newbie needs goldfish help. thank you

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Milpool;4800907; said:
Reading the posts in this thread has really annoyed me. You are a "newbie" who has come here to ask for help and you are disagreeing with the help you are being offered. EVERYTHING Laticauda is telling you and helping you with is the truth. YOU NEED TO DO A WATER CHANGE! Your fish is being poisoned/burned from the tank not being properly cycled. It's not your fault, you did what you thought was right, but by disagreeing with experienced fishkeepers who are trying to help you is your fault.
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If you read more carefully you will see that I said I would do a water change, when I go get well water tomorrow and treat it.

Because the tap water at my location is a murky brown tint.


Bacteria need ammonia to grow correct?
So by having a tolerant fish that cant withstand more ammonia then other sensitive fish, the tank will cycle faster correct?

I understand I should to water changes soon. I will do a 40% water change tomorrow. and another the next day.
And feed the fish once a day to cut down on waste.
 
Hmmm...I'd get a bucket of water, filter it with carbon until it is clear and then check water parameters with your water company. See if the water is safe for aquarium use or not.

I suggest doing fishless cycling. Fish may be tolerant but once they have been exposed to high levels of ammonia and nitrite, they are greatly damaged. It burns ther gills and can impair their breathing, not to mention they are already prone to flukes which also attack gills. Goldfish are prone to flukes.
 
You should not put the fish through the cycling process. You should fishless cycle your filter, while doing 1-2 100% water changes daily until the filter has time to be fully cycled. That is the best choice for your fish.

I posted a link to the GAB on the first or second page, it gives detailed information on how to do so. Please follow it for the sake of the fish.

As I said before, just because a fish "survives" the cycling process does not indicate that irreparable damage has been done, and will effectively shorten the lifespan of your fish, possibly leading to a very sad and painful death.
 
crucial09;4800939; said:
If you read more carefully you will see that I said I would do a water change, when I go get well water tomorrow and treat it.

Because the tap water at my location is a murky brown tint.


Bacteria need ammonia to grow correct?
So by having a tolerant fish that cant withstand more ammonia then other sensitive fish, the tank will cycle faster correct?

I understand I should to water changes soon. I will do a 40% water change tomorrow. and another the next day.
And feed the fish once a day to cut down on waste.
Click to expand...


Read up the Nitrogen Cycle that was linked for you. Bacteria do need Ammonia to grow, but excessive amounts of ammonia can also kill your bacteria.

a Vast majority of the people on this forum are dedicated hobbyists who have spent years and countless $$$ on their passion. They care about the animals well-being over your feelings to put it bluntly.

I give you credit for wanting better for your goldfish, But treating the people helping you like crap isn't going to get you much help. Only get you the answers you want, not the ones that will help your pets.
 
Yes tank salt will help your goldfish. i recommend using it 100%. also your goldfish are verry small so if you already have a 10 gal then use it for now till you save money to buy a larger size tank. I agree with having atleast a 25 gal but, my cousin has a gold fish that i feel is overcrowded in a 2 gal and is about 6" and is 14 years old. also when you purchase your larger size tank you mite want to invest in a heater because this will help your tank stay the temp you want it. when you do water changes use Prime it will help your goldfish get its slime coat with the new water. alot of things to try. get advice from everyone you can!
 
When I first started keeping fish, I bought 2 fancy finned comets (not knowing that's what type they were)- and I kept them in a 5 gallon tank for a year. I upgraded them to a 30, and then they went into my koi tank.

I did not cycle my tank before buying these fish... I did not know anything about starting up a tank. I was a Noob.

I did know to do water changes, and to be sure to vac the gravel- the typical stuff.

I would recommend 50% water changes every other day. If you do 100% water changes everyday it will not cycle. That would be for any tank size.

The goldfish are messy, but small, and are not producing as much waste as they will be at 2".

Get a test kit like suggested.. It's needed. You will want to monitor your water on a daily basis, and I would keep a journal of it just so you can see changes.

Make sure to add ammo lock or something of the sort, as well as water conditioner if you are not letting your water sit out for 24 hours prior to adding.

In all honesty, you could get away with doing the bare minimum on this tank, and those fish will survive, and when upgraded they will be a-ok. It however is not suggested..

Both of my Comets are now over 12".
 
I did a 50% water change with well water, which is crystal clear water and has been used for tetras before.

I also treated it to remove chlorine, chloramine, etc.

Tomorrow I am going to buy an ammonia test kit from walmart.
I did not have enough money on me today because I didn't get my pay check yet.
 
You will not find the correct test at Walmart. I've told you that already.

The test strips are very inaccurate, to the point that they will read "safe" or "0" when in fact the water has as high as 5ppm of ammonia (which is very, very high.)

You will absolutely waste your money if you buy what walmart has. If you don't have a petstore near you, then order it online. There are many websites that sell it. Dr. Foster and Smith Aquatics, PetMountain to name a couple.
 
My walmart sells the tests... and it's the API drop tests.

You may be able to get it at your walmart, each walmart is different.. for example, the walmart near my mom's sells mothballs... mine however, does not.
 
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