help please!

[Alibog]

i recently brought a shubunkin to keep our goldfish company in our new bio-orb...we followed the instructions to the letter but after 48hrs in the new tank, shimmy has just been lying on the bottom of the tank looking fed up...the goldfish is as happy as larry, we had the water tested and it came back that is was high in ammonia and nitrates, so again we followed advice, but he still looks just as fed up...does anyone have any ideas, my 7yo will be devistated if anything happenes to him......many thanks in advance....

[cocoa_pleco]

A bi-orb? arent those things less than 15g? goldfish need 20g to one, and 10g each thereafter, so for 2 goldfish you need a 30g tank. I think your fish is suffering from ammonia poisoning. I think the best thing now is to do a large water change and try to get a 30g or maybe consider selling them if the damage to them isnt too bad.
good luck

[Alibog]

I'm currently getting shimmy out of the tank...as i say, the goldfish we won at the fair is happily speeding about.......hmmm...i think i might go back to the pet shop regarding the advice they gave....is there a way to prevent the poisening in future? the orb is filtered.......

[Lady Hobbs]

Since you're cycling your tank with fish in it, you need to really pay attention to the water parmeters. Ammonia and nitrites can get very high in small tanks that are crowded and you'll need to do many water changes to help keep the toxins at a safe level. You should be doing daily water testing if not twice a day and this is why test kits are so important.

[cocoa_pleco]

To prevent high readings you need to do weekly water changes. What kind of filter is it? a UGF?

[NeonJulie]

I keep hoping one day, the fair will give away a free tank kit. :(

No luck...

[Alibog]

the filter that came with the orb is a biological one....the website reef-one.com has been no help...they made it look so simple and as if it would be ideal for a first time tank that would get us used to eventually stepping up to a bigger, tropical tank.....so we've got the fish out and have completly started again, we're also having the water tested, which the petshop is doing for free, before the fish go back in.......shimmy is in a bowl with fluffy(can you tell our daughter named them?!) and is still sitting on the bottom, but has not yet given up!.....is there anything i can do to 'pep' him up? or is it a wait and see what he does thing?

[NeonJulie]

Yes, change out the water in their bowl often. Water changes are the best way to pep up fish. Add a little amount of your dechlorinator, and match the temp of the room best you can!

While you look at getting a bigger tank, you might consider going to Walmart and getting a big 5G bucket, or a big Rubbermaid bin, the biggest you can find, to keep them in. They're decently inexpensive. I wouldn't keep them in a bowl together too much longer if you can help it.