# Got a new fish.



## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

Well Hercules passed away sadly. The tank was being eaten with algae and he died the day I was going to clean it. We didn't have the algae killer then and he just couldn't handle it.

We cleaned the tank and Love-a-Lot seemed really depressed. Her back fin was down, she didn't eat, she stayed in one corner of the tank. Yet everything was fine. 

So yesterday we went out and bought a Black Moor Goldfish! :flrt: My god how I love those! Upon some discussion, we named him Buckwheat.
Then I realized that his species name was 'Black *Moor*' and though _OMG _Kevin Moore! Because I'm obsessed with Dream Theater AND their past keyboardist Kevin Moore, he's been renamed to Kevin Moore. That's his name, Kevin Moore. Not Kevin, Kevin Moore.
If he dies, I've already decided his replacement will be named Derek Sherinian.

Hercules is currently fertilising a beautiful night blooming plant. RIP baby.


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

... Well why did the other one die?

If your tank is swamped with Algae then what is your maintenance like?

What level of water changes and filter maintenance?

High phosphates can cause blooms as well as immature water.


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

caribe said:


> ... Well why did the other one die?
> 
> If your tank is swamped with Algae then what is your maintenance like?
> 
> ...


The tank is outside, there's lots of algae in the summer. Water is always crystal clear except in the summer. I think he juts didn't like all the algae...


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> The tank is outside, there's lots of algae in the summer. Water is always crystal clear except in the summer. I think he juts didn't like all the algae...


Should sort it out then - reduce the light, increase the water changes, get a phosphate absorber... or nitrate absorber, perhaps actually test the water and see? No good buying another if it's swapped with algae, they'll be suffocating to death.


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## AnythingWithAShell (Apr 14, 2009)

Just another thing to note, crystal clear doesn't mean clean. Turtle keeping dictates this is to become like a mantra.


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

what size tank is he in? agree on sorting the issue asap aswell. you do realise the fancy goldfish cannot stay outside year round right?


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

Why don't you bring the tank inside? would be much easier and you don't need to worry from algae.

Maybe some bristlenose pleco's could help?


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## lionfish (Jul 15, 2009)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> If he dies, I've already decided his replacement will be named Derek Sherinian .


I don't want to be nasty , as I know you're only 14 , but you've opened up a can of worms there with that statement - by implication your saying you expect to lose this new fish as well and that you'll just go out and buy a replacement ( you even have a name set aside for the replacement ) fish aren't like disposable razors or tissues ( I'm sure you know this ) . 

@ Goldie , she is in Florida , so I "think" she should be ok keeping a fancy outside for longer than here in the U.K , although as I understand it FL did have a couple of recent harsh winters


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

lionfish said:


> I don't want to be nasty , as I know you're only 14 , but you've opened up a can of worms there with that statement - by implication your saying you expect to lose this new fish as well and that you'll just go out and buy a replacement ( you even have a name set aside for the replacement ) fish aren't like disposable razors or tissues ( I'm sure you know this ) .
> 
> @ Goldie , she is in Florida , so I "think" she should be ok keeping a fancy outside for longer than here in the U.K , although as I understand it FL did have a couple of recent harsh winters


Agreed, it wasn't very nice planning that you will get a replacement after he dies and even give a name, goldies can live for a long time and if he dies then it has a reason and there is an issue.

I think what goldie mean't is that it's too sunny in florida, not sure though:blush:.


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

If it gets algae in the summer, make a temporary cover for summer time. A small gazebo or similar.


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## lionfish (Jul 15, 2009)

This is just a thought , why not take the two ? goldfish that you have and put them in a tank indoors ( you'll see more of them ) . If you want to keep fish outdoors , you have the perfect native species on your doorstep in FL Google Mosquito Fish , Zoogeneticus Tequila A.K.A Z Tequila , these are small fish related to Guppies and they love both algae and mosquitos and being endemic to your part of the world will survive outside all year round . There are several other small ( guppy/minnow size ) native livebearers in FL as well , so why not give them a go ? and the bonus is they breed readily , so you can give them away to friends , take them to your LFS , use as feeder fish or bait fish etc etc . There is a guy in FL called Adrian Hernandez A.K.A Adrian H.D he runs a website called Swamp River Aquatics - he specialises in native FL livebearers , google Swamp River Aquatics and you'll be amazed at what is in your local water ways - all you need is a net .


