My daughters friends dad gave my daughter 2 goldfish, we put them in a large tank, bought a filter and all the bumph and they died within 2 days?? where did we go wrong?
2006-12-15 01:25:07 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
You need to put water in aswell - supprised they lasted 2 days :-)
2006-12-15 01:28:35 · answer #1 · answered by 18_Inch_Guns! 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Most likely if they die that soon it is either disease, or what they call "new tank syndrome." Fish constantly give off ammonia, goldfish give off about twice as much ammonia as tropical fish. In a new tank, no matter how expensive of a filter you get, there is nothing to get rid of the ammonia until good bacteria build up. It's called the nitrogen cycle, good bacteria build up and take care of the fish waste. This is the reason you should never change all the water in the tank, only change 25% every 2 weeks so you always have some of the good bacteria.
However, for them to die in 2 days, it would have to be way too much in the tank. Example is you should have 1" of fish per 10 gallons in a new tank with goldfish. Yup the tank is going to look empty, but until that bacteria build up in about 4 weeks, you don't want many in there.
The other possibility, and the most likely reason is over feeding. A fish's stomach is about the size of their eye. For a small 1" comet, the usually eat about 2 or 3 flakes. They may eat more, but you have to give it to them a tiny bit at a time so they get a chance to eat it before it falls. If any food falls to the gravel, or gets sucked in the filter, it adds to the harmful ammonia and nitrites that are in a new tank. Also the more they eat, the more waste they give off, not good in the beginning. For 2 small 1" fish in a new tank, feed them just a couple flakes, every other day.
Seeing you have the stuff, try again. Maybe get a heater and try tropical fish, which actually tend to be easier. The first month of a tank is very frustrating, but take it slow, be patient, and the tank is much easier to take care of later.
Most important, go to a reputable fish store, not Walmart. I can't say the Walmart has bad fish, but you need the help and knowledge that you will only get at a reputable fish store.
2006-12-15 09:42:56 · answer #2 · answered by Jennifer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did you use dechlorinator to remove the chlorine from the water?
Did you put them in the tank in their bag slowly so the temperature could adjust? If they go from cold to warm water (or vice versa) too quickly they can die of shock.
Otherwise, it may have been a cycling issue. In the wild, and in established tanks, there are nitrifying bacteria that break down toxic ammonia from fish waste and excess food into less toxic nitrates. In a brand new tank, these bacteria don't exist, so any fish in the tank will produce ammonia, which, not being broken down by bacteria, will kill or weaken the fish. So, it is vital to cycle your tank.
There are a few methods. Do you have access to an established tank? These bacteria live in the gravel and in the filter cartridge, so if you can get some from another tank, you can put the bacteria right into your tank. Another way is to get Bio-Spira. It is the actual live bacteria in a little pouch, and your tank will instantly be ready for fish. http://fishstoretn.com/bio_spira.html
Other methods, which include putting a source of ammonia in the tank and letting the bacteria build up on its own, or putting a fish in and letting the fish produce ammonia (which borders on animal cruelty, because the fish will suffer from the ammonia in the tank), take 2 to 6 weeks before your tank is ready. If you rush that, any fish you buy may die, so try one of the instant methods I mentioned above (bio-spira or gravel from another tank).
However, goldfish are usually hardy enough to survive an ammonia spike. Goldfish are terribly inbred and often poorly cared for the petstore (ever seen those tanks PACKED with goldfish and a couple lying dead on the floor?) I don't know where you friend got them but it is possible they were already sick and the shock from the move killed them. :(
Please don't let this experience get your down on fish! It's a great hobby, definitely taught me responsibility when I was a kid. If your daughter wants to give it another shot, encourage her to research it herself.
2006-12-15 09:30:33 · answer #3 · answered by Zoe 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think the first problem is the large tank u had them in, maybe the water wasn't filtered properly and they weren't well fed due to the access thay had to the food because of the large surface area. fishes need a specific amount of space which must not be too much or too little. Another factor can be the temperature of the water and also isolation.
2006-12-15 18:28:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you probably didn't do anything wrong, odds are that the fish were probably sick when they were purchased, contrary to popular belief, wholesalers, middlemen and some pet shops don't care whether the fish are healthy or not
go get a book about aquarium keeping and goldfish, read it with your daughter and study it, prepare your tank then buy some more fish wish you lived nearby, I have plenty of babies this year
Good Luck
2006-12-16 05:49:38 · answer #5 · answered by Loollea 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the fish probably went into shark they will do that sometimes when they are moved from one place to another.were they added to your tank the correct way because if not that will cause them to die.Because when you bye them from a pet shop or from other department stores they always tell you to let the fish set in the tank for about fifteen minutes before you add them to your tank and also drain all the water off the new fish before adding them to your tank if y'all didn't do this then it's probably what cause your two fish to die.(SORRY)
2006-12-15 10:13:40 · answer #6 · answered by heavenlli_61 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Water pH level, the type of food, and water temperature are the important factors to keep the fishes alive !!!
2006-12-15 09:34:06 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
some goldfish can be more vulnerable than others, also depending on the water quality, along with any illness they may have had, any of these and many others could have cause them to die.
2006-12-15 11:44:06 · answer #8 · answered by sensabosk 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most likely it is a water qualily problem. too much amonia and not enough beneficial bacteria to convert it to less harmless compounds. if the water went cloudy you can bet it was a water quality problem.
2006-12-15 09:35:19 · answer #9 · answered by Robin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you allowed them into the house. Goldfish are suicidal.
Or more likely, not long enough for them to get used to the change in water/temperature/chemistry etc. They don't like shocks.
2006-12-15 09:27:23 · answer #10 · answered by wild_eep 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
they might have died of fright being moved to a new house and new tank.
2006-12-15 18:11:04 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