# Quarantine for new fancy goldfish



## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

Currently keeping my eye out for a friend for Pedro our big grumpy fancy goldfish(he's in a 4ft tank looking a bit lonely!)

If i were to find him a friend, what is the best way to quarantine a goldfish? i don't have a spare tank... but assume a very large water-tight plastic container would be ok.. my tank has two filters (one that is technically big enough on its own to cope with the workload, but i have an extra running to help with the immense amount of poo that comes out of this fish lol) so i could stick the spare one in as it will already be matured enough.

How long would i need to keep the new fish like this? Or is it pointless?

A few years ago i would have just bought one from the fish shop and plonked it in after half an hour in the bag! :bash::bash: now i think i ought to know better, and i don't want to put Pedro at risk at all...as much as he drives me mad lol

Most of the fancy goldfish at the local fish shops are such tiny babies, might be ok, (i've got visions of Pedro swallowing them whole lol) but i really would like to help one out that no-one wants, but obviously you don't know what diseases could be knocking about in someone elses tank... :s

Any tips?


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

quarantine the new guy in a big tub with the filter that is matured in pedros tank, it will be fine. i quarantine for a week or so usually, and keep a very close eye on the new fish to ensure its disease free. i also tend to dose the quarantine tank with the kusuri wormer+ so im sure theres nothing hiding in the fish that can cause issues, it takes 4 days to work. everyone does things differently, but this works for me and i have no problems. 

as for sizes, ive never had an issue with mixing different sized goldfish, there is likely to be a wee bit of chasing around for a short time, but i feed at the same time as adding the new addition and no doubt pedro will be fine with it. in a 4ft tank you can have 3 fancy goldfish, maybe adding a new pair of fancies would be better so they arent focusing all their attention just 1 on 1.


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> quarantine the new guy in a big tub with the filter that is matured in pedros tank, it will be fine. i quarantine for a week or so usually, and keep a very close eye on the new fish to ensure its disease free. i also tend to dose the quarantine tank with the kusuri wormer+ so im sure theres nothing hiding in the fish that can cause issues, it takes 4 days to work. everyone does things differently, but this works for me and i have no problems.
> 
> as for sizes, ive never had an issue with mixing different sized goldfish, there is likely to be a wee bit of chasing around for a short time, but i feed at the same time as adding the new addition and no doubt pedro will be fine with it. in a 4ft tank you can have 3 fancy goldfish, maybe adding a new pair of fancies would be better so they arent focusing all their attention just 1 on 1.



sounds like a good plan! i was worried i'd be best off keeping new guys in a spare tub for a few weeks... bit of a nightmare, but it'd be fine for a week or two.

Seriously, i just couldn't face putting such tenny weeny fishes in with that big brute lol... i swear he was never that small even when i got him lol... he is a bully... he headbutts the snails when he's in a bad mood, although he gets along really well with the weather loach... someone else who needs a friend (and the baby ones look like spagetti...!) so i'm not sure if i'd be over stocking having 3 fancies plus 2 weather loaches? but like you said adding 2 rather than just one would take the focus off any possible bullying ...hmmmm

although on the plus side..imagine having a baby fancy goldfish in the right size tank from the word go... it's a tricky decision. A rescue one may be already stunted and be in poor shape, but then even it didnt last long at least i gave it bit of a decent life! i bet as soon as i buy one from a shop Gumtree will be full of them in my neck of the woods that need rescuing!


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

I *think* as long as the containers are food grade plastic it's safe.


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

Morgan Freeman said:


> I *think* as long as the containers are food grade plastic it's safe.



eeek... i don't think they make a sandwich box big enough! 