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## Gt Turbo (Feb 9, 2011)

lionfish said:


> I don't want to be nasty , as I know you're only 14 , but you've opened up a can of worms there with that statement - by implication your saying you expect to lose this new fish as well and that you'll just go out and buy a replacement ( you even have a name set aside for the replacement ) fish aren't like disposable razors or tissues ( I'm sure you know this ) .


I would have to agree, as nowhere in the post did the OP state what measures she would take to even figure out what the problem was. It was assumed that the cause of death was the algae but I still am not sure about that. I would recommend testing of the water parameters and taking steps to reduce the amount of sunlight, although I have seen and know many setup where there was a lot of algae on the sides of the tank but it harmed the fish in no way.

Anyhow taking into account that the op is 14, she speaks and and thinks i assume like the average teenager who is "in love" with something or someone. I believe she has no desire to see another fish die but was probably just lost in thought over her current crushes.

Serpentine I wish you the best of luck but make sure you take some time and clean your tanks regularly and test your water just as often.

Good luck and God Speed!!:whip::blush:


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

I would be interested to know what temp the tank was at.


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

AshMashMash said:


> Should sort it out then - reduce the light, increase the water changes, get a phosphate absorber... or nitrate absorber, perhaps actually test the water and see? No good buying another if it's swapped with algae, they'll be suffocating to death.


Yes it's been sorted out, I'm gonna clean the tank tomorrow too (as today is SWAMPED!!) to keep it under control, waters going a bit green...




goldie1212 said:


> what size tank is he in? agree on sorting the issue asap aswell. you do realise the fancy goldfish cannot stay outside year round right?


About a 3 foot tank. And I live in Florida...



abadi said:


> Why don't you bring the tank inside? would be much easier and you don't need to worry from algae.
> 
> Maybe some bristlenose pleco's could help?


Tank is too big, parents refuse to have something to big and messy indoors...walking the tank 10 feet to the door is hard enough! 


lionfish said:


> I don't want to be nasty , as I know you're only 14 , but you've opened up a can of worms there with that statement - by implication your saying you expect to lose this new fish as well and that you'll just go out and buy a replacement ( you even have a name set aside for the replacement ) fish aren't like disposable razors or tissues ( I'm sure you know this ) .
> 
> @ Goldie , she is in Florida , so I "think" she should be ok keeping a fancy outside for longer than here in the U.K , although as I understand it FL did have a couple of recent harsh winters


I'm not planning on another fish, I love Kevin Moore the goldfish, and I intend to have many long years with him as he's the cutest fish in the world, but when his time comes there will be another goldfishy happy to swim around in the same tank...I know how valuable their lives are, I'm not planning on seeing another fish for a loong time in that tank 



lionfish said:


> This is just a thought , why not take the two ? goldfish that you have and put them in a tank indoors ( you'll see more of them ) . If you want to keep fish outdoors , you have the perfect native species on your doorstep in FL Google Mosquito Fish , Zoogeneticus Tequila A.K.A Z Tequila , these are small fish related to Guppies and they love both algae and mosquitos and being endemic to your part of the world will survive outside all year round . There are several other small ( guppy/minnow size ) native livebearers in FL as well , so why not give them a go ? and the bonus is they breed readily , so you can give them away to friends , take them to your LFS , use as feeder fish or bait fish etc etc . There is a guy in FL called Adrian Hernandez A.K.A Adrian H.D he runs a website called Swamp River Aquatics - he specialises in native FL livebearers , google Swamp River Aquatics and you'll be amazed at what is in your local water ways - all you need is a net .


