Setting up tank for goldfish....

[Wolfie305]

Fus passed away this morning :( I kept him in his little hospital tank by my bed because I had a feeling it was the end. He was alive when I woke up, but when I came out of the shower he was gone... I miss him already.

Now I'll have to keep a close eye on Ro. She's doing fine and I did a 75% water change this morning and added salt to just to be sure. Ammonia is at 0 and my master test kit should be here soon.

I know goldfish are companion fish, so once I know my tank is healthy and cycled, I think I'll get her a friend. I don't want her to be lonely..

And just from reading things online and talking to others who have goldfish, I still agree with fruits/veggies being part of my fish's diet along with the NLS food.

[Termato]

Originally Posted by Wolfie305

Fus passed away this morning :( I kept him in his little hospital tank by my bed because I had a feeling it was the end. He was alive when I woke up, but when I came out of the shower he was gone... I miss him already.

Now I'll have to keep a close eye on Ro. She's doing fine and I did a 75% water change this morning and added salt to just to be sure. Ammonia is at 0 and my master test kit should be here soon.

I know goldfish are companion fish, so once I know my tank is healthy and cycled, I think I'll get her a friend. I don't want her to be lonely..

And just from reading things online and talking to others who have goldfish, I still agree with fruits/veggies being part of my fish's diet along with the NLS food.

Poor Fus!! RIP. Sorry about ur fish. Yeah hopefully with the test kit you will know for sure if it any of the parameters.

Someone suggested lettuce to me.

[thekoimaiden]

*Hugs* I'm so sorry you lost Fus. Try to think of the positives. You made his last days so much better by giving him a 10 gal. He had good food, clean water, and lots of swimming spaces.

If you see Ro start to look depressed you could try to put a mirror beside her tank. It will give her a "buddy" to play with until things get better and you can give her a real buddy.

[djembekah]

i'm so sorry. you did him a lot of good though :)

[Wolfie305]

Thanks guys <3

Koimaiden - That's a good idea!

[Wolfie305]

I posted this in the goldfish forum, but I'll post it here too:

I just have a question about my remaining fish, Ro. I just got home from school and it was pitch black in my room and I went in to check on her. She was lying near the bottom (in her usual spot behind the plants/filter), normally, and breathing normally. Was she just sleeping? She looks perfectly healthy (her fins are in perfect condition and I don't see anything weird).

She saw me and kinda darted across the tank and under her log. I feel like she's mad at me... She was always the shy one so it's not super unusual behavior but I'm just paranoid now.

[thekoimaiden]

If you turned on the light from a pitch black room, then that was probably what scared her. Fish eyes are different from ours and need around an hour or so to adjust to different light levels. She wasn't scared of you, just startled by the lights.

But I'm glad to hear that she isn't showing signs of disease. Maybe with a "mirror buddy" she will begin to perk up and come out of hiding. I have a few koi that won't move from the safety of their hidey hole unless one of the larger ones is by his side.

[Wolfie305]

Well I had the lights on for a minute, noticed her in her corner, and then she kinda darted afterward. I'll go set up that mirror as soon as Paarthurnax's new log boils (just moved him to his new tank yesterday).

My poor Fus :(

[Wolfie305]

Ro is still looking good and eating. Just did her water change. My test kit should be here today or tomorrow yay!

How do I know when the cycle is complete? I know I'm probably no where near the finish line, but I'm just curious. It has something to do with the presence of nitrate/nitrite right?

[thekoimaiden]

Ya. Cycles can take months to finish. You're probably just in the ammonia phase of the cycle. You will know the cycle is over when you consistently test 0 for ammonia and nitrite (the next phase) and have nitrate present at levels higher than in your tap water. You'll also want to test your tap water so we know if there is any extra ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate coming into your tank.