New 220L tank set-up questions

On a separate note, I found a new home (a pond) for my son's goldfish, but for various reasons hadn't yet managed to take him there. The past week he's been slowing down & appearing quite lethargic most of the time, with spurts of normal activity if anything happens around him.

Today, he's been a mess, getting stuck in the plants and unable to get himself out. I wondered if it was because I filled the water too high at the last water change a couple of days ago, and no air bubbles were getting into the tank (usually the water drops down from the filter and creates bubbles that fall into the tank). I also wondered if it was because I cleaned the filter media (in the removed tank water). Lots of gunk was in there & became dislodged, and I didn't wash the actual filter that holds the media. Two fish have previously died in this tank that I know of.

Today I went to the local fish store, even though I don't have much faith in them, and asked for help. I described what was happening, and once of the guys said that sometimes goldfish get an air bubble inside their lungs, and that this is what's happened to Goldie. They have me something that is mostly non-iodised salt, and said to use that plus boil a couple of peas, take off the skin & feed him that.

I asked them why/how they were so confident that this is what the problem was, and they both said "because it is. It's very common". AAAAAARGH! I regret not pushing them for more possibilities.

I've done what they said, and Goldie is just getting progressively worse. Now there are also pea pieces at the bottom of his tank, as they just dropped right past him. I've removed the plants he was getting stuck in, but he seems incapable of moving of his own volition. When I removed the plants he was stuck in, he got swept up in the current of the filter and neat looked totally panicked. Oh - earlier when I got him or if the plants he sort of twirled around instead of swimming straight. Sometimes he tried to swim straight up and just sank backwards. Most of the time he's stuck on his side, mostly floating, and kind-of gasping for air.

It's the middle of the night, so I don't think there's anything I can do, and I'll be very surprised if he's alive in the morning.

If he is still alive, what do I do?

If he dies....... what can I do to make this tank healthy for fish? I will never get goldfish again, but if I can make this tank clean and safe, I'll use it as a quarantine tank, to try to keep sick fish & dirty plants etc out of my big tank.

If it's some kind of parasite, how do I confidently get rid of it? Do I need to throw out all the filter media & gravel & the ornaments (I don't love the ornaments). How do I successfully clean the tank itself plus the filter, without putting in anything dangerous for future fish? I'm happy to start from scratch and cycle this little tank while I cycle the big one. I've absolutely avoided using anything from this tank in the new/big one.

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I'm not sure whether to continue to post questions about the new tank set-up in this same thread. I assume it makes it easier to keep everything together in one place, so will continue to post questions & observations here until everything is set up and relatively settled.

I bought some plants & some driftwood from two stores today, and set it all up in my tank. I seem to have unintentionally brought in at least three little snails. I was wondering whether I should 'move them along', or whether they are unlikely to pose problems. Here's a video of the smallest snail. All the appear to be the same type of snail.

Um.... I've got to figure out (again) how to post a video....

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I'm not sure whether to continue to post questions about the new tank set-up in this same thread. I assume it makes it easier to keep everything together in one place, so will continue to post questions & observations here until everything is set up and relatively settled.

I bought some plants & some driftwood from two stores today, and set it all up in my tank. I seem to have unintentionally brought in at least three little snails. I was wondering whether I should 'move them along', or whether they are unlikely to pose problems. Here's a video of the smallest snail. All the appear to be the same type of snail.

Um.... I've got to figure out (again) how to post a video....

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73f20cc7c9f6bf342d533bc18068aea6.jpg


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That's meant to be a video, but it's uploading as a photo.



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P.S. Here's what my tank looks like right now:

8922ff2f36eb1330b5a6894a7c6b0934.jpg


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If he is still alive, what do I do
Oh man, I'm sorry to hear this! Sounds like swim bladder but I'm not a goldfish keeper...maybe post in Goldfish section?

I bought some plants & some driftwood from two stores today, and set it all up in my tank
I love love love what you chose!!!!!!!!

unintentionally brought in at least three little snails
I'm sure there's more...there certainly will be!
They look like MTS, trumpet snails. If so, they'll be excellent for your tank. You can certainly keep them but if you'd rather not or they get too big in numbers you can get an Assassin Snail. They're amazing at cleaning up pests snails.

Here's what my tank looks like right now:
It looks absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!!! You must be thrilled!
I can't wait to see it bustling with life!
 
Oh man, I'm sorry to hear this! Sounds like swim bladder but I'm not a goldfish keeper...maybe post in Goldfish section?

Thanks Jen. Unfortunately Goldie died. :(

I love love love what you chose!!!!!!!!

Thank you! It was hard trying to choose what to get and how much of it. I want to get some moss, and perhaps some rocks or pebbles, and more mid-size plants.

I'm sure there's more...there certainly will be!
They look like MTS, trumpet snails. If so, they'll be excellent for your tank. You can certainly keep them but if you'd rather not or they get too big in numbers you can get an Assassin Snail. They're amazing at cleaning up pests snails.
What a great name!

It looks absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!!! You must be thrilled!
I can't wait to see it bustling with life!
Me too!!! Hurry up cycle! I want fish! I've avoided putting any media etc from Goldie's tank in there, in case there's some kind of parasite. Ho hum.