Too big to bring inside, no room in my room and my room is carpeted...plus there are lots of bugs that live in the storage underneath. 



Gt Turbo said:


> I would have to agree, as nowhere in the post did the OP state what measures she would take to even figure out what the problem was. It was assumed that the cause of death was the algae but I still am not sure about that. I would recommend testing of the water parameters and taking steps to reduce the amount of sunlight, although I have seen and know many setup where there was a lot of algae on the sides of the tank but it harmed the fish in no way.
> 
> Anyhow taking into account that the op is 14, she speaks and and thinks i assume like the average teenager who is "in love" with something or someone. I believe she has no desire to see another fish die but was probably just lost in thought over her current crushes.
> 
> ...


I tested the water and things were a tad out of place, so I cleaned the tank, tested again, added something (that I forgot what it's called) to raise pH and changed the filter.


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> Yes it's been sorted out, I'm gonna clean the tank tomorrow too (as today is SWAMPED!!) to keep it under control, waters going a bit green...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Why don't you get some bristlenose pleco's for now? as you will not need to feed them, they will eat any algae, live, and grow like crazy.

Really a tank isn't messy, the worst thing i would expect is a few water drops on the carpet, anyways i understand the way you can't, but you got to do something to the algae problem.


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

abadi said:


> Why don't you get some bristlenose pleco's for now? as you will not need to feed them, they will eat any algae, live, and grow like crazy.
> 
> Really a tank isn't messy, the worst thing i would expect is a few water drops on the carpet, anyways i understand the way you can't, but you got to do something to the algae problem.


not need to feed them, i think probably best to at least offer them a slivce of courgette at least once a week. i dont think they should be left to live in a 3ft tank with just algae for food. just my opinion.


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> not need to feed them, i think probably best to at least offer them a slivce of courgette at least once a week. i dont think they should be left to live in a 3ft tank with just algae for food. just my opinion.


And some bogwood


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> not need to feed them, i think probably best to at least offer them a slivce of courgette at least once a week. i dont think they should be left to live in a 3ft tank with just algae for food. just my opinion.


Well you're right, but courgette and cucumber is what i call a treat, just like waxworms with beardies or mice with large frogs, offered once a week or month.


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

abadi said:


> Well you're right, but courgette and cucumber is what i call a treat, just like waxworms with beardies or mice with large frogs, offered once a week or month.


I wouldn't call it a treat... there won't be enough algae in a tank that size to feed these guys all the time. It's just making sure they're getting fed. It's not unhealthy or detrimental to their health, nor should it need to be rationed.


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

hippyhaplos said:


> I wouldn't call it a treat... there won't be enough algae in a tank that size to feed these guys all the time. It's just making sure they're getting fed. It's not unhealthy or detrimental to their health, nor should it need to be rationed.


My Serpentine Mind said she gets tons of algae in the summer, i think it is enough for a pleco to munch on with addition of bogwood and courgette, don't know though maybe the amount is not enough, i haven't seen it but a fish dying from it means its probably alot.


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

also depends on what type of algae is in there. bogwood is a must as said too, i thought that after i put my post :lol2:


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

No use, Love-A-Lot rejected Kevin Moore and decided to eat him alive. :gasp:

Way to make a real joke out of your name, Lovie. 

I don't think I want another fish if she's just gonna keep eating them...

And Chris Cintron (the pleco) is acting weird, so I'm thinking there's something wrong with the water. Tested it, and it's at freaking 7.4 pH! So I put some pH raiser in and will test it again in a few minutes. 

Poor Kevin Moore, our orchid is really going to have a growth spurt as it's got now 2 fish fertilisers in there...lol. It's really sad though cause he was sooo cute  But I guess I'm happy that he didn't live a long time and THEN die because I would be really attached to him...he was a really cute fish but I wasn't attached to him very much so the pain is not as great. If Love-A-Lot died though...:gasp:

Tomorrow I'll clean the tank (as it's late here). My parents won't dare buy me another, although we are within our 30 day refund :whistling2: $3.49 whole dollars!!!!

