Oh No....My Fish!....Help, Please!

sar · Aug 22, 2005

I recently bought an aquarium and some fish. They've all been doing very well until this morning when I only three came out to eat!

I was worried, but couldn't see another fish anywhere! At closer inspection, I've discovered that one of them has died

I haven't got a clue what to do! I've never had fish before and nowhere in the instructions does it say what to do in this situation!

Can anyone please help me with what to do? If I fish him out, where do I put him?!

Do I need to find out what hurt him or will my other fish be okay?! I just don't know what to do!

ash_bct · Aug 22, 2005

Aww Sarah!

First please be calm!

What kind of tank and fish do you have?
Once I know what kind of fish you have I can help you out ok?
I'm not an expert beyond an ordinary tank though...

But for the poor little fishy that didn't make it, this may sound harsh but, flush him. If he isn't already out of the tank get him out!!

sar · Aug 22, 2005

Thank you for helping, Ashley!

I just have an Elite tank with filter and they are ordinary gold fish! I haven't got him out yet - I'm feeling a bit yucky about it!

Shall I get him out and put him in a cup or something?! Flush him

I'll go and try to do it now!

ash_bct · Aug 22, 2005

Originally Posted by Sar

Thank you for helping, Ashley!

I just have an Elite tank with filter and they are ordinary gold fish! I haven't got him out yet - I'm feeling a bit yucky about it!

Shall I get him out and put him in a cup or something?! Flush him

I'll go and try to do it now!

Oh sweetie! I'll PM you about all of this!

huggles · Aug 22, 2005

ohno

sorry I cant offer any advise. I have goldfish but they live in a pond outside. I hope Ash can help you out... awwww

my friend

fwan · Aug 22, 2005

well if you have an algae eater it can eat it. then its not so horrible to think about because.. its their nature!

i was shocked to see one of my fishies vanished a while ago.

your fishie could have been sick when you bought it but didnt realise, they usually swell up when they are sick

dawnofsierra · Aug 22, 2005

Oh dear, Sarah, I'm so very sorry about your fish.

How upsetting for you.

ginger's mum · Aug 22, 2005

We used to have the same problem until I started treating the tap water with a chlorine neutraliser and cut down their feeding to twice a day. We have 7 goldfish and I only clean the filter & change 2/3 water about once a month.
Oh and I only clean 3 sides so there's a nice green growth on the back for them to nibble at.

rosehawke · Aug 22, 2005

Did you cycle the tank? Also, how big is the tank and how many goldfish are in it? Goldfish are little ammonia factories and I have heard that you really don't need more than about one per 10 gallons of water. Contrary to popular belief, goldfish are really not beginner fish except that they're cheap.

dixie_darlin · Aug 22, 2005

I used to have 2 55gallons freshwater tanks and I know that you have to watch the water the first month. It can have too much algea or not enough. It takes a while for the tanks ecosystem to "set-up".If you have a pet store that deals with fish close by, I would take a water sample in to them and have it tested.It could have (Im not sure if Im right about the *exact* name) to high of nitrates in it. If it has too high or too low of anything they can tell you what you need to do. You can also buy your own home test kits and maintain it on your own. Unfortunatly whenever you get anything bigger then a fishbowl, it takes more to keep it up them feeding them. It's more work then people think lol.. thats why I dont have mine anymore

Oh and also Im not sure but most pet stores have a policy about if the fish dies withen 24hrs or a week (diff policies at diff stores) they will replace it for free!
Good Luck hun!

ugaimes · Aug 22, 2005

Originally Posted by RoseHawke

Did you cycle the tank?

