Fish Tank Problems

Question
QUESTION: My wife and I are refugees from New Orleans and for the more than 40 years that we lived there we usually had an aquarium, particularly for the four girls. After the youngest moved out we went into a remodeling phase and didn't have any fish for some time. Last year, (Summer of 2007) before we moved into our new modular home in Zirconia, North Carolina, the plumber left a 55-gallon drum of water to use on the new system before it was hooked up to the well.

The water started to attract mosquitoes so I bought six (6) small goldfish about 1 1/2 inches long for 28 cents apiece at Wal-Mart and put them into the water in the drum. I started feeding them Tetra Fish flakes and they all flourished except one that died a short time after being put into the water. These fish are really remarkable. They made it through the winter when there was ice three inches deep on the top of water in the drum and about an inch all around the perimeter down about two feet.

I broke the ice up and got it out on several occasions every time convinced that the fish were dead but they survived and survived in good condition. The largest is now about five to six inches long and the smallest is about four inches long. I decided they deserved an inside home after changing the water in the 55-gallon drum about four times. My wife has become very attached to these little critters and when she was on a trip to California to visit some friends, I bought a 20-gallon high aquarium from a fish and pet store with all the necessary equipment to surprise her. I also purchased a couple of catfish to be part of the cleanup crew. I have not purchased any live plants or snails yet but am open to this option. The young man who waited on me seemed fairly knowledgeable. I have digital pictures (available on request) of what the aquarium looked like a few days after setting it up.

Within a few weeks the water started to get murky and I contacted the pet store. The young man told me to bring in a sample, which I did and he subsequently tested the water and told me there was too much ammonia. He said that I needed to change at least 50% and preferably 75% of the water. He sold me a siphon that has a large tube on the end for "cleaning the gravel" as he described it. Told me to bring another sample in a week. I asked him about the filter in the pump and he hemmed and hawed around and finally said that he wasn't familiar with that pump because it was a new item they had not been in stock for long. He told me I should just go ahead and wash out the filter a couple of times. This really annoyed me since I don't believe you should be selling anything to anybody that you are not 100% familiar with.

I went home and dutifully followed the instructions including adding something called "Stress Zyme".  Within three days the water was worse than before. I called up the pet store and spoke to this young man (probably 18 or 19 years old) telling him the pump was not doing its job. He then tried to argue with me about the pump saying "it takes time for the tank to settle down" blah, blah, blah. I told him I was bringing the pump in and if he wouldn't exchange it I was going to throw it in the lake and go buy one someplace else.

When I went to the store a few days later, the owner was there and the young man was about to walk out the door. I told him he needed to stay and listen to what I was going to tell the owner. I explained the situation about as clearly as I have written it here. I then told the owner that if he didn't wish to refund my money or replace the pump with another brand, I would go someplace else. About this time the young man left. The owner gave me this song and dance about NOT changing the water so that the bio-nutrients and bacteria in the water could grow. He seemed rather unhappy that the young man had told me to change the water. He also gave me the same story about the goldfish defecating more than most fish and etc., etc., etc. It's not the fish, it's the environment and blah, blah, blah. I was supposed to wait longer for the aquarium to get "settled". I'm wondering how long? Till the warranty expires? He replaced the "Whisper" pump with one that he said he used on all of his tanks. It has a small pipe supposedly to add more air to the water that the other did not have. The pump has been functioning now for almost 24 hours and I don't see any change at all. What next coach?

Fritz Owens
Professional pianist, composer, teacher and keyboard recording artist for over 40 years in New Orleans - until Katrina     


ANSWER: Hello Fritz:  Actually both of the fish store people were correct... though not entirely.  It takes about a week for new tanks to get cycled... cycled is a balancing between the bacterial colonies and the extra fish food, fish poop, etc.  What is sad in this case is that neither told you how to fix the problem.  The problem being that the water chemistry (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite) are too high for the fish to live in.  So the young man was correct... change 50% of the water every day until the water chemistry levels drop... Additionally... you need to add beneficial bacteria to the tank... this will speed up the cycling process.  The filter in this case has nothing to do with the water condition, though filters do have a lot to do with water conditions ... just at this specific instance the filter is innocent.  The shop owner is also correct in that goldfish are messy fish... and keeping five goldfish in a 20 gallon tank is going to be difficult.  They should have sold you a 55 gallon tank... not a 20... the rule of thumb for goldfish is one fish per ten gallons of water.  Because you have so many fish in such a small container you are going to have to change the water every other day.... this is the only way that the ammonia level will drop.  Also ... water holds 8 parts per million of oxygen where as room air holds about 100 parts per million... the point here is too many fish in that 20 gallon tank is going to cause an oxygen shortage.... They seem to be happy, happy in the 55 gallon drum... If they were my fish and getting a larger tank was not an option... I would put them back in the drum and invest in a deicer that will keep the drum from freezing.... I hope this is helpful... let me know if you have any other questions.... dave

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Dave,

Thanks for the prompt reply. My history with fish goes back many years when we always had a separate aerator pump to bubble more air into the fish tank. Don't they do this anymore? Is this an option? Seems to me that perhaps pumping more oxygen into the tank environment would be the answer.

Fritz Owens

ANSWER: You can buy an air pump... attach it to a bubbler... it is an answer... but it will not address the toxicity of the tank... dave

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm sorry but I don't quite understand your answer. If buying an aerator is an answer how do I address the toxicity of the tank? If I get the water clear of ammonia, nitrates and nitrites can I keep it that way with the proper equipment?

Thanks.

Fritz Owens

Answer
Hi Fritz:  You have several issues with this tank.  1) too many fish not enough oxygen... an air pump will address this concern.  2) too many fish producing too much ammonia. Goldfish produce more ammonia then most fish. Since you have an unending source of ammonia (goldfish) in a small space the tank will not totally be ammonia free.  This is going to require that you change the water quite often in the tank.  I would invest in an ammonia test kit and monitor the ammonia levels.  If the fish store was fully informed about what you were going to keep in the 20 gallon tank they should have told you that the tank was too small.  I can not stress enough that this tank is too small.  You and your fish are going to be faced with many issues over the coming winter.  It is going to be difficult to keep the tank clean enough to the fish to live in.  Ammonia is acidic and because the fish have to filter water over their gills to extract oxygen they often end up with chemical burns which prevent them from getting enough oxygen to live properly.  Long-term exposure to high levels of ammonia will cause blistering and sores on the fish as well.  It is basically an acid bath that is eating away at the fish.  If these were my fish then I would put then in a 55 gallon tank... or leave them in the 55 gallon drum outside with a de-icer.  You can sometimes fine nice fish tanks on www.craigslist.com for not a whole lot of money.... dave