Hello,
I wish I'd joined under happier circumstances, but my daughter and I really need some advice so we can prevent any more distressed fish.
Many years ago I kep very successful freshwater tanks and the same in tropicals. Health issues and finances meant I gave up aquaria, but my daughter returned from University last year with a very small plastic tank and, what I thought, two very large fish. One was a long flowing tailed shubunkin about 4 inches long ( excluding tail ) and the other was the finest specimen of black moor I'd ever seen... 4 inches at least, with beautiful erect dorsal and perfect flowing tail fins.
I reprimanded my daughter for keeping such huge fish in such a tiny plastic tank with a pathetic filter system.
Apparently, they had grown that size on their own, having been tiny when bought 3 years before.
They lived and thrived over the last year... I fed them and changed their water 50% regularly, and despite all reason, I've never seen such happy, healthy fish.
Then I badgered my daughter into getting them a bigger tank.
She bought a triangular corner tank , approximately 24 inches across and 30 inches deep. It came with gravel, heater ( unnecessary as the water temps in the house never drop below 21 degrees due to the central heating) light and lid, and a very large stingray filter.
We set it up, after scrubbing everything with salt then washing, then treated the water with tap safe, let the filter and water flow for a day to acclimatise, then put the two fish in the tank.
Two weeks, perfectly happy.
Then my daughter bought a healthy goldfish and a tiny fantail.
The goldfish developed a taste for the black moors tail, so before any serious damage occurred we separated the goldfish and treated the main tank with a cure all treatment.
The black moor deteriorated fast. He became sluggish , sad, and hid in the corner. We separated him, and watched in horror as over the following week he got worse and worse and died.
We tried antibiotics, health remedies, water changes, tap safe, everything.
Now, the main tank, with a new black moor, a new 4 inch goldfish, the fantail, and the original long tailed shub, are all showing early signs of similar deterioration.
By all reasoning, this new expensive tank with its excellent pump and filter and treated water should be an ideal new home for, supposedly, hardy golds, moors , fans and shubs.
Cany anyone shed any light here? I don't want to preside over more sick and dying fish
(
I wish I'd joined under happier circumstances, but my daughter and I really need some advice so we can prevent any more distressed fish.
Many years ago I kep very successful freshwater tanks and the same in tropicals. Health issues and finances meant I gave up aquaria, but my daughter returned from University last year with a very small plastic tank and, what I thought, two very large fish. One was a long flowing tailed shubunkin about 4 inches long ( excluding tail ) and the other was the finest specimen of black moor I'd ever seen... 4 inches at least, with beautiful erect dorsal and perfect flowing tail fins.
I reprimanded my daughter for keeping such huge fish in such a tiny plastic tank with a pathetic filter system.
Apparently, they had grown that size on their own, having been tiny when bought 3 years before.
They lived and thrived over the last year... I fed them and changed their water 50% regularly, and despite all reason, I've never seen such happy, healthy fish.
Then I badgered my daughter into getting them a bigger tank.
She bought a triangular corner tank , approximately 24 inches across and 30 inches deep. It came with gravel, heater ( unnecessary as the water temps in the house never drop below 21 degrees due to the central heating) light and lid, and a very large stingray filter.
We set it up, after scrubbing everything with salt then washing, then treated the water with tap safe, let the filter and water flow for a day to acclimatise, then put the two fish in the tank.
Two weeks, perfectly happy.
Then my daughter bought a healthy goldfish and a tiny fantail.
The goldfish developed a taste for the black moors tail, so before any serious damage occurred we separated the goldfish and treated the main tank with a cure all treatment.
The black moor deteriorated fast. He became sluggish , sad, and hid in the corner. We separated him, and watched in horror as over the following week he got worse and worse and died.
We tried antibiotics, health remedies, water changes, tap safe, everything.
Now, the main tank, with a new black moor, a new 4 inch goldfish, the fantail, and the original long tailed shub, are all showing early signs of similar deterioration.
By all reasoning, this new expensive tank with its excellent pump and filter and treated water should be an ideal new home for, supposedly, hardy golds, moors , fans and shubs.
Cany anyone shed any light here? I don't want to preside over more sick and dying fish
(
