My goldfish aquarium has become cloudy & smells bad. Can i add a water conditioner while the fish are in it?

Question

This is the 1st time I have own fish. I have 4 gold fish in a 10 gallon aqurium. The aqurium has been set up for 5 days & the fish have been in it for 4days. On the the 3rd day the water has become cloudy and smells bad. If add a chemical to the tank that would clear the water, can the fish be in the aquarium when I do this??? PLEASE HELP!!

Answer 1

Your tank smells because it is VERY over stocked. Fancy goldfish need a minimum of 10 gallons each when babies and 20+ when adults, so either return the fish or get a bigger tank unless you don't care that you are killing them. They can live for 20+ years and even the smallest fancy can grow more then 8 inches but can get up to 12 inches long. You didn't say anything about cycling the tank so I'm assuming you didn't before you added the fish, which is also killing them. Deadly ammonia is building up in the tank causing it to smell, in a cycled tank there should be no ammonia or nitrite (also deadly) because beneficial bacteria converts the ammonia to nitrites then converts the nitrites to nitrates, which at very high levels can also be deadly but that is way you should do weekly water changes of about 15-20%.

For more infomation on the proper care of goldfish check out this site, it also will tell you more about cycling a tank. http://kokosgoldfish.com/

Answer 2

My personal experience has proven that you need to clean the gravel with a siphon cleaner at least once a week with goldfish. Assuming you have a filter set up for a 10 gal. tank, I would recommend that you purchase a new filter that is for a 20 gal. tank since you have 4 goldies in a 10 gal. Goldfish are very messy, hence the bad smell and cloudiness. I also will use some additional filter fiber that you can purchase at the petstore to add as further mechanical filtration once you do at least a 50% water change with water conditioners added to remove the chlorine that may be present in your water. Goldfish need water changes more often then tropical fish do. I have a 20 gal. with 4 large (more then 6" long) goldfish and I find that this is the best management for them. I would get the cloudiness and smell all the time before hand. Just adding a chemical will not solve the problem, you just need better mechanical filtration of their water. Do it religiously and they will gain is size quickly and healthily! Mine are only 1 1/2 years old! Good Luck!!

Answer 3

You will always have problems with the way you described the set-up. Goldfish are considered a messy fish--they produce more ammonia than most other fish--and they also get quite large--6"-8" for fancy goldfish varieties and 12"+ for common goldfish varieties. Most experienced aquariasts would say nothing smaller than a 55 gallon aquarium for the amount of goldfish you have. Plus since you stated this is a brand new tank, I am willing to bet money the tank hasn't even begun to cycle--that is the process where the bacterias that eat different wastes colonize the tank and keep it from becoming toxic to the fish. If you do not have a test kit for ammonia, go to your pet store right now and get one (and while you are at it try returning three of the goldfish). Since you tank isn't cycled, you will need to check the ammonia level often, if it is too high then do a water change (I'd try about 20%-25% of the tank volume) to lower it. At first you may be doing water changes more than once a day...especially if you do not rehome three of the four goldfish. Once the ammonia starts getting under control, you will need to start testing for nitrites--again doing water changes when these levels get in the danger zone. After both the ammonia and nitrites start staying at zero, you can consider your tank cycled and then you should only need to do a 20% water change about every week.

Answer 4

It's probably the bacteria from the food. If you feed the goldfish and there is a leftover, try to get the food with a net. Unless, if you have a filter. But some filters does not clean very well. Try to clean or put in a new filter. I am not sure if you can put the conditioner in it depending on the brand your using. If you want to put in a drop of conditioner, use it when you clean the whole tank when the other fish is temporary using a large cup or a bucket. Since the conditioner is made for using in the tank, it can't be poisonous for the goldfishes.

At least save half of the old water and put in fresh water. Some place has a special chemical in the water that can be very poisonous for your fish. You can use a purified water.

Another reason could be that if you're using plastic, it is most likely that it can get dirty easily. I prefer glass. Remember, you can always ask for help at your local pet shop. don't worry, your fish will be fine.

