Gill colour

[yahooandgoogle]

Hi guys please help me. What colour should a Blackmoor gills be underneath?
I only noticed today for the first time they were red.
It gave me a shock. He has no red anywhere else no gasping for air, eating well and swimming fine.

I read it could be ammonia burn?
My tank is cycling at the last stage. I have been doing water changes and monitoring very closely. My ammonia was 0.25 today. I did a water change. I also added some aquarium salt.


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[Tank Girl]

Normal gills in any fish should be a healthy pinkish red. They should not look bloody, brown or pale.

What is the reason for the ammonia in your tank?



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[yahooandgoogle]

My tank is cycling it's nearly finished. His gills didn't look pale or brown. Just slightly red.

I will do another change tomorrow.


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[Luananeko]

Having ammonia is not "nearly finished". Ammonia is only the first step of the cycle. Nearly finished would be having zero ammonia and a nitrite spike, but no nitrates yet.

What size tank is it and how long have you been cycling?

 

[Tank Girl]

Actually, I'd say "nearly finished" is nitrites dropping and nitrates rising.

 

[yahooandgoogle]

Hi yes nitrites are dropping


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[yahooandgoogle]

It been cycling for a month now.


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[Luananeko]

So you have ammonia, nitrites, AND nitrates? That's not a normal cycle progression... Usually it goes from ammonia spike with zero nitrites & nitrates to zero ammonia & nitrates with a nitrite spike, to zero ammonia with decreasing nitrites and increasing nitrates, to fully cycled with zero ammonia & nitrites with building nitrates.

How big is the tank? It sounds like your bioload is too high for the filtration to keep up with and the cycle is getting overwhelmed.

 

[Tank Girl]

Yeah, by the time nitrites are dropping there should be zero ammonia.


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[yahooandgoogle]

Ok I currently have 0.25 ammonia almost 0 and my nitrites are 0.50.

 

[Tank Girl]

What are the nitrates?


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[yahooandgoogle]

Hi thanks for replying.
I have just re tested my tank and it's reads ammonia 0 nitrite is 0.50-1 and just showing up for nitrates at 5 the nitrate was hard to read it wasn't the first yellow on the testing card nearly the second one.
Thanks again. I have water ready for tomorrow for a water change to keep the nitrite down.


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[yahooandgoogle]

My tank is a 90 litres.


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[Luananeko]

Okay, that sounds much better... Yes, you're getting close to the end of your cycle, and that should be a big enough tank that the goldfish's waste won't overwhelm the cycle. I wouldn't try to add any more goldfish though, even once it's cycled.

 

[yahooandgoogle]

Hi thanks for your help and Advice.
No not going to add any more just going to have the two of them.


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[Tank Girl]

Definitely don't add more fish. 90 liters is only 23 gallons and one goldfish will max it out.


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[Luananeko]

Definitely don't add more fish. 90 liters is only 23 gallons and one goldfish will max it out.

Agreed... Two goldfish in that sized tank is a LOT of bioload. I would stick with the one.

 

[yahooandgoogle]

Hello everyone update on my fish.
The ammonia is 0 nitrite is 0.25 and my nitrates are between 5-10. So nearly through the cycling. Both fish are doing well. Thanks for all your advice.

I know now the tank is too small for these two. I was given the wrong advice I wanted the next tank up but they said this one is plenty big enough. I am not getting any more fish but will look into getting a bigger tank for them when I move into my own place.

Thanks again for everything



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