Rescued some goldfish from certain death

[Susan]

Just a couple days ago, I was coming out of my apartment at about 8:15
a.m. and saw the most hideous sight. The new neighbor who had moved in
2 days previously had put out a half empty 8 or 10 gallon (small!)
aquarium on his balcony. I knew that this thing had been out there the
night before (and perhaps was there for 2 days!!!), but I had
*assumed* the thing was empty. In the light of the morning I saw two
things: the water was murky and yellow, and there were goldfish in
there!

I immediately knocked on his door and asked for the fish because I
explained to him that they needed a water change right away, and the
sun would soon be out and beat down on the water, heating them up. I
told him that I love fish and would be more than willing to just take
them and help them survive. He actually said to me, "Well, they belong
to my daughter, so I'll have to ask her." His daughter is just a
little girl, not more than 5 years old! I was so irritated.

So anyhow, I finally got the fish by 12:30 p.m. that day (after a
little more pressure put on him, via a distressed phonecall to the
apartment manager).

I have 3 problems:

-There was a 4 inch long pleco in there, plus a dwarf african frog. I
had to separate them out temporarilly in a bucket. I change the water
daily but it's such a bummer to feed them (I'm hardly feeding right
now for fear of polluting the water). I'm not sure if they'll survive.
The dwarf frog strikes at food but only eats a little bit. He has
frozen bloodworms right now. I have tablets for the pleco but I hate
to feed them for fear of polluting the water. I'm feeding both of them
only a little bit late at night, then using a *turkey baster* to
remove excess, and then changing out 3/4 of the water! I actually put
a tablet in, then turned out all the lights for a couple hours while I
played on the computer...because I had the concept that the pleco
feeds at night! I plan to slowly introduce both of them in to my 20
gallon tropical aquarium that has about 10 platy's. I worry about the
pleco though. And what will happen to Mr. Frog?

-There are 3 goldfish and I can't tell what they are. One looks like a
shubunkin and his behavior is a bit more fast and aggressive (fin
nipping). The other two...one is definitely a fan tail (thank
goodness) but the third goldfish...I honestly can't tell if he's a
comet or a fantail. If it helps, 2 are white and gold, have rounder
faces, and definitely have split, double tails. But one had more red
splotches and his tail seems longer than the other one. Then there is
this calico one with a long tail, a slimmer body, a pointier face and
he seems faster and more aggressive.

-I bought a 29 gallon aquarium, merrilly thinking that this would be
appropriate for the three fancy goldfish (before realizing that one or
more of them may be comets!!!) Now I don't know whether to return to
the store and exchange for a 55 gallon aquarium. I don't drive at the
moment and my husband already is ready to clobber me for spending $250
to get all the junk I did get for the fish!

I have no idea what to do. I'm currently just keeping the fish in two
buckets and changing out lots of water, using air stones, feeding very
very lightly (and cleaning afterwards). They all seem to be doing much
better than when they were in that death chamber on the neighbors
balcony.

I need to put these fish in an aquarium and I am hesitating to do it
tonight because I'm thinking maybe I should go get a 55 gallon tank
tomorrow (instead of the 29 I bought).

I'm totally rambling. Sorry. This is my first fish rescue and I think
I'm botching it up.


I never thought that I would end up getting someone's *bad fish store
purchase* when I am so careful and only keep platy's because they are
so easy to care for!

Thank you for reading. This is officially the most terrible thing that
ever happened to me concerning fish!

[Donald Kerns]

Susan wrote:

