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I have a knight goby that's around 6 years old. He's kind of slowing down and his swimming is a little off balance and he's looking a little rough around the edges. I've had old bettas before and this looks similar to just old age, but I don't really know how long they live so I was wondering...

I'd do a couple of big water changes(like 80%) and add salt at a dose of 1 tsp/gallon. You can use sea salt, kosher salt, canning salt or aquarium salt. Just make sure that the only ingredient is salt. Table salts contain an anti-caking agent which is potentially harmful to fish. Personally...

What is your water change schedule like? I've read about growths that sound similar to your fish's that are causes by waterborne viruses so sadly they aren't curable, but they can be controlled with salt and large water changes. A uv sterilizer might help too if it is a viral thing. Otherwise...

This is Spazz hitting a high note. Sadly no one ever hears it because he's underwater :(

Do you have water testing kits or access to a pet store where you could take your water to be tested? Your tank is very overstocked(your tank has barely enough room for 2 fancy goldfish) and I'm guessing the water quality is not very good. The black marks that you saw were most likely caused...

That lowe's stuff is the exact kind that I use in my african dwarf frog tank and it works perfectly! It's also very pretty, but it does require a bit of washing before adding to the tank.

I couldn't really tell you how long the coral takes because I've never really had a problem myself(my ph is always 8+) I know baking soda is definitely a good idea and so is the coral so hopefully it'll work for you(and fast). Good luck!

Ugh so sorry for your losses :( It really sucks when you lose multiples so suddenly.

I'd definitely check that out. Do you know the kh/gh of your water? As far as I know, if your water has a low buffering capacity you can get a ph crash seemingly at random in a well established tank. My water is liquid rock so I don't really worry about checking my ph either, but I've read...

Did you test the ph? A ph crash can bring on a pretty dramatic fish loss and the white filmy stuff could be excessive slime coat which is often seen in a sudden ph drop.

Hi there. I'm super paranoid because I've been trying to get a nice centerpiece fish for my 29g and have had nothing but bad luck. The first fish that I tried was a gold ram that never made it out of quarantine. He refused to eat and despite my best efforts to treat him, he eventually...

There definitely is a plethora of conflicting information when it comes to fishkeeping so it's pretty easy to become confused by it all. What I've tried to do is just read as much as I can and follow what the majority of experienced fish keepers say. I've been keeping goldfish for a few years...

I'd stock it with a dwarf puffer or a couple of african dwarf frogs.

There is always the option of getting a big plastic rubbermaid-like tub for the goldfish. I've used them on numerous occasions as hospital/qt tanks for goldies, and know of others that use them as permanent indoor "ponds". I've gotten these tubs for under $10 so it's also a pretty inexpensive...

You might try soaking it in a white vinegar solution. It does wonders on hardwater deposits and such. I think I usually use a 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water solution, but I don't really measure just eyeball it. I'd soak it for 20-30 minutes and then give it a good wipe and rinse and see if...

You're right, sorry I should have mentioned the temperature needs. Personally my tank rarely goes below 70 so it didn't occur to me. I have heard of success stories with goldies and these fish though in temperature regulated tanks.

What size is your tank? Honestly, I wouldn't recommend getting a "cleaner" fish like a pleco because they add a lot to the bioload and have special needs of their own. They aren't the magical remedy to a spotless tank. Also, common plecs get way too big and will harass your goldfish. If you...

You're definitely not alone. Many people got into this hobby in the same way that you did(myself included) with too many fish and an uncycled tank. Then when things go wrong you go out and dump a bunch of money on meds which can stress your fish out even more. Unfortunately most pet stores...

Sorry, I don't really know what could be wrong with your little guy :( I have a bottom sitter that has permanent swimbladder problems so he's either a floater or a sinker, but bottom-sitting could be caused by a lot of different things and unless there's more symptoms I can't recommend...

