My goldfish died what did I do???

Question

I got them at petco, I did everything they told me to do, I wake up this morning both fish are dead and I feel like a murderer.

I don't want to kill more fish, is there a fish that can survive even a fish-murderer like me???.

Answer 1

Don't blame yourself.
Petco doesn't take care of the fish the way they should, and sometimes, the fish are already sick and dying when you bring them home.
Also, goldfish will die in a bowl.
One goldfish needs 20 gallons all to itself!!! I'm serious. It has something to do with oxygen in the gills. And poop. They are very messy fish and need lots of space.
There are care sheets on the internet, read up on goldfish care, and go to a specialty store for the best and healthiest fish.

HINT: Don't buy the first fish they catch for you. Figure the sick ones are the slowest and the healthiest are the fastest. Make them put the first 5 in a seperate container and get one that is still in the tank.

Answer 2

Well first off I would look for a small retail store that sells only fish. There should be some in your area check the phonebook. These stores fish are usually healthy

Goldfish need a lot of room. SO make sure you have the appropriate amount of water for the fish

People in stores are not certified in fish care.. look carefully through websites.

Your tank needs to be cycled and fish should be slowly introduced (bag on top and then slowly adding water from your tank to the bag so that the fish isnt shocked by different water qualities)

Do not buy fish from stores where all the tanks on a wall are connected (petsmart,petco,walmart) IF any of the fish in ANY OF the tank are sitting on the bottom, have white spots, or there are dead fish in the tank (since the water is all connected all the fish are exposed)

And remember practice makes perfect.. you are not a fish-murder.. Give yourself some room for error, try again!

Answer 3

There are a lot of different reasons why your fish might have died. I had quite a few fish die on me when I first started. (all goldfish)

The fish might not have been in good health to start off with. Or, they could have gone into shock from the temperature change when you placed them in the tank/bowl. Also, they might not have had enough oxygen. There are so many things.

I would suggest going back to Petco and having a talk with them, see what they can do for you. Most places have a guarantee and will replace your fish if they die within 14 days of purchase.

Clean your tank out completely and refill it. Let it sit (with the filter working) for a couple of days. Then go back to petco and get more fish. Start with only 1 or 2. When you bring them home, stick the bag in the aquarium and leave it for an hour or so to let them get use to the new water temperature. Then, you can let them free in the tank. They should be fine.

Answer 4

Petco is fine for supplies, but for live animals or plants, go somewhere else. They are there to sell product, not to give you the best advice on how to keep pets in a healthy manner, assuming they even know how in the first place. I reserve my judgment on Petco to the extent that there are exceptions to the rule and there are a few employees at these places who actually do care and do have knowledge. Anyone who advises you that it is okay to keep a fish, any fish, in a bowl does not know what they're talking about and you should run away as fast as you can. Anyone who advises you that goldfish can be kept in anything less than a 10 gallon aquarium is wrong and you should run away as fast as you can. And this would be just one goldfish. Anyone who tells you you can keep several goldfish in a 10 gallon aquarium is also wrong. Go to your LFS, which stands for "local fish store." These are individuals who are dedicated to the proper and healthy keeping of fish. Who are knowledgeable and can give you good advice, not someone who is trying to make a few extra dollars after school. We have all had to learn these things the hard way. We have all been "murderers," and felt badly for it, which is why we studied, did research and learned so that the next time, we wouldn't be murderers. You are not a murderer. Every type of fish can survive you if you are only informed. Fish are not easy to take care of, especially goldfish. They are one of the most difficult fish there is. There is so much to know about taking care of fish properly. How to cycle water, how to do proper water changes and tank cleaning. Proper filtration and substrates. Proper lighting and plants. How to test the water to ensure that it is healthy. What beneficial bacteria is and understanding ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and their process. Learning about diseases and their treatment. Learning about the different types of goldfish so that you understand what their individual needs are. Goldfish are a joy and can make you laugh with their silly little antics, but before you get more, do some reading so that you understand how to take care of them so that they are happy and healthy. Then you will be happy too! Good luck to you!

Answer 5

Well let's break this down:

How big is your tank? How long has it been running? Have you cycled the tank?
If not or you don't know what cycling means here is a link which explains:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biolog.

A fish tank is not just water and a filter. It is a biological wonder world. The cycling process needs to be complete prior to adding fish to your tank.

When you started your tank, did you dechlor the water...used a chemical like start right or chlor out? These items take harmfull chemicals from your water and make it fish safe.

Did you float your fish when you brought them home?

Did you test your water, and if so what were the readings.

You can email me directly if you wish FishQueen_2000@yahoo and I will try to help you further.

P.S. You aren't a murder.

Answer 6

It's best to do your own research before you buy a pet, a lot of pet stores just want you to give them your money and don't really care about the animal. Here is a good website with all the information you could ever want to learn the proper way to care for goldfish if you want to try them again. They also have a place on their forum for other types of fish but you can just google the fish if you want other sites. http://kokosgoldfish.com/

Make sure you read up about cycling a tank.

Answer 7

Ask petco if they can give you a replacement. Also you are supposed to leave the fish in the bag on top of the fish bowl for a period of time so it can get use to the new water temp. If you didnt do that then the fish went into shock.

Answer 8

First of all if you put them in water you have to get a de-chlorinator to put in the water. Fish are killed by chlorine in their water but you can buy some liquid in the pet shops that will alleviate this problem.

I have about 24 huge goldfish in two ponds and sometimes the do just died but the last time we had a death in the pond it was almost 1.5 years ago. I feed them really good food I buy on Ebay from a pond specialist and I condition their water. Also they do need aeration of the water so you need a little air pump.

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/care.html

Answer 9

1. The water ran out of oxygen.
2. The fish were unhealthy.
There might be more but my fish died because the water didn't have enough oxygen.

Answer 10

Ok. Did you put rocks in your tank? Like the colorful ones that come in big bags? If you did, did you wash the rocks before putting them in your tank? I once killed six fish like that. The instruction on the bag of rocks says to wash the rocks in water to remove all toxins and poisons that will kill the fish. If you followed the directions and they still died then it wasn't your fault. And if you did kill them, as long as it wasn't on purpose, then don't be too hard on yourself. Everybody makes mistakes.