> Just a couple days ago, I was coming out of my apartment at about 8:15
> a.m. and saw the most hideous sight. The new neighbor who had moved in
> 2 days previously had put out a half empty 8 or 10 gallon (small!)
> aquarium on his balcony. I knew that this thing had been out there the
> night before (and perhaps was there for 2 days!!!), but I had
> *assumed* the thing was empty. In the light of the morning I saw two
> things: the water was murky and yellow, and there were goldfish in
> there!
>
> I immediately knocked on his door and asked for the fish because I
> explained to him that they needed a water change right away, and the
> sun would soon be out and beat down on the water, heating them up. I
> told him that I love fish and would be more than willing to just take
> them and help them survive. He actually said to me, "Well, they belong
> to my daughter, so I'll have to ask her." His daughter is just a
> little girl, not more than 5 years old! I was so irritated.
>
> So anyhow, I finally got the fish by 12:30 p.m. that day (after a
> little more pressure put on him, via a distressed phonecall to the
> apartment manager).
>
> I have 3 problems:
>
> -There was a 4 inch long pleco in there, plus a dwarf african frog. I
> had to separate them out temporarilly in a bucket. I change the water
> daily but it's such a bummer to feed them (I'm hardly feeding right
> now for fear of polluting the water). I'm not sure if they'll survive.
> The dwarf frog strikes at food but only eats a little bit. He has
> frozen bloodworms right now. I have tablets for the pleco but I hate
> to feed them for fear of polluting the water. I'm feeding both of them
> only a little bit late at night, then using a *turkey baster* to
> remove excess, and then changing out 3/4 of the water! I actually put
> a tablet in, then turned out all the lights for a couple hours while I
> played on the computer...because I had the concept that the pleco
> feeds at night! I plan to slowly introduce both of them in to my 20
> gallon tropical aquarium that has about 10 platy's. I worry about the
> pleco though. And what will happen to Mr. Frog?
>
> -There are 3 goldfish and I can't tell what they are. One looks like a
> shubunkin and his behavior is a bit more fast and aggressive (fin
> nipping). The other two...one is definitely a fan tail (thank
> goodness) but the third goldfish...I honestly can't tell if he's a
> comet or a fantail. If it helps, 2 are white and gold, have rounder
> faces, and definitely have split, double tails. But one had more red
> splotches and his tail seems longer than the other one. Then there is
> this calico one with a long tail, a slimmer body, a pointier face and
> he seems faster and more aggressive.
>
> -I bought a 29 gallon aquarium, merrilly thinking that this would be
> appropriate for the three fancy goldfish (before realizing that one or
> more of them may be comets!!!) Now I don't know whether to return to
> the store and exchange for a 55 gallon aquarium. I don't drive at the
> moment and my husband already is ready to clobber me for spending $250
> to get all the junk I did get for the fish!
>
> I have no idea what to do. I'm currently just keeping the fish in two
> buckets and changing out lots of water, using air stones, feeding very
> very lightly (and cleaning afterwards). They all seem to be doing much
> better than when they were in that death chamber on the neighbors
> balcony.
>
> I need to put these fish in an aquarium and I am hesitating to do it
> tonight because I'm thinking maybe I should go get a 55 gallon tank
> tomorrow (instead of the 29 I bought).


OK, the goldfish go into the 29 gallon tank by themselves. Realize that
unless you're gonna spend a LOT of money things aren't going to be
"perfect." For the moment, let the fancies and the comet sort things
out amongst themselves. Get ammonia and nitrITE test kits, and monitor
the water doing water changes as needed until the tank cycles. You can
probably speed things up using some filter media from your platy tank.

You probably have your platies in brackish water? I don't know about the
ADF, but the pl*co won't like that. Plus the pl*co and the goldfish may
not mix very well. Plus, I HOPE it is a pl*co that stays small (like a
bristlenose) rather than your normal "grows to 12 or 14 inch" pl*co.
Soo?

So, the 8-10 gallon gets cleaned, watered and the pl*co and ADF go in
there for the nonce.

Finally, in your haste to care for the fish, you have probably grossly
alienated your neighbor. "That's the lady that took my fish." I don't
know how you're going to handle it, but the best case is probably a
heartfelt abject apology and try to turn it into an educational
experience for the kid... "See, this is how you take care of the fish
to make them happy and healthy. Let's practice. When you've got it down
the fish can come back and live at your house..." (And just pray that
none of them die whilest in your care...)

-Donald
--
"There is nothing so strong as gentleness, and there is nothing so
gentle as real strength." St. Francis de Sales

[Susan]

Donald Kerns > wrote in message >...

