help, goldfish dying for no reason

[fishstella1]

I've been keeping fish (with mixed success) for last ~5 years in a 180 l (~ 50 gallon) tank. Last year my three goldfish perished in a single day.. I changed the water and kept the tank running for over a year with no fish. I was changing water every now and then and maintained the filter.

Last week I repopulated th tank. pH was 6.8, buffered at 7, no nitrate, no ammonia. I have a full testing kit, but also did a water check in a pet shop - water was perfect. My 5 new goldfish lasted a week. They were earing well but then developed some strange deposits in their tails. Looked like air bubbles stuck in the fins. I treated them with treatment solution from a pet shop (smells of eucaliptus oil), the deposits were gone but the fish was dying one by one over the period of 2 days. That was despite me isolating each one in a separate hospital tank.

What could go wrong? I have not changed all the water and there may have been some old fish droppings in the gravel. Could it still be active in a year? need your help.

Fishstella.

 

[Julez]

I've been keeping fish (with mixed success) for last ~5 years in a 180 l (~ 50 gallon) tank. Last year my three goldfish perished in a single day.. I changed the water and kept the tank running for over a year with no fish. I was changing water every now and then and maintained the filter.

Last week I repopulated th tank. pH was 6.8, buffered at 7, no nitrate, no ammonia. I have a full testing kit, but also did a water check in a pet shop - water was perfect. My 5 new goldfish lasted a week. They were earing well but then developed some strange deposits in their tails. Looked like air bubbles stuck in the fins. I treated them with treatment solution from a pet shop (smells of eucaliptus oil), the deposits were gone but the fish was dying one by one over the period of 2 days. That was despite me isolating each one in a separate hospital tank.

What could go wrong? I have not changed all the water and there may have been some old fish droppings in the gravel. Could it still be active in a year? need your help.

Fishstella.

The little bubbles on their tails sound like ick.. we had a problem with it... it wiped out all my phanton tetras.. I cried... we live and learned, and will never get another fish from walmart...

 

[vo1umeone]

Did the bubbles look like little white spots? Like little salt grains on the tail?

 

[OrangeCones]

I've been keeping fish (with mixed success) for last ~5 years in a 180 l (~ 50 gallon) tank. Last year my three goldfish perished in a single day.. I changed the water and kept the tank running for over a year with no fish. I was changing water every now and then and maintained the filter.

Last week I repopulated th tank. pH was 6.8, buffered at 7, no nitrate, no ammonia. I have a full testing kit, but also did a water check in a pet shop - water was perfect. My 5 new goldfish lasted a week. They were earing well but then developed some strange deposits in their tails. Looked like air bubbles stuck in the fins. I treated them with treatment solution from a pet shop (smells of eucaliptus oil), the deposits were gone but the fish was dying one by one over the period of 2 days. That was despite me isolating each one in a separate hospital tank.

What could go wrong? I have not changed all the water and there may have been some old fish droppings in the gravel. Could it still be active in a year? need your help.

Fishstella.

Running the tank empty did not preserve the beneficial bacteria you would need to keep the fish healthy and alive. A 50 gallon tank would be too small for 5 goldfish. The goldfish likely died of complications from ammonia poisoning.

Read up on fishless cycling with straight ammonia. Once your tank has the needed bacteria again, you can add the goldfish. I believe 3 or 4 would be the max for that sized tank.

 

[fishstella1]

Thank you, guys.

Yes the bubbles on the tail looked like little salt grains. They disappeared upon treatment within a day, but fish died. I feel like a murderer - hate seeing them suffer.

Will check ammonia again - was absolutely none. Guess my only way forward is to empty the tank, clean the gravel and start over with 3 fish. if they die again will quit, can't see it any longer.

 

[Newman]

simply gravel vac the gravel. dont actually remove and boil it. the beneficial bacteria you need live in the gravel as well as the filter.

Dont worry about ich continuing to live in your tank either. it completely dies in 4 days if it has no living fish to attach to. So basically it will die no matter what cuz you will not be putting any fish in there for a while now until it cycles.

I also recommend the pure ammonia cycling method.

Add one goldifhs at a time. then wait two weeks. but first of course cycle for a few weeks.

One hint that the tank gave to see that it hasnt cycled is the absense of nitrate. there should always be a trace amount if the tank has been through a cycle and has a source of ammonia (thats very important)

Good luck

 

[fishstella1]

Thank for the help. Will be starting cycling the tank this week.