Aquatic Emergency! Sick goldfish parent seeking help!

Tank
The water volume of the tank is about 10 gallons. I know this is not an ideal size for a common goldfish. I’m saving up the money and want to purchase a bigger one down the line. I’m trying to work with what I have as of right now. The tank has been running for about two days but I removed him Friday after I noticed red veining and his fins deteriorating. The filter I use is an Aqueon QuietFlow 10 and a penn-plax underwater gravel filter that I have connected to a penn-plax emergency air battery powered air pump. The water temperature I‘ve been keeping him in is 71-75 degrees. I don’t have a heater for this aquarium. I’d like once since I’ve heard warmer temperatures help with the nitrogen cycle. In terms of tank inhabitants, it’s just him right now. My friend used to keep him with two other goldfish in a 10 gallon tank. Hugo, the fish, is the only one I kept. He’s not in the main tank as of right now. I have him quarantined in a 5 gallon tank right now while I cycle the 10 gallon. The quarantine tank is not cycled either. I do not have any close friends or family with a fish tank of their own so asking for seasoned media is out of the question.

Maintenance
The friend I got this common goldfish from had him for about a year and would only change the water about once a month. She never used any water conditioners or chemicals to cleanse the tap water she’d use. She also did not have substrate or ornaments. In my setup, I utilized the Imagitarium Water Conditioner and had Imagitarium frosted black aquatic gravel that I rinsed as instructed. Now, I have ordered some Tetra safe start to quicken the nitrogen cycle. I had already sprinkled in Aqueon goldfish flakes to start the process but this method takes time and I don’t want my fish to suffer long. P.S I added the water conditioner after the water was in the tank. I’m not sure if this makes a difference but wanted to add that in.

*Parameters - Very Important
I didn’t cycle my tank before adding the goldfish and I regret this deeply. I’ve utilized the 5-in-1 API test strips and the ammonia api test kit to test the water. As of right now the parameters are:
Kh: 80
Gh: 120
Ammonia: 0.50 ppm
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Freshwater pH: 7.5

Feeding
I’ve tried feeding him a little food once a day but he barely eats due to his condition. I try to add in about a pinch or two of flakes so that he can see the food but won’t leave a lot of leftovers. Unfortunately, he just avoids it for now. During his first day home, I tried feeding him zucchini. He didn’t eat it and i fished it out to avoid food rot. The next day, I bought him Aqueon fish flakes but he didn’t pay attention to that either. Perhaps I don’t see him eat? He’s pooped twice since I’ve had him but it was thin and stringy. Eats very rarely and I might not see him do it.

Illness & Symptoms
I’ve had this fish for five days now. I received him last Wednesday, August 10th. Before that day, I had set up the tank and cleaned the water with a tsp of water conditioner as instructed. The first day home he behaved strangely. Clamping his dorsal and pelvic fins. Pacing up and down against the glass. Rubbing against the substrate as if he was digging for something. He’d also swim to the surface as if to eat but he’d never consume the food; just swallow air. That same night, I decided to do a 100% water change but that might’ve been a mistake. I conditioned the tank this time with 1/2 a tsp out of fear that it may be the water conditioner. The next day, Thursday, I noticed red veins in his caudal fin. The day after that, Friday, I noticed the red veins now in his pelvic fins. + his pelvic fins were fraying. As of Sunday, his beautiful caudal fin has now lost some pieces and his pelvic fins are ragged. The red veins look less harsh and his dorsal fin doesn’t clamp like before. Sadly, he’s still not eating immediately. His previous owner stated that he’d always eat immediately and would bully his companions for the food. Additionally, when I first got him he seemed to be in perfect condition. I’m just concerned and worried about how everything went wrong so fast.

