Concerned about Fantail

[preciousmoments]

We now have 2 fantails and 2 mickey mouse fish (goldfish with perfect mickey mouse head shape on tails). We bought Squirt (fantail #1) as a santa gift for our 4 year old and he was perfectly healthy. Two weeks later we bought Bubbles (fantail#2) and the 2 mickeys (mickey and minnie) our daughter named them. They are all small to medium in size the mickeys being smallest and are all a type of goldfish. Anyway we rearranged the plants because it is suppose to prevent territorial issuses. Well I have recently noticed Squirts fin appears to have been chewed on and he now Squirt rarely fans out his/her dorsel fin. Bubbles and Squirt do nuzzle each other against the plants and almost seem like their dancing in circles playfully. Their actions are very close to those described in the breeding ritual of fantails in the goldfish book I bought. I was wondering if Squirt's not fanning out his dorsel fin was a dominance issue saying that Bubbles is the dominate fantail. Squirt still acts the same and has no trouble swimming or any signs of disease. He is happy and healthy by all other standards other then a small area where an extremely small area of scales rubbed off when he squeeze thru the net and tank glass when i netted him against the glass to get a better look at his fin (no sign of fin rot definitely was chewed on). I am keeping a close eye on the rub spot which I feel really bad about. Any helpful Info on why he keeps his dorsel fin down or how the domination issue works would be greatly appreciated. Also if you know how to tell a male from a female that would be great! The book fails to touch on these issues. Thank You for your time and advise,
Cristina

 

[jsoong]

I have never heard of Mickey Mouse goldfish - not that I am an expert or anything. However, I have heard of Fish with Mickey Mouse marking. Does your fish look like this picture? If so, this fish is a Platy - not a gold fish. Generally, tropicals & goldies don't mix - maybe this is part of the problem.

 

[preciousmoments]

that is exactly what they look like but they were being sold in the freshwater section which really makes me mad. The good news is according to a web site on the platy their tank temp is only 3 degrees higher then the max for my gold fish. My tank keeps between 70 and 75 degrees F. which might explain why they are doing well. I have never seen either species of fish bother the other and I am home all the time (for the most part). I can't really afford another tank at this point so I will research what can be done. Thank you for the info. Our petco really needs to get their fish straight. I only bought them because my daughter wanted them and they were in the freshwater tanks.

 

[grimlock3000]

"that is exactly what they look like but they were being sold in the freshwater section which really makes me mad."

They ARE freshwater fish. Goldfish and Platies are just very different types of freshwater fish that need different water conditions to thrive.

 

[jsoong]

Both Platies & goldfish are fresh water, but platies are tropical, while goldfish are cold water fish. However, fancy goldies (like fantails) generally prefer temp in the 70's, which isn't that far off the platies' range. So the temperature difference isn't such a big deal.

There are other problems with keeping tropicals with goldies, however. One of which is food. Goldies are more vegetarian & will get into problems with tropical fish foods (& vise versa). And keeping the two together, you can't control who gets what to eat. (BTW, what are you feeding them?)

I don't keep platies, but from my reading, they are consider peaceful & prob not source of fin nipping. Goldies also don't tend to have dominance issues & get along well with each other. Apart from some jostling during feeding, my goldies (of different sizes) never fight.

Clamped fin is not considered normal. Generally the first thing to look for is water parameter - such as high ammonia or nitrite. Although with just one fish showing this, it seems less likely. However, more info might help (eg- how long have the tank been set up, is it cycled, & if you can actually get some water parameter numbers...) If the water is fine, the fish may be sick from something - perhaps a secondary infection from the wound. I would keep a close eye on him/her.

 

[stoneydee]

Mixing tropicals and goldfish is not a good idea for a number of reasons. Here's one to consider: If you are feeding goldfish food, the platies are going to starve. Goldfish need no more than 30% protein in their diets, and tropicals need much more than that, especially live bearers like platies.

The platies need their own tank with a heater and the proper food.

 

[Allivymar]

Another thought; is your tank cycled? I'm guessing not, as the fish are all new. If you are unsure of what the cycle is (here, when we say cycle we are talking about the nitrogen cycle and its effects on water parameters and fish) there's a great writeup about it here: http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html .

An uncycled tank may also be part of the problem. Goldfish give off huge amounts of waste, and can foul a tank quickly; another reason to keep them in their own tank. They also need around 10g each as they start to grow (over 2-3 inches).

 

[preciousmoments]

I just wanted to thank everyone for your advice it has been very helpful to us. I went into Petco to buy some brine shrimp for the fish and found they were having a huge aquatic sale at which i was able to get a great deal on another 10 gal tank that we could afford my Mickeys will be introduced to their new home tomorrow. Any recommendations for the transfer would be greatly appreciated.
Cristina

 

[Allivymar]

Darn. No Petco's near here...wonder when Petsmart will be having their sale *grin*

My suggestion is to set up the new tank as you want it, being sure to rinse everything before adding it (new decor, new substrate, etc). Add the treated water, and then the thermometer. Let the tank reach your desired temps (start with the same temp as the goldfish tank; you can slowly raise the temp to high 70's/low 80's over the next few days) before adding the fish. Because the fish are going from one tank to another in your own home, the water parameters should be pretty similar; I don't see a need to acclimate them.

Do know that tank will start cycling again (there is no nitrifying bacteria in there). You may want to move some of the decor or a little substrate from the goldfish tank to help kick start the cycle (don't rinse that tho). While there won't be enough to fully cycle the new tank (since that tank is also in the process of building up its bacterial colonies), it will help somewhat. You'll need to keep a close eye on those nitrogenous waste levels in both tanks; did you happen to grab some test kits (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)? If not, run back to the Petco before the sale is over and grab some (actually, grab some anyway LOL you'll always need test kits and if you can get em on sale even better!).

 

[preciousmoments]

I knew was forgetting something. Thanks for the reminder I will call my hubby and see if he can stop and get some. The bright side is once the baby is born I wont have them fight ing over fish tanks they each can take care of one LOL.

 

[preciousmoments]

Update on Squirt (Fantail)
I just found out today from another relative that I have a in-law who has a degree in fish to put it into english specializing in diseases and parasites that afflict them. I was very concerned due to Squirts Dorsal having developed red lines in it. Anyway I called my in-law and asked him and he says it is a fungus kind of like ich but without the spots. I am going to the pet store in the morning to have my tank water tested and to get the medicine. I will let you know when he improves. Thanks for all the help. I would also like to recommend a site I found that has very good info for goldfish and general Faqs/Problems.