Goldfish Help!

[Dan]

Plants: With Goldfish I always go with plants that do not need to be planted in the substrate. Like it was said before GoldFish can wrek havoc on live plants (at the minimum they get up rooted).

Plants that have worked with Gold Fish for me are Anubias and Java Ferns tied to either driftwood or rocsk. Both of theses plants are sturdy (i.e. no need to know what you are doing  ) and are abondantly availabe at the LFS...

Live plants will help with your water quality..

[Shawn84]

You can also plant certain type of stem and rooted plant. I have anubias, fern, stem, and rooted plant in my gf community goldfish tank.

[blueknight0303]

If you want to save your electricity go right ahead. Once they got used to the vibration of you guys aproaching the tank, even if lights are out, they will wake up and look for you.

[Fishnut]

Okay.. they seemed happy at first.. but today they were laying on the bottom of the tank.. As soon as they saw me approach they started swimming around happily enough.. but isn't laying on the bottom of the tank is a sign of illness or stress?

OMG...this is NOT NORMAL!!!  I have goldfish...have had them for a very long time.  They are constantly swimming.  At night they just float around like zombies.  Believe me...this is not normal at all.  

Please take a sample of your fish water to either a Big Al's or Critter Jungle and ask them to test it for you.  These fish are not happy and I am 99% sure it's because they are goldfish in a newly set up aquarium.  Newly set up aquariums go through a cycling process.  The first 2 stages are toxic to fish and seeing as they're goldfish, the toxin levels can get quite high...higher than fish can tolerate.

Do some reading on the nitrogen cycle of aquariums.  I'll try to find a link.

[Cbellehumeur]

Okay.. they seemed happy at first.. but today they were laying on the bottom of the tank.. As soon as they saw me approach they started swimming around happily enough.. but isn't laying on the bottom of the tank is a sign of illness or stress?

I agree that this is absolutely NOT normal, goldfish are always swimming. I'd recommend a water test as well. just go to Big als and get it done ASAP if you don't have a kit.

I've had goldfish for 12 years and have never seen this behaviour before.

[blueknight0303]

i have my goldfish like that for almost 8 years... do you guys have a strong current on your tank?

every time i come home and  go out of my room every morning i always see them at the bottom sleeping when i approach the tank discreetly. this is when the lights are out, even during the morning. they behave exactly how she describe them. and when i wake them up by doing a slight tap on the tank, they wake up and swim like its the happiest day of their lives.

[Fishnut]

i have my goldfish like that for almost 8 years... do you guys have a strong current on your tank?

I do now but haven't always.  Goldfish are constantly swimming regardless of current, tank decor, OR if someone is around their tank.  Anyone who has healthy goldfish will tell you that they never stop swimming. 

Perhaps yours have some kind of swim bladder issue that makes it difficult for them to swim and stay buoyant.  I've seen that before.  It would explain how they have managed to live for so long sitting at the bottom like that. 

Think about it...they're not catfish with armor type scales or fish that are predators who lie and wait for prey.  Goldfish (carp) are food if they're caught so their instinct is to keep moving.  Also, they eat so much that they constantly need to be on the move looking for food.  Just because they're in captivity, doesn't mean their natural instincts are inactive.

[Nerine]

I've kept goldfish for years and agreed, it is not a normal behavior for them to sit on the bottom of the tank unless something is wrong. I had comets and fancies and both never stopped!

Hoping the fish originally in this thread are ok? no word?

[blueknight0303]

hmmm... now i feel bad... ill try to post some pics just to make sure... ill make a new thread coz i dont eant to jack her thread.