Please Help, Fish In Serious Distress

[AA82890]

Hello, I have two goldfish in a 10 gallon tank that is (hopefully) cycling. I've been doing regular daily 10-15% water changes and feeding twice a day, a little bit each time. One comet goldfish is around 1.5" and the smaller common goldfish is 1". I recently acquired an air pump/stone and stupidly stirred up the gravel while getting it to the bottom of the tank; in the process, a good deal of debris and fish poop got scattered everywhere in the tank. I immediately did a 15% water change to help alleviate the debris. However, a few hours later the larger goldfish began displaying some respiratory distress (hard breathing, really opening its mouth wide) and also looked like it was swimming about aimlessly; fins were also clamped for the most part. It hasn't lost its appetite but it definitely is breathing a lot harder and swimming around aimlessly a lot more. I have since done another 15% water change and just an hour ago I attempted (first time) to vacuum the gravel using a siphon vacuum and got 25% of the water, so I’d say that the water has been changed fairly well and looks pretty clear now. I don't have any test-kits, but from online research, have been keeping up with water changes and the goldfish prior to this were doing just fine. As a side note, the smaller goldfish has small red markings underneath its chin (kind of like a goatee) which weren't there before (possibly septicemia?)...I have since added 2 teaspoons of sea salt to the tank. So what is wrong with my larger goldfish? Do you think it's related to the whole incident of stirring up the debris? What should I do? Any advice would be much appreciated and thanks guys in advance! :)
-Anthony

[sheamurai]

One of my favourite quotes I saw here on AC - when in doubt, do a water change.

I know you did one, but 15/25% isn't very much. If you suspect water is a problem, do a 50% change - or more. I do 75% changes on one of my tanks regularly.

Goldfish are pretty tough, so if one is showing distress, I would do a large water change every day (50-75%). I personally would dispense with the salt as well, but there are differing opinions on salt use.

I wouldn't have thought the debris would be the problem, tho, if you are cycling your tank you are getting a build up of ammonia or nitrites and stirring up the debris could have spiked them.

I think more and larger water changes are the best you can do at this point.

[ElizabethJKR]

Two goldfish are going to be too crowded in that tank. They poop a lot. You either need to get a larger tank for the fish, or get smaller fish like Danio's.

[AA82890]

That does make sense. I am just concerned about the cycling process. Would daily changes of such large volumes compromise the cycling process? Is there any way I can speed up cycling and get those nitrifying bacteria established (without negative consequences to the fish)? Thanks for your help/advice in this stressful time (for me and the fish...)!

[sheamurai]

Large water changes might slow down your cycle, but if your fish die of ammonia poisoning on you, you're no better off. This is why fishless cycling is better. You don't have to do water changes and your cycle trips along stress free, for both you and the fish.

The bacteria reside on all the surfaces of your tank, some in the water, but they colonize and multiply on the bio-media in your filter.

I assume that you are just using the goldfish to cycle your tank. Lizzard is correct in saying that the goldfish will outgrow your tank. I figured you were using them to cycle and would rehome them once you began stocking your tank.

[AA82890]

I'm actually going to be keeping the goldfish.
But regarding the original problem, I moved the larger comet goldfish to a separate container, with pristine water (to rule out any water toxin like ammonia), but it's still gasping and swimming around agitatedly. If it's not a water toxin then what can it be???

[Lady Hobbs]

Commons or Comets both get to one foot. These are pond fish and will never work in a 10 gallon tank. The tank is even too small for one fancy as most of them get 6".

But for now, you are cycling the tank. If the ammonia levels have risen, and I know they have, doing a 10-15% water change did nothing to alleviate their stress. You will need to change half the water every day. Do you have a test kit so you can check the toxic levels?

But increase those water changes and use the dechlorinator to remove the chlorine from your tap water. But if your ammonia level is at 2 and you remove 10% of your water, your ammonia level is still much too high.

But honestly you need to return those fish and get fish that are correct for your tank size. You do have dechlorinator, right?

[AA82890]

Within the past 24 hours I have done two separate 15% changes and then a 25% change (from my attempt at gravel vacuuming). I do not have any test kits.
I plan on a 50% change tomorrow (with dechlorinator). I am just wondering right now that if water quality were the problem, that the comet showed absolutely no sign of improvement, despiting spending a night in completely new, pristine water (which is why I made the ultimate decision to return it back to the tank)...

[Lady Hobbs]

Sometimes they simply will not recover from toxins if they become too high. Their gills get burned. The same thing if someone held an ammonia soaked rag over your face for days, removed it and gave you fresh air. You would still remain ill from what had already transpired.

[AA82890]

Is there any chance of these gills regenerating? The comet's right front fin shows black marks from ammonia burns, and at one point was even split right down the middle. However, with some time the fin completely regenerated and the fish is using it like new.
If there were that much ammonia to cause that much gill damage, then shouldn't the smaller common goldfish have been at least somewhat affected (it's doing absolutely fine with not even a peep of a gasp)?? The comet was also [given its previous circumstances] perfectly fine before yesterday after the air pump incident. So right now I just feel like there was a problem that I recently caused that led to the comet's current state...I'm so very frustrated right now...:(