What is wrong with my goldfish?

[Ethan.R]

So I got this goldfish from my 9 year old cousin (to save the poor fish), he was totally healthy when I got him. He lived in this small bowl and was fed with rice all the time for 2 months so I decided to get a proper fish tank that is bigger and get him proper fish food. Since last week he has been in a 5 gallon tank.
He has not been moving much since 2 days ago. He was sitting on the bottom of the tank sometimes, now he is barely moving just standing there and not eating anymore but his fin is not down.
I live in Afghanistan and we don't have fancy equipment here, I tried to find a water test kit but no luck. There is only one place that sells fish and the guy had no idea about a water test kit and what pH or nitrite, nitrate and... is. My point is I can't get the water parameters as I don't have the tool and the tank has no equipment but I do at least 50% water change everyday and the water I use has no chlorine at all (natural from a pit)

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to save him.

Here are pics of what he looks like and stands there and what I feed him with.

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[mac]

Hello,

Sorry to hear about your issues.
More so that finding the required equipment is very to to possibly impossible. Very sad indeed.

What it's sounding like is the tank is cycling. What have you got for filtration?? Or at least to agitate the water for airation?

Really good news to hear of daily water changes. They are very important, even more so in cycling a tank.

Since I am not on my main computer i am unable to post the required link. But in the beginner section is articles for cycling tanks. Look at the fish in cycle. I do understand it's made for test kits to help with the water changes and cycling. But their is still some very useful information to help you out along the way.

Mac

[Ethan.R]

Hello,

Sorry to hear about your issues.
More so that finding the required equipment is very to to possibly impossible. Very sad indeed.

What it's sounding like is the tank is cycling. What have you got for filtration?? Or at least to agitate the water for airation?

Really good news to hear of daily water changes. They are very important, even more so in cycling a tank.

Since I am not on my main computer i am unable to post the required link. But in the beginner section is articles for cycling tanks. Look at the fish in cycle. I do understand it's made for test kits to help with the water changes and cycling. But their is still some very useful information to help you out along the way.

Mac

Hello,

Thank you very much for the fast reply. I just read an article about cycling. As I said I have no equipment. I only had these seashells that I collected from the beach during my trip to Dubai and bought this artificial plant for decoration so they are all new and never been in another tank. Looks like I could use that small bowl for cycling and getting some bacteria in my new tank. So now would a little salt in the water help? Anything else I can quickly do?

[Ethan.R]

Would it help if I get another goldfish?

[mac]

I certainly would not add any more fish.

What you need if you can is get some sort of agitation going. A small air pump if you can get onr will be the best option.

Keep up the water changes.

[Ethan.R]

Added a small air pump but not sure if i should set it on low power or high power? How much do i want it to move the water? I dont want the water movement to annoy the fish.
Also today saw him swimming in very fast and strange patterns. Maybe itching? Any solution to that?

[mac]

At this stage what we need to do is get oxygen into the water so it dosnt go stale. Keep the watcher changes up daily.

Last thing which has been answered yet is what is the filtration? I am assuming you havnt got any. Is there any chance of a cheap air sponge type filter for the bacteria to form in so the cycle can finish over a couple of weeks??

[Ethan.R]

No i got no filteration. None available here. This fish is seriously sick. I dont think he would last long.

[mac]

With the agitation from the air stone and the water changes your making the environment way better for him.

All we need now is to sort out the filtration.

Have you researched diy air sponge fliters??

[Silbar]

Is it possible that the seashells are leaching something into the water (salt, calcium, etc)?

[Ethan.R]

Guys thanks for replying. I think he is fine now. Added a black moor to the tank today.

[Silbar]

Good news to hear that he is doing better.

[AmazonJoe]

With the air pump you can build a small filter. Using a sponge or sponges stacked on top of each other and a simple piece of plastic pipe/tube going through them and the airstone would be placed in the tube this will cause a airlift bringing water up through the pipe and allowing for some circulation and bio filtration.

Just make sure the airstone is smaller then the tube so water can pass over it and out the top of the pipe.
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[Boundava]

Guys thanks for replying. I think he is fine now. Added a black moor to the tank today.

Glad he is doing better. As for adding another goldfish-what size tank are they in? One fancy goldfish (NOT feeder or comet) needs 20 gallons of water, then add 10 gallons for each additional fancy goldfish. I hope they are not both in the 5 gallon tank?

[Slaphppy7]

Yes, it is an unfiltered 5 gallon tank.

[Boundava]

That isn't enough for one goldfish let alone two. Please try to upgrade their tank as soon as you can or return the new goldfish. Without a filter and even with daily water changes you are not doing your fish any good. This would be like you living in a closet-with the floor being your only means to relieve yourself and you walking/sleeping in it all day long until someone comes in and hoses your room down. Now add another person to that closet...


Ethan this isn't direct to you-but in general...
Goldfish are not small tank fish, I have no idea where this concept of them being bowl fish came from and anything under 10 gallons is a bowl to me.

[Ethan.R]

Thanks guys. I didn't know goldfish needed so much space. My tank is exactly 6.2 gallons. Last time I had 2 black moors in a smaller tank for about a year then gave them to someone else and they were totally healthy.
After 3 days now they are both sitting on the bottom of the tank. They don't look good. I just thought it is good to get a friend for my fish, looks like I should return the new one.

[AmazonJoe]

Good idea have you thought of a way to filter the tank yet?

[Ethan.R]

Good idea have you thought of a way to filter the tank yet?

I am going to make a filter with the air pump and sponge. One more thing tho, I see tiny air bubbles on top of the tank coming from the mouth of one of them. What does that mean?

[AmazonJoe]

Is it going to the top of tank gulping air?

[Ethan.R]

I dont think so. Both of them are sitting on the bottom. Is it a sickness or just because of water condition?