Fish laying upside and missing an eye + more fish problems PLEASE HELP!

[Hholly]

You should probably do a 50% water change every day until you know how much ammonia, nitrites and nitrates you have. After you get your test kit you can do changes according to what your readings are. Any readable ammonia and nitrite, warrants a water change. And any nitrates over 20 ppm. Good luck!

 

[jlk]

how many water changes should i do a week, and how many % of water should i drain? and i have a lot of water conditioner trust me i have like 5 bottles

Your tank is still cycling & you are heavily stocked with messy goldfish, so you should be looking at 50% minimum a day depending on the readings you are getting from your test kit. For example, if you have an ammonia level of 1ppm, a 50% wc will only drop it to .50ppm. You may have to do more than 1 50% wc at a time (ie multiple back to back 50% changes). Two 50% wcs would bring 1ppm ammonia down to .25ppm. You want to keep your ammonia & nitrite levels as close to zero as possible (less than .25ppm) & your nitrate less than 20ppm. Once we have an idea what your water actually looks like, we can give you a better idea how handle your wcs!

 

[justintime20]

OK I will just to be safe and sure is this the right test kit? Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master and Mini Test Kits - Water Conditioners - Fish - PetSmart

 

[Hholly]

Yep. That's the one.

 

[justintime20]

For a python change do i add the water conditioner first or after i filled the tank with water?

 

[Hholly]

Yes you add it first so it can dechlorinate the water as it comes in.

 

[justintime20]

ok well today I will do a water change and get the water test kit

 

[Hholly]

Great! Your fish will thank you. Let us know what your test results are.

 

[justintime20]

I just finished a 50% water change and here is my test results.
pH- 7.6
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 0
I didn't do the high range pH, but if that is needed just say so. Also if i picture is needed i be glad to provide one

 

[jlk]

Those numbers look good!! Just stay viligant on daily testing & do wcs anytime you have detectable ammonia and/or nitrites. The ph is fine as long as it stays stable (doesnt drop or jump). How is the sickest fish doing?

 

[justintime20]

he is starting to stay floating on the top of the tank upside down more than usual, and the other one keeps staying on the bottom of the tank like always.

 

[jlk]

What are you feeding them & how often are you feeding them?

 

[justintime20]

i'm feeding them omega one goldfish flakes Omega One Goldfish Flakes Fish Food - Fish - Sale - PetSmart
,and i normally feed them in the morning and at night

 

[jlk]

Thanks! I would cut their meals down to 1 a day until things are stable in your tank. You can add plain, fresh (not canned), cooked deshelled peas as a second meal. Just pop them out of their shell & mash them a bit between your fingers. 1-2 peas per fish-only what they will eat (do not overfeed). When you are able to/can afford it, you should consider switching to a decent sinking pellet goldfish food. Flakes can aggravate floatiness issues (swimbladder). Hope this helps!

 

[justintime20]

I heard peas help with fish that float upside down is this true? I also rehomed my commet fish. Now I have two fantails and a common. Is there anything I should do to help my fish laying on the bottom of the tank?

 

[jlk]

We just have to give him time & healthy water & hope he recovers from his ordeal. Peas/cooked veggies (broccoli, spinach, zucchini) can help with swim bladder issues when they are related to food problems. Healthy water is going to be the best thing for your guys right now in general.

 

[justintime20]

OK, so that mean i should do another water change tomorrow? and isn't doing a 50% water change bad? and should i test the water again after i'm done?

 

[jlk]

Check your levels tommorrow & see what they read. If your ammonia and/or nitrite is .25ppm (or higher) do enough wcs to get these levels as close to 0 as possible. 50% wcs are going to save your fish when you have toxic water, so do not be afraid of them. As long as you match the temperature of the new water to that of your tank water & dose water conditioner for the size of your tank, you shouldnt have any problems. Its way more stressful for your fish to have toxic water than for them to deal with wcs. You dont have to test after wcs unless you are not sure if you lowered the levels enough-if you are unsure, then test! Hope this helps!

 

[justintime20]

How can I make sure my water temperature are the same? i had problems doing this before and it killed a lot of my fish.

 

[jlk]

If you want to be 100% accurate, you will need a thermometer. I use my hand in a bucket of tank water & compare it to the tap-this is accurate to within a few degrees.