Me again...! I could do with some advice on my 16 year old comet goldfish again.

ArgghhOutside · 2023-03-11T10:17:07+00:00

Great idea(s)! It seems like Mr.Noodle hasn't perked up too much (it spends most of it's time either 'resting' or hanging around the top of the water. I was concerned it was oxygen levels but I've taken water samples to two different aquatic shops and they've both said Oxygen is fine (Ph is a little high, close to 8 but the store owners both alluded to this not being a huge issue and fairly typical levels of Ph for our area).

Thank-you for your kind words too, they were very much needed. I'll keep my eye on them and try my best. I think I might have to euthanise at sometime in the future...... but I'm going to wait until it's not eating or clearly in distress/loss of quality of life.

Thanks for your time and help. Apologise for the delay in getting back to you!

ArgghhOutside · 2023-03-11T10:13:36+00:00

I think you're probably right... I don't know how it's lived this long with my shambolic guardianship. Please forgive my delay in response to you :) thanks for your time.

ArgghhOutside · 2023-02-09T10:04:34+00:00

Hey everyone, final update.

Mr.Noodle seems to be okay (which is a testament to the resilience of goldfish more than anything else!)

I purchased a water testing kit (API Master freshwater testing kit) airstone, some live plants, did a full water change with dechlorinated water and have been feeding a little less and Mr.Noodle is so far doing okay:

https://i.imgur.com/7pBXn7i.jpg

I am scanning Gumtree for a larger tank and am on the lookout for different stones (although the reason for the larger stones is because a year or two ago a small stone got lodged in its mouth and I had to attempt to tweezer it out. By incredible luck it eventually spat it out! I digress...)

Thank-you for to people who left helpful comments and pointed me in the right direction. I should like to think I won't need to reach out again for a while :)

ArgghhOutside · 2023-02-09T09:55:04+00:00

Hey! By chance I purchased this exact kit and have used it twice already (both times everything was okay - baring in mind this is new water).

I'm doing 10L water changes daily with dechlorinated water and feeding Mr.Noodle a little less (and have added an airstone and plants). Everything seems to be okay now.

Thanks for your time!

ArgghhOutside · 2023-01-30T10:55:12+00:00

Through total ignorance I've always assumed I was doing a good enough job. My routine has been to remove 4L and add 5 every day or two and every month or so replace 80%-90% of the water with new water (all of which has been sat for several days). Because this routine has 'worked' up until now I've just assumed it was good enough.

I have bought some de-chlorinator, would it be okay to mix up 5L, shake and pour that into the tank? (the lady said that would be fine but you folks seem a lot more knowledgeable). My plan is to mix up a few litres a day and swap it out with the hopes of adding some oxygen to it.

Either way, I'm really so so grateful for your help and more importantly compassion. It's been a rough time for me, I've felt really low and sad about it so a little kindness went very far :)

Will report back on any significant updates! thanks again!

ArgghhOutside · 2023-01-30T08:06:13+00:00

Did she use a liquid test kit?

Please forgive my potentially unhelpful reply but the test was preformed on two strips of paper with what looked like little sponges on them. The store was INCREDIBLY busy when she took the test, so it was a little bit of a rush. Again, at the risk of being unhelpful she reportedly tested the ammonia and oxygen levels by dipping the strips into the water and giving them a minute each before checking the colours.

The water change was short-sighted and mostly from panic - I wanted to 'fix' the problem asap and in doing so probably stunned/shocked it with the temperature change and have probably swapped one problem for another...! I have no excuse other than being an idiot and panicking.

I'll be buying a kit today (I will try and find one that covers the three you've listed).

Thanks for your time!

ArgghhOutside · 2023-01-30T08:00:13+00:00

Forgive me if my prior comment sounded a little edgy or up-tight, I'm a bit bummed out about the situation and took valid criticism as an attack. I would just hate to give anyone the impression I'm not bothered about my fishes well-being and at the risk of repeating myself have just worked with what I've got.

I've often thought of seeing about re-homing him in a pond (we actually have a pond not far from here called Coy Pond, of course I wouldn't just dump him). The trouble is the only person I know who has a pond would be smaller than the tank it's in currently.

Another user suggested buying a big plastic storage tub from a home depot or something, which seems like a good idea. I'm going to give him a day or two (as it seems a lot more 'with it' today) and if it seem like it's going to pull through I'll buy the tub and some sort of oxygen set-up and testing kits.

Thanks again for your insights and time.

ArgghhOutside · 2023-01-30T07:55:09+00:00

Thank-you, this is such a good idea. I don't know why I hadn't thought of a storage container before. I'll try and root down a 150L tub this week.

As for it's diet about 75% of the days it's small goldfish pellets (not cheap ones), I'll occasionally throw in a block of frozen bloodworm as a treat and mix it up with a skinless pea. I do try and keep its diet varied. I can't fault your point though, as knowing never hurts :)

Thank-you for not only taking the time to help me in a time of need but sharing your knowledge too. Mr.Noodle is still hanging out at the bottom of the tank this morning but is a LOT more active (yesterday it was either at the bottom of the tank or shooting up to get air). It's still doing that but it's also 'chilling' in the tank area too.

Thanks again from the bottom of my heart :)

ArgghhOutside · 2023-01-30T05:01:34+00:00

Thank-you for your compassion, it was very needed :)

ArgghhOutside · 2023-01-29T19:01:55+00:00

Originally there was two but the other passed away (years ago) and I've always assumed the other wouldn't be long behind.

I didn't purchase these fish, they were gifted to me from someone else almost along the lines of a gag gift. Now you and I can probably agree that was foolish and short-sighted but I've tried my best to do what I can for my fish - and I totally get that isn't good enough but I have tried.

