# concussed goldfish advice please!!



## saggs (Mar 3, 2007)

Hi all, in a panic other a stunned goldfish 

juwell 400 litre tank with real plants, three goldfish and a plecostomus(spelling) 

goldfish are 7(13 yrs and blind), 8(4yrs) and 9 (13 years old known as grumpy  )inches long, the plec is 12inches. 

the largest goldfish has jumped in the tank and knocked himself out on either the lid or light fitting. This occurred about 12 hours ago (7pm uk time) 

I did not see what happened but my wife heard a large bang and rushed in to see him sinking sideways to the bottom. he was still breathing and using his front fins. 

I increased the aeration and made sure has facing the water flow direction. he stayed on the bottom overnight and is now trying to swim but is almost horizontal. He is not floating on the surface yet but looks tired, I managed to hand feed him a little flake food this morning. he appears alert and can see fine but is not in control of his direction. 

I am keeping the tank light off to lower the stress levels 

any idea how long this might last and is there anything i can do? 

regards 

Saggs 

picture a 6ft 2in 200lb man in tears in front of his tank


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Welcome.:wave:

What are your water parameters?


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## Daz (Sep 20, 2006)

Hello Saggs, I don't really think there is a great deal you can do mate. Your doing all you can. Just sitting tight I suppose is your hope.


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## saggs (Mar 3, 2007)

he is still lying on the bottom, very alert and occasionally drifting up for a short swim. 

I've done a 25% water change and added a fish tonic and aquarium salts. I've tested the water and it's all good apart from nitrates are a little high. tank light still off. 

I've added plenty of stress coat, fed him sone life food by hand and have got fingers crossed. 

One of the other fish keeps trying to move him upright and it resting alongside looking concerned (that or sizing up a giant snack :-0) 

Thanks for the replies 

regards 

Saggs


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

saggs said:


> he is still lying on the bottom, very alert and occasionally drifting up for a short swim.
> 
> I've done a 25% water change and added a fish tonic and aquarium salts. I've tested the water and it's all good apart from nitrates are a little high. tank light still off.
> 
> ...



can you post your exact water parameters please?


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## saggs (Mar 3, 2007)

just done another water test nitrate 250 (worse), nitrite >21 (lot worse than yesterday) carbonate hardness 3-6 (same), ph 7.2 (same)

using a esha aquaquicktest

looks like another water change in the morning

thanks for the help guys

regards

saggs


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

saggs said:


> just done another water test nitrate 250 (worse), nitrite >21 (lot worse than yesterday) carbonate hardness 3-6 (same), ph 7.2 (same)
> 
> using a esha aquaquicktest
> 
> ...


What!!! how can any fish survive in those levels!!!! are you sure you tested right or did you make a typo


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## saggs (Mar 3, 2007)

not sure if I have read the stupid colour chart correctly but I have a pinkish square for the no2 nitrate which appears to be for 250

and three pink squares for no2 nitrite which shows as >21d gh=dt=th whatever that means

I've only lost one fish in 13years and am hoping not to lose another

regards

saggs


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

yeah, theres something wrong with the testing, a nitrite level that high will no doubt kill a fish, same goes with the nitrate level, try getting a liquid tester


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## saggs (Mar 3, 2007)

i think i've worked out the colour chart now!! 

NITRATE is 250

NITRITE is 0-1

GH (general hardness just worked that out) >21

KH carbonate hardness between 3 & 6

PH around 7.2 probably slighly over but not 7.6

regards

Saggs

(wife is wondering what am i doing with the tank at 1.10am )


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

saggs said:


> i think i've worked out the colour chart now!!
> 
> nitrate is 250
> 
> ...


nope somethings wrong, no way the nitrate can be 250.... unless there is something really bizzare happening....


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## saggs (Mar 3, 2007)

the nitrate is the top line of the test strip and is very pink which reads of as 250.

just done another test, 250 nitrate, 0 nitrite (fish is not looking too strong now, think I'll stay up and wait for the end :-()

could the fish tonic or aquarium salt be affecting the reading??

These test things are confusing and I stupidly stopped using them a couple of years ago and just carried on with regular 3 weekly water changes, stress zyme and bacteria supplement weekly along with 6 weekly carbon filter changes.

thanks again

Saggs


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

how much water changes do you do?


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## saggs (Mar 3, 2007)

normally 25% every three weeks and wash out two of the four filter sponges each time. However as I've been off work with vertigo for the last 7 weeks I havent done water change in that time 

regards

Saggs

(fish still hanging in there but looking weak looks like I'll be up all night :-()


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

saggs said:


> normally 25% every three weeks and wash out two of the four filter sponges each time. However as I've been off work with vertigo for the last 7 weeks I havent done water change in that time
> 
> regards
> 
> ...


oh, then i see whats wrong, not enough water changes, you need to do at minimum 25% water changes once every 7 days. Thats the reason of the high nitrates but i still dont think its as high as 250, maybe 50+ but not 250...


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## saggs (Mar 3, 2007)

Just had the vet round to have Grumpy put to sleep. 

He'd not been getting any better and had stopped eating and the vet had a good look at him and checked him over after sedating him. He suggested some further treatment but felt that there was not much hope as he could not right himself or use his tail. 

I didn't feel like subjecting him to xrays and further messing around and having spent this morning watching him in the tank I realised the time had come. 

The vet gave him some more oil of cloves to further sedate him and a very large injection into the abdomen and he drifted away over the next five minutes. I don't think I could have euthinased him myself and it was worth the Ã‚Â£60 for the vet's visit (he was a fish keeper himself and was very sympathetic) 

One strange thing that happened when the vet had lifted him from the bucket and was administering the injection was that the other sighted goldfish in the tank went wild at this point banging on the glass and swimming around aggressively - as if he could see what was going on and knew what was happening! 

The wife will help with the burial this evening and then I think I shall have a few beers. 

Thank you all for you advice and support over the past few days 

regards 

Saggs 

ps I've done three 50% water changes this week and the nitrates have come down to 100 and i'll be off to the aquarium shop this weekend for some more plants and probably a replacement for Grumpy.


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## lioness501 (Jan 9, 2007)

so sorry to hear about grump  i have never heard of a fish keeper callin a vet, didnt no it was possible. i have taken previously sick fish to my lfs, they euthanise for me


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## Kate (Feb 26, 2007)

I'm so sorry to hear about Grumpy - it sounds like you gave him an amazing life (a very long one at that!). The time comes for ALL of us - at least his came in a peaceful manner.

RIP Grumpy


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## Trishfish (Feb 18, 2007)

I'm so sorry about Grumpy. I didn't think fish would have much of an effect on me...right up until I got some of my own.


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