Please Help - fish novice

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sorsky_65

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
3
Hi,

I will just apologise in advance for 1) the essay your about to read 2) the upset I cause any fish lovers by reading what I have done to my poor fish.

I am a complete novice when it comes to fish! 3 years ago a girl who had 2 goldfish in a tiny vase as she had nocked the small bowl they where in and didn't want to spend any more money gave them to me as it was give him to me or in her words "get flushed" knowing that this I took them off her hands immediately.

The next day I searched for a tank never had a fish before and not doing much research I just wanted something that was affordable that wasn't this small vase to put them in. I bought a second hand fuval edge 23 ltr tank (I know, I know) and that's where they stayed 2 years in 1 of them died without any warning signs (it's only know I realise this was probably due to the size of his tank)

Fast forward one year on and that's where Geoff has lived..alone in the fuval edge 23ltr tank. But has always been very responsive and swims around as (much as he can) eating etc.

Very recently my parents where getting rid of their 250+Ltr tank, brilliant filter, live plants, moss stones, ornaments, air stones etc and asked me if I wanted it as you can imagine I said yes strait away big new home for Geoff with other fish he could be sociable with the only problem was it is a tropical tank, I googled if the fish where comparable (Mollys, 1angelfish, plates, red balloon bellys etc) and got mixed reviews but seen videos of them living together fine.

Geoff has always been in a cold water tank around 10-15C and the tropical fish where always kept at 24C steadied by a heater. When I was looking to see if they could live together a lot of the pages said goldfish are ok anything up to 24C and tropical anything from 24C. This was then a no brained for me I was going to see how he reacted and if ok put him in the big tank. I started by slowly increasing the temp in his tank after a while I then put him a bag in the big tank once the water was the same temp I gradually added tank water to to the bag and in he went.

I thought everything was good I had never seen him swim so much since we had him and it wasn't erratic behaviour but just peacefully swimming and he made a little mate with our Molly who literally didn't leave his side. After 1 week of being in there we added 2 Blue dwarf gourami's some golden barbs & a yellow rabbit snail. Still everything was fine no change in his behaviour he only seamed happy.

THEN...

Saturday night (2weeks in the big tank) I noticed a little red dot on his tail nothing to cause me concern I just thought maybe Molly had nipped him or he brush past an ornament or something along them lines.

Sunday morning I woke up and he had Popeye in 1 eye and all his tale fin and belly where full of red spots/lines also at the end of his tale looked all staggley. Obviously you don't have to be a fish expert to know that this wasn't right so I set his old 23 Ltr tank up and put him back in that. Again I googled the symptoms and was again confused as he seamed to have multiple things fin rot, popeye and ammonia burns :( I then looked for a fish vet (not one aquatic vet in my area only vets that can euthanise them which is not what I wanted, I just wanted him back to good health.

I called my local pet store and they gave me lots of information I know understand that high temps can cause stress, decrease life span and immune system & this was likely a result of immune system & bad water conditions (ammonia /nitrate) this was all new to me Geoff has never been sick before and my water looked clean. He told me to get him better I needed aquarium salt, medifix, moss stones and API master water test kit. So that's what I got before picking the stuff up I done a 20% water change and also added water conditioner (I already had this) I also took a water sample up to the pet shop and the tested it my ammonia was 0.25 and my nitrate was 40ppm this was after my water change so I haven't a clue what it was before this!!

I have done A LOT of reading up he on keeping fish the type of fish I have etc the PH/high range PH, ammonia, nitrite2 and nitrate3 levels etc and I also bought Geoff a new 67ltr tank (i know it's not great but best I can do with money I have and a lot better than 23ltrs) and some a selection of frozen food as a treat. Up until yesterday he has been eating and I have been doing daily water changes for him. He spends a lot of time at the bottom of the tank not moving and only swims round when I put food in. For the last four days I have been adding 5mlx2 of medifix as treatment. His eye has come down but today when I went to work he was in the same position he was when I left. I opened the top (his que to swim) and nothing didn't move at all he is still alive but then he started shaking his right Finn really fast for a good 30+seconds then went still again. When I looked closer he has these little white spots on him now which I think is ich. I haven't a clue what to do am trying everything to get him better and I just feel like he's getting worse has the days go on.

That's the background but my question is has anyone had a fish with the following symptoms, how long did they take to go?
Is there anything else I can do to make this better?
What did you use to clear it?
Is there a happy ending for Geoff?

I feel terrible for him.

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I'll keep this updated, I am doing the daily water changes along with the aquarium salt and medication as well as regular testing with the master kit. am just worried about this itch now and the fact he's not moved or eaten today. [emoji17]
 
Update 1: Melifix Seams to have cured the Popeye after the first 4 days however the fin rot continues and he's now developed fungus. I bought some interpet fungus and fin rot and after about 3 hours and this seams to massively reduced the fungus on his body yesterday he didn't move or eat at all today after 3 hours he had a little swim and ate litrally about one flake but that's about it. He's now back on the bottom of the tank but i feel like where going in the right direction. Oh I should probably add that he's in a hospital tank and I gradually reduced the heat and he's back to coldwater now.
 
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