black smudges

Question
Hello again,
Im happy to report that the black smudges on my goldfish (that you so kindly advised me about) has disappeared:) The only black left now is on each fin of his tail. Is that natural coloring then?  the problem now is, there is a need to change our place of residence after all of the work we put into the cycling of our tank.  Can you advise us on  how to safely and correctly transport all of our fish to the new place?  How do we move the tank, set up, and move the fish? Will they be safe? Do you need to know any additional information about the fish in order to advise me?  The new place is about a half hour to 40 minute drive away from our present place of residence.  Thank you for your help,
cathy
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Thank you again for your input. I couldnt believe the guy suggested that I allow some fish not to make it! I love them too much. Should I only change the water if the ammonia goes high or out of control, or change the water for high nitrates as well?  The fish store man said if I change it the ammonia will go high again.  I had added salt last week, unless I change the water, I should not add anymore salt correct?  Or is ok to add the salt you reccommended to prevent infection?  Is a second filter effective?  Also, is it ok to clean the algae out of the tank? It seems to grow fast, and plentiful lately.  As far as the reddness, I beleive it is lighter but sometimes it is hard to get a good look, how will I know it is an infection or that it has healed. Is the reddness suppossed to disappear altogether, or is some reddness natural?
I so appreciate your help:)
Cathy
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Followup To

Question -
Than you for your response.  I was also wondering...is it normal for the inside of the bubble eye...under the eye, to be reddish? or does that mean he isnt well?  It is less red lately as the water quality has improved, but does that go away entirely>?  In addition, I have currently checked the water, which has a good ph, and no ammonia finally. However, the nitrates were off the chart purple, and as of today a lighter purple.  The man at the pet store told us we had set up the tank improperly, and had to begin again...now we are "mid cycle", and the nitrtes are normal for this point.  He said not to touch the water until it is done cycling now, even if the nitrates are high...they will go down natrually. Until then, will this harm our fish?   Also,since your advice, the black on our fish has receded and lightened a very tiny bit.  At the same time, the black on his tail has increased in darkness.  Is this another healing sign?  Now the man at the store has told us, the tail (at least) may be a normal change in color.  What are your thoughts?  Thank you for your help, we are new at fish care.
cathy
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Followup To

Question -
I read your advice at what to do for black smudges appearing on a bubble eyed goldfish.  My fish as well has black marks on the top of his head, side gills, fin edge, and some scales(very few). I was told it was a normal change of color by a pet store "expert", but after reading this I am concerned, will he be ok? I will change the water two-three times a week and monitor the water levels until getting a larger tank.  How long will this be effective? How long after changing the water, will it be until I see the black marks disappear? Have I let too much time go by(week and few days)? As far as buying a bigger tank, is this the complete cure for my fish, or is there something I must do in addition to that?  Could this be anything else but ammonia burns?  Thank you in advance for your help, I am very concerned.

Answer -
Hi Cathy;

If the black showed up after you got him, it is indeed ammonia burns. It will heal in a matter of 3 or 4 weeks once the fish is in a more stable environment. The only permanent cure is indeed a bigger tank. Good filtration is the other thing to be sure and have. Get a power filter that is rated for at least the gallon size of his new tank. Don't use undergravel filtration. It isn't adequate for goldfish. They make too much large waste. Here is a good page about goldfish and their needs;

http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php

Here also in information about new tanks so you know how to handle the first few weeks;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

Answer -
Hi Cathy;

If the nitrites are going down, that's a good sign. Contrary to what the fish store guy said though, sometimes partial water changes must be made in order to save the lives of the fish. Sometimes even daily if they are exceptionally high. The tank will still continue to go through the break-in. There is still plenty of toxin in the water for the developing bacteria to feed on, even after partial changes. The idea is to get the tank and the fish through this difficult stage, not ignore the fish and let them die. It just isn't necessary to do that. The worst that could happen when making water changes during break-in is it may take a few days longer to finish. If the toxins are brought down to a tolerable level during that time, it is certainly a better option than letting the fish die.

Hopefully, the redness on the eye will go away as the water quality improves. If it gets worse, he may have a bacterial infection and need an antibiotic. But first try Melafix and aquarium salt. They can help him heal, soothe wounds and help prevent infection, without affecting the break-in process. Don't just use an antibiotic right away if you can avoid it. It can make a mess in your water and give the break-in process some trouble. "Yuck" on both accounts.

Keep up the good work!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins
-----Answer-----
Hi Cathy;

I don't believe the ammonia will go up higher again if you make a water change. You are only making partial changes, not draining the tank. It will simply relieve the fish and the break-in process will go on. It doesn't have to get crazy in there for it to finally break-in. That's a common misconception.

Make a 25% change if nitrite is high too. You are exactly right about salt. Only add more when you make a water change. Add back only enough salt to treat the new water. It's okay to continue to use it through the entire break-in period. High nitrites (NO2) cause problems with the blood so it can't carry oxygen anymore. Salt helps to correct that until the nitrite level drops and everything settles down.

It wouldn't hurt to add an extra filter. It will take time to develop bacteria in it too, but in the long run it will help. It's good to have two going in case one filter fails anyway.

Scrape the algae all you want. It isn't going to harm anything. Do a scraping right before you make a water change and hopefully some of it will be sucked out and removed from the tank altogether.

If the fish with redness is acting okay, it is probably getting better. It could also be part of his normal coloration.  

I hope things keep getting better!

More followups welcome......

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

Answer
Hi Cathy;

I'm so glad they're doing better! The rest of the black could indeed be natural pigmentation. As long as the ammonia and nitrites are gone now they should be fine.

Here is a good web page about moving your fish. You aren't going that far away so with a few precautions they should be safe.

http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/moving_your_fish.htm#top2

Good luck and I hope all goes well in your new home!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins