i bought a new tank set it up and all 8 fish have died. think there maybe a disease or something. anyway im gonna start again so theres no diseases in the tank. whats the best way to clean the gravel and plants so its disease free?
Dead Fish
- Thread starter lee8040
- Start date
Goldfish require 30 gallons + 15-20 gallons for every additional goldfish they grow to 10-15" if cared for properly and will live for 20+ years. Fancies also may require a heated tank depending where you live and what your heating is like. Just running without fish does nothing to the filter you need to use dechlorinated water and a source of ammonia this can be from a dead fish (leaves a mess though), rotting flake food, rotting plant matter or bottled ammonia.
Did the goldfish show any symptom before dying? Was the tank new when you got it? Did you use any household chemicals near the tank (even deodrant has been known to cause healt issues in fish)?
Did the goldfish show any symptom before dying? Was the tank new when you got it? Did you use any household chemicals near the tank (even deodrant has been known to cause healt issues in fish)?
it was a new tank everything was cleaned before it went in.
im gonna start straight from scratch so what should i use to kill all the germs in the tank, gravel, ornaments and on the plants?
also once clean how long should i use it for and should i use food rotting to obtain ammonia?
im gonna start straight from scratch so what should i use to kill all the germs in the tank, gravel, ornaments and on the plants?
also once clean how long should i use it for and should i use food rotting to obtain ammonia?
silverrabbit
Fish Addict
It sounds like the most likely cause for death was too many fish being introduced way too fast to a tank that hasn't been cycled properly (I know you left it running, but as others have said, without a food/ammonia source, your filter bacteria would not have grown in your filter). 8 fish is a HUGE amount of fish to add in one go - especially goldies.
You also need a liquid testing kit to monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels in your cycling and established tank. You can just use flake food as your ammonia source to feed your filter's bacteria colony. Cycling takes around a month - 6 weeks, but the only way you will know if your tank is cycled is by testing the water. An LFS will test your water for you, BUT often they will say it's ok when it isn't purely to get you to buy a fish.
Even in a cycled tank you CANNOT add 8 goldfish to your tank - you'll end up with a mini cycle as your fish produce more ammonia than your bacteria can break down. Do things slowly so that your bacteria has a chance to catch up.
As for cleaning the tank - what did you use the first time around? You must not use disinfectants or chemicals as they can poison the fish if there is a residue left behind. I use a warm salt-water solution for a couple of days.
You also need a liquid testing kit to monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels in your cycling and established tank. You can just use flake food as your ammonia source to feed your filter's bacteria colony. Cycling takes around a month - 6 weeks, but the only way you will know if your tank is cycled is by testing the water. An LFS will test your water for you, BUT often they will say it's ok when it isn't purely to get you to buy a fish.
Even in a cycled tank you CANNOT add 8 goldfish to your tank - you'll end up with a mini cycle as your fish produce more ammonia than your bacteria can break down. Do things slowly so that your bacteria has a chance to catch up.
As for cleaning the tank - what did you use the first time around? You must not use disinfectants or chemicals as they can poison the fish if there is a residue left behind. I use a warm salt-water solution for a couple of days.
jennybugs
Eternally pruned fingers!
Great advice from silverrabbit there! 
What size is your tank?
There's no such thing as 'just' a goldfish in my opinion! All fish, no matter how insignificant people think they are, deserve the correct tank size that's cycled prior to the fish being added and good healthy conditions to live and thrive happily in.
As said, you need a minimum of 20-30 gallons for your first goldfish if you want it to grow healthily and not suffer from stunting of growth and then a further 10-15 gallons minimum per additional fish. For 8 goldfish you'd be looking at a minimum size of tank of 90 gallons at the very smallest!
The tank will also need ALOT of filtration to cope with that many fish, ie an external filter that's big enough to cope properly with the waste the messy fish will produce.
Goldfish grow fast if in the right conditions and can be anything from 8 inches long and upwards. The fancy goldfish get really round in the belly too and need tons of room to swim and manouvre.
What size is your tank?
There's no such thing as 'just' a goldfish in my opinion! All fish, no matter how insignificant people think they are, deserve the correct tank size that's cycled prior to the fish being added and good healthy conditions to live and thrive happily in.
As said, you need a minimum of 20-30 gallons for your first goldfish if you want it to grow healthily and not suffer from stunting of growth and then a further 10-15 gallons minimum per additional fish. For 8 goldfish you'd be looking at a minimum size of tank of 90 gallons at the very smallest!
The tank will also need ALOT of filtration to cope with that many fish, ie an external filter that's big enough to cope properly with the waste the messy fish will produce.
Goldfish grow fast if in the right conditions and can be anything from 8 inches long and upwards. The fancy goldfish get really round in the belly too and need tons of room to swim and manouvre.
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