HI!
The tank is a 50-55 gal, there are 3 six inch goldfish in there. I did a 40%
change last Monday (a coincidental 3 days before the trubs began). I got the
muck siphoned out, and scubbed the sides, bottom and toys of their light layer
of green and brown algae(?)
I usually do 30-40% change every two-ish weeks. (it's a hassle toting buckets
of water around). Have a penguin filter with two charcoal filters. Alternate
rinsing filters of muck weekly (one filter a week to avoid losing too many
"good bios"). Have a 10" bubble stick and an air stone in the tank. Have
pothos ivy and philodendrons suction cupped near the top. They have been there
a few months. (The fish like to swim in and around up there looking for the
hidden food) The bottom doesn't have gravel anymore. It was removed last year.
(I've read enough of Ingrid to know better!) Bottom has some marbles and
creek rocks for decoration. I gently move the rocks and siphon vacuum the muck
out from behind them without stirring it up in the tank. The fishies like to
move the marbles around for fun, and while they are rooting around for lost
food. For other fun, they also have a couple of 2"-3" PVC tubes they like to
swim through...
When I had the levels tested on Friday last, Nitrates/'trites were both at 0,
ph at 6.8, ammonia was low , or as the guy at the LFS said "a bit high for
freshwater, but for goldfish it was fine". Such scientific accuracy... I
think I got a "1" for levels out of him though... The temp is at 72. They
seems to like it. In the summer when it gets much warmer in there, they aren't
too happy... This morning while the other fish go crazy for food, Goldie is
just kinda hanging around... It reminds me of dopey Dory from Nemo... "just
keep swimming". Still seems kinda clueless to what's going on... The other
fish just kinda bump it around while they are swimming... They have no
courtesy at all... Blackfin likes to go under Goldie and bump it from
underneath. Is it trying to be helpful, or just rude? Treasure has some black
streaks on some of its fins, so I may do a mini water change today. There's
some muck behind the rocks again that needs removal... I just feel awful
about Goldie being out of water for almost an hour.... Wish there was
something I could do for it to be well again...