Never thought of that... bet it doesn't say anywhere on any plastic box you can buy whether it is food grade or not :/ aarggh


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

ive used one of those normal storage boxes before, i washed it out really well, rinsed it loads, and was only using it for quarantine so short term and it was fine. the one i used was about 50gallons, bowed out loads but was safe enough :2thumb:


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> ive used one of those normal storage boxes before, i washed it out really well, rinsed it loads, and was only using it for quarantine so short term and it was fine. the one i used was about 50gallons, bowed out loads but was safe enough :2thumb:



phew!! :2thumb:


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

Hooray! Someone has a 3ft tank filled with about 30 million fancies, 2 weather loaches and a big plec type thing up on gumtree, just emailed to see if he will sell me a couple separately. It's way overstocked anyway there's so many fancies in the pic you can tell them apart from each other! Theres seriously at least 25 fancy goldfishes in there, insanity!! Fingers crossed he'll let me have a couple and for not stupid amount of money.


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

miss_mystra said:


> Hooray! Someone has a 3ft tank filled with about 30 million fancies, 2 weather loaches and a big plec type thing up on gumtree, just emailed to see if he will sell me a couple separately. It's way overstocked anyway there's so many fancies in the pic you can tell them apart from each other! Theres seriously at least 25 fancy goldfishes in there, insanity!! Fingers crossed he'll let me have a couple and for not stupid amount of money.




aaaarggghhhh!!!! :bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

the guy just emailed me back to say he wont be selling those poor fishies separately and invited me to come around to and grab a bargain for the lot 

Even if i split the amount of fish between both the tanks i'd be giving them a life sentence, what a bloody tool! :devil:

Says in their ad 'fish lovers only'....really??? i just sat and counted 20 fish just in one of the pictures of the tank. why not just let me buy a couple from them? like anyone would notice a couple missing from that mental amount of goldfish!

Had to stop myself sending a very rude email back... its their property so i guess i cant tell them what to do  just really feel sorry for those fishies and wanted to give a couple of them a chance at least


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

:lol2: id be headed out to get them, and figure the rest when i got home! id keep the ones i liked the most, and rehome the others through here or aquarist classifieds where you can find them a knowledgable new home. how many large tubs did you say you bought???..... just think they will be no worse off in your care, whereas they stand no chance with him :2thumb:


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> :lol2: id be headed out to get them, and figure the rest when i got home! id keep the ones i liked the most, and rehome the others through here or aquarist classifieds where you can find them a knowledgable new home. how many large tubs did you say you bought???..... just think they will be no worse off in your care, whereas they stand no chance with him :2thumb:


there's no way as i could get the tank here or anywhere to put it, he will only sell all of them with the tank... got no room for enough spare tubs to house them all, they'd all need filters too... just impossible 

just silly as he says its urgent as he's emigrating, i don't see the problem in at least guaranteeing a few of them a home


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

its sad isnt it, ive contacted a few people now who had said similar, also the ones who say they need them gone asap or will flush them :censor: then when asked if they will allow them to go for free...no...well flushing them isnt going to get you any money is it!!! sometimes you just want to scream :bash:


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> its sad isnt it, ive contacted a few people now who had said similar, also the ones who say they need them gone asap or will flush them :censor: then when asked if they will allow them to go for free...no...well flushing them isnt going to get you any money is it!!! sometimes you just want to scream :bash:


i know its like people get some sick pleasure out of it. i wasn't even asking him for free, because i asked him how much he wanted for them  but yeah, how can killing them be a better option than letting someone have them free?? that's awful


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

Just fell in love with a lovely black moor at Crystal Palace Reptiles today, other half was like just get it, but i know there's bound to be some waiting for me to whisk them away the moment i bring it home so i resisted the temptation... if you call living with Pedro the grump whisked away that is :whistling2:


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

well, the quarantine tub (lol very luxurious) is ready and waiting now... had a gorgeous browny/black oranda come up and gumtree on Sunday, the bloke said he really wants me to have her, but hasn't got back to me since about when i can come and get her...the waiting is killing me lol plus the sooner i get her, the sooner her quarantine is up and i can cart this daft tub out the way again... until next time lol


In other news, i thought i'd give courgette a whirl for Pedro... i've never seen any fish less impressed by a vegetable he didn't even touch it... guess we'll stick with peas and broccoli ... the messiest bloody ones lol


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

well it's official, she's coming home tomorrow! 

Transporting a big goldfish on the tube will be interesting :s i think if it gets too busy on there might have to get off half way and get a taxi instead! Got a great big bag from Wholesale Tropicals (thank you!!) to put her in, and that will go inside my old cool box (i brought the others home from Stoke in that, except without the bag as it was in the car and a 4hr journey!), i just hope it doesn't weigh a ton, luckily i've talked the other half into coming with me to help carry it! i can't wait to put her in the tank, the next week or so will kill me!


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

so pleased you found one. shes gorgeous too. i hope the journey goes smoothly :2thumb:


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> so pleased you found one. shes gorgeous too. i hope the journey goes smoothly :2thumb:


thanks!  i can't wait to get her, she looks as big a grump and trouble-maker as Pedro!! :flrt:


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

well, 3 hour round trip on the tube and she's here!

She is HUGE, bigger than Pedro so she can kick his ass no problem if he grumps up! He already looks worried!!!

She was in a 2ftish tank, with a plec and some corydoras (?), i'm amazed she's got that big in there, as it didn't seem any where near big enough, the guy who had her seemed to know his stuff about everything but tank size - he'd given her some anti parasitic stuff over the past week and feeds her the right food. I am just baffled as to how she's got so big in there - she should be super stunted i'm sure! Not to sound horrible as the bloke did the right thing rehoming her, and aside from tank size she was obviously a very loved and cared for fish.

Her fins are so pretty and flowing, and she just keeps coming up to the surface of the water to look around and then hide again, she's such a sweetie, so we're calling her Precious!

She's got a bit of a funny white thing coming off her dorsal fin, so will get that treated from tomorrow don't want to dose the poor girl up too quickly... any ideas what to use and how to treat it, was thinking that melafix/pimafix (i have both so the appropriate one of the two!) or something else? You can see it in the pictures.


Some quicky pics, once she's passed her quarantine i'll get some better ones in the tank!


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

is the white thing hanging off her fin thin like a small worm? im thinking anchor worms, google it and check as you dont want to pass it between them. shes a gorgeous fish. id say if the guy knew what he was doing he was probably changing out a fair amount of water every few days to keep the nitrates low and allowing her to grow well.


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> is the white thing hanging off her fin thin like a small worm? im thinking anchor worms, google it and check as you dont want to pass it between them. shes a gorgeous fish. id say if the guy knew what he was doing he was probably changing out a fair amount of water every few days to keep the nitrates low and allowing her to grow well.


just had a really close look, doesn't look like anchor worm from the pics on google.

Its like the fin itself, where it starts at the front, that first bit that holds it up, if that make sense its just white and a little swollen looking, you can just about see it in the pics :/


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

is it the same both sides? i think id be inclined to dose with something like kusuri wormer + just to be on the safe side


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> is it the same both sides? i think id be inclined to dose with something like kusuri wormer + just to be on the safe side



no, its sort of coming from one side and curling round to face behind, all one bit... i'll try get a picture tomorrow as i'm being hopelessly unclear!

will get some of that wormer anyway tomorrow, better safe than sorry

i think it might just be an old injury or something


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

we have a fancy with an odd sort of almost finger :lol2: likes the fin has split at some point in the past and hasnt healed right, then curled a little. could be the same thing.


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

this is the clearest pic from earlier, you can just see it at the front of the dorsal fin

she looks like a killer whale to me every-time that big head comes up i expect to see a big blow hole going off!


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> we have a fancy with an odd sort of almost finger :lol2: likes the fin has split at some point in the past and hasnt healed right, then curled a little. could be the same thing.



that sounds like that could be what Precious has, it's not like a separate thing hanging off, but like a bit curling off


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

thats the pic i was looking at when i thought anchor worms, looking at the thin dark thread like bit on the back of her pectoral fin, thought that was what you were looking at


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> thats the pic i was looking at when i thought anchor worms, looking at the thin dark thread like bit on the back of her pectoral fin, thought that was what you were looking at



no thats just some random poo or something at the bottom of the tub, it's not attached to her hehe

its the white thing right at the front of the dorsal fin


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

:lol2: goldfish + random poop, usual thing aint it :lol2:


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## MarcusF (May 9, 2010)

3 fancy goldfish max in a four footer? Did I read that right?