I was going to ask the same thing. I'm in the process of cycling my new saltwater aquarium and recently lost a fish in the process, so I know what you're going through

. Have patience, follow Ashley's advice, and I certainly hope your tank thrives

lillekat · Aug 22, 2005

First you need to take your other fish out of the aquarium and scour out everything. This will make sure that if the fish was sick when you bought him - say an infection - then the other little fishies won't get it as well. You have to make sure that any toys, plants, gravel is cleaned. Fresh water goes back into the tank and that the fitration system is functioning properly. We had a problem with an infection with fish when my brother had them - there were no outward signs of it, and then suddenly a fish would go belly-up, with no warning whatsoever. It did take a really thorough clean out of the system before the problem stopped. Take Ashley's advice as well, and I reckon you'll be on a winner.

evnshawn · Aug 22, 2005

Yep, goldfish are dirty little buggers. Chances are your tank isn't cycled and you have an ammonia buildup. A tank that is cycled has bacteria that turns ammonia--fish waste and rotting food--into nitrites, which are somewhat less harmful to the fish, and then the nitrites get turned into nitrates, which are even less harmful to the fish. You remove the nitrates by doing regular water changes. Or if you have live plants, the live plants will "eat" the nitrates.

Most likely you don't have a diseased tank; you probably just have an ammonia buildup. I second Dixie Darlin's recommendation to take a water sample into a fish store. They can help you from there. Another thing to keep in mind is that way more fish die from overfeeding than underfeeding. Remember, your fish's stomach is about the size of his eyeball. Extra food equals extra waste in the tank.

Oh, and one more thing: please don't get in the habit of flushing your fish. You can introduce disease into the water system that way. It's better to throw them away or bury them.

fatkitties · Aug 22, 2005

I would NOT clean the tank. The fish probably died because the bacteria levels aren't right yet. Cleaning the tank will put you back to square one. It takes a while for the bacteria levels to get in the right levels. Some people buy those cheapie goldfish to get the bacteria going and cycle the tank. When I set up my new tank, the fish guy told me to put my old filter on the tank, so the bacteria in the cartidge would help cycle the tank, and to put some of the water and gravel from the old tank in the new tank. Right now all I have are very hardy fish (betta, pleco, cory cats) and he told me to just put them right in. So far everyone's fine and I'm going to get more fish when I have more money.
Anyways, back to the tank, don't clean it, but get the water tested. Take it to any good pet or fish store and they'll test the water for free, and tell you what you need to do, if anything. Probably just have to wait a few weeks and then it will be good. Also, make sure you have one of the filters that hangs on the back of the tank, under gravel filters are pretty worthless, really. My fish guy told me not to bother with those.
Hope your tank gets cycled soon and you can get some more fish!

Wanted to add a ditto on the feeding thing. The can of fish food says to feed them several times a day. DON'T! My fish get fed every 2-3 days. Enough food gets in the plants and gravel when I feed that they scavenge around and eat it. Fish aren't supposed to be round, they are supposed to be kinda thin. It's just as bad for fish to be fat as it is for people, dogs, cats, and any other living thing!

Amber

evnshawn · Aug 22, 2005

Originally Posted by fatkitties

I would NOT clean the tank. The fish probably died because the bacteria levels aren't right yet. Cleaning the tank will put you back to square one. It takes a while for the bacteria levels to get in the right levels. Some people buy those cheapie goldfish to get the bacteria going and cycle the tank. When I set up my new tank, the fish guy told me to put my old filter on the tank, so the bacteria in the cartidge would help cycle the tank, and to put some of the water and gravel from the old tank in the new tank. Right now all I have are very hardy fish (betta, pleco, cory cats) and he told me to just put them right in. So far everyone's fine and I'm going to get more fish when I have more money.
Anyways, back to the tank, don't clean it, but get the water tested. Take it to any good pet or fish store and they'll test the water for free, and tell you what you need to do, if anything. Probably just have to wait a few weeks and then it will be good. Also, make sure you have one of the filters that hangs on the back of the tank, under gravel filters are pretty worthless, really. My fish guy told me not to bother with those.
Hope your tank gets cycled soon and you can get some more fish!

