A Death And I Dont Know Why...:(

[K.J.]

I would have to say I agree with Feeshy, goldfish are messy buggers (moreso than plecs perhaps) and in a tank that small with 5 fish in there, unless you are massively overfiltering or doing water changes almost every day or other day the water quality will not be of that great quality. Don't forget the rule is 1" of fish for every gallon of water and the size that your fish can (and will get to) it is only a matter of time before they get bigger than this so my advice would be to really think about upgrading the tank / moving the fish because its not a case of IF you are going to have more problems ... it's a case of WHEN.

Well i wont be doing that im afraid cause i cant afford a water tester or that never mind upgrading a tank. Im a student in a small flat, only one room is mine, a small room, and i dont have any more room for anything bigger anyway. My filter works fine and i dont need to clean the water out every day. I vacuum it once a week, sometimes every 2 weeks depending on how busy i am and i clean the sides as well. I know all the rules, people tend to tell me them every time i post a topic here, no matter what im posting about. I cant say anymore than the answers i always give, i cant afford other equipment, tanks etc, i dont have any room, i keep the water clean, i know what clean water is supposed to be like, the fish are fine and healthy, i only originally asked how other peoples pearlscales swim and that my loach had died suddenly and i didnt know why. Thanks to those who actually answered my question, and thanks to those lecturing me with the same facts i get and see other people get on other posts.

Well no offense, but, maybe you should consider selling the fish and the tank if you need money. Honestly, I don't think you should have fish if you cant afford them.. sorry, but it's the truth and all of us over here are just looking out for the welfare of the fish and to educate the keeper.

 

[shimmyhunny]

I would have to say I agree with Feeshy, goldfish are messy buggers (moreso than plecs perhaps) and in a tank that small with 5 fish in there, unless you are massively overfiltering or doing water changes almost every day or other day the water quality will not be of that great quality. Don't forget the rule is 1" of fish for every gallon of water and the size that your fish can (and will get to) it is only a matter of time before they get bigger than this so my advice would be to really think about upgrading the tank / moving the fish because its not a case of IF you are going to have more problems ... it's a case of WHEN.

Well i wont be doing that im afraid cause i cant afford a water tester or that never mind upgrading a tank. Im a student in a small flat, only one room is mine, a small room, and i dont have any more room for anything bigger anyway. My filter works fine and i dont need to clean the water out every day. I vacuum it once a week, sometimes every 2 weeks depending on how busy i am and i clean the sides as well. I know all the rules, people tend to tell me them every time i post a topic here, no matter what im posting about. I cant say anymore than the answers i always give, i cant afford other equipment, tanks etc, i dont have any room, i keep the water clean, i know what clean water is supposed to be like, the fish are fine and healthy, i only originally asked how other peoples pearlscales swim and that my loach had died suddenly and i didnt know why. Thanks to those who actually answered my question, and thanks to those lecturing me with the same facts i get and see other people get on other posts.

Well no offense, but, maybe you should consider selling the fish and the tank if you need money. Honestly, I don't think you should have fish if you cant afford them.. sorry, but it's the truth and all of us over here are just looking out for the welfare of the fish and to educate the keeper.

Well they have always been happy in that tank, im not up for selling them, and anyone know one would buy them off me.

 

[K.J.]

I would have to say I agree with Feeshy, goldfish are messy buggers (moreso than plecs perhaps) and in a tank that small with 5 fish in there, unless you are massively overfiltering or doing water changes almost every day or other day the water quality will not be of that great quality. Don't forget the rule is 1" of fish for every gallon of water and the size that your fish can (and will get to) it is only a matter of time before they get bigger than this so my advice would be to really think about upgrading the tank / moving the fish because its not a case of IF you are going to have more problems ... it's a case of WHEN.

Well i wont be doing that im afraid cause i cant afford a water tester or that never mind upgrading a tank. Im a student in a small flat, only one room is mine, a small room, and i dont have any more room for anything bigger anyway. My filter works fine and i dont need to clean the water out every day. I vacuum it once a week, sometimes every 2 weeks depending on how busy i am and i clean the sides as well. I know all the rules, people tend to tell me them every time i post a topic here, no matter what im posting about. I cant say anymore than the answers i always give, i cant afford other equipment, tanks etc, i dont have any room, i keep the water clean, i know what clean water is supposed to be like, the fish are fine and healthy, i only originally asked how other peoples pearlscales swim and that my loach had died suddenly and i didnt know why. Thanks to those who actually answered my question, and thanks to those lecturing me with the same facts i get and see other people get on other posts.

