Having problems keeping any fish and I don't know why!

[stardust79]

I've had fish pretty much from when I was a child. I even had a goldfish that I won from a fair that lived for years in a bowl.

3 years ago I brought a fantail fish and kept it in a bowl then a few days later upgraded him to a brand new tank. He then got swimbladder after 3 days and died. Then I brought another fantail and he got whitespot after just a few days and then another fan tail got fin rot and withing 5 days they both died. I was so upset that I never wanted to get a fish again. But I do know now what caused their illness and one of them was putting them in freezing cold water when I brought them back from the pet store.

After lots of research on keeping fish I decided that I wanted to try again, knowing what I was doing this time i done everything right. I won a goldfish at a fair a week ago today and he lived in a bowl until yesterday when I transferred him to a brand new tank which I filled up with bottled water. As i pulled the bowl out i noticed he had white spot on his tail and suddenly felt doomed after what happened a few years ago. I know its not ideal for them to be in a bowl but it was only for a few days and i did partial water changes everyday. I put them treatment for whitespot in today and an hour later he seemed to have a seizure unlike anything i've ever seen and he died.
I got the water tested today and all were normal, but I don't know what they were for the bowl.

I just feel so upset and I don't understand why all the fish I get died within a week.

what would make a fish die like that so quickly, could I have perhaps put too much medicine in, or could it have been mixing both the medicine and filter start liquid together?

I want to try again in a few days with another goldfish as I really love fish and want to keep them but I am so scared as I seem to be doomed with them.

Should I completely clean the tank out before putting new fish in? my guess is I should after possible toxic shock.

Could anyone give me any advice on safely starting up a new tank and keeping the fish healthy?

Thanks in advance, and I really didn't mean to write an essay

 

[livebearerfreak]

try cycleing the tank for 4 to 6 weeks

 

[fishandstuff]

it was probly your tap water. tap water contains chloramine or chlorine. both dont allow the fish to breathe right. simple fix-just buy some prime or other type of water conditioner that takes out those two things i mentioned. if you followed the directions on the medicine you shouldnt have over medicated the fish. also look up cycling like convict said, theres a sticky on it at the top of the forum.

 

[53special]

Just remeber, the smallest type of goldfish can grow to 8", the bigger ones, not including pond fish, can grow to over 1'.

 

[banjocat]

Great advice above. Also what size aquarium do you have?

 

[AlisonB]

Did you buy the tank new? I read an article claiming that the silicon sealing glass tanks can absorb ammonia from reptiles, leading to fish death. Not sure i really believed them, but you never know.
where did you buy the fish from? if you got it from a commercial place, this is most likely your issue. I can honestly say that i have never (ever!!!) purchased a fish from one of those places that wasn't infected with something already. It is important that you find an independent, "mom and pop" type LFS. Usually these places sell quality fish who are not ill.

i also recommend that you get your (dechlorinated) tap water tested. Sometimes tap water is just bad. If you have well water, get it tested, you might have some kind of contaminant (ex heavy metal/septic/fertilizer) that never affected you.
good luck!

 

[Dylan]

Bottle water contains chlorine, thats most likely why your fish had a seizure, from the chlorine.. just buy a 5 dollar bottle of water conditioner from the store and that point will be solved. On the other hand as already stated you need to let your tank cycle, it needs to start the nitrogen cycle and get rid of any ammonia which is deadly to fish.

And as you asked about tank size, i have 5 tanks, a 20 gallon, 30G, 55G, and a 150 gallon

 

[honey17]

where do you get your water? fill your fish tank with hot boiling water.. then after 15 minutes you can take out the hot water and start clean your fish tank with tap water..
it works for me..

 

[Burtess]

try cycleing the tank for 4 to 6 weeks

Good suggestion, see these links for nitrogen cycle and fishless cycling info.... http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cycling.php

and

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishless_cycling.php

Bottle water contains chlorine, thats most likely why your fish had a seizure, from the chlorine.. just buy a 5 dollar bottle of water conditioner from the store and that point will be solved. On the other hand as already stated you need to let your tank cycle, it needs to start the nitrogen cycle and get rid of any ammonia which is deadly to fish.

Bottled water is normally treated with ozone... would you buy bottled water with a chlorine taste??

where do you get your water? fill your fish tank with hot boiling water.. then after 15 minutes you can take out the hot water and start clean your fish tank with tap water..
it works for me..

What????? Do not put boiling water in your tank, it will break....


What I would suggest is to check out those links, do some research on the nitrogen cycle (google "new tank sydrome") and make sure you buy healthy fish to start.

Burt

 

[Dylan]

Yes, but bottled water does contain trace amounts of chlorine just like tap water... your tap water doesn't taste like a swimming pool.. that doesn't mean its fish safe.