My First Attempt = Massive Failure

[bundy23]

So here’s my story:

I had a strange urge to have some fish so i went out and bought a tank (Aquastart AS 340 Pro), some gravel and a water conditioner. I got it home, filled it and just left it for a week with the filter running to make sure everything was okay. Then, without researching or anything, i bought 6 guppies and 4 goldfish to put in it. I knew nothing about cycling or ammonia or nitrates or nitrites or anything like that, i just went for it... it probably goes without saying that i well and truly screwed up...

So, here i am a week & a half later with 3 guppies and a goldfish that have died. 2 more goldfish are clearly ill and one of them is covered in white spots. All 3 remaining guppies also have white spot. I'm also pretty sure that the goldfish that isn't sick has finrot. i don't think i'll be going anywhere near that pet store again.

I’m now doing a 25% water change every 2nd day and should have some IckAway by Monday. My ammonia levels have dropped from a over 1 down to 0.5. Beyond water changes i don’t really know how else i can drop these further/quicker. I also have a 5in1 test kit coming with the IckAway so i don't know the nitrate or nitrite levels ATM.

So, my questions are:

1. Is there something i can do for the goldfish that i’m pretty sure won’t survive?
2. Can i do the ick treatment while i’m cycling the tank?
3. When doing the water changes i'm not sure whether or not I'm supposed to clean the gravel or not. Some websites yes and some say no, that i need to leave the bacteria in there to complete the cycling of the tank. Any definitive answers on this one?

But honestly, any advice whatsoever would be gratefully accepted at this point.

[Northernguy]

Welcome to the Fabulous AC!
You have made a very common mistake.Its too bad about your fish.
If you have to put them down add some tank water to a bag and place the fish in there.Not too much water and place it in your freezer. Throw it out on garbage day.
Please read the free e-book on the left.
Do not clean your gravel while cycling.
Get a liquid test kit,not the test strips.They cost more but do more and will save you money.
If your fish make it too monday get some Ick meds.

[Sharon]

Don't feel too badly...we've all made mistakes!
If I'm not mistaken, that's a 10gal tank. The tank is too small for Goldfish. Guppies would be OK. Water changes are about all you can do, right now, to keep toxin levels down. You can try raising the temp slowly, in increments, to about 86degrees, to help with the ick. Keep us posted...:ssmile:

[Kaz]

Well, it is unfortunate but many people see goldfish as a beginner fish that can be kept in small amounts of water.

In truth goldfish need larger tanks than most people think and are quite messy.

I knew somebody who had a goldfish in a small bowl for 5 years. that sounds like a lot, until you realize they can live for 20+ years in a proper sized tank.

What my point is, is that guppies are good beginner fish that can be kept in fairly small tanks (10g) and goldfish are not. In addition, goldfish need coldwater and guppies need warm water.

I look forward to seeing what becomes of all this and hope I can reccomend stocking choices for you next tank. (Endler's are the way to go!)

[MrDrums]

I agree...be patient - treat for ich while cycling. The goldfish probably will not survive, and should not be in that tank anyway, but you might save the guppies. They can recover nicely from ich.

Don't clean the gravel until you are fully cycled. You may get different advice on this, but I clean my gravel now with each water change. I do a water change every 7-10 days or so (35-30%), and fully clean the gravel. Easy to do with the Python. If I did not have that, I'm sure I would not do that each time.

Hang in there, and good luck!

[plark]

you can also add aquarium salt to help with the ick, and make sure when treating for ick you treat for 14 days, turn off the light for those days, and raise the temp to atleast 86 and do water changes every other day. At 86 deg the water carries less oxygen thats the reason for water changes, also raising the temp the ick cant reproduce. Ick is also a free swimming parasite and goes towards the light until it finds a host fish, so turning off the light confuses it. Treating for 14 days will ensure you got all of the eggs that hatched down in the gravel. Good luck with treating Ick


Also I'll recommend Rid-Ick+ I used that and in about 3-4 days I noticed a big diffrence in the spotting on my fish

[bundy23]

A week later and i lost all bar one goildfish and one guppie. they both seem to be going okay at the moment though.

can i test the water while using the ick med? it contains malachite green and my test kits are test tube/chemical/colour based so that would make it impossible to get a proper result wouldn't it?

[MrDrums]

I think you can still test the water. If it doesn't work, then wait until after treatment course to test, but still keep up your regular water changes - without cleaning the gravel.

[Girl Got Mojo]

Yes, you should still be able to test. Unless course if the meds have turned the whole tank water green! lol Sorry about your little fishies:scry: For the next fish you get make sure that you have thier home completely ready for them. Depending on if the guppy and goldfish make it I would look into fishless cycling if I were you. Also, you should take decide wether you want to keep goldfish or tropical fish. Either of the environments will not be comfortable for both.

Bluntly, IMO you should take the goldfish back to the store lol. If its the aquastart I'm thinking of, its roughly 10 gal and a goldfish cannot be raised in that. Stick with the guppy then when your tank is stable add some more guppies.