RIP Hercules, and Kevin Moore


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## samatkins1 (Apr 14, 2011)

goldie1212 said:


> what size tank is he in? agree on sorting the issue asap aswell. you do realise the fancy goldfish cannot stay outside year round right?


I know someone with a pond here in the UK, and she has goldfish in it all year round. Even through this really harsh winter, they are all still alive. They have even bred. If you float a piece of wood in the water, if the surface freezes, it helps to still oxygenate the water. Goldfish are a species of carp, so they do pretty well outside and can stand rough temperatures. It's only what's natural to them.

Not sure why the others died, but hope this can help someone


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

Worse news:
The Plec died as well.
I have no idea what is causing their death, but I immediately took Lovie out. She's in a small bowl, but she'll be OK in there overnight...I'm just really upset...what am I doing wrong??  Tank is DEFINITELY going to be cleaned tomorrow...


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## Moogloo (Mar 15, 2010)

Have you tested the water for anything other than ph??? pH of anywhere between 7 and 9 will be fine, so long as it isnt suddenly changing.

You need to check for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you fully clean the tank out, you'll have an ammonia spike even if you didnt have one before.

This post makes me sad.... no one would be thiscasual over a pet dying if it had been a cat or a dog or something.


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

So sorry to hear that the black moor died.
Sudden pH change can very easily cause the death of more than a fish.
What species is Love-A-Lot?

I don't think you should be glad because he died now not later when you're attached to him, death is normal and the death of a friend, family, pet etc is mean't to happen sooner or later, just my thought.


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

samatkins1 said:


> I know someone with a pond here in the UK, and she has goldfish in it all year round. Even through this really harsh winter, they are all still alive. They have even bred. If you float a piece of wood in the water, if the surface freezes, it helps to still oxygenate the water. Goldfish are a species of carp, so they do pretty well outside and can stand rough temperatures. It's only what's natural to them.
> 
> Not sure why the others died, but hope this can help someone


What she mean't is probably fancy goldfish, they can't stand surface freezing and water temp, goldfish is not a species of carp, it is related as the early ancestors of the goldfish we're carp.

keeping commons, comets and shubunkins outside is fine all year here in the UK.


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

also, pleco's come from the amazon basin, a place where the water is 29 degrees C at times, they are really not suited to coldwater


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

spinnin_tom said:


> also, pleco's come from the amazon basin, a place where the water is 29 degrees C at times, they are really not suited to coldwater


Alot of us keep pleco's with fancy goldfish, they will acclimate to colder conditions as well as fancies prefer warmer waters than commons, they are perfectly fine together unless the pleco starts to suck on the goldfishes jelly skin.


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

I'm not casual over this...I'm really sad  I'm going to test and clean and test again later today, hope Lovie will be OK...she's been in a small bowl with a few pellets of food all night. I didn't want to get a common because they'd outgrow the tank. Lovie was kept in a very small bowl for 6 years and now she's finally in the big tank. She's grown an inch but that's it, and she was in there since around August of last year. 

I know it's not normal for an animal to die but they did and there's nothing I can do about it...I'm sad I really am but that doesn't mean I have to go around crying and sobbing and weeping and ripping myself apart like I would if my dog or one of my snakes did... my fish are more of a pretty thing that I like to watch at night, it calms me down, they aren't my pets like my dog and snakes are. 

I'm not being insensitive at all, but you guys can only judge my feelings on a few posts, you can't get inside my brain...I should have taken the pleco out as soon as he was acting odd, but he wasn't acting odd enough to where I would worry...


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## becky89 (Nov 24, 2009)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> I tested the water and things were a tad out of place, so I cleaned the tank, tested again, added something (that I forgot what it's called) to raise pH and *changed the filter*.


I'm no expert with fish, but couldn't changing the filter completely have messed the tank up? Getting rid of all the good bacteria and all that?


