Help! Fish Emergency...

[Smart Red]

Linn, When you kept your fish in the 55 gallon aquarium, did you keep its water as cool as you now keep the fish in the buckets in the sunroom?
And did you lose any fish in the aquarium method?

At first the 55 gallon unit was in the wall between the living room and the dining room so the water temperature was about 67 degrees (F). Later the unit was moved into the basement where it stayed closer to 54 degrees (F). The coolest my sun room will get on the coldest winter night is just about 40 degrees (F). For goldfish there is no ideal temperature. They are active and moving at all temperatures. They do eat more when in the house, while they don't need much when the temps are cold. For me, The last three years it was easier to keep them in the sunroom than in the house proper. I actually had more problems with healthy fish when they were in the living/dining room. Somehow one of them contracted ICK. Took him to the vet. Had to treat the whole aquarium of fish. He did heal and lived another two years.

The only fish I have lost over the winter were three very tiny minnow babies that didn't take the move well. I suspected they were injured when caught and survived only a few days inside. Goldfish are hard to kill as long as you provide clean water at the same temp as the old water.

How often do I feed them? Not very often. I tried putting a few flakes in the bucket each day, but they were left uneaten so I generally fed them once a week - once after they had been in the new water for a week and once on the day before I changed their water. In nature, they don't have food to eat through the winter, so their systems are adjusted to slower metabolisms through the winter.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Thanks, Linn!

All 7 fish are still alive, and they have passed the 48-hour mark in the new tank, so that is something. They seem happy. However, a man at The Aquarium says he usually sees the most ammonia spikes in new tanks on Days 3 and 4, so I'll be watching closely the next couple of days.

Took a water sample to PetSmart today and it tested fine. The worker said fish do poop and release some ammonia while in 50 F temps, though not nearly as much as if in higher water temps. She thinks my filter system and tank are fine for the 7 goldfish I have. She does think an airstone/bubbler would be a nice addition. She thought water conditioner might be good, but I'm going conservatively on any additives. One fellow said he has Dr. Tim's bacteria, but it seems to get mixed reviews online.

My big concern is going away for 5 days next week, the 14th through the 18th. If the ammonia spike should occur then, or a fish die and create ammonia, that could be the end of the fish. The worker at Pet Smart doesn't think that will happen, though. But the man at The Aquarium said an ammonia spike could occur anytime.

The Pet Smart worker thinks I should keep the fish at the 50 F temp from now until we return on the 18th and then gradually increase the temperature as the winter weather gets colder. She said I could feed them some fall food when we get home. We are thinking that by keeping the water cold and not feeding them, an ammonia spike isn't as likely to occur until after we get home. I will also do a water change on Monday.

 

[GardenGeisha]

I just noticed that the white goldfish seems to be missing a patch of scales today. Do you think it could be a disease like Myxosporidiosis? I was reading that pond fish tend to be more prone to parasites than indoor fish.
Do you suppose I could have scraped him while netting him? There's nothing sharp for him to rub up against in the tank, there is no bullying going on, and he's not acting itchy.

 

[Smart Red]

OMG! Here is proof that ignorance is bliss.

I do nothing but provide water and the occasional food. Never heard of ammonia spikes or water testing for pond fish. No filter system, no airstone/bubbler, no water conditioner, no idea what Dr. Tim has to do with goldfish; and yet I manage to keep them alive year after year.

What I bought were 'feeder fish'. They were raised to be fed to piranha or other hungry pet. I gave them the freedom of the outdoors, the man-made pond, the mosquitoes, tadpoles, and bugs that make their way in the water, fresh well water, and goldfish food. I thought that was more than enough to keep carp happy. Now I know differently and I intend to change. . . not one thing.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Well, not all of us have the benefit of fresh well water at our disposal, Linn. Nor rooms big enough and cool enough to overwinter fish in the way you manage to do. And I didn't buy my fish like you did. They were dumped in my pond by another person, suddenly becoming my responsibility, because they were on my property. He thought it would be fine just to let them die over the winter in the pond. I'm glad your method works for you, but not all of us have the options you do...

