Hello, complete beginner!

[helen nightingale]

people tend to assume that goldfish dont get very big, and thinking about it, the ones i have seem in people's houses have been maybe as big as 4".

i am wondering, if everyone kept them how Shari said, 5 in a nearly 400l tank, how big would the average goldfish be? they must get stunted like clown loaches very often do.

i forget how many goldfish would be ok when i got my q tank. and then you see care sheets saying to do water changes every fortnight. it is no surprise that people make mistakes, as even the main magazines get things wrong.

[Doug]

OK, since I last spoke, things seemed to be going ok, until on Saturday there, when I noticed white spot(s) on the 2 small gold fish.

This being Saturday night, and the pet shop not being open on a Sunday, I only got medication today (well, yesterday), and have added it.

In between then, however, the white/silver fantail, which, incidentally, seemed to be getting on famously and didn't show any real ill effects at all, died/was found dead on Sunday, and my parents did a full water change, cleaning out the tank also. If that wasn't bad enough, on Saturday, my Dad bought a tiny, 2 inch long fish which he only called an 'Algae Eater', putting it straight into the tank.

Sensing something wasn't right anyway, I could only despair at this move of adding another fish.

Anyway, now, on seeing the fish yesterday (Monday), one of the small gold fish is now (startlingly) missing half of it's tail, and second gold fish is showing signs of something. Both, also having a velvety look about them. The 'Algae Eater' is scratching slightly, and, the second fantail, is in a bad way, is currently floating at the top, with white scum/slime on it, gasping for air, not looking at all well and with a ragged looking tail.

I have been reading up about it all, and tell my folks what I've learned, but I seem to be loosing the battle with them as 'They have had fish before and this is what they have always done and nothing has ever happened before blah de blah blah ....'

They added fresh, untreated water yesterday, and were using buckets that had been used for other things previously, despite the fact that we HAVE buckets, etc for the fish.

.... And if I get annoyed at them, then I'm being 'cheeky'!!

Just because I have a few problems they sometimes still treat me like a 5 year old, totally incapable of doing anything, you have no idea how Fu ...... frustrating it is!
I doubt they even realise they are doing it either.

Anyway, I'm hoping the medication will help rescue what's left, particularly the the poor 'new' fish.

There is an old tank at my Mum's work, so I will get that tomorrow, and will use it, but I assume the damage had already been done to the Algae eater regardless.

Oh well, at least the tank isn't as crowded as it is now

And another thing, on Friday, I went to a shop in Glasgow (Trongate), which seem to mostly have tropical fish, just out of curiosity and to see tanks, etc, and when talking about it, they told me that the size of tank I have, should be able to hold 8 fish.
Hmmmm.

Anyway.

[Doug]

Within the last half hour, the other fantail has died.

Removal from the tank was swift and is now awaiting 'disposal' to the 'ground tank' in the morning (It's in a mug full of water, just to 'make sure').

That's the 3rd fish in a little over a week.

When I said that they weren't showing many ill effects, I now know that they were, by scratching, but realised the severity of the problem too late through lack of experience.

It is why I have noticed the Algae eater scratching already - I'm learning as I go here!

Anyway, the 2 gold fish will be left in the tank and the other, 'quarantined' tomorrow, which will mean the 3rd change of water for it since Saturday, but I see no other choice here.

[janma]

Please don't add anymore new fish to the tank. Why didn't you take the old ones back, that tank is not suited for fish? And when cleaning out the tank it probably has gone to the worse, since all good bacteria is flushed away.

[Doug]

I know, I know, but it all seemed ok at first. As for cleaning out the .... well, I'm trying to tell them, but I seem to be about the only one here who actually gives a flying watsit about it, and I'm learning as I go here.

The irony being that, after getting the other, my Dad told me NOT to get any others.

Well, duh!!

I was just mad at him for being crass enough to BUY another in the first place!

So should I separate the new one, or is that now like locking the door after the horse has bolted??

[helen nightingale]

would you be able to persuade your Dad to read any of this, or print some out for him to see?

sorry to hear of your troubles, i hope it improves for you soon

[Doug]

I bought a 25 watt heater. Mum seems reluctant to bring the bloody tank home. If it were any of the dogs then ...... but it's just fish.




I saw the Algae eaters in the shop tank along with assorted Gourami(?) and all they were called were Algae eaters

What are they exactly??

They/it sticks to side of the tank

[Kamapa]

http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/

I've read this page on The Krib over and over whilst after an algae eater, the chinese algae eater is by many accounts a little git. Sometimes sold as sucking loaches, my mate got one with a tank, it had a go at his polypterus.

[Ashleigh]

My parents thought they were 'just fish' till my mum claimed a little fantail with no eye-hes her little thing now-she hand feeds him and everything its funny how things have a way of turning round.

There are a lot of fish that fit under the term 'algae eater' in fish store terms.

Do any of these resemble what you have??

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/compleco.htm

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/algeater.htm

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/sae.htm


Ashleigh

[Doug]

It is like the picture in the second link, except that it has a dark line down the middle, and a row of dots down the fish on both sides of the line.

It's about 2 inches long.

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/algeater.htm


Agressive when older eh??

Acht, what next!?

[mickthefish]

it sounds like you have the CAE,
watch youre other fish with these as when they get bigger any flat sided fish is a target for this fish, it will take the body mucus of the parts he browses on rendering your fish open to one ailment or another.


mick

[Ashleigh]

Any chance of a pic? It would sound right but they are pretty variable regarding markings so its uncertain what to say for sure.

As regards to what to do next, just return the fish regardless of the species.

You need to stabilise the tank with what tank inhabitants you have, not add more if you intend to keep the goldfish-they are the first priority.

Parents take a while to understand things-show them the articles online regarding housing etc-it will pay off in the long run.

Ashleigh

[Doug]

Printed off the sticky about Ich, so that's a start at least.

Return the loach?? well, they are going away on holiday soon, so ......


Seriously though, if this medication for the white spot works then I'll see, otherwise it might not HAVE anything to terrorise later in life!!

[Doug]

Can I ask, the goldfish tails are/were getting smaller. I was told that even though young, the Loach could be attacking them.

it is only 2 inches long, is this a possibility, or is there some viral reason for the loss of the tails??



And for the record, I have taken the loach out, it is currently in a bucket with matured water I was going to use for a water change, and am seriously considering returning it to the shop before half 5 tonight.
I need to know the answers to my question though.


Also, I've added the heater in with the gold fish, but it only seems to go to 80 degrees, which isn't much use.

[Doug]

Ok, I've avoided it - my Mum came home with a small temporary tank for the Loach.

Turns out it wasn't being violent at all, it was actually fin rot, which I'm told doesn't affect loach.

The goldfish has the treatment in the tank now, although it may be too late - another was found dead this morning.

I suspect the Loach will be getting the tank all to itself very soon at this rate.

Also I was looking at large tables for my room to sit a big tank on. Naturally, if I get a new tank (or two so that I don't have unsuitable pairings), I'll be FAR more cautious, and take a LOT of time with it!, and I'll at least have a quarantine tank already.