I had 9 golden fish in my tank they are about 1.5 to 2 '' in a tank of 50ltrs of water. I found 2 goldfish dead this morning after the solar eclipse. Similarly, 1 of my fishes was on the verge of dying and another died at the time of Lunar Eclipse. I did change the water and have medicated them with antibiotics as well. Is there any bad effect during eclipse? If so what can be done to prevent this? I also have a shark fish of 4 - 5'' length in the same tank.
2007-03-19 03:49:29 · 4 answers · asked by Tan 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
I know of no known connection between an eclipse and any bad effects on aquarium fish, so I would look at that as a coincidence and look to other reasons for the fish dieing.
The tank sounds rather over crowded and thing will only get far worse as the goldfish grow. Each of them has the potential of reaching a foot or more in a tank and 18" in a pond. Odds are very good that the shark has quite a bit of growing left to do as well.
Ammonia in the tank could well be the cause of your loses. Fish excrete ammonia into the water and it is then turned far less dangerous by bacteria in the filter and on the surfaces of the tank. You mention that you have treated with anitbiotics recently and this can kill off all of the bacteria mentioned above. That would allow ammonia to rise and kill the fish. I would suggest you remove several of the goldfish now and plan for removing all of them within the next few months as they continue to grow. Your tank simply isn't large enough to support goldfish. You do have room for one fancy goldfish in a tank that size, but only if alone. I would suggest that you might check into some smaller species of fishes like tetras and small livebearers. That would lead to a much more stable aquarium.
MM
2007-03-19 04:25:55 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I suspect your problem has nothing to do with the eclipse. IA couple questions need answering first though. How long have you had the tank? Was it cycled? I suspect your fish are dying from ammonia and nitrite poisoning. That is way too many fish for a 12 gallon tank. Goldfish are extremely hardy so if they are dying, there are serious problems. Test your water for ammonia and nitrite. If you don't have a kit, take some water to a fish store and they will test it for you. Make sure they tell you the readings though and not simply that your water is "OK". After all, if you fish die, they get to sell you more. You should buy yourself a good liquid master test kit so you can test your own water. For now, take out some water to test and do a 50% water change on the tank to lower the ammonia and nitrite levels.
You will need to upgrade to a larger tank soon or get rid of some fish. For 9 goldfish, you need close to a 100 gallon tank. And the shark will probably grow to a foot long and need to be in a tank of at least 55 gallons.
2007-03-19 11:15:53 · answer #2 · answered by rdd1952 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not normally. The Lunar eclipse does have effects on many things but I would not personally think this was the reason.
50L tank is not very large for 9 gold fish. How long has your tank been running prior to adding your fish? It may not be cycled completely. What are your water test readings? Ammonia Nitrates etc? Also water temperature?
Gold fish are cold water pond fish and require 1 sq foot of surface water per fish. They also require lots of dissolved oxygen. This only comes from water movement (when it touches the air) Filters, powerheads, water falls waves etc.
Check your water quality by testing it. The ammonia could be spiking causing your fish to die. For now, since you have so many fish, lower your water level 1/2-1" in the tank. This will allow the filter to DUMP water into your tank. Antibiotics right now isn't going to do your fish much good. Are they showing other signs of disease or problems?
Your tank sounds over crowded. Keep an eye on your ammonia level, you may have to keep up with a 25% water change on a regular basis until you either remove some fish from your tank, or get a larger one.
2007-03-19 10:55:56 · answer #3 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are weird things that happen during an Eclipse, but i don't think that would cause your fish to die. Something else is wrong in your tank.
2007-03-20 14:26:57 · answer #4 · answered by Chelsea I 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