Goldfish Won't Eat

[mkinga 0]

Hi,

Some stats about my tank:

Ammonia: 0 (nutrafin drops test)

Nitrite/Nitrate: ? (don't have a test kit for these)

Ph: 7.6

Water temperature around 70F

once a week water change (sometimes every two weeks) 25-30%

2 fish, about 5 inches body each

I use prime water conditioner

Feed pro gold twice a day

no new fish for 1.5 years

i have a xp2 and xp1 filter on the 50 gallon tank

Two weeks ago I noticed some significant amount of white cotton fluff on their heads, as well as an open red sore on one of their heads (under their wen). They looked quite sick, sitting and refusing to eat. I moved them to a 10 gallon tank, used hydrogen peroxide to clean the sore and dosed them with furan-2 and soon after they started eating and i fed the medi-gold. The main tank i tested for ammonia and it showed low amounts of ammonia (0.1). After about 12 days they seemed back to normal so i did a big water change in the main tank, and added some ammonia reducing media to the filter. While in the hospital tank they developed a few black marks indicating that they had some scale damage that was healing.

The first day they were fine, but now one of them is not eating. She acts normal otherwise, doesn't sit, swims around. No new marks or color changes. I never had a goldfish that behaved normally without external marks that would not eat. Any ideas what should be done? I plan on changing the water today.

Edited July 29, 2011 by mkinga

[amynmitchell 61]

What kinds of foods have you tried? Have you tried soaking any food in garlic juice?

[mkinga 0]

What kinds of foods have you tried? Have you tried soaking any food in garlic juice?

They are at the 14 day mark of medi-gold so i decided to switch to something else (I know you aren't suppose to feed anything else..). She seems to not want to eat the medi-gold that she had been eating about the last 2 weeks... but I admit it is quite old, it was an emergency so I had to feed her old medi-gold, ordering some new stuff now. I tried pro-gold, what they have been eating for literally all their life, and still nothing. I haven't tried garlic yet, but thanks for the tip, I"ll try that next.

[mkinga 0]

What kinds of foods have you tried? Have you tried soaking any food in garlic juice?

They are at the 14 day mark of medi-gold so i decided to switch to something else (I know you aren't suppose to feed anything else..). She seems to not want to eat the medi-gold that she had been eating about the last 2 weeks... but I admit it is quite old, it was an emergency so I had to feed her old medi-gold, ordering some new stuff now. I tried pro-gold, what they have been eating for literally all their life, and still nothing. I haven't tried garlic yet, but thanks for the tip, I"ll try that next.

Tried soaking pro-gold in garlic juice for a few minutes and the other goldfish was really excited to eat it. Still nothing from my goldfish who won't eat

[yukoandk 0]

If they have not been malnourished thus far, which doesn't sound like the case, I'd fast them for a few days and just let them recover. Water changes, raising the temp to mid-high 70's if possible, and adding salt at 3ppm (one table spoon per gallon) may help in recovery. In the future, they will benefit from larger weekly water changes by avoiding build up of toxins. Hope they feel better soon.

[mkinga 0]

i have changed water and added salt (1 table spoon per 10 gallons) each day. Tomorrow will make 3 full days she has not eaten anything. I am wondering if she is severely constipated. I am planning to do a salt dip tomorrow so she can hopefully expel anything in/near her gills and maybe a quick belly massage to help things moving.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

[koko 14,340]

I would get the rest of your water tested. It does sound like something went in this tank, Also need to increase the water changes.....

Have you tried to feed this fish pea's? Did you feed Jumpstart after that Medi-gold? Can you get pics?

[mkinga 0]

What do you think is the maximum amount of water/frequency I should be changing? I am changing about 20% a day.

I have no jump start unfortunately. I just tried feeding peas and she won't eat them.

I am going to get nitrite/nitrate test kits now. Here is a pic of her:

[mkinga 0]

I just got new test kits, and here are the results:

GH (mg/L): 15

KH (mg/L): 20

PH : 6.5 (not sure why it went down??)

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 40

[mkinga 0]

Just wanted to add that I'll put in some alkaline buffer to try to raise the kh/ph. I'll also try to do another small water change tonight to lower the nitrates.

[koko 14,340]

Wow do me a fave and test the water out of the tap that you are using for water changes. Its looking like your KH cant hold the Ph if this happens, white cotton slime coat starts to build on the fish, this is called a ph crash...

[mkinga 0]

Wow do me a fave and test the water out of the tap that you are using for water changes. Its looking like your KH cant hold the Ph if this happens, white cotton slime coat starts to build on the fish, this is called a ph crash...

My test strip says:

ph 6.0 (but thats the lowest it goes)

kh: 0

gh: 0

I have this product called "alkaline buffer" I am starting to add it to the goldfish tank now slowly.. =(

Also does my nitrates seem high? I have changed the water 3 times in the last 3 days (20% about each).

[AMeyers 6]

Your nitrates are high. Its safest to keep them under 20.

To get them down, do bigger water changes. 50 percent should get you to around 20, for example.

However, with the pH issue, I would follow the advice to stabalize that first. I have never had pH that low.

Also, if you can get drop test kits, like the API kind, they are more reliable than the strips.

[koko 14,340]

Yeah I would highly suggest the API test kit, those strips arent sounding right, the numbers dont make since at all...

[mkinga 0]

Yeah I would highly suggest the API test kit, those strips arent sounding right, the numbers dont make since at all...

I'll pick some up tomorrow. Which parts seem wrong? I have a drop test kit for gh/kh (from API that I didn't use) and the strips are made by API. I recently retested them, and my wife says I must be color blind because she says the GH is 0 and the kh is about 20 now, on the API 5 in 1 test strips, this is after I added 5 teaspoons of alkaline buffer and the PH shows around 7 now.

[koko 14,340]

Well from the 5-1 test thing (which wont give you accurate numbers ) you have very soft water, the kh isnt high enough to hold the ph, which isnt high enough to hold a cycle....

What is your buffers name, I just want to make sure not only does it raise the PH but the KH too. If you dont have a buff that will hold the kh up there, the ph will keep falling and then the cycle goes and the fish go into shock...

I know of a great product that will do this if you can get it... Its buff it up, I use it and so do a few more members here cause our KH is very low and is consumed by the next water change. Just a few weeks ago TD (my Hubby) did a water change and didnt put enough buff it up back in my water, 24 hours later my ph dropped so low that all the fish were covered in slim.. So I did a 10 % water change and put in the right amount of buff it up back in and walla they are back to normal

http://www.fishsempai.com/catalog.asp?category=7

[mkinga 0]

I have this: seachem alkaline buffer

Just to be sure, I should be aiming for around ph 7.5?

Thanks for all your help, I will be getting a api drop test kit for ph when the store opens today.

[koko 14,340]

What is bothering me is the kh should be alot higher with you got your ph at that level.

What happens is the fish and the ph consume the minerals in the tank, this makes the ph lower, and if a ph lowers to far to fast the fish get excessive slime coat and will die...

So Im having Alex take a look at this stuff for me

[koko 14,340]

Ok He took a look and its what I thought, thats the wrong buffer This is the stuff you want.

Seachem Gold Buffer for Goldfish

The stuff you have will not keep the ph up there enough, it will keep going down since it doesnt buff the KH up either.

Yes the ph should be about that mark

[mkinga 0]

Thanks I'll try to get some of that seachem gold buffer. It looks like the KH has risen to 180 (mq/L) and PH has risen to about 7.2ish.

She ate a little yesterday (1-2 pellets) and none today so far. I'm going to try to slowly boost the Kh and change some more water today.

Thanks for all your help.

[koko 14,340]

How is the whitish stuff looking now that the ph is getting up there?

[mkinga 0]

I tested using strip and API drops (a couple times) and the PH looks like its 7.5 now. Nitrates are down to 20. Ammonia and nitrites are still 0.

They are not looking so great =(. I'm going to transfer them to the hospital tank and medicate them again. They have some red sores and now both are not eating.

I feel so bad for my goldfish oinklet and gumpy (my wife named them). I have had them since they hatched, sadly their mother who was in my dad's care passed away last year.

Thanks again for all your help, I really hope they can pull through my mistake! 2 years is too short a life for a goldfish.

[koko 14,340]

Can you get a pic for us ?

[Maceo 13]

I have extremely soft water too and I have had great luck using crushed coral in my tank to keep the Ph stable. You have to be extra diligent at water changes to make sure you add back the correct amount of buffer to make sure your Ph stays stable. Soft water is no fun.

[jadenichole 1]

Sending hopeful thoughts your way - Hope things go well!