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> I'm not casual over this...I'm really sad  I'm going to test and clean and test again later today, hope Lovie will be OK...she's been in a small bowl with a few pellets of food all night. I didn't want to get a common because they'd outgrow the tank. Lovie was kept in a very small bowl for 6 years and now she's finally in the big tank. She's grown an inch but that's it, and she was in there since around August of last year.
> 
> I know it's not normal for an animal to die but they did and there's nothing I can do about it...I'm sad I really am but that doesn't mean I have to go around crying and sobbing and weeping and ripping myself apart like I would if my dog or one of my snakes did... my fish are more of a pretty thing that I like to watch at night, it calms me down, they aren't my pets like my dog and snakes are.
> 
> I'm not being insensitive at all, but you guys can only judge my feelings on a few posts, you can't get inside my brain...I should have taken the pleco out as soon as he was acting odd, but he wasn't acting odd enough to where I would worry...


 
I am gutted for you .
what species is Lovie?


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

becky89 said:


> I'm no expert with fish, but couldn't changing the filter completely have messed the tank up? Getting rid of all the good bacteria and all that?


 No, the filter is what was keeping everything nice, taking out the bad things. 

It doesn't matter now as Lovie has, despite my efforts, passed away. I can't believe it, I've been crying all day...6 years ends to this.


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## samatkins1 (Apr 14, 2011)

abadi said:


> What she mean't is probably fancy goldfish, they can't stand surface freezing and water temp, goldfish is not a species of carp, it is related as the early ancestors of the goldfish we're carp.
> 
> keeping commons, comets and shubunkins outside is fine all year here in the UK.


I'm not sure about fancy goldfish, but the evidence of regular goldfish standing freezing temperatures is still swimming in the pond lol. And goldfish are a member of the carp family  Look at them, they are quite similar in apperance, just a bit smaller.


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## 9Red (May 30, 2008)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> *No, the filter is what was keeping everything nice, taking out the bad things. *
> 
> It doesn't matter now as Lovie has, despite my efforts, passed away. I can't believe it, I've been crying all day...6 years ends to this.


Sorry but no - if you completely clean out the tank and change the filter, then you have removed all the biological filtration - the good nitrogen fixing bacteria that are needed to keep the water chemistry balanced, so effectively you would have gone back to a completely uncycled tank. This alone often causes fish to die as they can't handle the ammonia spike that follows. This is why when doing a major clean out of a mature tank you should always leave some of the old water (usually you only change around 50% of the water for fresh), and rinse the filter media in old tank water to avoid killing off all the good bacteria. 

If you moved the remaining fish into a bowl containing fresh, uncycled water it could be the same thing that killed it, especially if it was already in a compramised state of health. I'm sorry that your fish have died, I appreciate it is very sad for you, but perhaps this helps you understand why it is important to know about proper water biochemistry.


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

samatkins1 said:


> I'm not sure about fancy goldfish, but the evidence of regular goldfish standing freezing temperatures is still swimming in the pond lol. And goldfish are a member of the carp family  Look at them, they are quite similar in apperance, just a bit smaller.


Commons and Shubunkins do stand very cold conditions, infact, they 'hibernate' under the ice.
Goldfish has been bred for centuries from carp, carp is from the order cypriniformes and the family cyprinidae and same as goldfish, but goldfish is then divided into the genus carassius and the species C. auratus meaning its a species of it's own, but they are highly related to carp.

really alot of people do consider goldfish as species of carp but it's not true when it comes to science, fish like crucians, koi, minnows are far more related to carp than goldfish are, but they are all related. : victory:

That's why they look pretty similar.
it's just like the family of big cats.


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## samatkins1 (Apr 14, 2011)

abadi said:


> Commons and Shubunkins do stand very cold conditions, infact, they 'hibernate' under the ice.
> Goldfish has been bred for centuries from carp, carp is from the order cypriniformes and the family cyprinidae and same as goldfish, but goldfish is then divided into the genus carassius and the species C. auratus meaning its a species of it's own, but they are highly related to carp.
> 
> really alot of people do consider goldfish as species of carp but it's not true when it comes to science, fish like crucians, koi, minnows are far more related to carp than goldfish are, but they are all related. : victory:
> ...


