# Why did my goldfish die?



## bam1

long story short I was stuck with a comet goldfish and I wanted to get it some friends( 2 fantails), after about 3 days one fantail was acting weird and getting bullied by the comet so I moved the comet to a 2 litter bottle with completely new water(that I declorinated). The next day the comet and fantail were dead. The other fantail was resting on the ground and died 2 days latter. I have no idea what happened. I had been using kosher salt and had the water checked by petsmart a few days earlier and had been doing frequent water changes (<10% once every other day). Can anyone tell me what happened? 

video of the tank before they died http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUTXHCV3Is0 

Thanks


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## bmlbytes

Possible problems.
-5 gallon tank for 3 goldfish
-Uncycled aquarium
-Possible overdose of salt (what was the concentration)
-Possible illness from the petstore
-No filter on aquarium

I am about to do another post with a ton of information on keeping fish. Read up on the cycling process. If you do choose to get more fish now I would recommend getting something that will stay small, like guppies or a betta fish. Goldfish can get to 1.5 FEET long.


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## bmlbytes

[FONT=&quot]Dear fellow fish keeper,[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the FishForums as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing can be improved with pictures (not you, your *fish*)! 

Perhaps you've already heard of this, but I like to remind all the new members. A new tank needs to be cycled. This is a process of converting harmful ammonia and nitrites into less harmful nitrates. An uncycled tank is the number one killer of aquarium fish, and inadvertently happens to almost every beginner aquarist. Before putting any fish in your aquarium, make sure you read this guide to the Nitrogen Cycle. It is a long read, but by the time you are done with it, you know everything you need to know about the Nitrogen cycle.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Nitrogen_Cycle.html [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]








[/FONT]

*[FONT=&quot]***********Stuff you need for a healthy aquarium************[/FONT]*
[FONT=&quot]1) [/FONT][FONT=&quot]A tank large enough to house your fish. Many people overstock their tanks, and this can be very harmful to the fish. Make sure you get a tank large enough to hold all of your fish comfortably. Do research to see what the minimum size for your aquarium should be, and remember that it is a minimum size. Any more fish and you need a larger aquarium.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2) [/FONT][FONT=&quot]A heater. Most pet fish are tropical fish and need a heater. The only exception in common pet store fish, is the goldfish. The goldfish is a coldwater fish, and does not need a heater. All other fish need a heater to keep healthy (including bettas).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3) [/FONT][FONT=&quot]A filter. While most hobbyists keep a filter in their aquarium, many either keep the wrong size filter, or they don’t use one at all. There are many types of filters, and it’s important to know how much water it can push through it. It is recommended you get a filter that can push 8 to 10 gallons per hour for every gallon of water. If you have a 20 gallon tank, you want a filter that can push 160 to 200 gallons of water per hour. It is also important to remember that all fish need a filter. Even bettas and goldfish.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4) [/FONT][FONT=&quot]An air pump. While a “hang on back” filter can provide enough oxygen to an aquarium at most times, it is still important to have an air pump. An air pump with an air stone connected will ensure that your fish have enough oxygen at all times. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5) [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Lights. While this may not seem important, it is very important. Fish need light, just like other animals. They have sleep schedules and they can produce nutrients from light (humans do the same thing). If you don’t want to deal with turning them on and off every day, set them on a timer. [/FONT]

*[FONT=&quot]***********Common aquarium diseases************[/FONT]*
[FONT=&quot]Unfortunately our fish get sick, just like every other animal. It is important that you know when your fish is sick, what kind of treatment to offer your fish, and how to prevent diseases in the future. If you suspect your fish is sick, but don’t know what to do, post a thread in the diseases section of the forums.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Common diseases:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ich – Looks like salt covering the body of the fish. This is a protozoan disease. Treat with high temperature water (85F for most tropical fish) and aquarium salt.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Fin Rot – Fin edges start to turn brown and fray. Usually occurs first in the caudal fin (tail), but can affect any fin. It looks like the fin is actually rotting away. This is usually a symptom of poor water conditions or injury. This is a bacterial disease. Treat with a 50% water change, antibiotics and aquarium salt. Melafix, Maracyn TC and Maracyn 2 are common antibacterial medications known to treat fin rot.

