I have a question

[jols]

Alrighty, I pretty much just post at the betta forum on this board, but I have a question about my goldfish, Seabiskit.
I'll come out right now, as I did on that board, was that I started out into fishkeeping badly, and have 2 goldfish in a 5 gal. tank. Right now it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to put them into a bigger home. I do not know anyone else that has fish, those who do: My mum, who has 2 fantail goldfish in about a 2 gal. hex tank. My friends who are neighbors, both have fish, one has about a 5 or 10 gal *they aren't sure* that has 3 common goldfish, the other had 2 in a 5 gal, but one died. *they were quite large too* so you can see why I thought I'd be ok with this set-up. Originally I had 6, only one out of that original lived, and he's still going strong.
Not so long ago I got 2 more goldfish, Nemo and Seabiskit The Great. SeaB. was small compared to Eddie and Nemo *Nemo and SeaB were in the same 'baby tank' at Walmart* So I had SeaB in a gallon bowl for awhile. I did constant water changes, I do constant ones with my 5 gal. also.
It was late last month/early this month, when Nemo became sick. I thought it was because he had choked on some pea I had given him and Eddie. I made sure they were small chunks, but to my dismay I was wrong in that. I scooped him out with a container, and was going to try and help him get rid of the pea *you could see it in his throat* but he spewed it all out. I thought he'd be ok after that. I was wrong. He was not able to eat after that, and slowly withered away. I did not know right away he wasn't eating, as I'd feed him and Eddie, they'd both eat. He became very lethargic, sitting on the bottom all the time, etc. I know they have their 'nap' times, but his was constant, except for eating. I eventually put SeaB in with Eddie and put Nemo in the bowl. Before I situated him, I tried to feed him in the container I had him in while I was rinsing everything with hot water. He spit the granules out, tried to eat, spit out, eat, spit out. I started to bawl, weither my fault or not, Nemo was starving to death.
I let him live quietly in his bowl home for a few days....unsure of what was happening to him. His stomach was sunken in, etc. and I realized there was seemingly no hope. Sick of my euthenizing so many of my fish in the past, I eventually let myself give in to the fact I was not able to save him. I ended up euthenizing him. He's now buried in my mum's pine tree plant.
Now, I'm at my wits end....as SeaB. has been acting strangely lately. He's gotten stuck to the filter 2 times this week. It's the Aqua-Tech filter that came with my 5 gal. You can pull up on the 'intake tube' thing, to lessen the current, but it doesn't stay much anymore. I should actually get a different one in my opinion. I was freaked out, and now have him situated in my gallon bowl until I can figure out what's wrong with him. I tried to feed him, and he too, seems to not be able to eat. He spit out his food, I think his stomach might be mildly sunken in as well. I don't understand what's wrong, as I've watched them eat before, and it seemed like he was getting all the food he needed.
Eddie is fine, he eats like a pig, he has not picked on SeaB at all, etc. Eddie seems to be indestructable, whilst any other fish I get dies.
I know I've gone against all the rules, but this was before I found this forum, and at this moment, until my bf. leaves for the Navy and I return home to my parents, I can't get a bigger tank for Eddie, and SeaB if he makes it for any amount of time.
I'm under a tremendus amount of stress right now, my biological dad had a motorcycle accident the 5th, Fabio, my betta boy has fin-rot, and I again, have seem to have struck an out with my fish.
Any help is appreciated, but please don't bash me for my past mistakes, I would like to remedy them in the end.

I fed SeaB. a tiny bit, and he did eat a few small granules. Maybe I'm overreacting, but whenever I think I have nothing to worry about, something bad happens to prove otherwise.

 

[black angel]

i for one wont be bashing you, we all make mistakes with our fish and at least you are trying your best for them.
is there any way you could get something like a rubbermaid tub of around 10 gallons that you could put the filter in and use that as a temporary home. where the fish are now you will be running into one problem after another.
next i would advise you to get some test kits for ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to monitor the quality of the water.
how often are you doing water changes? is it 100% each time. are you using dechlorinated water?
it sounds like your fish have a bacterial disease brought on by stress and poor water. if you can do the above then that would help tremendously.