> OK, the goldfish go into the 29 gallon tank by themselves. Realize that
> unless you're gonna spend a LOT of money things aren't going to be
> "perfect." For the moment, let the fancies and the comet sort things
> out amongst themselves. Get ammonia and nitrITE test kits, and monitor
> the water doing water changes as needed until the tank cycles. You can
> probably speed things up using some filter media from your platy tank.
>

It's pretty tempting to get the 55 gallon. I confess that I have been
wanting one for the past year but never did it due to considerations
of space and money. If I were to exchange what I already bought and
use a couple of gift certificates, I'd spend an additional $75 or so.
So in a way, I guess I'm just siezing the opportunity. My birthday
just passed and I am so glad that I didn't get myself anything and
just put the gift money in the savings. It's kind of odd how something
comes up just when I got some money and was foolish enough to say, "I
don't know what to spend it on"

> You probably have your platies in brackish water? I don't know about the
> ADF, but the pl*co won't like that. Plus the pl*co and the goldfish may
> not mix very well. Plus, I HOPE it is a pl*co that stays small (like a
> bristlenose) rather than your normal "grows to 12 or 14 inch" pl*co.
> Soo?

I don't keep my platy's in brackish water, although I had considered
it in the past. The platy's just seem to do so well in the freshwater,
and so I figured I just didn't need to do it. I hear that Molly's
really like their water salty, so if I had them, I definitely would
have done it.

>
> So, the 8-10 gallon gets cleaned, watered and the pl*co and ADF go in
> there for the nonce.

I forgot to mention that the neighbor didn't give us the 8-10 gallon
even though we offered him money for it. He said something about
getting more fish in the future for his daughter. I'm praying they
just get busy and forget about it since it's just too hard to care for
such a tiny *overstocked* tank!!!

My current, established aquarium is a 20H with about 10 platy's in it.
It's probably capable of supporting a couple new residents but a side
of me doesn't want to put these new guys in to a healthy tank since I
don't know their health status as of yet.

>
> Finally, in your haste to care for the fish, you have probably grossly
> alienated your neighbor. "That's the lady that took my fish." I don't
> know how you're going to handle it, but the best case is probably a
> heartfelt abject apology and try to turn it into an educational
> experience for the kid... "See, this is how you take care of the fish
> to make them happy and healthy. Let's practice. When you've got it down
> the fish can come back and live at your house..." (And just pray that
> none of them die whilest in your care...)
>

I bought him a thank you card and hope that I can say something that
doesn't sound condescending. I'm thinking a simple, "Thanks for
letting me take the fish. If you ever do need any advice or help with
your aquarium, please call this fish store. It's the best fish store
in our area." I wonder if it would be condescending to put in a few
bucks for some new fish and encourage him to go to that particular
LFS? At least it's the type of store where they will actually help
you. The first thing they ask is, "How big is your aquarium and what
do you have in there already?"

[Susan]

(BErney1014) wrote in message >...
> >Thank you for reading. This is officially the most terrible thing that
> >ever happened to me concerning fish!
>
> Ask the store if they have 40BR, that's a 40 breeder tank, they are cheaper
> than 55 and better for goldfish.

Hi there. Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely ask.

[zookeeper]

Susan wrote:
> (BErney1014) wrote in message >...
>
>>Ask the store if they have 40BR, that's a 40 breeder tank, they are cheaper
>>than 55 and better for goldfish.
>
> Hi there. Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely ask.

Also, ask the store if they can "re-home" the pleco; some stores take in
unwanted fish, or have employees that can find a good home for something
that's too big or inappropriate to keep with your other types of fish.

And here's a vote for getting the biggest tank you can afford! What a
lovely birthday present to give to yourself. ;-)
--
zookeeper

[Kodiak]

Hey you think that's bad?
I went to my local IGA store last summer,
they had a promotion on SOLO beer, so to make a mood setting,
they got beach chairs, frisbees, an umbrella, some sand, and two
rectangular flower pots (about 3 gallons each) full of goldfish, about 20 in
each.
No air stone, no filtration. I figure they did this in the morning. I got to
the store at 9:30pm, the water in both
flower pots was milky white, 10 or so fish were dead floating in the water,
the rest
were all at the surface gasping crazily for air.

