Is my fish sick?

[SharpieItBlack]

So I've noticed this before and now after I've upgraded my tank. My fish sits at the bottom, barely moves. Is it sick, or sleeping? I mean it could be swimming around normal when I'm not around. The fins are recovering from fin rot, scales and gills look fine.
29 gallon with two filters, water change is coming up soon though.
Any explanations as go what's going on? It seems as if its happening all the time, I'm worried and don't know what's going on. Water quality is as good as I can get with my city's cruddy water .25 ppm ammonia and nitrItes. NitrAtes are at about 20ppm after one week. Ph is normal for the goldfish.

 

[shellieca]

If your tank is fully cycled there shouldn't be any ammonia or nitrItes even with cruddy city water. What else is in your tank stock wise? What water conditioner are you using? What is your normal water change schedule & how much (%)? How long has this tank been set up? Is this the Goldie mentioned in your signature? If so what is his diet?

 

[SharpieItBlack]

If your tank is fully cycled there shouldn't be any ammonia or nitrItes even with cruddy city water. What else is in your tank stock wise? What water conditioner are you using? What is your normal water change schedule & how much (%)? How long has this tank been set up? Is this the Goldie mentioned in your signature? If so what is his diet?

The tank is cycled, and I can't put too much conditioner or ammonia remover if so it'd be like only half water. I only have one fish, no live plants. Change water 30-50% once a week, occasionally clean decor if it has nasty buildup or for waste/food. I've had my fish in it for just over a week.

But what is wrong with him, was my question. This happened even in my smaller tank.

 

[jlk]

Do you have nitrates in your tap? If they are zero or low, start by increasing your water changes to keep them under 10 (preferably under 5). Nitrates will cause a goldfish to bottom sit as will ammonia/nitrite.

I agree with Shellica as well- a cycled tank should have zero ammonia and nitrite unless your tap has extreme numbers (ie, 6ppm of ammonia). With ammonia and nitrite present in your tank, its not fully cycled. The brand of water conditioner, your ph as well as what you feed (specifically) will help as well.

 

[SharpieItBlack]

Do you have nitrates in your tap? If they are zero or low, start by increasing your water changes to keep them under 10 (preferably under 5). Nitrates will cause a goldfish to bottom sit as will ammonia/nitrite.

I agree with Shellica as well- a cycled tank should have zero ammonia and nitrite unless your tap has extreme numbers (ie, 6ppm of ammonia). With ammonia and nitrite present in your tank, its not fully cycled. The brand of water conditioner, your ph as well as what you feed (specifically) will help as well.

Ok so naturally my tap water has 40ppm nitrAtes, but somehow have gone down to 15ppm after the upgrade. So that's good! But I have read anything under 20ppm for nitrAtes is ok for goldfish.
First off in my upgrade nitrItes were 3ppm but ammonia was 0. It's getting better, so as I keep doing water changes each week, should my fish get better as well? Hopefully...

And in your two opinions, is 29 gallons enough for TWO goldfish, if I add a second one? If so I will wait until the water gets better. If not, I'll wait until after my graduation and get more stable housing to get a bigger tank. I don't want to overstock and run into more problems...

 

[jlk]

With such high tap nitrates, it will be difficult to keep them low. Ideally under 20ppm is fine but if you are experiencing bottom sitting issues, reducing them can help. 3ppm of nitrite though is very high and the effects from such high nitrite levels may not be obvious for awhile. This really needs to stay at or under .25ppm. A good water conditioner such as Prime or Amquel Plus is suggested (if your not already using one) due to the tank levels and due to toxins present in your tap. I would wait until your tank is very stable before even considering adding another fish.

Diet is another issue that can help with buoyancy problems. Switching to a gel food along with LOTS of daily veggies can help to mitigate some issues and is worth trying.

 

[SharpieItBlack]

With such high tap nitrates, it will be difficult to keep them low. Ideally under 20ppm is fine but if you are experiencing bottom sitting issues, reducing them can help. 3ppm of nitrite though is very high and the effects from such high nitrite levels may not be obvious for awhile. This really needs to stay at or under .25ppm. A good water conditioner such as Prime or Amquel Plus is suggested (if your not already using one) due to the tank levels and due to toxins present in your tap. I would wait until your tank is very stable before even considering adding another fish.

Diet is another issue that can help with buoyancy problems. Switching to a gel food along with LOTS of daily veggies can help to mitigate some issues and is worth trying.

I use amquel. As for the gel food or veggies, what do you suggest, brand wise and what types etc. As for the nitrItes I read an article about ways to keep it under control, on this site.

 

[jlk]

Besides water changes and Amquel, how are you keeping your nitrites under control?

This link should help a bit in respect to foods/diet. Remember, its just a guide and nothing is set in stone but theres a diet section with links to popular gel food recipes as well as commercial ones in addition to suggested veggies and fruits. Please ask if you have any questions!

http://www.myaquariumclub.com/goldfish-101-11174823.html

 

[SharpieItBlack]

Well I have this
Kordon AmQuel Plus Ammonia Detoxifier - Fish Care - Fish - PetSmart
It's said to detoxify ammonia and the like. And I'm not sure (feel free to correct me) but every so often during a water change when I add the water back in, I add a "bacteria starter" I don't know the technical term but that's what I remember it as without checking the bottle.
Never been entirely sure what it does...

 

[jlk]

Amquel Plus is fine and is a good product. The bottled bacteria products are hit or miss. Some people swear by them but quite a few others believe they are nothing more than a waste of money. No harm in using one if you want.