 

[jols]

Right now there is no way I can get a tub. Only time I can, and will either get a tub or a larger tank is when I move back to my parents when Bill leaves for Basic Training. Literally, the apartment we are in is a box...it's a house divided into 3 sections, a top, a bottom and top, and just a bottom. We are in the top section, the kitchen and living room are in the same room...the bathroom is 'in' the bedroom.
I do partial waterchanges, as I had seemed to get an adverse effect when I would do complete waterchanges. It seemed that they did not like that, and then I find out it removes bacteria, etc. I do about a gallon waterchange about every day, complete with chlor-out, a little aquarium salt, and a little stress-coat.
If I am being completely dumb here, Eddie is fine, it seems any 'new' fish that I bring in isn't.
And I don't understand how come that my friend who has a 5 gal. Her fish were fine, and still are, or that my mum with her 2 gal thing, hers are still alive. I'm not sure on my friend, my mum does complete waterchanges about every 3 days. She has no filter, etc.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that sees how that can be confusing, etc. and I'm sure that I'm not the only one out there, besides my friend, who has goldfish in a 5 gal. I'm not sure on the waterchanges she does....all I know is her 2 goldfish lived and mine did not.
I'll see 'bout getting some test kits this weekend, today I can't as I'm going up to visit my dad in the hospital. If the aunties stop somewhere, like Walmart or something, I can perhaps get some.

Thank you for not bashing me, etc. I do want to make it clear tho, that I would get them a bigger home if I could, but there is honestly no room. If I had known how much room goldies really needed, I would've waited. If they are able to stay alright somehow until I move, I will, first thing, get them something to live in that is larger. If they do not, well, I obviously have learned a great lesson, and wouldn't go about the same way again.

 

[black angel]

seems the fish have more room than you do

ok well all you can do is the best with what you have and you are doing everything right. the reason the fish may be dying and everyone elses isnt may simply be down to good stock. if a fish is ill before you get it then putting it into another stressful environment (sorry) isnt helping. keep doing what you are doing as it seems that your regime just now is really good and if this fish dies then keep the lone fish on its own until you get your bigger tank.

 

[jols]

I to try to do well with what I have, but it never works It seems my mum has better luck and she's doing everything wrong! I'll comment on the clowdy water, etc. and she's like, I just changed it yesterday I tried to talk her into getting at LEAST a 2.5 gal...*she's a stubborn one* but she says she likes how it is now. and I know from past experiances, once she says yes or no, it stays that way.
Eddie has been acting strange now too. I think his time will be up...I do have some meds, Parasite Clear, Fungus Clear, Ick Clear....I put a small chunk in of Parasite Clear...he seems a bit listless and darts a bit. Only once have I 'cured' a sick fish, and it was Eddie. I think it was swimbladder, I fed him peas, put a little chunklit of fungus clear in *as that is to help swimbladder* and after a handful of days, he was all better. That is really, my only success story.
IF, they do live, a new home they shall get...if they do not, which I always fear the worst as it seems to happen...I'm retiring my 5 gal. until I either move back to the homestead, or I move to wherever Bill is stationed at. *when he gets stationed*
I seem to have good luck with female bettas, perhaps another 2.5 gal will be in order, and along with that, a new girly for Fabio to stare at dreamily.

 

[black angel]

sorry eddie isnt doing too well but maybe raising his salt level instead of meds may help more as it seems the darting may be parasites. get some aquarium salt or kosher salt and add 1 level teaspoon per gallon to get a 1% solution. 12 hours later do the same again to get .2% and again 12 hours later to get .3%.
this will kill any parasites there are in the water and on the fish. when you do your partial water changes remember to add back the salt you took out.
so for example if the solution is on .2% and you take out a gallon of water, re add the gallon with two level teaspoons of the salt. if you can do this for three weeks then i would think you should see an improvement in eddie.
theres not much else i can add and your mum is really lucky she has such a hardy fish.
as an alternative, you could take the fish back to your store and get a betta instead, but its only a suggestion. good luck with him.

even though i give out a lot of advice, i cant keep goldies myself for too lng as the water chemistry isnt right for them. i have very soft water with a low ph and goldies prefer hard water and a high ph.

