My goldfish is acting funny?

Question

I just got 3 goldfish about 36 hours ago and one died and there is another one that is not swimming at all but i can see her breathing. Do you know what is wrong with my fish?

Oh and the other one is acting fine.

oh now i think that she is dead but could she be like passed out or in a coma or does that not happen to fish?

The living one keeps putting his lips out far is it a sign for anything?

Is using spring water that has been sitting in our house for awhile good for the fish?

Answer 1

They are probably getting a disease called shock which is when a fish moves from one habbitat to a new one and they are differant in areas like oxygen in the water and water temperature what you can do is buy a tank heater at a petsmart or petco and get an air pump for the tank to they could also be getting types of bacteria so they should have a filter and the tank should be cleaned everyother day.Gold fish are some of the most hardy fish which means they can withstand a lot so you have to figure out what is wrong because if two of three are dying or are dead than something must be wrong Good luck and i hope your fish get better

Answer 2

You don't mention anything about how you're housing them, and this could be the problem. Goldfish produce a lot of ammonia which is toxic to fish. They should be kept in a proper tank (at least 10 gallon to begin) with a filter.

The ammonia these fish produce can eventually be converted into nitrate in a process called cycling. This is done by bacteria, but in 36 hours, you don't have the time to build up the amount needed - this usually takes 3-6 weeks, sometimes longer. Until then, you'll need to do frequent partial water changes and not overfeed the fish. By this, I mean 15% chanes twice a week or 25% once a week if they have a filter, or 100% 2-3 times a week without. They should only be fed what they can eat in 2-3 minutes, twice a day, and any left over should be removed right away with a net.

The filter not only helps clean the water but provides dissolved oxygen in the water. Goldfish are a cool water fish, so it's best if their water temperature stays below 75oF. The warmer the water, the less oxygen it can hold.

It sounds as though your fish are experiencing ammonia poisoning - a water change of around 50% with water slightly cooler than what they're presently in if the water is warm will help your remaining fish - just add the replacement water slowly and remember to add something to remove the chlorine/chloramine. Letting the water sit 24 hours is no longer an accepted method for aging the water - if your water company uses chloramine to treat, this will not remove the chloramine, only chlorine: http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/chlor.htm

If your goldfish are commons (types with a single tail) these can get to around 10-18" as adults - eventually you should give them at least 20 gallons for the first fish and 10 gallons for every fish after.



ADDITION: If you're asking about bottled spring water, this would be okay to use, but it can get rather expensive for you. There's nothing wrong with using tap water as long as you have the correct conditioner that removes what your water company puts in (as far chlorine or chloramine). If they use chloramine, you want a conditioner that specifies it removes or neutralizes, not "breaks the chloramine bond - this still allows toxic ammonia to be present. If the water is from a natural spring, if the water is tested and approved for human consumption, it should be okay, but otherwise, it may have minerals that aren't safe for your fish.

Answer 3

As I suggested yesterday - return it Healthy goldfish with proper environments are curious and active - they do not hide or act the way yours is You updated your question about how it's doing but ignored supplying us with details about its tank size, filtration, and if you put the tank through a "proper" nitrogen cycle If you think You're stressed, try to imagine how that fish must be feeling sitting in a tank that's more than likely killing it and it has no control over the situation So I will say it again - return the fish before it dies If you return it now it may have a chance if the store can get it into an appropriate environment ~ Ok,I'm not trying to be rude here but I've been keeping these guys for over 10 years, and I'm telling you there is something very wrong going on with the environment in your tank if it's not curious, active and constantly hungry If you did Not put your tank through a proper nitrogen cycle - meaning as already stated, 4-6 weeks of a source of ammonia until your water parameters are reading perfect, you need to return that fish or it will die - it already is 20g bare minimum for a single oranda with double the filtration and a completely established tank prior to introducing it Be a responsible owner and return that fish so it might have a chance if they can get it into an established environment These guys will get massive and should Easily live over a decade if kept properly Nothing about the behaviour of your fish is normal and I'm guessing its environment is at fault

Answer 4

First of all, what type of container are you keeping them in. Is it a fish bowl or a fish tank? If it is a fish bowl then you have too many in it. Another thing, did you treat your water before adding the fish, and possible allowing the bowl or fish tank to "cycle" for the beneficial bacteria that they will need? Also, how cold is your water? If the water is too cold then you need to provide heat by adding a heater. Read up on how warm or cool the water should be so that you can keep it at the right tempt. Another thing, did you allow you fish to float a little while in the oringinal container before adding them to their home. If you just dumped the fish in, this could cause shock which will kill your fish.

Answer 5

There is not enough air filtering throughout the aquarium and the water is probaby infected. So buy a bigger air-filtered aquarium for your fish that is fine and futuer fish to be but keep the diseased one in the one it's allready in.

Answer 6

Ammonia is the #1 fish killer. If they are red around the gills, or look like they are breathing fast, or coming up to the surface for air, they more than likely have ammonia poisoning. This can be caused by decomposing food, bad water or overcrowding.

I would get to a pet store to get some testing supplies and ask them what the best treatment option is for your fish and the type of filtration system you have.

Answer 7

the fish do not need oxygen. my frend had 3 fish who didnt have an oxygen bubbler in their tank and they lived for about a year. make sure your water in the fish tank was been sitting in a water jug for about a day. if u put the fish in water that is not room temp. then they will die.

Answer 8

Um. The water is definantly not right. You need to have a filter and pump to clean it. You also need to get a test kit to test the water and to see what the readings are.

Answer 9

Probably suffering from shock. These creatures are very sensitive to change in environment. Maybe the water you put them in is too cold . Chances are the one that is not swimming will die soon-sorry. Good luck with the third one-sounds like he will do just fine.

Answer 10

when you got them did you set them in the bag in your aquarium or did you just pour them all in the tank right away? because if you didnt get them used to their new water, they might have gotten very sick, also im not sure if the go into comas sorry.