Goldfish sick. Possible ammonia issues. Mum's fishes, help needed.

[kaevx]

New member with fish problems! Before I begin: they're mums fishes, but I've had to take care of them the past 1.5 weeks and problems have popped up.

I've been reading non-stop about these things online, but if someone can give me some advice specific to my situation, it would be appreciated.

- In short: New fish, new fountain, new plant, overfeeding for the last week, recent heat wave saw water levels fall a fair bit

To save you all from a whole heap of reading:

• 9 y/o goldfish is sick - red streaks through its tail, which is torn and ragged. Occasionally seems listless but observed swimming around normally otherwise. Been told it could be ammonia or other types of poisoning
  
• Other goldfish was added ~1 month ago, 1yo, tips of fins are black, just slightly, ammonia burns?
  
• Fishes have been moved recently into a new fountain by mum. Don't think it was cycled? Size ~55L
  
• Pet store told me that: new tank, new fish, new plant in tank, recent heat + low water levels are the cause
  
  • Was given Melafix bacterial and anti-fungal remedy for 9y/o fish, plus water conditioner to use for both
    
  • Told to take out the plant just in case the soil is problematic?
    
  • Separated the fish after the 1yo fish started aggressively trying to nip at 9yo fish tail when plant was removed. Not sure why it suddenly did that
    

  [*]Yesterday - partially changed water + topped up levels, separated fish, put water conditioner & Melafix in. PH around 7.5

  [*]Today - got an ammonia kit, reading was about 4

  • Partially changed water 15-20% twice today in my panic, not sure if this was a good idea
    
  • Ammonia levels were low after the water change, but I understand I should give time after water change before measuring it?
    

Advice needed on: Water change frequency/amount? Should I get something to lower ammonia? Anything else that could help me save them, because if they die on my watch, I'll end up suffering the same fate too

Pic below is the 9yo fish. Red streaks through tail and seems torn. Top picture is from yesterday when I just noticed it, bottom picture is today. Lighting is different because I've moved the fish. Just to give you a clearer picture about its condition. Help would be greatly appreciated!

[Cam07]

Got to love looking after pets, I'll be interested to see what people say I by no means much good at this but I believe, ammonia of 4 is not good in my opinion and the only way you will lower it at this stage is water changes I suspect people will tell you to do constant large water changes to keep levels down or use a binding chemical to make it into the less toxic version but you will then run into nitrite problems eventually as it cycles. I have no idea if the damage is water related or other.,Other people's will know more on that topic there are quite a few knowledgable people on here that hopefully should be able to help. And I wrote this ramble to bump it up to the top so hopefully a more knowledgable person can help further. Best of luck

[PETFISH]

red streaking in fins is normally a bacterial disease but the fish also has fin rot, for the ammonia , dosing supachlor each day till a 0 reading on your test will bind ammonia into a non toxic form

[Cam07]

As I said a far more knowledgable member

[PETFISH]

Got to love looking after pets, I'll be interested to see what people say I by no means much good at this but I believe, ammonia of 4 is not good in my opinion and the only way you will lower it at this stage is water changes I suspect people will tell you to do constant large water changes to keep levels down or use a binding chemical to make it into the less toxic version but you will then run into nitrite problems eventually as it cycles. I have no idea if the damage is water related or other.,Other people's will know more on that topic there are quite a few knowledgable people on here that hopefully should be able to help. And I wrote this ramble to bump it up to the top so hopefully a more knowledgable person can help further. Best of luck

parcially right, there is no bacteria to process the waste, hence the ammonia, best not to w/c as this only prolong's the cycle time, dose s/chlor each day till 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite also adding API quick start will help establish the bacteria needed .

[kaevx]

Thanks guys! Up until yesterday I had basically zero knowledge of fishes and didn't want to get too much of the other products to add into the water and have only been focusing on water changes - the pet store member I spoke to about the fishes seemed like he was trying to sell me everything on the rack, so I didn't really trust him! I'll have to pop in a pet store to get some of the things mentioned though. Fishes are much harder to care for than expected. All the advice is much appreciated, guys! I never really liked fishes before (childhood trauma I guess), but the past two days worrying over them has made me attached, haha.

[Delapool]

Most water conditioners which detoxify ammonia will convert the ammonia to (safer) ammonium for 24 to 48 hrs. Seachem prime or API ammo lock are examples. You may still get an ammonia reading off the test kit as it measures total ammonia/ammonium.

Your tank should still cycle, rarely does dosing these conditioners cause the cycle to stall (although possibly a little slower). Make sure the product specifically says it does detoxify ammonia otherwise you are probably adding conditioner for no benefit.

Also if you are adding bacteria in a bottle I would only add ones that just are meant to increase the nitrifying bacteria eg API quick start. Adding the sludge destroying ones IMO is not needed as they reproduce much faster and may latch onto the fish instead. This is just IMO. FYI the ammonia is more dangerous to fish at higher ph and temperature.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/your-guide-to-ammonia-toxicity-159994.html

FYI a pinch of salt or seachem prime will reduce the following nitrites spike effect which may cause brown blood disease.

https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/1998/spring/nitrate.shtml

Regarding ammonia, a cycled tank will have a reading at 0. I'd check tap water used for pwc's just in case but generally tap water is good. Then water changes every day as needed to keep the ammonia down to around 0.25 to 0.5. Since this ammonia reading is still excessive in a cycled tank you will still get the nitrifying bacteria population growing to match the fish load.

Edited October 10, 2015 by Delapool