Amber

Don't feel too bad about your fish dying. It can actually be pretty tough to keep fish alive while a tank is cycling. Water changes and good filtration--mechanical, chemical, and biological--are your friend. I also recommend you vacuum your gravel every week; it's easiest to do while doing your water changes. You probably don't have a gravel vac; Python makes them. They are used to remove fish poop and old food from the gravel but do not adversely affect the "good" bacteria you need in your tank. I heartily recommend getting one that is long enough to reach your sink. That way you can, with an adapter, use the flowing water from the kitchen sink to create a siphon.

Oh, something I just thought of: if you decide to get any more fish once your tank is stable, remember that goldfish are cold water fish, and most other fish sold for the hobby are tropicals and need heaters. You will need to stick with cold water fish and not overload the tank. (Rule of thumb: one inch of fish per gallon for smaller fish.)

sunnicat · Aug 22, 2005

You all know about cats AND fish??? I'm lost!

This is one smart bunch of people here at TCS!

Sorry for the loss of your little fish. Hugs to you!

gilly · Aug 22, 2005

Sar, sorry to hear about your little fishy

Please read some of the advice given above as it is nearly spot on. I have had two goldfish since January and both (touch-wood) are doing really well. I left my tank to cycle for 4 weeks before adding any fish. I am also very careful not to feed them too much - I normally feed once a day or every other day, just small amounts. Goldfish are messy things and will eat and eat even if they are full up. If they are fed too much then the food will rot the water. If you havn't already, please take out the dead fish otherwise it will pollute your water.

Let us know how you get on

fwan · Aug 22, 2005

Ohh another thing sarah, i feed mine once a day, i bought the fish food where you just click once, one click feeds 5 fish! i just cleaned the gravel 3 weeks ago,and took 3/4 of it out because my mother is planning to buy me a new tank for my birthday i was so disgusted to see how much food was wasted!
this is why i feed mine once a day

arlyn · Aug 22, 2005

How long was your tank set up and cycling before you added fish?
How many gallons was the tank, and how many goldfish?

Goldfish are one of the dirtiest fish (waste wise) and because of that, it takes very few of them to crowd and poison a tank.
Typically, the rule of thumb is 1 gallon of water per inch of fish, for goldfish though it should be a lot more.

If the tank wasn't allowed to cycle long enough then your beneficial bacteria had not yet colonized enough to handle the load.
Tanks should bne set up and cycling for at least 24 hours to 2 weeks to establish a good bacteria culture, I fully recommend two weeks.
You can shorten this by seeding the tank with about 1-2 cups of gravel from an already established and stable tank.

General Goldfish care

evnshawn · Aug 22, 2005

Originally Posted by Arlyn

How long was your tank set up and cycling before you added fish?
How many gallons was the tank, and how many goldfish?

Goldfish are one of the dirtiest fish (waste wise) and because of that, it takes very few of them to crowd and poison a tank.
Typically, the rule of thumb is 1 gallon of water per inch of fish, for goldfish though it should be a lot more.

If the tank wasn't allowed to cycle long enough then your beneficial bacteria had not yet colonized enough to handle the load.
Tanks should bne set up and cycling for at least 24 hours to 2 weeks to establish a good bacteria culture, I fully recommend two weeks.
You can shorten this by seeding the tank with about 1-2 cups of gravel from an already established and stable tank.

General Goldfish care

Just to clarify for the benefit of any new fish owners: a tank filled with dechlorinated tap water with a brand new filter won't cycle on its own. It has to have something to start the bacteria, like a sponge filter or some gravel from someone else's tank OR some fish you don't mind sending to that great aquarium in the sky (though it is possible to keep fish alive through cycling) ORâ€”and this is a bit trickierâ€”ammonia. You can cycle the tank with just plain ammonia (no soap added); there are web pages out there that tell you how to do it.

And if you start it with gravel or a sponge from someone else's tank in an otherwise new setup, since there are no fish in the tank you will have to "feed" the bacteria if you leave the tank without fish for more than a few days. I imagine a few flakes of food every couple of days will do it.

Oh No....My Fish!....Help, Please!

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