Well no offense, but, maybe you should consider selling the fish and the tank if you need money. Honestly, I don't think you should have fish if you cant afford them.. sorry, but it's the truth and all of us over here are just looking out for the welfare of the fish and to educate the keeper.

Well they have always been happy in that tank, im not up for selling them, and anyone know one would buy them off me.

Are you willing to ship? There are some members here near scotland who I'm sure could help you find homes or buy off you. The tank would be very easy to sell. If you really want to keep the goldfish, you could sell three or four (pref. four) and then help keep the ammonia down. Could you give them to the fish shop?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Well they have always been happy in that tank, im not up for selling them, and anyone know one would buy them off me.

Funny you say should say that now they are dying (not meaning to get at you, but what you just said sounds rather ironic considering what the thread is about). Basically, you need to do your own research (and thoroughly/properly at that), fishkeeping has come a long way since people like your grandparents were into it, a 20gal or so tank is no place for 5 goldfish who could potentially grow to 6-8inches long each.
Hillstream loaches are specialist fish, needing an expensive and specialised habitat, unless you were doing anything in particular for the loach its likely that it either slowly suffocated or starved to death or both- see here for hillstream/butterfly loach keeping;

http/www.loaches.com/species-index/beauf...a-kweichowensis

http/www.loaches.com/articles/hillstream...n-the-fast-lane


Goldfish are often as tough as old boots, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't look after them well. If you can't afford to look after them properly, try rehoming them on the forum or at your lfs etc;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=27

Also, one water change once a month is not sufficient for any type of fish really, particularly river/rapids fish like hillstream loaches which need very clean water. Imagine what your place would look like if you only cleaned it once a month/12 times a year? You cannot say the water quality is good if you have never tested it for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. To understand more about water quality and the way it works in your tanks, read this article;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

The average tank cleaning regime for anyone's tanks (as long as they are not cycling or overstocked), should be like this;
a. 25-60% water change once a week with dechlorinator.
b. Clean substrate once a week.
c. Clean filter once every 1-3weeks or more (depending on how quickly it gets dirty, you should clean it often enough so that it has a decent current).
d. Check heaters, filters, lighting etc for any limescale buildup, check to see if everythings working etc.
e. Test tank for ammonia, nitrite, nitrates and ph every now and then to make sure there are no water quality issues- even if the water looks sparkling clean, you can't see stuff like ammonia and it may be present in the water- the only way to find out if your water quality is good is to test it.

In a healthy tank ammonia and nitrites should be 0, with nitrates preferably kept under 40.

Fishkeeping is not nesarsarily an expensive hobby- its as expensive as you make it. But if you get fish which need a large tank or specialised setup in any way, expect to spend a lot of money. If you want a cheap and space saving fish to keep, buy a betta with a 2gal tank for it with a little heater and filter.

Fish will die if they get too stressed out or if you simply aren't looking after them properly/adequately (like the butterfly/hillstream loach you had). I'm not trying to lecture you, but i don't want you to continue to make mistakes or repeat them due to innapropriate care as there are animals/fishes lives at stake we are talking about here etc.

 

[black angel]

Completely agree with Tokis

Just because the water looks clean doesnt mean it is. You can only measure the ammonia and nitrite you cant see it, same with bacteria levels.

Each goldfish excretes 33% of its body weight in urine and faeces a day so you have to make sure you keep up with the water changing and have loads of filter media to deal with it.

Having test kits for ammonia and nitrite is a must in this hobby as you are only guessing at levels otherwise.

I would seriously ask you to either take three fish back to your shop or get a large 20 gallon plus container to house some of them before you are making posts on why your fish are getting sick.

In the meantime you would be best advised to do 50% water changes every two days to keep bacterial levels down.

What filter are you using?

We are here to help you, but its up to you to listen.

 

[ITHURTZ]

33% eh, so I have 1.96lbs of crap a day from those 4 guys? so with all my other fish combined over 2lbs a day easily. 14lbs a week That counts to what 2 gallons a week of pure filth!! Yikes glad I change 20+gallons each week!

 

[shimmyhunny]

Pearlscale died, her wobble to one side seemed to have gotten worse and it was something she's always had so im guessing it might have been a swin bladder problem.

Gave the tank and even better clean out recently, fish are looking really happy and healthy, they have a little more room now with the pearlscale and loach gone, bad way to go but they are away none the less.

