Gold fishes-What did I do wrong?

[McCord6]

No I did not. I have well water which I was told that it didn't need the cholorine drops, only for City water. hhhmmm... Alot to learn still. This is a good time to get more info before I can get more. I did have a small filter/air pump 2-in-1 from walmart that I did have in there but the pump stopped working, replaced it but then that one stopped working. I got the filter/pump from walmart for less then $10 (don't remmy the exact price but I know it was less then that), the replacement filters were only $1.99 each and fit for a tank up to 5 gallons. It was working good up until the pump keeps going out on me.
I have the same thing for the turtle but his tank is a 20 gallon tank but we only use gallons for water which is only filled up half way with the other half as landscape. His pump also keeps going out on me.
I feed them pellets. Only 4 pellets is what I was told to feed them a day, 2 each fish.

 

[jenjscott]

Maybe there was something in the other bowl.

 

[Wifezilla]

Apparently the key is to get a feeder fish that is smart enough to hide from hungry ducks, never feed it, and leave it in the outside pond all year. My 12¢ feeder fish is now over 6" long. Anybody want a free "koi"?

 

[McCord6]

Quote:
My grandmother raises pond Koi too and they are BIG. sad, she is in San Jose, California, if you lived closer, I would ask if you can send her some for me as an Xmas gift since a raccoon has gotten into her pond and killed half of what she has.

 

[McCord6]

Okay, let me make a checklist for future and you guys tell me if I get it right or not...

1) get a TANK, 10 gallons or more
2) get Declorine drops
3) need filter and air pump that fits for a 10 gallon or more tank
4) DO NOT use bleach, if neccesary, Rinse REALLY REALLY good and leave for 24 to 48 hours before restocking and refilling
5) Dont clean EVERYTHING in the tank
6) Use flakes not pellets?
7) clean every week not every other week (maybe get a tank cleaner? the kind that is like a hose and a pole that you dip through the rocks? I seen one of those before...do they work?)


anything else?

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Okay, let me make a checklist for future and you guys tell me if I get it right or not...

1) get a TANK, 10 gallons or more
2) get Declorine drops
3) need filter and air pump that fits for a 10 gallon or more tank
4) DO NOT use bleach, if neccesary, Rinse REALLY REALLY good and leave for 24 to 48 hours before restocking and refilling
5) Dont clean EVERYTHING in the tank
6) Use flakes not pellets?
7) clean every week not every other week (maybe get a tank cleaner? the kind that is like a hose and a pole that you dip through the rocks? I seen one of those before...do they work?)


anything else?


#7--Yes they work great

The other thing that I find hard to do, but is a good idea...set everything up and let sit for at least 1 week (stores recommend a month minimum) and get a few cheap fish and let them get everything up and running (they will start the new ecological sphere going)
If they live, then you can either get rid of them or get more. Always watch out for sick fish. You should really isolate fish the same as you would a new chicken. But it is hard unless you have a special tank for that. Look at the fish tank you are buying fish from. If you see any Ick, side swimming or head down fish in a tank DO NOT buy any fish from that tank even if the fish you want are in there and look healthy.
With filter you shouldn't have to clean every other week. Just keep the filter clean when it looks dirty.

Last but not least, if you can find "bio filters" I would get some for the tank. They are the cutest rocks but a few work great in the long run. They are just rocks that are very porous that healthy bacteria live in. Never clean or get rid of them even if they look bad. That is the good bacteria alive in them.

 

[bufforp89]

I have a 30 gallon tank and have never cleaned it since I got it

its not dirty at all, sparkling clean. I have a pretty good filter in it and have had the same water in it for 2+ years. I just add more water whenever its looking low. I am worried that if I clean it I will wash away all the benificial bacteria and what not. Also I would never get all the baby guppies and other tiny stuff.

 

[lishah2000]

Quote:
All good.
#2 - get Stress Coat. It will take out the chlorine plus it has other beneficial stuff for the fish.
#5 and 7 - Just vacuum the gravel every one to two weeks. That should take out 10 to 15% of the water. Then add fresh water.

If the filter has a place for two pads, only change one at a time to save bacteria.

It takes 30 days or more for the bacteria to build up and take out the toxins in the water. This is the most dangerous time for the fish because the toxins build up to very high levels. In a bowl the bacteria never have time to do their work, so the water always has those high levels of toxins. The only way to avoid it is to change the water once or twice a week depending on the amount of water.

The biggest mistake people make is not waiting for the tank to cycle before stocking the tank. Have the store test the water before stocking the tank. Most do that free.

Considering you want goldfish and also your turtle tank: Both turtles and goldfish create a lot of waste. You need strong filters for both. At least double. So for a 10 gallon, get a 20 gallon filter.

Yes - it takes a lot of money to properly care for those 25 cent fish unless you have a pond.

 

[ranchhand]

I had a tank of tropical fish for years, and found that the less I messed with it, the better the fish were. Being tropical fish I had a heater, light and super duper filter set up. Well, I did something wrong- I suspect I wasn't maintaining the Ph levels properly- and all 5 fish died over 6 days, after 5 years of being fine. I felt really bad about it and decided not to get more.

THEN......... the next electric bill was $12.00 less, even though we had started using the central heat! That's what REALLY convinced me I didn't need more fish! This house came with a tiny pond out back and one jumbo goldfish- when he finally goes to goldfish heaven there will be no more.

Much as I like watching fish doing their "fishy things", I am not going to spend the money or do the work to maintain them. I'll just content myself with watching them at the dentist's office.

If you do get more fish, be wary of the fish at WalMart. They are often not very healthy. Go to a pet store that offers a guarantee/return policy.

 

[thebritt]

Quote:
This is true. My 3 goldfish are in a 10 gal tank that has NEVER been totally cleaned. No more than 1/3 of the water should be changed at a time, and I let the new water stand out overnight before I add it. That wy it's the same temp as their old water. I had a feeder fish live for 12 years(!) using this method. It, too was rescued from a red eared slider! Also, They have a filter and an air stone. While it's true there's poop in the gravel, their water is crystal clear. Gunky water comes more from having too many fish in the tank. I also would never use bleach - it's practically pure chlorine! I don't think one can ever really rinse ALL of it off. I know if I get bleach on my hands they stink for a long time.
Sorry about your fish - better luck next time!