That's what I was trying to say, that they are closely related. Just minus the latin terminology haha. Cheers for the breakdown.


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

I wish I'd known better about the filter--it could have saved them...but there's nothing to be done now, I'm not going to own another fish for a while  Reps are what I know best, I should have stuck to them in the first place but I just couldn't stand not having a buddy for Lovie and then it all happened. 

To Kevin Moore, Chris Cintron, Love-A-Lot and Hercules:
I promise your own tank will be put to good use, I'm sorry it had to happen (omg I'm crying again) and hope you all had good lives with me.

And to Love-A-Lot alone, I'm glad I won you (she was a carnival fish) and you didn't go to some owner who mistreated you and didn't feed you, I'm sorry you had to spend so long in that cramped bowl, I wish I'd known sooner, but I hope you lived out a good few final months with friends in that big tank...


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> I wish I'd known better about the filter--it could have saved them...but there's nothing to be done now, I'm not going to own another fish for a while  Reps are what I know best, I should have stuck to them in the first place but I just couldn't stand not having a buddy for Lovie and then it all happened.
> 
> To Kevin Moore, Chris Cintron, Love-A-Lot and Hercules:
> I promise your own tank will be put to good use, I'm sorry it had to happen (omg I'm crying again) and hope you all had good lives with me.
> ...


I'm sorry, i feel your pain, but this is making me extremely curious, what species is Lovie?!?!?


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## lionfish (Jul 15, 2009)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> I wish I'd known better about the filter--it could have saved them...but there's nothing to be done now, I'm not going to own another fish for a while  Reps are what I know best, I should have stuck to them in the first place but I just couldn't stand not having a buddy for Lovie and then it all happened.
> 
> To Kevin Moore, Chris Cintron, Love-A-Lot and Hercules:
> I promise your own tank will be put to good use, I'm sorry it had to happen (omg I'm crying again) and hope you all had good lives with me.
> ...


 
Don't put yourself down or beat yourself up too much about it , you're 14 , you made a mistake , it happens to the best of us  The whole point of making mistakes is that you learn from them . It's not like you did it deliberately , not like you poured bleach in there on purpose etc .It was an accident .


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

abadi said:


> I'm sorry, i feel your pain, but this is making me extremely curious, what species is Lovie?!?!?


She was a (very stunted) Comet... for a while she was vibrant orange and white, like a Koi, then she was white, but when we got her she was just orange. 



lionfish said:


> Don't put yourself down or beat yourself up too much about it , you're 14 , you made a mistake , it happens to the best of us  The whole point of making mistakes is that you learn from them . It's not like you did it deliberately , not like you poured bleach in there on purpose etc .It was an accident .


I know but I can't help but feel I've let them down, it's funny how all those years of her living in a bowl with no filter and water changes needed more than they were given (well of course the water was never really bad but it was dirty enough) and then I put her in a big tank with everything she needs and she dies :`( 

It's funny cause I sent my friend the news, as well as a song I like (lol), and she thought that the "RIP Love-A-Lot I'll miss you forever" was the song lyric. :bash:


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

sorry you lost your little fish. unfortunately, the years of being in that little bowl will have caused her irreversible damage. there is no saying that she didnt live longer than she would have done in the bowl had you not moved her. it could have given her that extra few months of life with you by providing a bigger space, and im sure she would have been much happier in that big tank even for a short time. the 3ft tank would have only been suitable as a home for the fancy goldfish, and even then only 2 at most. 

goldfish, and plecs for that matter, are very messy fish, they pollute the water very quickly and the quailty of the water could have gotten out of hand very fast. just because the water may have been clear doesnt mean the water is clean. also, the temps could have fluctuated a lot over night etc which could have further stressed them as a tank wont have as much insulation as a purpose made outdoor pond.

