nancybabe

Hi all,

I have 4 goldies(comet kind) kept in a 20gallon tank each of size 2 to 3 inches.But they keep dying all of a sudden..2 of them are doing absolutely fine..but the other two were struggling to live in the tank..
I went to the store to find water parameters..that is absolutely fine..
But since 2 days I found 2 goldies sick( I don think they are pregnant)..One of them always hides near the aquarium salt box at the bottom..and the other one is always hiding near power filter submerged in water and seems as if drinking and nipping at that water flow..In this event it also got strucked in that filter and ofcourse now I have put that fish in other small box since its struggling to swim in the main tank and slowing getting attracted by the filter..
... and now seems struggling with death!

Why is it happening like thisplzzz help me

Amanda

It sounds like ammonia poisoning. Please don't take the test results from teh store at face value. It's best that you buy your own test kit, and get your own readings. The tank is VERY overstocked, and you are learning the fact that goldfish are VERY big waste producers.

nancybabe

Plz don tell me the same thing again...Previously u guys said that 10 gallon tank is not enough for gold fish..So I have immediately replaced with 20 gallon tank..I have tested the water 3 times in 5 days and still the water parameters are safe..and its just 15 days I have replaced water in the tank!!

Amanda

I'm sorry if that wasn't the answer you wanted as far as tank size.
But comets rach 13" as adults, IMO they are pond fish, not aquarium fish.
What exactly are your water parameters?

nancybabe

I donno the parameters but the nitate and nitrite levels are white in color when tested in the store..They said its fine..
And I m really frustrated with the death of the fishes and sometimes feel that I shud give up this hobby..so m sorry if I have been rude 2 u ..but plz help me!

Amanda

It would be in your best interest to buy your OWN liquid test kit. In my experiece, the stores testing water are not honest about the readings. They will say anything to make a sale. And if your fish die, you will go back to buy more.
Could you return the fish? It would be better to cycle fishless. Then when cycled you could have one fancy variety of goldfish. But comets need MUCH larger tanks.

nancybabe

yes..after the cycling process fishless only, I have bought these fish..and replaced the dead fish with new one absolutely free..because they just survived for 10 days..

Lucy

Just to clarify, the members gave you the correct info.
This is what was recommended in your other thread when these fish were in the 10g:
Here's a link to that thread:
death due to shock or something else?

Unfortunatly, you didn't buy a big enough tank for your fish.

nancybabe

ok ..so tell me wht kind of gold fish is the best suited for a 20 gallon tank

Tony G.

1 fancy goldfish for a 20 galllon. There's quite a variety Black moors, Orandas, Ryukins, Ranchus;Celestial Eyes, telescope eyes. I personally keep a calico ryukin(calico is kinda like a marble color) in a 25 gallon pond and he is so nice to watch. Over time they get used to you and may even allow hand feeding. I bought him about 3 months ago he was about an inch now he's 4 inches ahh they grow so fast

Shawnie

sometimes when we get bad info from our LFS, it gets totally frustrating and then you think you are doing better by upgrading, only to find out its not enough....dont give up!!! just do a few things....get your own test kit..an API liquid master kit is the best and you can get 100's of tests off the one kit....then you NEVER have to have someone tell you its ok or not...second, research allot!! again LFS tell you anything to get a sale...they dont care much about the life of the fish, just making more money......even tho your goldies are small, the poo they put out on a daily basis is like the size of an 8 inch fish...so 4 of them is really making the ammonia go up high....thats whats killing them.....if you can find some prime, amquel + or ammo lock in your area, (only one of them) daily changes will be needed until you know for sure if your tank is cycled...the test kit will tell YOU that....im sorry you dont like what is suggested, but we dont make any money off telling you these things and we only want to help you and your fish enjoy this hobby good luck!

nancybabe

ok guys ..thanx for the advice..
One more thing..can I put other kinds of fish in this tank other thank goldies like livebearers..I think its easy to maintain livebearers rather than goldies?

Shawnie

yes you can..that would be a nice live bearer tank..but again, get your own kit and make sure its cycle first...if they are dieing, im going to make a guess that the LFS isnt being honest and the tank isnt cycled..and if it was at one time, it could be in a mini cycle with so many waste producing fish in there...good luck!

nancybabe

But I don have heater for my tank..Can any livebearers go with my tank then??

Shawnie

heaters arent very expensive......yes you need one because a steady temp is required....otherwise, a temp that goes up and down all the time, will cause stress..and with stress comes ICH and other diseases....

joy1125

nancy, you posted about the four comets at the end of May here in your thread
death due to shock or something else?


You did not do a fishless cycle, you added 4 comets to a new 10 gallon tank.

As Lucy pointed out, you got very good advice then--- and the advice was to return the comets. You were told repeatedly that ONE goldfish needs 20gallons.

Sorry but it seems you just are not taking the good advice you are given,
as you still have the comets, but they are now in an uncycled 20gallon, and have already grown to 2 to 3inches, and are dying.

Please, for the sake of comets, return them all to the fish store, as you said you were going to do back in May.

I'm sorry if I sound blunt about this, but if you continue to keep fish in uncycled inappropriate-sized tanks, this is going to keep happening.