Goldfish laying down

[Batgirl]

I have a fancy goldfish I'm not sure what kind it doesn't have a wen (?) or bubble eyes but it has two tails. I'm worried about her (making up gender). I currently have her in a ten gallon tank (I know to small) but I have a pond I'm building for her (already started so it's not wishful thinking) and am getting a bigger tank for until it's done next Tuesday. I got her a couple months ago, but she was in a tank with a goldfish I thought might have ich and i got her anyway. Then she started rubbing her head on the side of the tank so I treated her with salt for 10 days. It's a couple months later and I don't see any spots on her (she's white so it would be hard to if she has some) but she has rubbed her head what looks to be raw on the side of the glass and today she has been laying down. When I did a 20% water change she perked right up and started begging for food so I left for a while. Then when I came back after dinner she was laying down again. I did another 20% water change but this time she swam underneath the water being pored in and rolled, she likes to swim underneath it but has never rolled over from the water.
Before I did the water change I tested the water and the results were
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate:40
(I know high which is why I did water changes) oh and one more thing one of her eyes is red and the other is blue and she's got a big stomach that's how she was when I got her but I figured every detail would be helpful.
I'm sorry for the long post thank you in advance.

 

[jlk]

Can you post pictures of the issues you are seeing with her so we can help you better? What is her normal diet and water change schedule? What are the parameters right now?

 

[Batgirl]

I'll post pictures of her when I get home.
I don't know the parameters of the water currently because I'm out of test strips but I am getting liquid test kit Tuesday.
Her normal diet is small pinch of flakes in the morning Monday-Friday, and fresh veggies, blood worms, or whatever I have Sunday-Friday in the afternoon. If I don't have anything special for her to eat in the afternoon she will get pellets or flake food and she gets the occasional quarter of an algae wafer if she steals it from the ghost shrimp (I think she ate the ghost shrimp so I haven't been putting any in recently). Although I have had a lot of school work recently and she has been getting mostly flake food.
I do a 10-20% water change 1-2 times a week.

 

[Batgirl]

I just did another 20% water change (that's my go to response to anything.

 

[Batgirl]

And some more pictures

 

[Batgirl]

Also I realize I forgot this in the first post I have a ph of 6-6.5 and a really high GH (around 180) with a KH between 0-40 closer to 40. Could this be the cause? I really don't want this fish to die and just saw her drifting to my filter (hob aquaclear 30 I think the top says fluval 30) thank you for your help

 

[jlk]

Is your ph/kh normally this low or is this something new?

Thank you for the pics! Although I can not see redness very clearly on the top of head, I do see it on the side of her face before the gill area near her eye (though its not as clear in the pics with the flash). Does the top of her head resemble the side of her face?

Lets start with the ph/kh and go from there. Any water quality issues need to be addressed before we consider meds.

 

[Batgirl]

Yes, my ph/KH is normally this low, I have a reverse osmosis filter (my moms a health nut). Do you think I should start using that?

 

[Batgirl]

Oh and yes the top of her looks the same as the side.

 

[Batgirl]

Today when I came home her bottom was stuck to the filter, so I turned the filter off. She was still alive but sideways! Will she be okay without the filter on until shes better if I don't feed her? Is there anything I can do for her?

 

[Batgirl]

She's dead any ideas of what killed her? How should I make sure the tank is rid of what ever killed her while keeping the nitrogen cycle? Is that even possible? How long should I wait until I get more fish for that tank? I'm sorry for all of the questions I just don't want to kill another fish

 

[jlk]

She's dead any ideas of what killed her? How should I make sure the tank is rid of what ever killed her while keeping the nitrogen cycle? Is that even possible? How long should I wait until I get more fish for that tank? I'm sorry for all of the questions I just don't want to kill another fish

I am so sorry

Based on her appearance, she had an internal infection but I suspect the very acidic water may have played a part as well. Bacteria responsible for disease are everywhere but a healthy fish with a good immune system will not succumb to it unless his immune system is compromised (water quality issues, unhealthy diet, stress, parasites, injury, etc).

To keep the cycle going, you will need to add an ammonia source regularly to feed your good bacteria. I can not guarantee the tank will be free of infection though. The only way to assure this would be to break down the tank, sterilize it and start from scratch. Do you plan on eventually purchasing another goldfish or are you considering something else?

 

[Batgirl]

I want to put a betta in the tank but use the filter for a bigger goldfish tank. Could the filter carry the bacteria? How would you suggest I sterilize the tank? Could I just put flakes in there for ammonia?

 

[jlk]

Sterilizing a tank would mean soaking everything in a dilute bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) for atleast 15-20mins, rinsing very well with hot water then follow with a second soak in tripled dosed dechlorinated water. Allow everything to air dry and the tank and equipment are good to go. I honestly would toss the filter media and cycle new stuff if you do not want risk possibly carrying disease over.

Fish food, raw shrimp or bottled ammonia will work as an ammonia source but the fish food can be a bit messy and is not very precise in respect to dosing specific ammonia levels. It will work though as this is a small tank. Just keep an eye on the food for fungus and remove it if it does start to fungus. Please ask if you have questions!

 

[Batgirl]

After doing that to the tank of I don't use the filter will the tank be okay to use as a quarintine tank if I do daily water changes?

 

[jlk]

After doing that to the tank of I don't use the filter will the tank be okay to use as a quarintine tank if I do daily water changes?

Yes, as long as you stay on top of daily testing and water changes, you should be fine. If you have another cycled tank, you can always move some media over to the small filter to cycle the qt.