I went to speak to the night manager and pleaded to get the fish from him
since the store was closing and I think they had no intention
of doing anything that night, i figured they'd all be dead in the morning.
He said he couldn't give me any of the fish before
he spoke to the day manager. I showed up there first thing in the morning
they had not changed the water, they were all dead.
....Kodiak.


"Susan" > wrote in message
om...
> Just a couple days ago, I was coming out of my apartment at about 8:15
> a.m. and saw the most hideous sight. The new neighbor who had moved in
> 2 days previously had put out a half empty 8 or 10 gallon (small!)
> aquarium on his balcony. I knew that this thing had been out there the
> night before (and perhaps was there for 2 days!!!), but I had
> *assumed* the thing was empty. In the light of the morning I saw two
> things: the water was murky and yellow, and there were goldfish in
> there!
>
> I immediately knocked on his door and asked for the fish because I
> explained to him that they needed a water change right away, and the
> sun would soon be out and beat down on the water, heating them up. I
> told him that I love fish and would be more than willing to just take
> them and help them survive. He actually said to me, "Well, they belong
> to my daughter, so I'll have to ask her." His daughter is just a
> little girl, not more than 5 years old! I was so irritated.
>
> So anyhow, I finally got the fish by 12:30 p.m. that day (after a
> little more pressure put on him, via a distressed phonecall to the
> apartment manager).
>
> I have 3 problems:
>
> -There was a 4 inch long pleco in there, plus a dwarf african frog. I
> had to separate them out temporarilly in a bucket. I change the water
> daily but it's such a bummer to feed them (I'm hardly feeding right
> now for fear of polluting the water). I'm not sure if they'll survive.
> The dwarf frog strikes at food but only eats a little bit. He has
> frozen bloodworms right now. I have tablets for the pleco but I hate
> to feed them for fear of polluting the water. I'm feeding both of them
> only a little bit late at night, then using a *turkey baster* to
> remove excess, and then changing out 3/4 of the water! I actually put
> a tablet in, then turned out all the lights for a couple hours while I
> played on the computer...because I had the concept that the pleco
> feeds at night! I plan to slowly introduce both of them in to my 20
> gallon tropical aquarium that has about 10 platy's. I worry about the
> pleco though. And what will happen to Mr. Frog?
>
> -There are 3 goldfish and I can't tell what they are. One looks like a
> shubunkin and his behavior is a bit more fast and aggressive (fin
> nipping). The other two...one is definitely a fan tail (thank
> goodness) but the third goldfish...I honestly can't tell if he's a
> comet or a fantail. If it helps, 2 are white and gold, have rounder
> faces, and definitely have split, double tails. But one had more red
> splotches and his tail seems longer than the other one. Then there is
> this calico one with a long tail, a slimmer body, a pointier face and
> he seems faster and more aggressive.
>
> -I bought a 29 gallon aquarium, merrilly thinking that this would be
> appropriate for the three fancy goldfish (before realizing that one or
> more of them may be comets!!!) Now I don't know whether to return to
> the store and exchange for a 55 gallon aquarium. I don't drive at the
> moment and my husband already is ready to clobber me for spending $250
> to get all the junk I did get for the fish!
>
> I have no idea what to do. I'm currently just keeping the fish in two
> buckets and changing out lots of water, using air stones, feeding very
> very lightly (and cleaning afterwards). They all seem to be doing much
> better than when they were in that death chamber on the neighbors
> balcony.
>
> I need to put these fish in an aquarium and I am hesitating to do it
> tonight because I'm thinking maybe I should go get a 55 gallon tank
> tomorrow (instead of the 29 I bought).
>
> I'm totally rambling. Sorry. This is my first fish rescue and I think
> I'm botching it up.
>
>
> I never thought that I would end up getting someone's *bad fish store
> purchase* when I am so careful and only keep platy's because they are
> so easy to care for!
>
> Thank you for reading. This is officially the most terrible thing that
> ever happened to me concerning fish!