Please help!!!!!!

[lovemyfish79]

I have a 55 gallon freshwater tank with live plants, 5 goldfish, 2 loaches, 2 placaustimus (sorry don't know how to spell those guys) and 6 little guys i have no idea haha. They came with the tank. Recently i noticed my goldfish are getting red rash type stuff all over them. I do weekly 10% water changes and my tank also has a sponge filter which i hate but anyways. Ive been looking around and when i got off work today tested my water and noticed my nitrate level was at 80 ppm and my nitrite was at 1 ppm and ph at 7.5. I immediately took action and did a 50% water change. I added some prime water conditioner and noticed that i have been overfeeding my guys. I plan on doing 50% water changes until i get this cleared up. Is there anything else you would recommend. Ive already lost one little guy and don't want to lose anymore. Thanks everyone for your help

 

[Khuligirl93]

Goldfish are dirty fish, I think you should be doing larger weekly water changes. At least 50% every week. Have you used aquadvisor before?

 

[Mebbid]

The biggest problem is that gold fish don't belong in the same tank with tropical fish. The gold fish require cooler temperature than your other fish.

Next is your water change schedule. I would do a weekly 50% change as general maintenance. A 10% change is just not going to cut it.

If you post pictures of your other fish we could help ID them.

 

[lovemyfish79]

New to this site so i dont quite know how to attach pictures to my comments. I know that goldfish are cold water fish pretty much a carp haha but they have been in a tropical tank for a year now with no problems. I just did my last water change this past saturday and also did a 50% change tonight. I have never used aquadvisor either

 

[lovemyfish79]

Oh nice i did it haha, thats one of the little guys that i have no idea

 

[aquandrew]

+1 to mebbid, and also do another 50% water change immediately. doing a 50% will cut your nitrates in half so they would be 40 ppm, do it again and it will be at a safe level of 20 ppm. this also applies for ammonia and nitrites

 

[Rivercats]

I have kept goldfish for years and they do indeed produce copious amount of waste and ammonia. They need large tanks and a lot of filtration. A 50% WC schedule of once a week is a must and as they get larger you might have to go to 2 WC's a week.

Something else is Pleco's are known for latching onto large bodied fish like Goldfish and sucking the slime coating off them. I've seen it happen. I don't recommend keeping the pleco's with the goldies.

But honestly you either need to keep only the goldies or just the tropical fish.

 

[aquandrew]

look like pristella tetras to me

 

[lovemyfish79]

The plecos haven't caused a problem with the goldfish as of yet and everyone tells me not to match goldfish with anything besides goldfish but this tank has been up and running for about 6 months now and this is my first major problem with it. I was going to change it up to a canister filter as soon as I can find a good deal on one but I have to experience with canister filters nor this sponge filter thing. I've always had the h.o.b. filters.

 

[Coursair]

The plecos haven't caused a problem with the goldfish as of yet and everyone tells me not to match goldfish with anything besides goldfish but this tank has been up and running for about 6 months now and this is my first major problem with it. I was going to change it up to a canister filter as soon as I can find a good deal on one but I have to experience with canister filters nor this sponge filter thing. I've always had the h.o.b. filters.

Goldfish

Buy Prime water conditioner if you don't already own some. Buy a master Test Kit. Test your water before and after the water changes.

Do a large water change, 50-75%

Make sure the new water is same temperature AND put Conditioner in the new water before adding to tank so you don't forget. Prime is 2 drops per gallon and you can add extra to get rid of Ammonia without any harm.

Keep changing water till Ammonia is a safe level.


5 Goldfish need a Minimum 60g-100g to stay clean and thrive. If they are Common or Comets then they need a Pond. They need 2-3x extra filtration. A 60g should have a filter rated for an 100-150g for example.

Goldfish get BIG, they poop a LOT and they can live a LONG TIME with good care and proper sized environment.

Fancies can live 15+years and get over 6" body length without tail
Comets can live over 25 years and get 10-12" or larger.

The record for age is 43 years
The record for length is 18.9"

6 months is nothing in the life of a Goldfish
Sadly I predict you will have more problems unless you open your mind and are willing to keep learning.

Plecos get huge and poop huge. Common Plecos can reach 24" and easily over a foot. I know of many Goldfish injured or killed by Plecos.

Keeping Goldfish warm makes their metabolism speed up, shorter life, poop even more. Less quality of life. IME and a vast majority of long term experienced successful aquarists.

It's your tank, but I hope you chose what is best for all your fish long term.

 

[Jmunroe]

Your sponge filter isn't going to cut it. You need more filtration. And the fact that you are now having problems is due to the stocking level in the tank and the stock you are keeping. You will only have more and more and bigger troubles down the road. Get rid of the gold fish, go with tropical and do large water changes weekly. Plecos are messy and if it is a common Pleco I would get rid of that too and get a smaller variety Pleco. A 55g tank is only big enough for a short period with a common Pleco and that's by itself without tank mates.

 

[lovemyfish79]

Awwwww poor goldfish, they are comets and the plecos are the smaller ones, they get 12" max. As far as getting rid of the goldfish my father in law does have a koi pond I was thinking of putting them in there?