you did your best for your little fish once you found out its true needs. you should be proud you managed to keep her alive for that amount of time, i doubt very much many of the others which were won would have had such a long life. yes its a short life for a goldfish, but she did have a very poor start to life. 

dont be put off owning other fish, but maybe look for smaller species able to happily live in the tank you have. the filter needs to be cleaned in old tank water, not replaced as all of the bacteria you need will be lost. 

also, it is far better to not add chemicals to change p.h, a stable p.h is far more important than one of a certain level as long as it isnt too far out for the species being kept.

if you do a lot of research, on the cycle process, and then on the type of fish you want to own, there is no reason you cant fix the issue you have with the tank and go from there. have you considered the possibility of something poisonous being introduced to the tank outside by accident? something which could have killed off the fish in there?


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> sorry you lost your little fish. unfortunately, the years of being in that little bowl will have caused her irreversible damage. there is no saying that she didnt live longer than she would have done in the bowl had you not moved her. it could have given her that extra few months of life with you by providing a bigger space, and im sure she would have been much happier in that big tank even for a short time. the 3ft tank would have only been suitable as a home for the fancy goldfish, and even then only 2 at most.
> 
> goldfish, and plecs for that matter, are very messy fish, they pollute the water very quickly and the quailty of the water could have gotten out of hand very fast. just because the water may have been clear doesnt mean the water is clean. also, the temps could have fluctuated a lot over night etc which could have further stressed them as a tank wont have as much insulation as a purpose made outdoor pond.
> 
> ...


 Little Kevin Moore might have introduced something, although he was not sharing a tank with anything else, but who knows what they had in their water that diseased him and then he diseased the others...we've always had problems with the fish, and even when they were so sick they didn't die, when they finally died it was out of the blue...at least if they'd died from the nitrite spike (due to a fault in the filter) a few months ago I would've known why and not had to ponder all the ideas and what I did wrong...


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## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> Little Kevin Moore might have introduced something, although he was not sharing a tank with anything else, but who knows what they had in their water that diseased him and then he diseased the others...we've always had problems with the fish, and even when they were so sick they didn't die, when they finally died it was out of the blue...at least if they'd died from the nitrite spike (due to a fault in the filter) a few months ago I would've known why and not had to ponder all the ideas and what I did wrong...


I don't think Kevin has interduced anything as long as you have chosen him as a ''healthy looking fish'' from an experienced petshop? and if he has then they couldn't of died instantly like that, fish show several stages of disease development before it kills them (well for most fish diseases).

It's really something to do with the biochemistry, it wasn't something you did wrong so keep your chin up : victory:


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## Becky (Mar 26, 2007)

My Serpentine Mind said:


> Well Hercules passed away sadly. The tank was being eaten with algae and he died the day I was going to clean it. We didn't have the algae killer then and he just couldn't handle it.
> 
> We cleaned the tank and Love-a-Lot seemed really depressed. Her back fin was down, she didn't eat, she stayed in one corner of the tank. Yet everything was fine.
> 
> ...





caribe said:


> ... Well why did the other one die?
> 
> If your tank is swamped with Algae then what is your maintenance like?
> 
> ...





My Serpentine Mind said:


> The tank is outside, there's lots of algae in the summer. Water is always crystal clear except in the summer. I think he juts didn't like all the algae...





AshMashMash said:


> Should sort it out then - reduce the light, increase the water changes, get a phosphate absorber... or nitrate absorber, perhaps actually test the water and see? No good buying another if it's swapped with algae, they'll be suffocating to death.



The more threads of yours that i read.......... the more i worry about your animals :bash:


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## My Serpentine Mind (Apr 9, 2010)

Becky said:


> The more threads of yours that i read.......... the more i worry about your animals :bash:


There's no reason to be so mean, gosh. I'm already completely broken about this...everything I was told to do, I was doing, I didn't know that I had been misinformed about their care. 

This forum is just sad, how they have to degrade people for some reason.


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