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

if its the 4ftx1ft size then yes, 3 maximum :2thumb:

3ftx1ft = approx 30g
4ftx1ft = approx 40g
5ftx1ft = approx 50g

its a rough guide but the usual clearseal tanks are 1ftdeep and if i remember rightly 16" high. this would give you around 29g in a 3ft tank so its a rough idea on what you need. the first fancy goldfish needs 20g and each added after that needs 10g, this is the bare minimum for them. so a 3ft tank is the smallest tank you can have fancy goldfish in as they need at least 1 friend as they are social.

if you have a 4ft with different dimensions you need to work out the tank volume and go from there. 20g for the 1st, 10g for each added after that. i have a 4ft tank, so should be able to keep 3 in there, but its actually over 90g as its 48"x20"x28" tall.


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> if its the 4ftx1ft size then yes, 3 maximum :2thumb:
> 
> 3ftx1ft = approx 30g
> 4ftx1ft = approx 40g
> ...



might be worth adding this guide to your care sheet sticky, i know there's a similar bit already but this explains it even more  and will be super useful!


don't think i'll be getting a third, judging by the size of Precious and as i already have the weather loach needing a friend too.


The plan one day is to have an even bigger tank for them all once i have a home i own rather than rent, something that i know i will never have to move again! Then maybe get some more friends in there :lol2:


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## MarcusF (May 9, 2010)

lol...I'd love to know where people get all these size 'rules' from.

:2thumb:


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

as far as im aware they are based on adult fish size, and the amount of bio-load they produce in a tank environment. fancy goldfish can reach 10" long or more, and are big bulky fish when adults. to put more than 2 in a 3ft tank is cruelty when they can grow to almost 1/3 of the tanks length, and any less than 3ft and they simply dont have the room to swim freely. the nitrates would sky rocket, and the fishes growth would stunt unless the weekly partial water change was upped to several times a week to keep the toxins in check. something most keepers would rather not do, hence the advisory limits to stocking.


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

well, the funny white thing on her dorsal fin seems to have calmed down a bit, i was giving her melafix/pimafix (i can never remember which of the two when i've not got the bottle in my hands!!!)for 3 days as advised on the bottle for 'new fish' so i think maybe she had caught herself on something in her old tank and its healing up.

I got the worming stuff too, my problem is it can't be used in tanks with snails ( i have 2 apple snails), now she isn't in that tank yet, but how long after dosing her with wormer do i wait before it'll be safe to put her in without killing off my snails?


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

the wormer itself if only active for 4 days, but as long as she doesnt take any of her water over when she moves tank then it wont affect your snails :2thumb:


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## miss_mystra (Jun 24, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> the wormer itself if only active for 4 days, but as long as she doesnt take any of her water over when she moves tank then it wont affect your snails :2thumb:



ah that's good

time to buy a bigger net though... i normally use a jug and let them swim in on the rare occasions anyone's been taken out! i found my net the other day... embarrassingly small XD

I can't wait to have her in the tank, but i will miss her being in the tub, she loves to come up the the surface when you watch her from the top.

The next trick is to get her onto sinking pellets. Her previous owner said she just doesn't eat them, or feed from the bottom. She's on the floating Hikari Oranda pellets ( the owner gave me the rest of the big bag of hers), she's not displayed any floatation problems at all though, which is odd because Pedro still has his moments when he needs some peas to sort him out, and he's on sinking Hikari (the purple pack just for fancy goldfish). I tried feeding her his food, but she didn't eat it at all, i had to vac it up the next day off the bottom of the tub. She wasn't impressed with brocolli or courgette (but then neither's Pedro, think that's the last time i'll bother with those particular veggies!) but she did eat some peas quite happily.


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