jabba the gup
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2016
- Messages
- 101
My goldfish has recently started floating head down, tail up vertically in the tank! He is also quite inactive most of the time. If not floating vertically, he is lying on the bottom of the tank!! When he does swim he will occasionally rub up against the decor like he is itching, but I cannot see any spots that look like the ick! It also seems like his tail has become curved! He seems to have no loss of appetite. He will eat floating pellets, and I have recently started feeding him frozen blood worms. He began this odd behavior before I started feeding the blood worms. All parameters of my tank are good but not perfect! Nitrite is at zero, nitrate is at 20 ppm, ammonia is at .25 and is normally zero. I am in the process of trying to get the pH down because it is a whopping 8.4! I recently had an issue with high nitrite and nitrate even though my ammonia was at zero! For three weeks now all parameters have been good except the pH! The tank is at 73°F, which I am aware that is high for a goldfish. But I have invertebrates that require 72 or above! The tank is a 55 gallon and has been up and running for around three months! My filtration consists of two Marineland penguin 350's. As the name implies they are 350 GPH for a total of 700 GPH. They are hang on the back filters, Each filter posses four mechanical filters with 2 bio wheels on each one for a total of four bio wheels! Within the last day or two I have added a Sunsun 9watt UV sterilizer, with 210 GPH. My tank is very diverse. It consists of the goldfish which is approximately 6 to 8 inches long, to albino African clawed frogs. One frog being about 3 inches long and the other frog about 4 inches long, I also have two small fiddler crabs. Both fiddler crabs are still quite small. I also have two Pleco algae eaters, both about 5 inches long. One tetra goldfish about 1 inch long, and one swordtail measuring about 2 inches. And one mini Gourami measuring about an inch and a half to 2 inches long. Which has also become quite lethargic and not acting well. He was introduced to the tank about three days ago along with the purple tetra goldfish. I also have three nerite snails, and one accidental ramhorn shell snail! I am aware of being grossly over stocked and I am in the process of correcting the issue. My last water change was this past Saturday along with a thorough vacuuming. Which forced and almost complete water change! The last vacuum and water change was three weeks ago when addressing the nitrite and nitrate issues! The fish in question, i.e. my goldfish. Is the oldest fish in the tank and we have probably had him a year and a half. The only thing that has been added before his odd behavior was a second marine land filter system to help combat my parameter issues and heavy bio load from overstocking! I am sorry for the gigantic article, I wanted to address everything the forum guidelines requested! Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!