Unfortunately there are a lot of things that could be the cause. Have you seen your fish poo? If it's long, stringy and white and trails for a while that could be indicative of a bacterial infection. You might try feeding some frozen, defrosted and skinned peas in case he's constipated. How...

Alright, thanks! I'll do that. I'm a little concerned with the new identification though because now I'm not sure it's going to get enough light. When I bought it I was using a little compact fluorescent in the hood light, but it stopped working so I've just been using a little desk lamp with...

Yeah there are 3 african dwarf frogs in the tank :)

It could be a sword I really don't know my plants very well :) I have a sword in my other tank, but it's leaves seem much thinner than this one so that's why it didn't occur to me that it could be a sword. This one has thick, almost waxy leaves. Do you think it would be best to lift it out of...

I've had this plant that was sold to me as anubias in a tank for about 2 weeks and today I was replanting it as my frogs uprooted it and I noticed that the sand under the plant is black! I'm starting to wonder if this is one of those non-aquatic plants that they sold as aquatic so I was hoping...

If you're still interested in getting the ammonia, I've heard that the Ace Hardware janitorial strength is good for cycling. I haven't used it because I don't have an ace in town and haven't gotten out to anywhere that does, but I have seen it recommended in several different places for cycling.

Are you able to test your water for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates and ph? I've read that these little guys can be very sensitive to their water conditions so I'd first check your water in the tank and your water out of the tap.

I'm in the US so I'm not absolutely sure about the meds available to you, but I do believe that the two major IP treatments in the UK are Wormer Plus and Flubenol 15. I think the flubenol is preferable because it's something that they ingest, but I've also read that people have had a hard time...

I'm sorry about your danios :( As far as the betta goes, they are very unpredictable when it comes to their temperaments. From my experiences and reading those of others they can run the gambit from being perfectly peaceful community inhabitants to vicious little terrors. They can even seem...

Usually white spots on the wen are actually new wen growth. My orandas will have a little white patch or a little white almost pimple looking thing and then their wen will grow out in place of the spot. There's a chance that it's bacterial, but my guess is it's just new wen growth so just keep...

I heard a department store fish section employee tell someone that they shouldn't dechlorinate water in an unfiltered tank because the chemicals don't get mixed with the water and become toxic.... where do these people come up with this stuff! The customers were like "oh good we can save money...

I used a plain old play sand in one of my tanks that looked like this: I love the way it looks and it's cheap!

Hi! I'm setting up a little 5g tank for some african dwarf frogs and was hoping that I could get some advice from experts. I bought my first frog a long time ago and really didn't know anything about keeping aquatic life. Unfortunately, the little guy died(probably from bad water quality) and...

Plain terracotta pots are safe and nice for tanks. Just be sure that your fish can't get stuck in the hole in the bottom. I've used lava rock and slate and they are both very lovely in aquariums. Also, pretty much anything that's just glass and not painted will be okay.

I've been to this store! I live in indiana, but took a trip out to minneapolis to visit some friends and made them take me there. It is a nice lfs and the fish seemed healthy and happy. The guy that I spoke with seemed very knowledgeable about fish and even though I knew the stuff that he...

I can't really help you with what happened to the fish, but I can help on the ph issue. My ph out of the tap is 7.8, but it settles to 8.6 in the tank! I've read that this is because when it comes out of the tap it isn't aerated and as your filter turns it in the tank it becomes oxygenated and...

I don't have a lot of experience with velvet, but did you check your water params? It kind of looks to me like the slime coat is peeling off which could be caused by a sudden water chemistry change like a ph crash. It can also be caused by external parasites, but I've never personally dealt...

Baking soda is the most common natural way to raise ph. I've never used it, though so I can't give you the exact measurements. Like the others I highly recommend against messing with the ph though. Where I live, our ph is 8.6 and we have a local(and successful) angel breeder. I've never...

I have an oranda with chronic swimbladder problems. However, I've found that he can still have a high quality of life and these issues can be controlled. The only food that I've been able to find that doesn't make him float is a homemade gel food that I made. I've been experimenting with...