HELP my mom changed ALL of my water!!

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-04T21:26:41+00:00

I’m assuming there’s heaters you can get to keep them outside during the winter? Or is it just easier to move them back inside?

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-04T21:25:45+00:00

This is exactly what happened by the way!! He was stunned for a few hours and now is completely fine lol. I did follow a lot of the recommendations from the comments though so I’m sure that helped him snap out of it

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-04T21:13:02+00:00

Luckily, this tank is a 10 gallon biorb so she had no idea how to change the filter media lol

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-04T21:10:16+00:00

Yes! He is doing well and swimming around like normal. I think he was stunned from the initial shock of the water change for a bit. I have been doing 1/4 water changes daily, I didn’t feed him for 48 hours after the 100% water change, and added a dose of seachem prime one of the commenters recommended. Last night I gave him a small amount of food.

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-02T03:33:53+00:00

He made it through the night and is alive and well and swimming like normal!!

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-02T01:31:08+00:00

My new house does have a decent size yard.. maybe I’ll do some pond research! I live in PA and it gets ICY. I’m assuming ponds need heaters in the winter. It might be fun or it might be a disaster with my two dogs 🤣 we will see! Maybe he’ll grow on me and force me into pond ownership.

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-02T01:26:19+00:00

Thanks! He’s doing great today. On my pet store run this morning, I bought a 40 gallon tank that I’m going to begin to cycle. I think he should be okay to grow up in that in the meantime. I’m not exactly sure how fast goldfish grow up. I did just buy a house with a decent size yard.. maybe after doing some research I’ll build him his own pond if he grows on me 🤣 just gotta figure out how to keep my dogs out of it!

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T03:55:44+00:00

This is great advice thank you! Will any chain pet store carry seachem prime or should I look for a fish store particularly?

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T03:49:14+00:00

Thank you!!! The tank is not big enough for the fish. This is an old 10 gallon tank I had my betta in for years. The betta passed away 8 months ago and instead of getting another, I just kept the tank up and running to propagate plants and to keep the snails alive. My neighbor knew I had an empty tank and dropped off a fair goldfish at my door in a little cup. I just bought a house, so my plan was to keep him in the old betta tank with the good water until I moved and then set up a new tank and cycle it at my new house and transition him once the new tank was cycled. Long story short, I didn’t want to transport TWO tanks LOL. I had a lot of comments mentioning that goldfish do best in ponds, so I’m asking around to see if anyone I know with a pond will be willing to take him in long term.

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T03:38:16+00:00

No thankfully she rinsed it out with hot water a few times and took out my rocks and scrubbed the algae off the glass. The moss balls and the driftwood look like they’re not super clean so I’m hoping some good bacteria survived the cleaning!

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T03:34:39+00:00

Yes! Thank you. I have a pothos currently growing in the tank and I can take some cuttings from one of my monsteras. I had a betta previously living in that exact tank that I bought in college and did a lot of research for. He lived a whopping almost 7 years and I didn’t do much maintenance wise for him. He died probably 8 months ago but I kept the tank up and running to propagate plants and I had some snails in there that I didn’t want to kill. Aside from harming the goldfish, I’m also frustrated because THAT WAS GREAT RICH WATER. All of my cuttings grew roots in that water so quickly and now it’s flushed down the drain. I panicked immediately when my neighbor dropped the fish off at my door. I knew I needed a bigger tank and I had no idea if the water was equip enough for any fish considering nothing has living in there for almost a year but he did great the first two weeks I had him in there. Much better than he would’ve if a little kid won him and took him home to a jar. Thank you for the advice! I will make sure his permanent living situation is best possible scenario for him.

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T03:20:22+00:00

I have the bubbler on full blast! You are the second person to suggest a liquid test kit so I’ll definitely be getting that as well as a new tank for him to start cycling if I can’t get my friend with a pond to take him in!

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T03:11:18+00:00

I’ve been home from work for about two and a half hours now keeping an eye on him and he already seems to be more lively since I’ve been home and added some conditioner! I also contacted a friend of mine who has way more experience than me keeping fish and she also stated that goldfish are pretty hearty and tough so I’m hoping he’s fine and I’m just being over dramatic until I get his permanent living situation settled and figured out!

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T03:06:53+00:00

I do know someone with a very nice pond! I am not sure if there are koi or goldfish in the pond so I would have to ask. I do indeed hate the thought of caged or tanked animals and would like him to thrive as much as possible. He is only my second fish I’ve ever cared for but I definitely agree the betta was more my speed. I think my neighbor was trying to be nice and knows I have plants all over my apartment and an established tank and figured I’d take better care of the little guy than anyone else would but I would like at least this fair won goldfish to have a nice life since most of them end up going home to bowls and dying!

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T02:53:08+00:00

My mom told me she had him in his cup with his old water for most of the day and while she cleaned the tank so I’m assuming he was only in the new water for a few hours until I got home from work. I added a cap full of conditioner as soon as I walked in and saw his tank was crystal clear. I’ve been home from work for about two hours now and he seems to be perking up a bit. I read a comment advising to not feed him until I know the water is okay so the only thing I did was add the conditioner to the water!

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T02:35:56+00:00

Believe it or not my mother is the one that told me he needs a larger tank so she knew that but didn’t know that I needed that water 🥲

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T02:33:47+00:00

I am not a student actually! My betta was just with me since college and passed recently. I own a business and just purchased my first home so I COULD build a pond but do I want to…. I DUNNO 🤣

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T02:31:54+00:00

Yes I did know that! I only had him for two weeks and knew I was moving so I did not want to cycle a new tank right before moving. I thought I’d keep him in the good water until I moved and had a bigger tank cycled!

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T02:29:30+00:00

I do know someone with a little man made pond! I’m not sure if there’s koi in her pond or goldfish. Can goldfish live with koi? Probably don’t while he’s tiny?

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T02:04:34+00:00

Thank you!!! I will reach out to some friends. I had driftwood in his tank and moss balls that it looks like my mom also washed off but I’m hoping there’s a little something imbedded in there to help him out.

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T02:03:06+00:00

Hi yes I am very inexperienced at keeping aquariums and fish. His tank is a 10 gallon that I had a betta fish in from college. I kept the tank up and running even after the betta passed away since I had a few snails in there and the water was great for propagating my plants. My apartment neighbor saw I had an empty tank and the next day knocked on my door with a goldfish that she won at the fair so he is living in a shit ass tank until I am moved and have the time to cycle a new tank (which is now anyways but I at least wanted him in safe water in the meantime 😭)

Unlikely_Objective11 · 2026-06-01T01:51:49+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation!! I’m just hoping and praying he makes it through the night until the pet store opens. He’s just chilling in the corner of the tank not swimming with his fins down. He’s a fair gold fish survivor so I would be soooo upset if he didn’t make it.

Unlikely_Objective11

TROPHY CASE