Another dead baby goldfish

[Jim Sinclair]

Actually the "plain salt" I have is Morton Canning & Pickling salt, which is just sodium chloride--no iodine, anti-caking agents, or anything else added. And I am too tired to calculate amounts and dissolve and add it to tanks tonight. That will have to wait until tomorrow.

Flop2 had a rinse after being removed from the Epsom salt bath, and was then put back into one of the plastic tubs in the basement.

15 big babies from the big tank upstairs, and 7 from the plastic tubs downstairs, are now in the pond.

I liked the idea of a pond nursery too, but the fish didn't seem to like the netting. I prepared it by filling a bucket with tap water, adding some white vinegar, letting the netting soak while I used paper towels to wipe the hamper with the vinegar solution, then rinsing and wringing the netting under the faucet and spraying the hamper with the sink sprayer, then dumping the vinegar solution and rinsing and refilling the bucket, adding Prime, soaking the netting in that while again wiping down the hamper, then agitating and squeezing and wringing the netting. The intention was to remove any contaminants that might harm the fish, then rinse out the vinegar, then dechlorinate both the hamper and the netting.

But when I put the fish into the netting-lined hamper, they acted like something in there was irritating them. See what you think:

So I pulled out the netting, and the fish calmed down. A few of them swam out into the pond almost immediately. Most of them stayed in the hamper awhile:

The adult fish stayed clustered together in one corner, apparently wondering what kind of invasion this was.

I watched for a while. Most of the babies eventually left the hamper and went exploring in one or two groups. Then Barnabas, one of the adult fish, came out to meet them. Then Barnabas went back to the corner where the other adult fish were, and apparently reported that there was no cause for concern, because all the adults came out and mingling commenced. I just hope nobody is going to get eaten. The little fish don't seem particularly worried about the proximity of the big fish. Can I trust their judgment about that?

I’m sorry, I misunderstood. I didn’t realize he was in Epsom salt. I wouldn’t do that again unless Gypsy13 recommends it. I was referring to aquarium salt. That is what you mean when you say “plain salt”, isn’t it? I go with that. I wouldn’t think the old nitrazorb would hurt. It usually just weakens and becomes ineffective. I like the idea of the pond nursery for the babies.

 

[Jim Sinclair]

Good news:

With 25 fish removed, carbon in the filters, two airstones added, and salt added (1 tablespoon per 5 gallons), the fish in the big tank are lively and are eating well. I have not found any dead ones since Saturday night.

22 baby fish were added to the pond on Sunday. I have not been able to count them since then, because they keep swimming around, but they seem to be doing well in there. I've seen several of them swimming very close to the adult fish, with no fear behaviors by the babies and no pursuing behaviors by the adults.

Flop2 was returned to one of the plastic tubs Sunday night after 24 hours in Epsom salt. Now I can no longer tell which of the fish in that tub was the floppy one. I will continue watching for recurrence of symptoms.

Now I need to prepare my van for a two-day road trip. (Well, if I make good time it may be only 24 hours.) Cats and dogs will be coming with me as I don't have a pet sitter. Fish will have to stay home alone. I will do water changes shortly before leaving. Would you advise leaving lights off so they will be less active, use less energy, become less hungry, and produce less waste while I'm gone?