Explain your emergency situation in detail.
My situation as of right now is that I’m trying to start the nitrogen cycle in my main 10 gallon tank. I’ve washed/strained the ornaments (plastic plants + resin lantern aquatic decor by Imagitarium) and the black gravel (also by Imagitarium) with plain tap water. I’ve washed the penn-plax underwater gravel filter. I’ve conditioned the water with Imagitarium gravel conditioner and the current temperature is 71. I did not condition the water before adding it to the tank. I conditioned the water IN the tank. The goldfish is currently being kept in a small 5 gallon tank with an emergency air pump and a quiet flow filter running while I start the nitrogen cycle. The 5 gallon is not cycled and neither is the 10 gallon. I’m debating whether I should just place the goldfish in the bigger tank to avoid stressing him out or if I should just do daily water changes in the 5 gallon. Additionally, I’ve purchased aquarium salt to treat his fin rot but I’d like to know if there’s anything else I can do to help him get better? I really love this fish a lot and I want him to live a long comfortable life. I feel so regretful for not looking into everything as deeply as I should’ve. I’d really appreciate any advice so I can help him survive!

 

If it's the only fish that you have, why did you remove it from the tank and put it into the smaller one? I think it would be better off in the bigger tank.

 

move him to the bigger tank. you're doing a fish in cycle either way. you'll need to do a 50% water change everyday. you don't need a heater.

get some Seachem Prime, it'll help detox the ammonia and nitrite for up to 48hrs.

goldfish need 20-25g per fish. so once you get this the 10g cycled you'll probably need to do a 50% water change every 3-4 days to keep the nitrate below 20ppm.

also, goldfish are social fish, if you can get a 40g or larger, get a second goldfish.

 

I agree with V and jt above. Use the 10 for now but check CL for larger tanks, there are a lot available in our area and price is negotiable. If mods can help us exchange contact info, (new members don't have PM privileges) I can supply seeded filter material and other necessities.

Your fish looks nice, no reason you can't save him. These common goldfish are more robust than the fancies.

 

move him to the bigger tank. you're doing a fish in cycle either way. you'll need to do a 50% water change everyday. you don't need a heater.

get some Seachem Prime, it'll help detox the ammonia and nitrite for up to 48hrs.

goldfish need 20-25g per fish. so once you get this the 10g cycled you'll probably need to do a 50% water change every 3-4 days to keep the nitrate below 20ppm.

also, goldfish are social fish, if you can get a 40g or larger, get a second goldfish.

Thanks for the reply! I’m sorry for any stupid questions by the way. I’m really new at this and don’t want to mess anything else up. Is it alright to use the Seachem Prime while he’s in there or should I use it before placing him in? Is it alright to use Seachem prime while using quick start bacteria for the cycle?

I agree with V and jt above. Use the 10 for now but check CL for larger tanks, there are a lot available in our area and price is negotiable. If mods can help us exchange contact info, (new members don't have PM privileges) I can supply seeded filter material and other necessities.

Your fish looks nice, no reason you can't save him. These common goldfish are more robust than the fancies.

That really means a lot to me! I’m super grateful for the offer right now. Thank you very much, KingOscar.

I’m not quite sure if I’m allowed to share contact information in a thread. What part of the CL area are you from? Just to get a grasp of distance. I’m from the lower west side of Chicago.

 

i remember correctly, Tetra said not to use dechlorinator when using their Safe Start. but Seachem Prime is more important when doing fish in cycle b/c it not only dechlorinates, but also detox ammonia and nitrite for up to 48hrs.

you can use it while he's in there.

 

i remember correctly, Tetra said not to use dechlorinator when using their Safe Start. but Seachem Prime is more important when doing fish in cycle b/c it not only dechlorinates, but also detox ammonia and nitrite for up to 48hrs.

you can use it while he's in there.

Alright sounds good! Just one last question, I had already cleaned the tap water with some water conditioner by imagitarium the day before. Would it be alright to add in Seachem prime on top of that? or should I remove some water from the tank, add Seachem prime to some new water, and then add that in? Thanks for all your advice and patience!

 

you can just add Prime.