 

[jols]

Well, I got Eddie and Sea B from Walmart.........and considering half the time I don't see good conditions there, I'd rather them pass in a cozy home, rather than in a tank full of small koi mixed with the 'fantails'...which I hate. I also don't know of any LFS's around me...I've never heard of any, etc.
I'll put more salt in tonight, thank you. I use the Dr. Wellfish's salt, always make sure to use it, I hadn't put much in the last time I changed the gf's water, but will put some in when I get to the apartment tonight *am at the homestead, readying myself for cow-milking... * the joy.
I wonder....the apartment Bill and I are in, as it's a house divided up, etc. they have soft water...the water in the tap is soft, etc. as the rest of the water is. Maybe that's part of my problem too. I do let the water age a few days with Chlor-out before using. Drat my darn luck....I just am very unlucky.
I thank you for the advice giving. I've learned a LOT since I've gotten my fish...and I feel so contradictory when some of my friends, etc. ask me for advice, since I have such bad luck, I know a bit of basic stuff, etc...but since I've failed so much it's like 'ask me and your fish are doomed' feeling.
I want to thank you again for your advice and not 'beating' on me, like I've seen in some forums, that happen to some that don't do things right the first time.

Oh yes, I should say, mum says I pick out 'dead' fish... Which is not the case...I'm VERY picky about my fish selection, even tho I have gotten all of them from Walmart in the past and present...but I've read on what to look for, etc. I think I pick out the healthiest looking I can find, but who knows what's going on inside....and I dare not get one that looks awful or has problems...as I have no confidence in myself, how hard I'd try, that I could save him and make them all better, etc.

Alright, 'nuff rambling, I thank you again and will see what I can do for my fish, and my rotten luck.

 

[black angel]

yup, soft water is probably the main cause, but i dont let the fact that my water doesnt like goldies stop me trying to help others, so dont be too afraid to give your advice, you seem to know what you are talking about. I now run three tanks of tropical fish. I am now going with the fish that suit my water.
I would also say that every fish you get from a pet store whether its walmart or not you must suspect that the fish is carrying a shed load of parasites at the very least and do the salting as above for a couple of weeks.
I wish you luck with the little guy you have now and have fun with the milking.

 

[jols]

LoL, thank you much for the info, etc.
Milking, needless to say, was tolerable. My other dad *step-dad whom I call dad* was not in such a great mood. At least our neighbor friend did some milking whilest dad went and baled more hay. Seemed once he got there things went wrong *cows went all over, etc. not in the stantions like supposed to, etc.* and one kicked him in the knee *he needs both replaced but never will* after he had beat on it with this switch thing he has... It was lovely...and then I try to help put milkers on right away *usually he puts them all on, then I take over if he has to pull a wagon of grass out for the cows, etc* but no, I was screwing it up, etc. so I felt completly useless.

My bettas that I have seem to do quite well, only Fabio has given me problems with fin rot, but I think he delved into my stress I was having because of my bio. dad's accident, etc. but too, I had this lovely gravel that looked like pink, purple, blue cottage cheese chunks because I could not find my river rock at Walmart as they had switched stuff around on me. I found it after he ended up with fin rot. He likes to swim along the bottom of the gravel and now rocks, likes to swim through his silk plants too...he's just a really goofy dude. He's getting better now, thank heavens...Fatima never gave me a problem whatsoever, she loves me enough I am fairly certian it was the chunky lil gravels tho, and that was fixed.
Well, now as I got to the apartment late, I think I'm going to head to bed. Long day tomorrow again *yayyay* I did put more salt in the goldies' homes, will keep monitering them...they're still swimming, I may have hope

 

[jols]

Bill came hom this morning and woke me up, said he had some bad news, that Sea B. died. I'm a bit sad about this, but when I saw that he was sick, and had proof of it, it was probably too late. Eddie, however, is doing specacular again...eating and such. Either way, no more goldies for me.