Amnagrla

Okay. Here's the background:

I have a 10 gallon tank that had 1 dwarf gourami (Mr. Miyagi) and 5 neon cardinals (the karate kids). Mr. Miyagi died about a year ago. Around the same time, a roommate of mine had a a girlfriend who won a feeder goldfish at a carnival. This poor fish was within days of dying when I offered to take it. I thought there is no way it would survive. Once I put it in my tank, it just thrived. It is now about 3" and quite healthy. The karate kids never bothered Goldie Hawn and vice versa so I figured it was going alright. Almost a year later, I came back from a weekend away and noticed ALL FIVE of my cardinals were gone. Not just dead but completely gone. I found no trace of any of them. Did my once peaceful goldfish devour all 5 of my fish?

Also... now what do I do? I don't want to have a tank that just has a feeder goldfish but I don't know what to do. Any suggestions on what else I can put in the tank?

If I managed to give away the goldfish (if it was my last possibility) any suggestions for my tank!?

Thanks!

Shawnie

oh no! im sorry for the losses

but yes mr goldie probably ate them..they will feed on live fish if they can 1. catch them, and 2. fit them in their mouth...

I would rehome mr goldie as he will most definately outgrow a 10 gal....then maybe go with some more cardinals and some cories?

Amnagrla

Yeah. Taking this goldfish went against all of my instincts but I also couldn't stand to see it in the condition it was in.

Just double checking, goldfish need both a heater and a filter, correct?

I was just surprised that I never saw her take a snap at any of them.. and that in one weekend with me gone, she at all five of them. Seemed really odd to me!

Shawnie

great job on the rescue ...they are so mistreated...they dont need a heater as they are fish that are cold water and live with the climate changes...but definately a filter...even double filtration..they are big waste producers...

gremlin

Since you were gone for a whole weekend, the neons may have died from an ammonia spike. Once they were dead, the goldfish would have eaten them as they are a scavenger. It is not normal for a healthy goldfish to attack a healthy fish of any size. My goldfish are all more than large enough to eat the mosquito fish that are in with them in my pond. They don't bother them. It may have been a combination of things that caused this tragedy. Neons (from what I understand) are sensitive to poor water quality. Goldfish are little piggies and will eat just about anything that is laying around the tank. Your goldfish really should be in a larger tank - for the "feeder" goldfish, a minimum of 30 gallons is recommended as they are very active swimmers. There are a couple of coldwater fish that could be in with your goldie. Mosquito fish, American Flag Fish, White Cloud Mountain Minnows are some of the options.

Shawnie

im going to respectfully disagree...a healthy goldie will definately eat anything it can catch ..especially live smaller fish... they absolutely love baby minnows and neons are very close to them...although I will agree, the neons are sensitive and if they died, they will scavenge them also ....

Amnagrla

lol Both sound like good options. As far as the ammonia spike goes, I did a wc before I left and I was only gone for 2 nights. I checked before I left and everything was normal. It definitely could have happened. In fact, it would account for all 5 of the neons to die at once.

But I'm not sure that's what happened. Truth be told I'll probably never know!! lol

And yes, I'm looking for a solution for the goldfish, I am aware that it is too small of a tank, but it was supposed to be a short term solution to live in a bowl by somebody else.

*ug* I can't have a bigger tank in my apartment. I don't even KNOW anyone else that would take it. And I'd feel like I'm commiting it to death if I bring it to a LFS. I'm not happy right now.

Shawnie

im trying to figure when you got your cardinals from your op ...if its been awhile, and your ammonia was good 2 nites ago, I dont think ammonia poisoning was the issues ..again as gremlin said, cardinals are sensitive but if they have been there awhile, it wasnt your water...ammonia in 2 days time, shouldnt go that fast especially with a huge water change right before you left

aquarist48

Hello. Hate to hear about your fish loss. I have read that when breeding Goldfish, (if using a mop head for the spawning area) that the eggs and mop head should be removed or the parents will eat them or eat the fry as they begin to hatch. I haven't bred them before so I don't have first hand knowledge on it. I wouldn't be surprised if Goldie at them dead or alive.
Ken

Amnagrla

I've had the cardinals for a year and a half or so and I've never had a problem with them. None of them have ever even been sick! And they've been with Goldie since last September.

Yeah, I don't think so, either. All #'s were right.

I maintain my tank very well in my opinion (seeing as I only have the 1 10-gallon, I have no escuse). I knew I'd only be gone for 2 nights so I figured they'd be fine.

I don't know. lol I don't want to put anything else in there because Goldie will eat it... AND the tank is too little for her anyways. I wish I knew someone with a pond lol.