goldfish clamped fins

Question
Please help...new pet store here hired a bunch of people who don't know much about goldfish...we have a new 28 gal. tank--was in a ten gallon tank 1 goldfish/1 bottom feeder/2 years no problems whatsoever--now moved to 28g tank to bring in new fish....1 black moor+2 won at carnival -1 carnival fish missing, we think our big goldfish ate him...and now our main goldfish is acting weird....fins clamped down, floating at surface, eating bubbles....looks sad. He was doing great in new tank before new fish...tested water/ everything good...what do you think??

Answer
Hi Andrea;

Make a 25% water change right away and do them again for 3 more days in a row. It will help the fish feel better and boost their immune systems. He is probably sick from "New Tank Syndrome" toxins. It's also possible he has a parasite or something. Carnival fish are not treated very well, even before the carvival gets them. They are very often sick. Look closely at his fins and his skin. Do you see anything abnormal such as spots, dots, slimy patches, etc? If so, he may have a disease that needs to be treated.

Have the water tested again and ask them to test specifically for the following; pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. It is common for fish store employees to tell you "it's good", "it's okay", "it's a little off", etc. Don't let them do that. Ask them what the actual readings are and write them down. We need numbers. Those levels will tell you how far along the break-in period is and will tell you if the toxins are high and you need to make water changes again. Here is a link to my article on new tanks to help you through it;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Let me know if you need more help...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins