GOLD FISH DYING

Question
WE HAD TWO FISHES IN A BOWL. A GOLD FISH AND A BLACKMOORE. WE'VE HAD THEM FOR OVER 3 MONTHS AND HAVE BEEN DOING FINE. WE WENT ON A TRIP FOR A WEEK AND LEFT WITH MY SISTER.  WE LEFT THE BOWL CLEANED FOR HER ALL SHE HAD TO DO WAS FEED THEM. WHEN WE RETURNED THEY SEEMED GOOD AND SWIMMING. WE TOOK THEM OUT AND PUT THEM IN A CONTAINER TO GO HOME. THAT'S THE SAME WAY WE TRANSPORTED THEM TO HER HOUSE. ANYWAYS, THEY WERE SWIMMING AND DOING GOOD WHEN WE ARRIVED. WE FILLED A SEPARATE BOWL WITH WATER AND THE STRESS COAT AND LET IT SITTING FOR A WHILE. THEN WE FILLED THEIR BOWL WITH THE WATER AND PUT THEM IN. A FEW HOURS LATER WE FOUND THE BLACKMOORE ON THE TOP OF THE WATER, DEAD, AND THE GOLD FISH ON THE BOTTOM. DYING. HE'S STILL LIKE THAT NOW, HE'S ON THE BOTTOM BREATHING. HE LOOKS HEALTHY BUT HE JUST NOT MOVING. IF WE PUSH HIM ALITTLE HE'LL TRY SWIMMING BUT THEM HE STARTS SINKING AND LOSE CONTROL OF HIS BODY CAUSE SOMETIMES HE'S UPSIDE DOWN. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I HAVE A FEELING IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE TEMPERATURE CHANGE. SINCE IT WAS VERY COLD IN MY SISTER'S HOUSE AND OUTSIDE AND OUR HOME WAS WARM. AND THEN NEW WATER WAS ROOM TEMP. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT WENT WRONG AND WHAT I COULD DO WITH THE GOLDFISH DYING.  

Answer
Hi Karen;

I'm so sorry you were misled about the needs of goldfish. It could have been the temperature change but those two poor guys were already weak from living in a bowl so they would certainly have succumbed quicker than they should have. The back moor is a more sensitive variety so it is expected that he would be the first to go. Goldfish just can't live in anything but a regular aquarium (10 gallon min.)with a good filter. They are messy fish that get big (8 to 12 inches) and invisible toxins build up and slowly poison them to death and cause weakness from chronically low oxygen levels.

For the one fish left, all you can do it just wait and see what happens. Make a 50% daily water change, being sure that the new water is the same temperature as the old. He may have a swim bladder problem from the temperature shock that can be helped with a change of diet when he will feel like eating. See if he will eat cooked green peas broken into little chunks once he feels better. Feed only the peas for a couple of days and then you can continue with his regular diet once he swims more normally. It is important to give goldfish green foods 2 or 3 times a week like peas, romaine lettuce, cooked green beans, raw cucumber chunks, and raw squash chunks. They need it for their digestion. Goldfish are prone to constipation and swim bladder problems without them.

If he survives this, get him a 10 gallon tank to grow and thrive in. A ten gallon is suitable for one goldfish. Many people have 2 or 3 in a ten gallon, but it really is too small for that many. Make a weekly water change of 25% and vacuum the gravel every 2 to 4 weeks no matter how many you have. Even a tank with a filter needs weekly maintenance.

Here are good web pages about goldfish and their needs;

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3503.asp
http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/articles/Goldfish.html
http://www.animalfreedom.org/english/information/goldfishbowl.html
http://www.netpets.org/fish/reference/freshref/goldfaq.html
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/care.html
http://www.flippersandfins.net/goldfishfaq.htm
http://www.petlibrary.com/goldfish/fishcare.htm

I hope your poor sick guy feels better soon......

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins