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Original poster

goldfish advice .....

17 replies

Wheelybug · 09/02/2009 16:54

We foolishly bought dd 2 fish for her birthday thinking they'd be an easy pet option but they seemed to have caused DH and I no end of worry since buying them 2 weeks ago.

At least one of them isn't long for this world I don't think - although is right way up keeps floating up to surface but then does get himself down again. Doesn't help that the other one keeps seemingly biting him. Hmm.

I did diagnose white spot and started treating yesterday but assume it might be a bit late for the poorly one.

Anyway, my question is re: feeding - the lady in the pet shop said once a day and only 1 or 2 flakes but the pot says twice a day and as much as they can eat in 5 mins. In case they survive any longer - any advice ?

OP posts:

Original poster

Wheelybug · 09/02/2009 17:11

OP posts:

MrsBoo · 09/02/2009 17:25

no real advice - but i too was given conflicting advice from shop person, and the tub of flakes. Mine says feed 2 or 3 times a day, and remove what they dont eat.
good luck

Original poster

Wheelybug · 09/02/2009 17:29

So, do you do what the box says ??

Mind you, I think the healthier one is now doing what the ill one is so it might be irrelevant ...

OP posts:

morethanyoubargainfor · 09/02/2009 17:32

don't feed as much as the tub says, it does fish good to only be fed occassionally. Ours gets fed once every 3rd day. He is much happier and his tank is much cleaner as he now cleans that too.

You are not being cruel feding them this much, because fish will constantly eat and this isn't always good for them.

MrsBoo · 09/02/2009 17:34

really, only once every 3 days. OK we will try this - although our fish look healthy - the tank does appear a bit manky

Original poster

Wheelybug · 09/02/2009 17:36

Thanks both !

Will have to see if they recover ......

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morethanyoubargainfor · 09/02/2009 17:40

yes, and when we go away, he doesn't get fed at all. (neverr leave him more than 7 days though). He is really healthy and very fat!

sullysmum · 09/02/2009 19:02

Sometimes they float because they have constipation (swim bladder), you can remedy that by giving them cooked peas without the outer shell and broken into very small peices.

Original poster

Wheelybug · 10/02/2009 09:33

Thanks.

Seemingly sick one has survived the night but is now hiding at bottom of tank. Not looking good methinks.

Will give them some more white spot stuff today...

OP posts:

MrsBoo · 16/02/2009 18:32

oh dear, probably not connected but since i took advice not to feed too often, one of my DD's gildfish has taken to lurking right at the bottom of the tank - and it would appear that her tail has fallen off/disapeared?

Do you think the other fish has bitten it off? or could it be a disease? Anyone know anything about fish?

poopscoop · 16/02/2009 18:46

goldfish are an absolute nightmare! We embarked on golfish keeping about a year ago and they have all died.

We wer told to feed 2 flakes every other day.
per fish.
We gave up when they kept dying no matter how carefully we looked after them.

I have since been told that they should live in a tank with a pump whereas ours were in a goldfish tank without one.

Now have moved on to tropicals and have had more success, although we have had a few deaths there too

fruitshootsandheaves · 16/02/2009 18:49

We put ours in the pond
They were much easier to look after then.
But they were eaten by a heron

poopscoop · 16/02/2009 18:51

pmsl sorry

Original poster

Wheelybug · 16/02/2009 18:51

MrsBoo - that's exactly what happened to ours in the end. Spot (the seemingly quiet one) started terrorising Gold and basically appeared to have eaten his tail whereupon Gold settled to the bottom of the tank and quietly passed away... sob.... Spot seems quite happy now although am still treating him for white spot. Daren't add another in case Spot is a bully.

DD took it all in her stride (They were her 4th birthday present 3 weeks ago). On being told Gold might not make it she said 'we'll have to get another one'. Ah the fickleness of youth !

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MrsBoo · 16/02/2009 21:06

Wheelybug - yeah ours have lasted since Christmas so I suppose that's not bad then, but they are in a tank with a filter pump thing.
I will keep an eye out for a dead fish then!

sweetnitanitro · 22/02/2009 15:25

Firstly, don't take advice from pet shops without adding your own research. Most pet shops staff have little or no qualifications.

Here are some things they might not know or tell you about goldfish-
Goldfish do not grow to the size of their tank. If you keep them in a tank that's too small they will end up with skeletal deformities if they're lucky and organ compaction (then failure then death) if they are unlucky.
Common goldfish can grow between 8-12 inches, fancy goldfish (the round fat ones with double fins) get to around 6 inches.
Common goldies can live to 15 years easily, sometimes more.

They need a HUGE tank, a big filter and the tank needs maturing for about 6 weeks before you can add any fish.

there's too much to say all in one post really! The best thing to do would be to join a specialist fishkeeping forum. I'm a mod on one but I dunno if I'm allowed to pimp it on here

InTheScrum · 22/02/2009 15:31

You do need a pump and filter for goldfish - they are dirty fish and like to eat their own poo.
Vary the diet - I lost a couple of fish to swimbladder & constipation. When I added real plants to the tank and started varying diet with frozen bloodworms things started getting better.
If any of our fish are looking peaky, I add a bit of Melafix - it's tea tree oil based and works wonders.

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