worried new fish mom, help!

[Determinated]

Hi!
I have a gold fish, I actually got it from walmart for a eco column project in my science class.

I was not expecting it to live, but it did!!

So i took it home, i bought it a 1 gallon tank :/ I know too small! well i didn't find that out until after i got it home and i cannot afford to purchase a new one so im willing to do whatever i can to make this work! And eventually buy a bigger tank.

I have a water lilly bulb im with Josh (my fish) its growing but still in early stages, im pretty sure im going to have to remove it when it gets bigger...

This tank has a really nice air stone, and a really big/high powered filter.

It is octagonal in shape.

The fish has been in this tank since wednesday.

He was doing fine, very lively, eating well.

Well today i noticed a little big of slow behavior hes not moving around as much, i dont think you can say he is lethargic yet but i dont wanna let it get to that point.

I tried geting him some caves to hide in but both were to big, so now i think he is scared because of all the movement, im worried and feel bad

I bought test strips everything is good except for .5 nitrite..is this causing the problem?

I did a 25% water change today once i noticed he was acting slow.

Any advice or ideas yall have please let me know!!

Im really determined to keep Josh alive!!

I have never had any luck with fish and would really like to keep this little guy alive!!!

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Most likely fine

Does he look sick? If not he could be just bored with the small tank. The best thing to do would be to eventually get a bigger tank. Keep us posted.

 

[bud29]

Yes, .5 nitrites and very little space is probably causing this sluggishness. Nitrites are very toxic to fish. Goldfish are quite messy, so you will most likely have to change all of the water at least one time every day to make sure the water quality is good.

Are you treating the water with a dechlorinator?

Because they get so big, you will need to get this fish at least 20 gallon tank ASAP. Look on your local classifieds or craigslist to see if you can get some good deals on tanks.

and, to the forum!

 

[Determinated]

I use a well and tested my water for chlorine and it came back with no traces of it. my water when tested was also very soft.

How do i get my nitrites down??

Im so worried

 

[bud29]

You get your nitrites down by changing the water. Also, even though there may not have been much chlorine in the water, there still may be chloramines and heavy metals there, so you it's still a good idea to treat it. Walmart sells Tetra AquaSafe, get some of that.

 

[Determinated]

Oh and i added a water balancer liquid stuff before i tested it.

Do i change all of the water?

Right now? even though Josh seems pretty traumatized?

Wont that get rid of the goof bacteria that has been built up?

 

[bud29]

I would change about half of it a time, because he is traumatized. And, the beneficial bacteria colonizes on surfaces, it's not in the water, so it shouldn't mess it up.

Also, if that stuff you added removed the chlorine, that is a dechlorinator, keep using it. Put it in all the new water you put in the tank.

 

[Determinated]

The water balancer is called Tetra Easy balance.

And the dosage recommendations are 2 teaspoons for every 10 gallons so 1 gallon would require 1/2 teaspoon, but if i am changing the water every day how do i treat it? This says i am supposed to be treating weekly...

 

[Determinated]

So worried, any more tips?

 

[ktomminello]

Welcome!!

I do believe you are over your head... Goldfish are pond fish by nature and get incredibly large, around a foot or 2 and usually require at least 55g and that is quite a squeeze... If you are determined to keep the little guy (at least until he outgrows the 15g you're going need to get right away!! 1g, even with filter and airstone is a nite nightmare!! Beneficial bacteria is overwhelmed by the bioload of your messy little one and it pushes your water through a nitrifying cycle starting with ammonia, that breaks down to nitrite, then nitrate. Sounds like you're stuck in a bad place... Goldfish require different parameters than tropical fish, please consider looking into goldfish specific water conditioners and buffers.... And you might wanna start saving for the 90g you'll eventually need, lol. Good luck!!

 

[jlk]

If you cant afford a bigger tank right now, a cheap alternative would be to get a 20-30g plastic storage bin from walmart/chain store. They run @$10. You can also pick a cheap filter to run on it. Not pretty but it will save his life in the interim until you can afford a bigger tank or consider rehoming him to a happy pond (assuming he is a singletail goldie). You also will need a decent test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & ph- the API fw master kit is recommended and is available online for ALOT less than most lfs. Heres some more info on goldies and their care- please ask if you have any questions!!

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

 

[Determinated]

Thanks for your help!!!

Im actually really surprised to hear that goldfish need so much space!!

We had a goldfish just like this one that lived for a year in a 1 gallon, and then we moved him up to a 10 gallon and he lived for 3 more years, its crazy to hear how wrong we have been!!!

 

[jlk]

Goldies live quite a long time- much longer than people realize!! A fancy can live 20+yrs while a singletail can live 40+yrs.

 

[Determinated]

Even if i go and get a big storage bin, where on earth will i keep it?!?! thats so big :O

The things i will do for one little 38 cent fish :O

 

[Determinated]

I have a 10 gallon i think somewhere, in a storage room? maybe with the remains of a long dead hermit crab in it....ewwh i know!! idk if its still in there when that thing died after being my faithful friend for 8 years my dad just took the whole tank out and idk if the crab is still in it...

but i could give it a good cleaning, would that be better?

 

[jlk]

20-30g bin really is not that big (2ft long 1-2 ft high, 1 ft wide on average). It really depends on if you have kids, cats or dogs. I would put it somewhere where you have easy access to water (such as bathroom or kitchen). You can even place it on the floor. If you have cats or dogs, you can place a window-type screen over the top to keep them out (or close the bathroom door). Kids are another story though! lol

 

[jlk]

I have a 10 gallon i think somewhere, in a storage room? maybe with the remains of a long dead hermit crab in it....ewwh i know!! idk if its still in there when that thing died after being my faithful friend for 8 years my dad just took the whole tank out and idk if the crab is still in it...

but i could give it a good cleaning, would that be better?

Yes, a 10g would be better temporarily than a 1g!! But its not a permanent solution and you will still need to do frequent water changes to keep him healthy. A 10g can pretty much go anywhere (kitchen counter, for example).

 

[Determinated]

Okay!

But isnt changing his tank gonna start the cycling process all over again?

And if we still have the filter for the 10 gallon, i can use that filter and my current filter and have double filtration as well as my air stone! Great! hopefully my dad can find it!

 

[jlk]

Just move the filter/decor from the small tank to the larger one and run both filters. Your tank is not cycled yet with nitrite present (and I suspect ammonia, too) so your not going to affect your cycle greatly by moving stuff.

 

[jlk]

Heres more info on fish-in cycling (which your in the middle of right now) in case you have not read this yet.

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice