Help fast, please! Goldfish is acting freaked out

[Jayjangle]

The Issue: Please read below for full details about the tank cleaning I did earlier, and the information on my tank and fish...thanks, I'm a bit panicked.

Anyway, my goldfish is acting strangely. He is usually pretty active (a normal gold fantail, common variety), and swims around a lot. However, he tends to swim around a lot. For the last four or so hours, he has been swimming mostly toward the bottom of the right side of my tank, back and forth quickly.

The odd thing is that, when he turns around, he sort of dips to his side more than usual, like he is swooping to the side. He can swim normally but he looks uneasy, and often picks at the gravel more than usual before going up to the surface and going back to the weird laps.
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So I have had the same goldfish for about 5 months now. He's in a freshwater aquarium (10 gal) with a running filter that I change once a month, and I also have a lid and I keep the light on an hour a day. I feed my fish twice a day, with one good sized pinch each.

I have been taking really good care of my fish and his aquarium, but I only recently tried siphoning...my first time being earlier this evening.

I did the siphoning successfully, and spent brief periods of time in each spot on the gravel. I filled the siphon chamber with gravel before releasing it back down. The tank was a bit cloudy after but it cleared back up after a short amount of time.

Thanks so much...I want to make sure the fish is ok and if not, what I can do about it now.

 

[TotallyCoral]

Hello there! Hmm. Seems to me like you've got a mini cycle going' on there. Not 100% sure but my only reasoning is that essentially (with the heavy vacuuming and throwing away of the filter each month) you've discarded some beneficial bacteria in your aquarium that breaks down the goldfish waste. You also have a dechlorinator or some type of water conditioner too for the water changes? Sorry but I'm not really sure what you could do to fix the behavior besides monitor it. Maybe someone else can chime in and help.

 

[blert]

What are the pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings?
Type and size of filter?
What is your PWC schedule?
Any tank mates? If so, what?

Goldfish produce a ton of waste and a ten gallon tank is a little small for one. If this is the first gravel cleaning you have done in five months then it is likely you released a bunch of toxins into the water column. My suggestion is to test your water for the above values and do a large water change with temperature matched and dechlorinated water as soon as possible. Then test again in about an hour and do another PWC if you see any ammonia or nitrite. Also, only swish your filter media in old tank water when you do a PWC, do not throw it away until it is falling apart or so clogged that a good swish is no longer sufficient. Even then don't throw it away yet, put in new media and add in some of the old stuff so it can seed the new media.

 

[Jayjangle]

NOTE: I am in need of a response, all details below. Thanks!

Hello all, thought I would report...sorry I haven't responded sooner.

So on Friday when I posted this, I went to bed and decided to see how my fish were doing in the morning (I forgot to mention the small black moore I have in my tank until I can upgrade to a bigger one in a few weeks).

Last night, my goldfish was acting weirder. I heard the gravel in the tank rustle, and looked over to see my fish was freaking out and speeding across the bottom of the tank. I decided to do a 60% water change with water the same temp as the one in the tank. Everything seemed great for the most part so I went to bed.

They were fine all day for the most part, no odd behavior. I fed them five or so hours ago, and after getting in bed an hour ago, I noticed my goldfish was acting odd again. The goldfish is now acting very odd, and occasionally races, gasps while deeply in the tank water, occasionally turns a bit to the side when swimming, and picks feverishly at times at the gravel and surface.

I have no idea *what* to do. I'm worried, and I want to keep my fish alive. What do I do?

 

[blert]

What are the pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings?
Type and size of filter?
What is your PWC schedule?
Any tank mates? If so, what?

Goldfish produce a ton of waste and a ten gallon tank is a little small for one. If this is the first gravel cleaning you have done in five months then it is likely you released a bunch of toxins into the water column. My suggestion is to test your water for the above values and do a large water change with temperature matched and dechlorinated water as soon as possible. Then test again in about an hour and do another PWC if you see any ammonia or nitrite. Also, only swish your filter media in old tank water when you do a PWC, do not throw it away until it is falling apart or so clogged that a good swish is no longer sufficient. Even then don't throw it away yet, put in new media and add in some of the old stuff so it can seed the new media.

See me quote.
It is likely a high level of ammonia. Do you have a test kit? If so, test right away and then do another water change. The ten gallon tank is too small for the bio-load of two Goldfish and you will continue to have trouble with it unless you have some major filtration on it.

 

[librarygirl]

I'm assuming you use dechlorinator before you add the water to the tank, right?

What temperature is the tank? My guess it changing the filters thereby ridding the tank of the beneficial bacteria plus having two golfish (which are messy) in a tank that's much too small for them is the culprit here. If you don't have a test kit (liquid) you really need one to test the water to see what exactly is going on in there. Doing a water change was a good call but either the levels were so high that the water change didn't help or there's something else going on.

 

[Craigj247]

Here is somin that I tried that worked with my gold fish... First sterilize a container or another small tank if you have one with hot water... Then mix some warm water with tap water and add anti chlorine to the water... The water should be warm... Warm enough so you can put your finger in it but not burn your self... Add a standard aerator (not a power head) to the bowl and put him in... Add a pinch of salt to the water in the bowl... Keep monitoring the water and keep adding the hot water so you can maintain the warm water status. Keep him in this for about a day... Meanwhile I suggest doing a 100% water change and sterilizing the tank with hit water... Let me know how it goes

 

[jlk]

As its already been suggested, you need a good test kit (liquid) for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, & ph. You are heavily overstocked with 2 fancies in a 10gal- they need atleast a 30g tank for both of them. Make sure you are using a good water conditioner such as Prime or Amquel Plus that will not only dechlorinate your water but help with toxins. Their erratic behavior sounds like symptoms of ammonia and/or nitrite poisoning. Throwing out your filter threw away a large portion of your beneficial bacteria and if you have been doing this every month, its likely this tank has never properly cycled.

Continue to do daily or even 2x daily water changes (atleast 50%) with temperature-matched, properly conditioned water until you can upgrade their home. Do NOT place your fancies in hot water as suggested above!!! Please read Librarygirls link 'New tank with fish' so you can understand what is happening in your tank. Please do not hesitate to ask questions!

 

[Craigj247]

If the fish us swimming uncomfortably it means that something in the tank may be effecting his swim bladed and needs immediate relief. The warm water bath worked for me but it is up to you as to how you want to proceed .

 

[blert]

If the fish us swimming uncomfortably it means that something in the tank may be effecting his swim bladed and needs immediate relief. The warm water bath worked for me but it is up to you as to how you want to proceed .

Two Goldfish in a ten gallon and relief after a PWC points at a toxin level issue first and foremost over a swim bladder issue.

 

[Craigj247]

I am outa this one... Up to you jay