Feeder goldfish dying...

[kevy]

I originally had nine in a 20 gallon and three in a 10 gallon. They are the feeder fish you buy by the dozen at pet stores. Are these a hardy fish? Well, the guy there said I should use them for cycling, so after I let the tanks (both are new) run for a couple of days with fish food (to get the ammonia going) I added the fish. Its been a week and a couple days. Every few days one of them seems to die, but the others seem perfectly fine. They all kind of hang out together but one or two always seem to be off on their own, looking sick. When I feed them the ones that appeared sick come to life to eat, then an hour later they go back to sick mode. The sick ones all have thier fins close to thier bodies.

I don't have any nitrite/nitrate/ammonia tests right now but I plan to get them as soon as I get the change.

Is this just the cycling taking it's course? It just doesn't seem like all of them are effected. I don't have any nitrite/nitrate/ammonia tests right now but I plan to get them as soon as I get the change.

 

[kevy]

I'm starting to think they have ich. A few seem to have tiny white spots spread evenly throughout their bodies, but i havn't seen it on any of he ones that previously died.

 

[amez]

Feeder fish are never the best fish to use to cycle the tank. U will prob bring more parisites than helping. Feedere fish are kept in horrid conditions and are sick unless u buy them once they restock (which is usually on weds for me, ask ur lfs).

 

[impur]

amez is right, the feeder goldfish are disease magnets. They do put off more waste than a normal tropical fish so in that aspect i can see why your lfs told you to use them, but they are kept in horrid conditions and almost always have diseases that they will bring to your tank.

 

[kevy]

Yea, they all have ich now. After 24 hours with no fish in the tank ich dies out right? And it is safe for other fish?

 

[mrV]

What are "feeder fishes"?

 

[amez]

feeder fish are fish that are bred only used to sell as food to other fish, like knife fish, or other animals like turtles. They are sold relativly cheap, only bout 10 cents a pop.

 

[wetwetwet]

Why not use a fishless cycle?