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fungus Infection – Looks like cotton on the body. This is a fungal infection. Treat with antifungal medications and aquarium salt. Pimafix is a well-known antifungal treatment. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Dropsy/Bloat – Fish will get very fat, and fins can stick out like a pinecone. Treat with high water temperature (85F for most tropical fish), aquarium salt, and antibiotics. Maracyn TC and Maracyn 2 are common antibacterial medications. [/FONT]


*[FONT=&quot]***********Aquarium Clubs and Societies************[/FONT]*
[FONT=&quot]Something that is actually very important in the fish keeping hobby, are the clubs and societies. There are many of them all over the world. If you are near a major city, you most likely have one nearby. This website keeps a good list of clubs, but there are many that it doesn’t have. Doing a quick Google search or asking about clubs in the Forums should find you a good list of clubs.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://fins.actwin.com/dir/clubs.php[/FONT]

*[FONT=&quot]***********Local Fish Shops************[/FONT]*
[FONT=&quot]Perhaps, just as important as finding a good club to join, is finding a good fish shop. Here is a list of pet stores near you. Also check the yellow pages and visit as many shops in your area, and decide which ones you like the best.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://fins.actwin.com/dir/stores.php [/FONT]

*[FONT=&quot]***********POTM/TOTM************[/FONT]*
[FONT=&quot]We do a “Photo of the Month” and a “Tank of the Month” contest every month. Sometimes there are good prizes to be won. I would like to encourage you to participate in these. It is a good way to show off your fish and aquariums and have fun also.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]POTM - http://www.fishforums.com/forum/potm-photo-month.html[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]TOTM - http://www.fishforums.com/forum/totm-tank-month.html [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rules for both - http://www.fishforums.com/forum/potm-photo-month/28176-potm-totm-rules-how-submit-picture.html [/FONT]

*[FONT=&quot]***********Chat************[/FONT]*
[FONT=&quot]There are often several users in our chat. Come check out the chat. The link is at the top of site where it says “There are several users in chat now! Don't Be Shy - click here and come on in!” We would love to talk to you![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.fishforums.com/forum/chat.php[/FONT]


*[FONT=&quot]***********Links to awesome fish websites************[/FONT]*
[FONT=&quot]http://www.planetcatfish.com/ - Everything you need to know about catfish[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.ebetta.com/ - A cool betta blog[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.aquabid.com/ - eBay, but for fish[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.liveaquaria.com/ - These guys sell fish, but its more useful for doing preliminary research on fish you want to buy.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-supplies/pr/c/3578 - A great place to buy aquarium equipment[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.fishchannel.com/ - Lots of useful information here. They also print most of the fish magazines out there.[/FONT]


*[FONT=&quot]***********Final Notes************[/FONT]*
[FONT=&quot]I hope all of the above information was useful. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed of your progress. There's lots of good folk with good experience here. Welcome to FishForums.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thank you for your indulgence,

bmlbytes
(The unofficial FishForums greeter)[/FONT]


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## phlyergirl

Did the person at petsmart tell you what your actual readings were? 

Could have either been ammonia or the anti-caking agent in the kosher salt, if it had any (some brands do and some don't). Yellow prussiate of soda has cyanide. But not a lot and 1.5 teaspoons isn't a whole lot, so it was probably ammonia or shock. Did you dissolve the salt before adding it?


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## bam1

bmlbytes said:


> I am about to do another post with a ton of information on keeping fish. Read up on the cycling process. If you do choose to get more fish now I would recommend getting something that will stay small, like guppies or a betta fish. Goldfish can get to 1.5 FEET long.


Thanks for posting and yes, I have already gotten a cory cat and a neon tetra (the tank has been cycling for about three days) and plan to get more with week intervals.
thanks again for posting.


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## bam1

phlyergirl said:


> Did the person at petsmart tell you what your actual readings were?
> 
> Could have either been ammonia or the anti-caking agent in the kosher salt, if it had any (some brands do and some don't). Yellow prussiate of soda has cyanide. But not a lot and 1.5 teaspoons isn't a whole lot, so it was probably ammonia or shock. Did you dissolve the salt before adding it?


