my sick fish?

[ashtonmedina]

1. Test results for the following:
    Ammonia Level?
    Nitrite Level?
    Nitrate Level (Before and After WC's)?
    Ph (in tank and out of tap)?   
    GH and KH?

i need to get a test kit, i am sorry that i do not have this yet, i did have a five stip pack, but i ran out. i won't be able to get any for a few days.

2. Tank Size?  How long has it been running?  How many gallons?
i have a ten gallon tank, & it's been running for a few months. since august.


3. Name and size of your filters?
aquatech i believe, it's a five - fifteen. i change the filters once a month, they have carbon.

4. How many fish in the tank?  Their size?
one fish, he's probably about three inches, but he's gotten fat.



5. How often and how much water do you change?
i change his water twice a week, & i usually take three gallons.

6. Water additives or conditioners used?
i condition the water with aquasafe, this has never changed.

7. What do you feed your fish?
i feed him flakes every so often, i feed him sinking pellets. i have experimented with apples, & lettuce for about a month or two. & i just recently bought shrimp pellets, but haven't actually seen him eat them.

8. Any medications added to the tank?
since i seen his color change, i did add a little bit of melafix.

9. Any new fish added to the tank?  When?
no.

10. Any new plants added to the tank?
yes, the same day that i started feeding him shrimp pellets.

11. Any unusual behavior from the fish?
      Fish are hanging near the surface and gulping for air and breathing rapidly.
no.

      Fish are scratching themselves against objects in the tank (flashing).
no.

      Fish has visible parasites or attached worms.
no.

      Fish floating upside down.
no.

      Fish has cloudy eyes.
no.

      Fish have white spots.
no.

      Fish is bloated and scales are standing out like a pinecone.
no.

      Fish have black spots on body and/or fins.
no.

      Fish have ulcers, lumps, or brown spots.
no.

      Fungus or white cottony patches on the fish.
no.

12. Well, city or RO water used for WC's?
well water, but is always conditioned.

13. Tank/Pond Temperature?
72 degrees.






i know how important it is that you get the water conditions, but i do not have them right now.
but i purchased a new plant, & shrimp pellets on saturday. i thought this would be nice for him to chomp on at times, but since then i have nothing but white specks floating through my tank when he touches the plant. i'm considering removing it.

but anyway, yesterday i noticed that my fish has a pink tint under his chin, & pink on his tail which is usually white. it's doesn't look right to me, i feel like something is wrong with him. so i put in some melafix. i feel like it has gotten worse today. if there is something i need to treat him with, then i will treat him right away. i've grown to love my goldfish, & i don't want anything to ever happen to him. :/

i know the water looks terrible, but i really change three gallons once or twice a week. it's gotten them specks all through it since i got the plant.

photos here. hope this helps so that you can understand what i'm talking about.

[Lolafish]

Until we know what your params are: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH it's really just a shot in the dark.  Can you take your water to an LFS and have it tested?  Write down exactly what the above params are (don't let them just tell you it's okay or not okay).

In the meantime, you need to change out more of your water.  A 10g. tank is fairly small for a GF, so I'd be changing 50-60% at least weekly.  Also, use a water conditioner like Prime or Amquel Plus (Amquel Plus is cheaper).  The other brands aren't going to utilize the bound ammonia, and release it back into your water in-between water changes.

As far as your photo goes, I really can't see what you're talking about.....that's not to say something is not going on.  Did you quarantine or treat your plants before putting them in the tank? 

[Lari]

Just a thought/possibility, you said you bought shrimp pellets.

Shrimp will "color up" a fish. It's one of the major factors in color enhancing foods.

It can be hard to tell the difference in color due to food change and color due to illness.

[Lolafish]

Just a thought/possibility, you said you bought shrimp pellets.

Shrimp will "color up" a fish. It's one of the major factors in color enhancing foods.

Very good point Lari.   :thumbup: 

[zookey]

Do you know what the plant is?  Can you post a picture.

I am concerned that the plant may not be a "True" aquatic plant since you say

but since then i have nothing but white specks floating through my tank when he touches the plant

I have bought plants that end up being toxic to my fish -- bought them from a pet store that didn't know better. 

If I were you I would remove the plant until it can be properly identified and do a 100% water change over the next 24 hours (2 changes of 60% would be ideal) to remove the traces of plant and white specs.  Those could be a  bug of some kind or something being emitted from the plants.

I would not suggest live plants in a 10 gallon with fish.  Plants use oxygen when the lights are out and also USE oxygen when they are dying.  Unless you have them planted in the right substrate and they get enough light and some require CO2 the plants will not actually produce oxygen like normal.  This will deplete the oxygen level in the water in your tank and your fish can drown (suffocate) as a result.  Gulping is sometimes a sign that the oxygen level in your water is not high enough.

It is also a good idea to have your water tested at your LFS if you are out of testing equipment.  API makes a great Master test kit that will give you most of the answers to our Parameter questions.

[ashtonmedina]

yes, i am sorry that i did not update everyone. i did remove the plant the day that i posted this. & also, changed my water. cleaned the filter, & all that other good stuff. i also removed all gravel i had in the bottom. i now decided that i will stick to a bare bottom. the next two days the water was still icky looking. my fish still has a pink tint, & i was talking to my friend at work. i was telling her that flamingo get their pink from eating shrimp, so it could be possible that he is turning pink from that. his behavior is fine; as far as i know. he is acting the same as always. when i was feeding him shrimp pellets, i noticed that they were sinking to the bottom, which is why i got them, & noticed that they quickly softened & broke into pieces & made the water look dirty. so i stopped giving him shrimp pellets for a couple of days & the water has been very clear the last two.


since two of you said that the shrimp can color a fish, that makes me feel a lot better. even though orange is a better shade for him. ;) but, i am hoping that it is from that & i don't know if i am going to continue with the pellets ever again, because i don't like the dirty water.

i will be upgrading my tank as soon as i have any extra money, because i feel that my fish is getting too large for the tank already. & then once i do that, i will do more research on plants & then start to use them. thanks for everyone's help.

[Lolafish]

i also removed all gravel i had in the bottom.

I wouldn't have done that without having a water testing kit, or at the very least, an ammonia tester.  The gravel holds a lot of BB's (beneficial bacteria), and removing it all at once can cause a cycle bump. 

Please get your water test kit ASAP, as that is next in priority on the list of supplies needed after food. 

[zookey]

Shrimp Pellets (if that is the name of the product and not the ingredients) are not really intended for goldfish food.  They are literally for shrimp.... they are designed to disintegrate fairly fast to feed Cherry Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, and even Wood shrimp... all are filter fish.... they like to remove debris from the water column.

If you find a good quality sinking Goldfish Pellet you will not have issues with dirty water unless you seriously overfeed.  I personally like the Omega One sinking goldfish pellets.  Give them a try and you will see that they don't get all soggy like the shrimp pellets.

I would also keep an eye on the "Pink" parts of your fish... I have never had a fish turn pink from eating shrimp pellets or any other food....... did have some get spotted from a poisonous plant.  Removing the plant and large water changes did help end the development of spots and they cleared fairly quickly.  I hope all is well with your fish and that he will be fine.