming about, doing goldfishy things, but i knew i needed to get them a larger tank, so i went and got a brand new shiny 20 gallon.
then a few weeks ago, as i was cycling the tank with ghost shrimp and plants, guess what time of year comes? hmmm? any guesses? thats right. the fair. i told them no more goldfish, but grandma apparently didnt see the "problem" and she came home with two more.
le sigh.
i didnt have a hospital tank, and didnt want to risk the bigger tank, so put them in with the others after giving them a once over, adding only the fish, none of the water they came in.
i notice one day as i was feeding them the large fancy had a red raised "pimple like" wound on one side... i had learned belatedly that chinese algae eaters are known to go for the slime coat on slower moving fish, and had resolved myself to keep an eye on them... that was it for me, i immediately pulled them out and gave them to a friend with a larger freshwater tank.
few days later, i notice... WHITE SPOTS. ick. (pun intended.)
i begin treating with jungles ich guard - (victoria green, nitromersol.) and melafix. doing a 50% water change daily with a gravel vac, and adding stress coat with the change.
after a four or five days i saw little improvement, in fact, everyone looked worse, acting listless, sitting near the bottom, and developing fin rot with reddened veins. i went back to the LFS looking for an alternative treatment and was recommended "life guard" which is supposed to treat a broad spectrum of various illnesses, including ich, finrot, etc.
i began treating with that two days ago. one of the "new" fish has already died, everyone else is "holding" not worse, not better.
i discontinued use of the ich guard when i started with the life guard... im wondering... can i use them together? should i move everyone into the larger tank?
water parameters are holding "normal" in the small tank. though the ph is very high, theyve always been in that water, its high from the tap, and from what ive read, as long as it doesnt "change" alot, goldfish are ok with high ph.
im really lost as to how to help these guys, im not well versed in goldfish to begin with, and ive never had fish with finrot or an illness quite this bad.
from what i understand, most tanks have ich in them to begin with, and since theres only ghost shrimp in the big tank now (though its NOT fully cycled, not by a longshot.) wouldnt it be "better" water quality and stress wise to move them? im wary of medicating the entire 20 gal. but im happy to do it if its better for the fishies. i quite like these little guys, theyre very... personable.
should i try an antibiotic next? if so, what kind? can i use the antibiotic with the meds im already using? arg! ive been reading and reading, checked out many posts here, and i cant say i really know what to do next. im thinking if i dont move them into the big tank, im going to start by removing all decor and vac the gravel VERY WELL in the small tank, giving less areas for parasites and bad water to "sit".
sorry for such a long post, i appreciate any advice or encouragement you guys have to share.
thank you!
well.. as fate would have it, grandma took the little one to the fair... and what did she come home with? hmmm? thats right, you guessed it, GOLDFISH! she brought home three little things last year. (i believe theyre comets, not commons, judging by tail shape, they have a "deeper V")
i dug out the old ten gallon, (knowing i was in for it all over again... it never ends... bigger tanks, filters, test kits, medications, the list goes on.) and settled them in without a filter, just doing frequent water changes and gravel vacs. everyone was healthy and happy, though two of the originals died due to mysterious causes. (no symptoms, just... died shortly after she brought them home... probably just trauma from being sloshed about in that bag all night while they did the fair...)
knowing goldfish are social creatures, and seeing how lonely the one little fish was, i went to the local LFS to get him a buddy. the owner convinced me what i "needed" was a fancy goldfish, im not sure on its identity, and didnt have much experience with goldfish (none) but its a long finned single tailed goldfish... looks like the comet, but slightly larger. not only did i "need" a fancy goldfish, but three chinese algae eaters.
they had a grand old time, healthy, happy, swimming about, doing goldfishy things, but i knew i needed to get them a larger tank, so i went and got a brand new shiny 20 gallon.
then a few weeks ago, as i was cycling the tank with ghost shrimp and plants, guess what time of year comes? hmmm? any guesses? thats right. the fair. i told them no more goldfish, but grandma apparently didnt see the "problem" and she came home with two more.
le sigh.
i didnt have a hospital tank, and didnt want to risk the bigger tank, so put them in with the others after giving them a once over, adding only the fish, none of the water they came in.
i notice one day as i was feeding them the large fancy had a red raised "pimple like" wound on one side... i had learned belatedly that chinese algae eaters are known to go for the slime coat on slower moving fish, and had resolved myself to keep an eye on them... that was it for me, i immediately pulled them out and gave them to a friend with a larger freshwater tank.
few days later, i notice... WHITE SPOTS. ick. (pun intended.)
i begin treating with jungles ich guard - (victoria green, nitromersol.) and melafix. doing a 50% water change daily with a gravel vac, and adding stress coat with the change.
after a four or five days i saw little improvement, in fact, everyone looked worse, acting listless, sitting near the bottom, and developing fin rot with reddened veins. i went back to the LFS looking for an alternative treatment and was recommended "life guard" which is supposed to treat a broad spectrum of various illnesses, including ich, finrot, etc.
i began treating with that two days ago. one of the "new" fish has already died, everyone else is "holding" not worse, not better.
i discontinued use of the ich guard when i started with the life guard... im wondering... can i use them together? should i move everyone into the larger tank?
water parameters are holding "normal" in the small tank. though the ph is very high, theyve always been in that water, its high from the tap, and from what ive read, as long as it doesnt "change" alot, goldfish are ok with high ph.
im really lost as to how to help these guys, im not well versed in goldfish to begin with, and ive never had fish with finrot or an illness quite this bad.
from what i understand, most tanks have ich in them to begin with, and since theres only ghost shrimp in the big tank now (though its NOT fully cycled, not by a longshot.) wouldnt it be "better" water quality and stress wise to move them? im wary of medicating the entire 20 gal. but im happy to do it if its better for the fishies. i quite like these little guys, theyre very... personable.
should i try an antibiotic next? if so, what kind? can i use the antibiotic with the meds im already using? arg! ive been reading and reading, checked out many posts here, and i cant say i really know what to do next. im thinking if i dont move them into the big tank, im going to start by removing all decor and vac the gravel VERY WELL in the small tank, giving less areas for parasites and bad water to "sit".
sorry for such a long post, i appreciate any advice or encouragement you guys have to share.
thank you!