In article ,
says...
Geezer From The Freezer wrote in message ...
1 Gallon!!!!!! No wonder it's ill.

You'd need to change the water every single day!

Do you have any friends who have aquariums - maybe they could help.
OR if the fish shop will take it back, give it back to them.

Poor fish.

I appreciate the advice (although some is a bit harsh). I talked to
several people who I trusted and followed the advice I received.

I never intended to hurt anything. This is one little fish 1 inch in
length. I just cannot imagine why it would need a 10 gallon tank (but
I guess I know better now). When the problem arose I sought to rectify
it using the best means available. Bettas are a very good idea, but
Goldie is not dead and seems much better now that I have changed her
water and am monitoring the ammonia levels daily with those little dip
strips as well as water temperature. I have been using the MelaFix for
her skin and cut down drastically on her food amount (again, this was
the main problem I discovered).


Harsh is in the ear of the beholder. What you actually heard was
frustration. You can't imagine how often your tale gets told here.
I blame the petstore more than you, if it's any consolation.
I (or rather, my first goldfish) fell victim to exactly the
same advice. That was almost exactly two years ago, and I've
still got my 2nd fish (he said, chest puffing with pride).

But to the point....
You're right, of course, a 1" fish in a 10g tank would look
silly: I think the same thing whenever I look at my new 20g that
contains 2 little guys right now. But I know from experience that
they'll grow to be 6" long in about a year, barring any unfortunate
problems, and then 20g will look small. I have 5 goldfish in
a 55Gal and they look crowded to me.

You're doing the right thing -- monitoring ammonia, changing
water -- but I still urge you to get a bigger tank if at all
possible. It's much more fun to do weekly water changes
than daily ones, and the fish do better as well.
(See http://faq.thekrib.com/map.html for lots of good info,
particularly about the nitrogen cycle.)

And you'll eventually need the bigger one anyway, so best
get to it. In fact, I'd recommend a 20 (or more), since you're going
to want 2 fish once you get into it. My 2nd tank, for my 2nd
goldfish, was a 25tall, and eventually it was too small since
I wanted more than three fish.

Gunther