 

[RandomWiktor]

I do hope that you heed the advice here and rehome some of your fish if you lack the resources to care for them properly - Tolkis's advice WILL save the rest of your fish. I find it hard to believe the claims of the fish being "just fine" when two just died. "Just fine" for "months" is very little in the lifespan of a goldfish; they are supposed to have a lifespan of 15-20 years when properly cared for. Keeping a goldfish alive for a year or two is like keeping a cat alive for a year or two; it certainly does not indicate proper husbandry practices.

Keeping goldfish does not need to be expensive. A 55 gallon storage bin is about $15 USD. Second hand filters can be found inexpensively online, and there are many members on this site who would donate mature filter media to you gladly to ensure that your tank is cycled. That, paired with more stringent water cleaning practices, should prevent future losses. And please do consider buying a test kit; cutting expenses elsewhere in your life, or even just throwing your change at the end of the day into a jar for a "test kit fund," should scare up the money. I can relate to being a broke student, and found that by cutting coupons, reducing non-essential spending, and going second-hand on items, I can save plenty of money to properly care for all of my fish - including several goldfish!

 

[shimmyhunny]

I do hope that you heed the advice here and rehome some of your fish if you lack the resources to care for them properly - Tolkis's advice WILL save the rest of your fish. I find it hard to believe the claims of the fish being "just fine" when two just died. "Just fine" for "months" is very little in the lifespan of a goldfish; they are supposed to have a lifespan of 15-20 years when properly cared for. Keeping a goldfish alive for a year or two is like keeping a cat alive for a year or two; it certainly does not indicate proper husbandry practices.

Keeping goldfish does not need to be expensive. A 55 gallon storage bin is about $15 USD. Second hand filters can be found inexpensively online, and there are many members on this site who would donate mature filter media to you gladly to ensure that your tank is cycled. That, paired with more stringent water cleaning practices, should prevent future losses. And please do consider buying a test kit; cutting expenses elsewhere in your life, or even just throwing your change at the end of the day into a jar for a "test kit fund," should scare up the money. I can relate to being a broke student, and found that by cutting coupons, reducing non-essential spending, and going second-hand on items, I can save plenty of money to properly care for all of my fish - including several goldfish!

I will not be partonised by someone of a simliar age to me about money issues, ur not my online parent thanks and i know how to look after and save my own money. Im not stupid. and i work in POUNDS ta.

My fish are fine thanku, im getting advice elsewhere.

 

[RandomWiktor]

All fine 'cept for the dead ones right?
Good luck finding a fish forum elsewhere that won't also tell you that you the exact same thing... your husbandry practices are the reason your fish have died, and I'm sure more will die later if you do not change your ways. But since you reject all advice given by people with the best interests of your fish at heart, I suppose that is OK with you.
Honestly, I'm not entirely sure why you ask for advice if you'll only hear what you want to. Getting angry at people for giving you helpful input reflects poorly on your character, and I do hope that you one day learn to appreciate advice rather than react to it as insult... especially if the lives of animals are involved.

 

[shimmyhunny]

All fine 'cept for the dead ones right?
Good luck finding a fish forum elsewhere that won't also tell you that you the exact same thing... your husbandry practices are the reason your fish have died, and I'm sure more will die later if you do not change your ways. But since you reject all advice given by people with the best interests of your fish at heart, I suppose that is OK with you.
Honestly, I'm not entirely sure why you ask for advice if you'll only hear what you want to. Getting angry at people for giving you helpful input reflects poorly on your character, and I do hope that you one day learn to appreciate advice rather than react to it as insult... especially if the lives of animals are involved.

welll actually i got advice elsewhere, not on the net ,but in the actual real work, oh.my.gosh. Yes the real world and it turns out that the fish i got together were just from bad stock. I dont reject good advice, i reject patronising egotistical people. My dear, you do not know me and therefore do not know my character. I reacted badly to the way in which the information was put across not the information itself. I wont be talked to like a child and made out to be bloody frying up the critters and having a fish pie for dinner. The way i was spoken to felt as though thats what id done.
If your interested in the fish at the moment, or maybe its only ur ego boosing you come on here for, then they are doing fine. I now have the two celestials, oranda and fantail and they are doing just fine and grwoing well.

 

[black angel]

LOL

Youve just shown that pet shops are just after your money. We care about the fish and offer advice for the fish. Sorry if it hit you hard but reality does that to some people.

I really hope you wont be needing any more advice for sick fish, but if you do we are here to GUIDE you and not to take your money.

No such thing as bad stock, its called bad husbandry.