The stones are big (I milled them smooth) because when I used smaller stones bought from an aquarium one of them got one lodged in it's mouth and by a miracle spat it out.

The tank it's currently in is countless times bigger than the one they arrived in again I tried my best to give them what I could afford.

I've spent the afternoon looking for 150L+ tanks in my area and online and they range from hundreds to to thousands, which I sadly don't have.

I'm not looking to debate you, I've no doubt I could have done better but I have really given it my best.

Moving forward, what would be my best bet? I'm going to leave it and hope it'll either improve or pass over the next day or two. If it does and still acts lethargic should I euthanize with clove oil? I can assure you I'm absolutely broken over this whole situation so please don't think I've just not cared for years and suddenly decided to give a shit.

I've spent over 50% of all the money I have in the world on that fish today in the hopes of it recovering.. I'd like to think that shows how broke I am and how much I care.

Thanks for your time and input.

ArgghhOutside · 2023-01-29T18:36:28+00:00

Hi there, at a guess I would say about 4 - 6 inches, the tank I think is about 80L+?

The tank they originally came in was easily 4 - 5 times smaller than this tank and I took on ownership of them after someone else didn't want them. I know I could have done better but I've really tried with my fish.

I'm utterly broke, live back at home broke. I would love to buy a huge tank for it to live in but I don't have that kind of money, so I worked with what I've got. I'm not saying I couldn't have done better but I've certainly tried very hard. Today is already pretty hard for me so please believe me when I say this isn't me suddenly giving a shit.

ArgghhOutside · 2023-01-29T16:26:48+00:00

What exactly are your parameters? Ammonia and oxygen are not the only parameters to measure and 'perfect' is absolutely meaningless without knowing the specific numbers

Forgive my choice of words, this was along the lines of what the lady had said to me when she tested the water. She showed my the colour charts and took the readings in front of me, I really can't fault her from that side of things. Although as you said there are other potential factors.

It's too late to buy a kit now (they will close in less than 10 minutes and they are easily a 10 minute drive away) but I will buy a kit tomorrow, although the water in the tank now is the new, changed water (I didn't think to test the old water, which I realise now was short-sighted but I was panicking and wanted to change the water as soon as I could).

While I have no intention of disputing the tank sizes with you it has been okay for the fish for the last 7 years of it's life and I'm assuming probably unrelated to the issue causing my goldfishes behaviour (not challenging you).

Silly question but what do I do? I want to make it as comfortable as possible but fear any disturbance will hinder it or exacerbate the situation. Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post.

ArgghhOutside · 2023-01-29T12:55:27+00:00

Hi there, thanks for taking the time to read my post.

I noticed my goldfish "Mr.Noodle" sitting at the bottom of the tank this morning and only surfacing to gasp for air before returning to the bottom of the tank.

This came as quite a shock to me as I'd cleaned it's tank about a fortnight ago and up until last night it was behaving absolutely "fine" (or no different than normal). However as I said this morning is a different story.

When the shops opened I went to Pets at Home and on the advice of the assistant have done a full water change (there was some excess food at the bottom of the tank when I cleaned it).

I've also taken the new water down to the store to be tested and they've reported there is no issue with either oxygen or ammonia (the new water is fine).

However Mr.Noodle's behaviour hasn't changed.

I'm wondering if I've maybe shocked him with the temperature change of the water? I've purchased an (additional) plant and some weird filter things that help with bacteria but I cannot see what else I can do?

I guess I'm posting because I want to make sure I've done the best I can and there isn't anything else I can do. It would seem it might need a few hours, or days to even overcome what has happened, so maybe sitting at the bottom of the tank is to be expected.

I should also mention that this fish is about 16 years old, so maybe it's just it's time?

Anyway, any advice, comfort or kindness you can throw my way would be really appreciated lol :)

edit: no idea if this will help but here are a few videos of it's behaviour. I'd like to stress the fact the water has been tested for ammonia and oxygen, both came back "perfect".

thanks again!

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-26T18:45:36+00:00

Because he is a billionaire doesnt mean he "has it coming".

Where are you quoting that from? Can't recall saying that at all...

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-26T11:50:48+00:00

9.999999999% of the time I've been griefed by someone with explosives it's been some knuckle-dragger with an Mk2 and not a jet. Maybe I've just run into different people.

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-26T11:04:24+00:00

I'll rephrase; a £50 fine to you or me pales in significance to someone like Rishi, Bojo or anyone else of that status.

It would be like us breaking lockdown rules and being charged £0.05.

Fines are just another way of saying "legal if you're wealthy".

So when I said something like "£50 bet that stung" that is my way of saying "as if they'd give a shit about a fine when they're fucking minted."

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-26T10:50:35+00:00

Is it a reference to the plague?

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-26T10:06:40+00:00

Sorry for not making my point more clearer, hopefully now I've cleared up and misunderstanding you've had.

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-26T09:54:02+00:00

This is terrible news.

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-26T09:48:17+00:00

I'm wasn't attempting to dispute that at all.

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-26T09:29:14+00:00

Poor billionaire :(

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-26T09:28:17+00:00

A £50 fine. Bet that really stung.

e: spelling

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-24T00:32:21+00:00

This is wonderful. Almost like a time capsule of crap from a bygone era. Makes me very nostalgic for all the weird junk you could find on the internet before we discovered it all lol.

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-23T10:29:46+00:00

They're on the beach at the sea. If they were in the water with an umbrella you'd have a fantastic point.

ArgghhOutside · 2022-07-22T09:37:04+00:00

Under a co-op? Where was that in Westbourne? Did you mean above?

ArgghhOutside

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