Hi I bought two goldfish his morning ..they don't look v happy at all!

[ScarlettWalking]

I have a lovely filtered tank set up for a week with all the right stuff to help good bacteria they gave me in the shop.

I tried to make transportation as easy as possible but read after the event I should have left the light off for a few hours and I poured them out rather than let the bag open..I don't know if that would have made a difference.

They are just rather static at the bottom of the tank and haven't taken any food. Is this normal?

Thanks

[notcitrus]

Try turning the light off and leaving them until tomorrow.
Do they have some plants or caves to hide in? BUt sulking for a bit could be normal.

In future, always put the closed bag in the water for a while so the temperature equalises, (20 min) and then mix the water a bit and few times, and only then open the bag under the water so they can swim out in their own time.

[EauRouge]

Yes, it could be shock from a sudden change in water conditions and turning the light off will help with stress levels.

I would also check the water for ammonia, a week is not long enough to cycle a tank and the stuff the shop sold you probably didn't do anything. Unfortunately there is a lot of crap for sale that doesn't do anything it drives me nuts! Have you got a water testing kit? This should explain more.

[ScarlettWalking]

Thank you so much.

I turned the light off and they were so much more relaxed. The thing is now they go mad when I turn it on! Is it ok to keep the light off?

Also they don't eat much at all. They dontvseem to realise to come to the surface to eat it's really odd. They wait for it to float down but don't seem to get it. Could this be because they were fed differently at the shop?

[EauRouge]

Yes, it's fine to keep the light off if you don't have any real plants.

You can get sinking goldfish pellets, these are better for fancy goldfish (the fat ones with long fins) because they have a sensitive digestive system. You can always pre-soak the flakes in a bit of tank water, they will root around in the gravel for any bits that don't get eaten on the way down. If they haven't eaten it all within 2 or 3 mins you need to remove it though because it will increase the ammonia level.

[Lancelottie]

Did you also add dechlorinator to the tank water?

(Hi EauRouge -- our wormy pleco is worm-free and twice the size he/she was, so thank for your help on that one)