I got two goldfish a couple of days ago and was told to feed them once every other day. Well I fed them every day instead. Then today when I arrived at my home, they were fine. I didn't feed them, thinking I had already fed them too much since I fed them everyday, and 10 minutes later one of the fish is dead! I tapped on the glass to be sure; no movement. I bumped him with my dipper; still no movement. I assumed he was dead so I respectively flushed him. Then I read online that fish will sometimes float or sink if they have stomach problems. Is it possible my fish was alive and I just flushed him?! He was floating on his side, and his fins weren't moving so he looked dead to me. Anyone have anything to say to this?
2007-01-22 07:45:00 · 12 answers · asked by Lynze D 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
He's dead but I doubt you killed him. I feed my goldfish every day and they're fine. Something else probably resulted in his death.
2007-01-22 07:48:36 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, that's not possible. Even sick goldfish will move or react if you poke them. Flushing was not the cause of death; he was dead before you removed him.
Also, feeding him every day did not kill him. I feed all my fish twice a day. The danger of feeding them every day is if you keep them in a bowl. I'll get to that later.
This begs the question, though: what really did kill him?
Without knowing more details I can't guess, these are some possibilities:
Did you cycle the tank before putting them in?
First of all, have you cycled your tank? 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.
Did you use a dechlorinator to neutralize the chlorine in your tap water?
What are you keeping them in? Despite what you may have been told, goldfish are not okay in bowls or small tanks. They are large, heavy-bodied fish. Even the smallest type - fancies - can grow to 8", and they produce a lot of waste (toxic ammonia). They need 15-20 gallons of water per fish to be healthy. Larger goldies like commons and comets are pond fish, and need 100s of gallons to be healthy. Properly cared for, goldfish can live well into their teens and beyond.
2007-01-22 15:51:23 · answer #2 · answered by Zoe 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
your fish was definitaly dead.when a fish floats to the top of the water on its side and its gills dont contract its deceased. over feeding a fish will cause it to die due to a bacteria that forms on the bottom of its bowl. thats not the only thing that could have killed your fish though. next time you buy a fish make shore you dechlorinate its water and check the ph level.you want to make sure the tempiture of the water is correct for the fishes oasis,you can do that by mixing cold and hot water. gold fish perfer cold water though.Another thing that could harm your fish is you tapping on the glass.the vibrations harm them and are magnified do to the water. you definitaly made the right call by flushing your fish because it was dead.
2007-01-22 15:56:37 · answer #3 · answered by nichole 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Feeding them every day is fine. I personally feed smaller amounts twice a day, which insures better digestion than one huge meal. Anyway, if he dies after two days it was the fish and not you. But, since you flushed him you can't prove it. Next time you just get a fish and it does, bring him back to the store with you reciept and you should get a new fish. Usually stores have guarantees.
2007-01-22 15:49:08 · answer #4 · answered by lildi_32 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You didn't kill him--he was already dead. It is okay to feed them every day--just feed them small amounts. The problem with goldfish is they require more oxygen. If you don't have a filter in your tank--if you keep them in a bowl--then you have to change the water every 4-5 days to keep the oxygen in the water. That might have been the problem. Or perhaps he was just sick to begin with.
2007-01-22 15:54:24 · answer #5 · answered by bellegurl17 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, if he was on his side, and there was no movement when you poked him, and his gills weren't opening and closing, then he was dead.
Also, I always fed my goldfish every day (not too much, though) and they were fine.
2007-01-22 15:49:26 · answer #6 · answered by Jess H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He was dead. Your feeding schedule is not what killed him. Something else was wrong. What kind of goldfish was it? What size tank was it in? Did you cycle the tank? What are your ammonia, nitrite readings?
2007-01-22 16:23:18 · answer #7 · answered by fish guy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i think its dead cause fish RARELY ever do that at all.
flushing a fish sometimes i think (weirdly) that some fish wakes up on there floating style.
one last thing was its eyes open all that time???
() ()
(0-0)
( __) copy this bunny to your profile to gain world domination, come hoin the dark side, (we have cookies)
2007-01-22 15:51:27 · answer #8 · answered by NARU/SAKU HECK YEAH! 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
he sounds pretty dead. they usually get cloudy eyes when they die. fish usually come from the store pretty sick and if your tank is new it didn't help. you need to add good bacteria to your water or the bacteria that is in the water naturally will take over and kill your fish pretty fast.
2007-01-22 18:05:20 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well look at it this way. If it was not dead it is free again.
2007-01-22 15:51:27 · answer #10 · answered by Biker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