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

if you were to leave the fish out in the winter you would just need to thaw a hole in the ice to let the gases escape. once the temps drop below 50 degrees in the water you shouldn't be feeding them or there will be a big buildup of toxic ammonia. i've stuck to feeding my koi and comets every 2-3 days to keep the level of gases and waste to a minimum in their tank. an air stone doesn't do much other than keep oxygen in the tank and as long as you keep oxygenating plants in the tank those usually helps to keep the gasses from becoming overwhelming. (though i find it difficult to keep the plants alive in the winter in the house since the fish nibble them back). the filter is the important thing with koi/goldfish and needs to get established with beneficial bacteria to keep them healthy.

about your missing scale, probably during the move and trying to catch it you may have lost the scale. just keep an eye on it and try to observe the area for any raised or red areas. it should grow back. i would say a better place to look up carp specific issues is through one of my favorite websites called www.Koivet.com. it's not just about koi and will focus on carp and keeping them in ponds and aquariums. it goes over diseases/bacteria/fungus/parasites and treatments.

 

[Jared77]

When I had a pond at our old house I used a submersible pump to circulate the water and cause surface disruption to help trigger gas exchange. Combine that with a trough heater it was enough to keep the ice from totally freezing over & the fish alive. I wouldn't feed
Them unless the water temp was over 60 degrees either so they can digest their food. They did just fine under those conditions & even produced babies.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Well, I am extremely happy to report that the 7 fish survived my being away on vacation and are still doing swimmingly! The aquarium seems to have 'cycled' as ammonia and nitrites now read 0. For a while they were showing on the strips, but after 1 month, everything seems to be where it should. With temps down to 2 F outside, their tank water was at about 48 F a few days ago, but I bought a new heater and it is now up to 59 F, which I have read is perfect for goldfish, a temperature at which they are really happy-- not too cold, not too hot. I am feeding them Tetra Pond Sticks occasionally, along with parboiled peas ever so often, to help elimination. I took out their airstone and pump, as I felt it wasn't necessary and was perhaps frightening them. I need to set up the light timer so they have 8 hours of light and the rest of dark. Right now I turn the light off and on manually, but sometimes I forget. A little wire lid fits over most of the tank (the kind of lid you normally use on reptile tanks), allowing my hand enough room to feed them without having to move the lid off and on, and the lid keeps the cats out. They haven't even tried jumping up on it, although the kitten LOVES to watch the fish swim and will bat his paws at the side of the aquarium when he is watching the fish, but it doesn't seem to scare the fish.

Now that the tank has cycled I have to worry about putting in a new filter pad. They are to be changed once a month, but I don't want to get rid of the good bacteria on the filter pad when I do so, although it is thought that most of the good bacteria is probably on the biowheel by now. So maybe it's not a worry after all? I also need to vacuum some of the gravel, just a portion at a time.

Whew! Thanks everyone for all your good help and suggestions and for putting up with all my angst. :>)

By the way, there was never the dreaded ammonia spike that I so feared. The ammonia went up a bit, but it didn't spike, fortunately. I do have a problem with 'Brother Fred' hogging the fish food, so I may have to put a divider in the tank at some point as I feed the fish, if it seems the littler fish aren't getting their share.

 

[so lucky]

Glad to hear they are doing well. Changing the filter pad shouldn't cause a problem.

 

[digitS']

Me, too! Glad you aren't having problems.

It all makes me wish I had fish again. Outdoors would be really nice but I've no experience there. I had Bettas for years and they did fine - except the babies. I suppose you've got to start somewhere but it seemed pretty clear to me after awhile that I didn't have the expertise to do more than "keep" Bettas.

When I moved to my current home, I thought that fish would make it seem more homey. With a modest size tank and not wanting to get out the little Betta tanks again, I decided that a few of the flamboyant Goldfish would be just great. I couldn't keep them alive!

I had people tell me later that it doesn't take many Goldfish to over-crowd the tank and over-burden the filtering system. Now, I have a feeling that there's new technology for cleaner water.

Steve