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What a great name!
and that's just what they are!
Mine lived alone while cycling (I felt terrible that he had to go thru that but he smartly dug into substrate until the water was stable) and then I got a new plant when I got a few fish a month or so later and along came a pond snail. I was a little horrified that it would meet a grizzly death from my sweet little assassin but I was also horrified that he'd multiply and make a mess of my cute little tank so I let things go.
They lived in perfect harmony for about 4 months. Crossing paths daily. I swore that my assassin was a bad boy with a heart of gold (like in the movies). I loved him even more. I thought he was precious.
Until one day...
I came home to find my little pond snails shell empty. Like no-one ever lived in it.
My assassin, was no sweetheart. No heart of gold. He was ...indeed...
an assassin.
I kept his cute little shell (least I could do, since I led him to his death....by way of his "friend".

Me too!!! Hurry up cycle! I want fish! I've avoided putting any media etc from Goldie's tank in there, in case there's some kind of parasite. Ho hum.
I'd like to say that "the waiting is the hardest part" but I think the chemistry is.
You really kind of become a mad scientist while fish keeping. Soo much to learn!

Oh and what a bummer about Goldie :( So sad.
Hopefully it was swim bladder so there's nothing infesting the tank but it's always good to give it a good cleaning and not use any of the media.
 
and that's just what they are!
Mine lived alone while cycling (I felt terrible that he had to go thru that but he smartly dug into substrate until the water was stable) and then I got a new plant when I got a few fish a month or so later and along came a pond snail. I was a little horrified that it would meet a grizzly death from my sweet little assassin but I was also horrified that he'd multiply and make a mess of my cute little tank so I let things go.
They lived in perfect harmony for about 4 months. Crossing paths daily. I swore that my assassin was a bad boy with a heart of gold (like in the movies). I loved him even more. I thought he was precious.
Until one day...
I came home to find my little pond snails shell empty. Like no-one ever lived in it.
My assassin, was no sweetheart. No heart of gold. He was ...indeed...
an assassin.
I kept his cute little shell (least I could do, since I led him to his death....by way of his "friend".

OMG! You're killing me with this story! Poor little pond snail, and naughty little bad boy assassin!

Well, so far I can only see three little snails. They all made their way from different corners of the tank to the same bit of driftwood, but I think two of them loosened their grip when I had the pump off earlier to pop some rock in the tank, and got blown off when the pump came back on. Poor little buggers.



Oh and what a bummer about Goldie :( So sad.
Hopefully it was swim bladder so there's nothing infesting the tank but it's always good to give it a good cleaning and not use any of the media.

Yeah - I don't really know what I'm looking at, but a LFS guy said I'd be able to see in Goldie's appearance if it was a parasite. I can't see anything odd, any spots or anything, but I've never examined a dead gold fish before. The filter & lights are still going on that tank while I decide what to do. I think I either need to find out what the worst possible parasites are and how to kill them, or else throw out all the gravel, plants & filter media, give the glass & the filter holder a good wash, and start from scratch.



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I think the other poster is correct as well, it was swim bladder disease!
dun dun dun!...
But the symptoms of this are in a nutshell, odd swimming behavior, floating, sinking.
 
I think I either need to find out what the worst possible parasites are and how to kill them
This might be your best bet. Especially since there is nothing living in there (well...except for the hitchhiking snails). Maybe just run an appropriate medicine thru it to kill anything it may have been and then once that's finished just keep water changing and let it get clean.
I'm still guessing it's swim bladder but you just never know.
 
This might be your best bet. Especially since there is nothing living in there (well...except for the hitchhiking snails). Maybe just run an appropriate medicine thru it to kill anything it may have been and then once that's finished just keep water changing and let it get clean.
I'm still guessing it's swim bladder but you just never know.
I hope it's not a parasite too, but I don't think I want to take the risk with future fish. I'm still working out which LFS I do and don't like. So far I've asked two of them for advice re cleaning the ex-goldfish tank, but the info they gave left me without a next step. I don't know how to work out what medicine I could use to safely flush anything nasty out.

Luckily the stowaway snails are in the big new tank that's cycling. This little one doesn't have any fish or snails in it. Just a few little plants, some gravel & ornaments & algae.

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I hope it's not a parasite too, but I don't think I want to take the risk with future fish. I'm still working out which LFS I do and don't like. So far I've asked two of them for advice re cleaning the ex-goldfish tank, but the info they gave left me without a next step. I don't know how to work out what medicine I could use to safely flush anything nasty out.

Luckily the stowaway snails are in the big new tank that's cycling. This little one doesn't have any fish or snails in it. Just a few little plants, some gravel & ornaments & algae.

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Maybe a separate post asking what you should do about this little tank?!
 
Maybe a separate post asking what you should do about this little tank?!
Good idea. I've been meaning to create a few individual questions as separate posts, but haven't yet had a chance to sit down and compose them all. It's been Easter holidays (so I'm extra busy with my son home all the time) and the new four-legged animals have been taking up quite a bit of my time.

I don't want to be a pest & ask too many questions, but if I can't find the answers through searches, I have to ask....

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