Blackmoord

Question
hi, I have had a tank set up and running for about 10 days now, we have 1 good sized blackmoor and an oranda + 2 other small goldfish, i am a bit worried about the blackmoor as the other 3 fish seem to be going for its back end and they are swimming quite frantic! i dont think they are biting it it maybe they are just very playful, do you have any suggestions, the tank size is 21 litres and has the filter etc, and we have just done a partial water change. could it be she is a female and they are male?

Answer
Hi Deborah;

Poor fish. It may be a female but the most serious problems are overcrowding and "New Tank Syndrome". The little tank is just too new for so many fish and goldfish are just not a good choice for that size tank anyway. Toxins from fish waste are rising and burning their skin, eyes and gills because the beneficial bacteria that consumes it isn't developed yet. Even when it does mature or "breaks in" the tank is just too small and it can't provide enough filtration for them. Make a 50% water change every day to hopefully keep them alive until you decide what to do next. You will have to get a bigger tank, or take all but one of the fish back to the fish store. One fish might be okay in that size tank for a few months, but goldfish get very large (8 inches w/o tail) and are very messy fish. they have a lifespan of at least 10 years too.

Goldfish need at least 40 liters per fish in order to survive and grow. Here are links to more info about goldfish and their needs;

http://www.flippersandfins.net/goldfishcaresheet.htm
http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/articles/Goldfish.html
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/faq.html

Here is a link to my article on new tanks too;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

I hope everything turns out okay.....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins