Any Goldfish Experts!

[tattoodrob]

ive had 3 goldfish die in the last few days,had them for months and everything been fine,theyve grown well and were good colour etc.i started with 5 now have 3 of the goldfish variety,i did buy some other smaller fish but they died quite quickly but that was ages ago...the goldfish always were fine.im just wondering if there has been something in the water recently that they dont like....i have to top the tank up every few days, as water must evaporate in the heat .do i need to put some sort of additive in regularly,i remember when we first got the tank that the guy added some stuff to the water..that was 4 months ago..............any ideas???thanks

[Theyreallrubbish]

ive had 3 goldfish die in the last few days,had them for months and everything been fine,theyve grown well and were good colour etc.i started with 5 now have 3 of the goldfish variety,i did buy some other smaller fish but they died quite quickly but that was ages ago...the goldfish always were fine.im just wondering if there has been something in the water recently that they dont like....i have to top the tank up every few days, as water must evaporate in the heat .do i need to put some sort of additive in regularly,i remember when we first got the tank that the guy added some stuff to the water..that was 4 months ago..............any ideas???thanks

What could have happened if you were just topping up the tank rather than replacing water is that the nitrogen levels in the water reached fatal levels. You need to remove and replace about 20% of the water each week or add chemicals that tie up the nitrogen, but replacing the water is best. Remember that its a closed system so all the food you add is converted to nitrogenous waste which stays in the water as it has nowhere to go. It builds up more each day.

In the west any fish shop will test any sample of water you bring in for free. Don't know if they do the same in Thailand, but water testing kits are about £20 in the UK so should be around the same in Thailand.

[burman]

What size is the tank? What filter do you have on there? What maintenance do you do on the tank apart from top it up with water?

Probably a water quality problem, but it's easy enough to fix if we can find out where the problem lies.

[ignis]

Some people use 'Monitor' but this is a bit strong, the best is the blue bottle 'MA Plus Clean & Clear'

I add a few drops into the filter every time I change the the filter mat, about every 2 weeks.

Also cheap is to but a metal cylinder filled with carbon to put on the end of the hose pipe to refill the water [says Fresh Water] also use this to fill the pond. my gold fish are over 3 years old

[wackysleet]

Some people use 'Monitor' but this is a bit strong, the best is the blue bottle 'MA Plus Clean & Clear'

I add a few drops into the filter every time I change the the filter mat, about every 2 weeks.

Also cheap is to but a metal cylinder filled with carbon to put on the end of the hose pipe to refill the water [says Fresh Water] also use this to fill the pond. my gold fish are over 3 years old

First stage of the by products of fish crap is ammonia, with a good and properly balanced filter that then will be turned into nitrite both extremely toxic to fish the final stage is the nitrite being turned into nitrate which is not harmful to the fish but is actually a fertilizer for the plants and of course if there are no plants in the pond then it is feeding time for algae, most good fish sellers will have in stock testing kits for the water and what the readings mean {they are colour coded} compare the colours and bobs your uncle, the kits are for ammonia, nitrite, and P.H which idealy should be between 7 and 8 but most fish can stand it quite bit higher as long as there are no fast increases.

[wackysleet]

Some people use 'Monitor' but this is a bit strong, the best is the blue bottle 'MA Plus Clean & Clear'

I add a few drops into the filter every time I change the the filter mat, about every 2 weeks.

Also cheap is to but a metal cylinder filled with carbon to put on the end of the hose pipe to refill the water [says Fresh Water] also use this to fill the pond. my gold fish are over 3 years old

First stage of the by products of fish crap is ammonia, with a good and properly balanced filter that then will be turned into nitrite both extremely toxic to fish the final stage is the nitrite being turned into nitrate which is not harmful to the fish but is actually a fertilizer for the plants and of course if there are no plants in the pond then it is feeding time for algae, most good fish sellers will have in stock testing kits for the water and what the readings mean {they are colour coded} compare the colours and bobs your uncle, the kits are for ammonia, nitrite, and P.H which idealy should be between 7 and 8 but most fish can stand it quite bit higher as long as there are no fast increases.

One other thing about tanks, people clean them and the filters but depending on the type of filter if it is the type that has little spikey plastic balls and or small stones usually pumice do not wash them just do the matting at the top often white nylon stuff,I usually put a few pads of scotchbrite under that and then rinse them clean.