Blackmoor help

[Ollyj]

Hi

Need some advice/help urgently. I woke up yesterday to find my fish not well, he is just sat at top of tank not moving much, he swims now and then but it looks a struggle. It looks to me like he has no energy, also I have some small White mountain minnow, one of these has gone missing completely, could he of ate this fish which is why he is sick? The pet shop I got them from said it would be fine to mix them but starting to think they could be wrong?

Any help would be much appreciated

Olly

 

[Rosenweiss]

Welcome to AA.. sorry about your goldie.

A few questions to help us help you:

What's your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate level? What size of tank? Any other tankmates? Did you cycle?

Is your fish eating? Have you tried water changes?

 

[Ollyj]

Hey

Tank is 20L, the fish was absoloutley fine untill the day we noticed my other fish had gone, within a day of that he has not been well since :-(

Not sure on the ammonia, this is my first tank so still learning, I followed the instructions in the manual but reading on here it seems there is more to be done that what it says in the instructions.

I can go get an ammonia tester today to check.

Is it likely it has eaten the other fish? It's not that much bigger but seeing as I can't find my other mountain minnow it looks likely.

Thanks

 

[Rosenweiss]

Okay. =] Let's start with the tank size.

Unfortunately, 20L (around 5 gallons) is MUCH too small, even for a single goldfish... they are messy and grow quite large, so round-bodied goldfish need 20 gallons for 1 and 10 more gallons for each additional. If there is no way you can either 1) take the fish back or 2) upgrade tank sizes, then I would recommend doing daily water changes.

If you're going to buy a test kit, please invest in the API freshwater master test kit. You don't just need to know your ammonia levels--you'll need to know nitrites, nitrates, and pH as well to monitor your fishes' health. Also, until you can get one, I'd be doing 50% water changes daily. Your fish will thank you!

As for whether or not it ate it, I don't know. I kind of doubt it. How big is the black moor? Have you checked inside your filter or any plants for the other minnow?

 

[Ollyj]

Hey

I have bought a new tank, 50L, I am planning on doing the full cycle on this one now I have read all the tips and tricks on Here. My blackmoor I got from pets at home but starting to think they didn't really know what was best for it when I told them my tank size etc.

I will do 50% water change every day, and get a tester. Is there anything else I can do in the meantime?

Thanks for the help

 

[Rosenweiss]

Wow, most people don't respond so quickly. That's awesome! So I assume you've consulted a fishless cycling article and will use pure ammonia? I'm happy to hear that your fish will have a new home. 50L might be a little small for one, but you can definitely make it work. Just don't get tempted to add any more, haha! Congrats though!

In the meantime, just make sure your fish is eating. Don't feed too much...once a day, just enough so that they eat for a couple minutes. And heck, goldfish are so messy, you might want to even do two water changes a day in that little tank.

When you get your test kit (liquid is most accurate!) then update us on the parameters. You're welcome!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Hi

Need some advice/help urgently. I woke up yesterday to find my fish not well, he is just sat at top of tank not moving much, he swims now and then but it looks a struggle. It looks to me like he has no energy, also I have some small White mountain minnow, one of these has gone missing completely, could he of ate this fish which is why he is sick? The pet shop I got them from said it would be fine to mix them but starting to think they could be wrong?

Any help would be much appreciated

Olly

Rule of thumb is, if it can fit in his mouth he'll eat it. But he has to catch it first and Moors, even young ones aren't really agile.

A 5.25g tank is way to small, so if he's a young one get ready to upgrade your tank soon. Lots of water changes will be needed and tank mates in that small a space isn't really a good idea IMO.

 

[Ollyj]

Hey

Ok cool, thanks for all your help. I am at work currently but will call my gf who is at home to change the water. Fingers crossed this will save him.

Looked every where for the minnow, filter,stones,plant no sign so I think he might of been ate :-(

Is there any place on line I can buy the test/ammonia stuff a bit cheaper than the shops?

Sorry if it sounds like dumb questions but I an still learning and it seems there is an endless amount to learn :-0

How long should I wait before transferring fish into new tank?

Thanks

 

[Rosenweiss]

Does your tank have a hood, or have holes in the hood? He may have jumped out, so you could check the areas around the tank.

I think the API master test kit is still going to be nearly $30 online. Trust me though, it's worth the money. You're going to need it. How much is it in the shops?

Don't worry, no question is dumb. Hmm... I don't know. Normally I would say wait until the new tank is fully cycled but if your fish is suffering in the 5.5 gal...

How big is the black moor? That's probably the determining factor.

 

[jsoong]

If you have bought a 50l tank, there is no point in waiting to cycling it fishless while your moor is in the 20l. You are much better off moving the fish to the 50 l now, and cycle that with the fish in. It is much easier to keep the fish alive during cycling with a bigger tank. <Move everything from the small tank to the large - filter, decor, everything ... that will transfer any bio-filter that had developed so far & might save you a few days or weeks of cycling.>

Doing fishless cycling is meant to spare the fish the ordeal of the cycling process. But if your fish is sitting in an uncycled 5, it is being stressed way more in a small tank waiting for the big tank to cycle. Much better to move the fish to the big tank & do a proper fishy cycle.

Yes, fancy golds can & do eat the white clouds, esp. if the WC are tiny 1/2" frys. However, they do not get sick from eating a WC ... small fish & bugs are normal diet for a goldy.

When a fish is lethargic like yours, the first thing to suspect is toxic water. In a small tank that is not cycled, that is highly likely. It is imperative that you test the water & see what is going on, and a liquid test kit is needed as the stripes are not at all accurate. In lieu of tests, I would be doing a 50 % pwc daily on spec. Clean water never hurts.

Next, you need to examine the fish. Look carefully for:
1. Any spots, dots, bumps, etc.
2. the condition of the slime coat - amount, thickness & color (it should be clear & colorless)
3. Color of the gills - look at the fish from behind, you should get a glimpse of the gills as the fish exhale & the gill cover opens.
4. Attitude of the fins - are they held out, is the dorsal erect?
5. Is the abdomen bloated, are the scales sticking out?
6. Is the fish eating? What is the poop like?

That was the observation part of the physical. You can also touch & examine the fish if needed. This is the full instructions:
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES

For now, first thing to do is the pwc & water test. See how the fish respond to that & we can take it from there.

 

[jsoong]

As for on-line fish supply ... where are you? US/Can, UK/EU or Oz?

 

[Ollyj]

Thanks for the help and advice....I am in the uk, I have found a test kit for £23.