 The person at petsmart did not tell me the actual level, but did say it was a little high but okay for goldfish, the salt does have yellow prussiate of soda, I put the salt behind the filter cartridge in the filter box. 
Thanks for posting


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## phlyergirl

The other thing is that adding salt to an aquarium that has ammonia makes the ammonia much more toxic and cause gill damage, and most freshwater fish don't need it anyway. It can be a good remedy for some things, but shouldn't really be added routinely. So my guess is a combination of the uncycled tank + salt. Good luck on your aquarium. If your current fish don't make it, I would try cycling the tank without fish by adding pure ammonia and testing, waiting until you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and some nitrate reading to begin adding fish (slowly!). You will have more chance of success with your current fish if you do daily water changes. I'd get your own test kit too. API master test liquid drops is the best.


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## bam1

Thanks for the suggestion


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## lmb

Do you know about the aquarium nitrogen cycle? If not, I highly recommend that you read up on it because it's essential to keeping a fish tank or even starting one as a matter of fact. Here is a good link to the aquarium nitrogen cycle: http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Even though the Goldfish are known to be hardy and a cycling fish, not all cases will they survive the high amounts of Ammonia and Nitrite. Yes that's right. When you first set-up the tank and added the fish, that bascially started the aquarium nitrogen cycle. At the beginning of the cycle, there will be, at least from my experience, high amount of ammonia (NH3) <- That's why the Goldfish died so fast.

Also, just a few tips for the future:

1) Comet and Common Goldfish can get up to 12+ inches if cared for right and the requirements met for optimal growth - So in that case, they need at least a 100+ gallon pond or more to live happily with it's companions.

2) Fancy Goldfish (Fantails, Black Moors, Calico, etc) need at least 20 gallons of water for the first one, and 10 gallons per additional fancy goldfish (Example: 1 Fancy goldfish needs a 20 gallon aquarium alone; 2 - 3 needs a 30 - 40 gallon; and so on).

3) Don't ever trust the people from the petstore. From mine and others experience, they give false or inaccurate information quite often and at most times, just to get you to buy something. If you have any questions, just ask an online fish forum like here.

4) Research prior to getting the fish - that's another important key to having a happy aquarium with fish.


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## Betta man

DO NOT KEEP EVEN ONE GOLDFISH IN A 5 GALLON! You should find out your problem before you buy more fish. Cory catfish are VERY sensitive to salt! I found it out the hard way sadly. He was my all time favorite fish too. You should have at least 3 corys together in a tank. at least 5 for neons. I would recommend you return the cory and neon (defiantly the neon because they are not hardy) and get 4 male guppys. NOT females or you will end up with 50 guppys! Swordtails and platys are hardy too! Or you could go with my favorite, the betta. Those would be my top recommendations. And do research or ask questions on the forums before you buy and fish other then has been listed by other members. btw, a lot of petco people don't know fish well. Ask on the forums! If you listen to the advice, you should have a happy healthy fish tank! Good luck and welcome to the forums!


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## bam1

Betta man said:


> DO NOT KEEP EVEN ONE GOLDFISH IN A 5 GALLON! You should find out your problem before you buy more fish. Cory catfish are VERY sensitive to salt! I found it out the hard way sadly. He was my all time favorite fish too. You should have at least 3 corys together in a tank. at least 5 for neons. I would recommend you return the cory and neon (defiantly the neon because they are not hardy) and get 4 male guppys. NOT females or you will end up with 50 guppys! Swordtails and platys are hardy too! Or you could go with my favorite, the betta. Those would be my top recommendations. And do research or ask questions on the forums before you buy and fish other then has been listed by other members. btw, a lot of petco people don't know fish well. Ask on the forums! If you listen to the advice, you should have a happy healthy fish tank! Good luck and welcome to the forums!


I am going to move all of the fish in my five gallon it a 36 gallon after the 36 gets set up and cycled. 
thanks for commenting


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## bmlbytes

bam1 said:


> I am going to move all of the fish in my five gallon it a 36 gallon after the 36 gets set up and cycled.
> thanks for commenting


:shock:What? Someone took our advise on getting a larger aquarium?:shock:

Thank you for being responsible and doing what is best for your fish.
:fish:


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