Goldfish Help

rh1

rh1

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Last week I bought a Aquarium, I also purchased 3 goldfishes (1 small to medium & 2 small ones). Yesterday afternoon I purchase another 3 goldfishes and 2 black moors fishes and a cascade 300 pump & filter. This morning one of the new goldfishes was lying on it side. I remove it and place it in a glass bowl. On closer inspection, there are raised scales on its side. I gave it some food, it's not making any effort to eat.

What could it be? Could it be an infection? The other fishes are all fine and swimming about.

I should mentioned that all the fishes ( I bought yesterday) came from seperate tanks.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
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The raised scales sounds like it was sick, I'm not sure what its called but have read about it before.

For starters, do you have a testing kit to test the quality of your water i.e. ammonia, nitrate etc.. levels?

Secondly, when you buy new fish it is recommended that they are kept in quarantine for a certain period before you add them to your aquarium. In that way you ensure that you do not add any sick or diseased fish to your healthy stock and by doing so wipe out your whole aquarium.

EDIT: Its called dropsy. Just Google 'raised scales on goldfish' and you will have enough to read for the rest of the day
 
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As above, that tank needs to cycle first. Goldfish are quite hardy, but even then, the bacteria cycle needs to kick in and work first.

You have not indicated the size of your tank. You may be overstocking it. 8 fish in a smallish tank could be too much especially when it has not cycled.

Here is link to a SA forum for freshwater fish http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/ lots of info there
 
A picture that my help. if you are hearing about the cycle for the first time.

nitrogen-cycle.jpg



Do some reading up on the aquarium cycle and then join the forum that Ecco mentioned.
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/

The people there will help ot quickly.

You've got quite a few thing that you'll need to understand and then you'll be fine.
But you don't have time to waste.
 
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Should have let the tank run without fish for at least 2 weeks (a month is better).
 
AstroTurf said:
Should have let the tank run without fish for at least 2 weeks (a month is better).
Click to expand...

I ask the pet shop if it was okay to buy and add the fish immediately, and they said it was not a problem. Yesterday when I bought the other fishes, I explained that I bought a tank a week ago, and if it was okay to add the fishes. Once again they said it was not a problem.

But thanks for the advice, will check out the websites and suggestions.
 
rh1 said:
I ask the pet shop if it was okay to buy and add the fish immediately, and they said it was not a problem. Yesterday when I bought the other fishes, I explained that I bought a tank a week ago, and if it was okay to add the fishes. Once again they said it was not a problem.

But thanks for the advice, will check out the websites and suggestions.
Click to expand...

Ja, some of them do that.
When I started fish-keeping they didn't explain the cycle to me either.

Most people get caught out with that one so don't be too hard on yourself
Read up as much as you can and you'll be ok.

You may have to take some fish back though.
Ask on the forum first.
 
rh1 said:
I ask the pet shop if it was okay to buy and add the fish immediately, and they said it was not a problem. Yesterday when I bought the other fishes, I explained that I bought a tank a week ago, and if it was okay to add the fishes. Once again they said it was not a problem.

But thanks for the advice, will check out the websites and suggestions.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the people at Local Fish Stores(LFS) aren't always too clued up about the fish they are selling. Please don't take their word as gospel. It is imperative to cycle your tank before adding fish. There are many ways to cycle your tank, but the easiest is to buy 'Bacteria in a Bottle'-type product to start off the bacteria in your filter. You don't actually look after fish, you look after bacteria, as the bacteria keeps the fish in your tank alive.

How big is your tank?

Go register on TASA - there are many people there that will help you with your problem
 
rh1 said:
I ask the pet shop if it was okay to buy and add the fish immediately, and they said it was not a problem. Yesterday when I bought the other fishes, I explained that I bought a tank a week ago, and if it was okay to add the fishes. Once again they said it was not a problem.

But thanks for the advice, will check out the websites and suggestions.
Click to expand...

They are selling you something and that is their priority, not helping you with the right advice.
Lost an entire tank of tropical fish to fin rot listening to advice from a petshop (and putting 1 fish in an established tank).

The best thing to do is to keep a 2n'd "tank" running (can be a fish tank, can be a big bucket, it does not matter)
It gives you a source of clean water and an isolation area. Just remember to clean and sterilize after using as an isolation area so that your supply of water stays clean.
 
How big is this tank?

Could be a simple case of overstocking.

Did you add water straight from the tap? Could be chlorine/chloramine poisoning. Best to leave a bucket of water out overnight before adding it to the tank.

Goldfish normally don't handle a lack of cycling too badly.
 
Goldfish are hardy. In my experience I never cycled but did complete water changes when the bowl got so green I no longer saw orange swimming about. The only concession was a mini pump and declorinator. Flakes were swopped with peas from time to time to prevent swim bladder. I had two who survived in a medium bowl for over a year until one recent day my young daughter decided to add a new goldfish and that jumped out of the bowl and dried out under the couch but not before killing the other two by slow infection or over crowding. Lesson learned. If it works leave it alone and put new fish elsewhere.
 
How big is the tank?

Do a 10% water change every 2 days for the next 2 weeks and they will be fine as long as you have not overstocked the tank.
 
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