Answer 5

My very own journey has shown which you ought to bathe the gravel with a siphon purifier a minimum of as quickly as each and every week with goldfish. Assuming you have a filter out set up for a ten gal. tank, i might advise which you purchase a sparkling filter out it is for a 20 gal. tank for the reason which you have 4 goldies in a ten gal. Goldfish are very messy, hence the undesirable smell and cloudiness. I will additionally use some further filter out fiber for you to purchase on the petstore to function as further mechanical filtration as quickly as you do a minimum of a 50% water exchange with water conditioners further to get rid of the chlorine that is modern-day on your water. Goldfish want water differences greater in lots of situations then tropical fish do. I actually have a 20 gal. with 4 great (greater then 6" long) goldfish and that i discover that it is the terrific administration for them. i might get the cloudiness and smell each and all the time until eventually now hand. only including a chemical won't sparkling up the difficulty, you only want greater advantageous mechanical filtration of their water. Do it religiously and that they'll benefit is length without delay and healthily! Mine are only a million a million/2 years previous! sturdy success!!

Answer 6

Make sure you have a good filter, because goldfish are dirty. If you don't have one get one, it will help you in the long run. Next make sure you are doing 25% water changes twice a month to keep the yucky stuff down. There is a chemical that is safe to clear up the water. Just keep in mind that the rule for fresh water fish is 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon of water. If you are over that ratio then that is adding to your problem. Good luck and I hope I helped you!

Answer 7

if it smells bad you need to change the water. i do 1/3 to 1/2 water changes on my goldfish every 5 days in an established tank. some things you can do to help -- get a beneficial bacteria like cycle or stress zyme. keep up the water changes if it smells. get a better food. in general pellets won't mess up your water like flakes because there is less waste. you want a less waste food.

without your knowing it your tank is already overstocked. goldfish are one of the hardest fish to keep in a small tank and it can only be done with frequent water changes and constant monitoring. don't bother with the water testing kits. use your nose and get in the practice of changing lots of water. instead of buying a kit buy 2 small garbage cans and a gravel vacuum. keep water in one at all times at room temp ready to go in the fish (mine has a lid so it just looks like a random garbage can to the untrained eye) and use the other to gravel vacuum and get the water out every 5 days to a week. anytime the water smells a little off do a change. if you wouldn't want to be in the water its probably not good for the fish to be in it either.

Answer 8

I had this problem before when i had my first 10 gallon tank. The thing that makes it cloudy is a bacteria bloom. The actual general rule when setting up an aquarium is to let the tank run for at least a week without any fish in it. That way, beneficial bacteria will populate the tank.
Another reason would be that there is no circulation or aeration in the tank. If there is no current in the tank there is no air mixing in the water and everything will be suspended in place, inhibiting aerobic (good) bacteria and would grow anaerobic bacteria. A easy way to solve this is to basically get an air pump and it would help move the water. Hope this helps!

Answer 9

When i first had fish i had feeder gold fish. They are realy crummy fish. They basically poop themselves to death if you dont change the water enough. I sugjest getting rid of the goldfish and getting tropical fish. To get tropical fish you will need a heater. Right now your tank lacks the right backteria. To start off and break you new tank in i sugest getting zebra dainos. I have had my tank for a couple of years and not one of them has died. They are very hardy and can survive in many water tempetures. I your heater would break you would have time to replace it. Since you are just starting out i sugjest you get a gravel vacume to clean the poo out of the graval. you will also eventually need a clean up crew to eat alge. You can get snails or sucker fish. Before you go and buy fish test your water. If you go to petsmart or an aquarium store they should test your water for free if you bring a sample in. or you can buy a test kit for 10$ If you want you can also get live plants. just make shure you leave the light on for 12 hrs a day.

Answer 10

Get an oversized filter for you tank. Change the water and use water cond. You should have established your tank for at least 3 weeks b4 adding the fish.