Fishies Go Flushy

Lessons in Life and Death

Published on June 11, 2004 By JillUser In Pets & Nature

My sons went with there grandmother to a carnival last weekend and they won goldfish while they were there. I explained in the car that I really didn't expect the fish would live long because carnivals don't treat them very well and they were in bags all day.

They survived the trip home so we stopped by the store and got them a fish starter set up that had a big enough bowl for two small goldfish, food, droplets to dechlorinate the tap water and a care manual. We also got some colored pebbles for the bottom of the bowl and a tiny little treasure chest.

I noticed right away that the bigger fish (Goldie) looked like someone took a chunk out of his nose and his scales looked like they had white spots on them. Soon Gold Man had the white stuff too. My sister said it was an infection called "Ick" or some such weird thing.

Well, Goldie and Gold Man woke up dead today. My 7yr old took it pretty well and was fine with the thought of flushing them. The 3 yr old was very sad, cried, and wanted to wait a little while before we flushed them. I gave him a couple of hours to watch and see that all they did was float on their sides instead of swimming like they did when they were alive.

So each boy flushed their own fish. The little guy cried and begged to get a new fish. The older one said he didn't want to go through that again just yet. I told them both we would wait until after our vacation to discuss whether or not we would have any more fish.

What a week. President Reagan, Ray Charles, then Goldie and Gold Man. A lot of reflecting on life and death.

Comments

dharmagrl

on Jun 11, 2004

Awww! That's so sad!!! It is called, 'ick', btw...I believe it's a fungus, but I'm not a fish expert.

Your eldest is very astute...realizing that he doesn't want a fish because the same thing will happen and he doesn't want to go through that again. Shea did the same thing with hamsters...but she was 10 before she made the connection. So, bravo to your little dude!

Mr_Frog

on Jun 11, 2004

Yep, that was Ich. It's a cyst like parasite that has a 14-day life cycle. It's actually one of the easiest fish diseases to cure, but very contagious. Basically, they're parasites that detach and float in the water, infecting any other fish. Bowls aren't that great of an idea for goldfish either, as they can tend to grow quickly and maintenance is usually overlooked on such a trivial 'tank'. Goldfish are extremely messy too, as they poop a lot.

If you consider getting them another fish, try guppies. They're inexpensive (you can get a male/female pair for about $3-5), there are some attractive species for sale, and they breed just by looking at each other. They also only get to be about an inch or two long, so you won't end up with big fish.

-- B

dharmagrl

on Jun 11, 2004

No, no guppies! Hermit crabs!!!

KarmaGirl

on Jun 12, 2004

Ich is a parasite, but it usually shows up when fish have been stressed or are not really healthy (ie: have been injured). I have had enough fish with Ich to know that it's not as "easy" as they claim to cure. Typically what happens is that ich is not the only problem. An injured fish will have ich on the outside and an infection somewhere, or the ich itself will cause an infection which requires antibiotics.

Feeder fish cost $.29 each- a bottle of Coppersafe to treat Ich cost $4.00. I think you did the right thing

If you want to have fish around for long, get a tank with a filter, start out by dechlorinating and adding coppersafe, along with a bit of salt (the type they sell in the fish store for salt water fish). Add a couple regular goldfish (will cost about $1.50 each). Beware, though, the first couple fish will probably die while the tank is building up it's bio filter. The tank while go through an ammonia spike (unless you ph balance it) which will burn the fish. If you ever see a fish in the store that has odd looking black on it, it's been ammonia burned). Once the bio filter is working, you never want to make drastic changes. Don't change all the water, don't change all the filters and don't add or subtract too many fish.

And, goldfish can get constipated (especially big ones). We had one that was about 6 inches ling get constipated. Unfortunately, we didn't know what was happening until it died. A few weeks later, we noticed that the fish store had a skewer with zucchini, romain lettuce and peas floating in the tank. I asked what was up with that, and they said that the fish were getting constipated, so the veggies would help them. Who knew?

I guess what I'm saying is- don't get fish

JillUser

on Jun 12, 2004

I am not a big fan of fish myself. I'd be perfectly happy to just stick with the turtle and frog. They are extremely low maintenance. I like watching fish. I just don't like caring for them.

JillUser

on Jun 12, 2004

Dharma, I am very proud of my bigger little guy. He has a self awareness beyond his years. He is very sensitive when it comes to creatures but is also realistic. For example, he would find it said for a worm to get squished or dried out on the sidewalk but sees it as natural and good to feed said worm to his turtle.

If we do acquire a new creature, I like the idea of the crabs more than any other. For now they seem to be happy chasing bugs, catching worms and caring for the frog and turtle.

Mr_Frog

on Jun 12, 2004

I like watching fish. I just don't like caring for them.

Good answer. To really keep fish happy requires a decent battery of care and maintenance.

I have had enough fish with Ich to know that it's not as "easy" as they claim to cure.

Kharma, it's interesting that you would recommend Coppersafe to treat Ich. That's not really the correct medicine to fix Ich, and copper in high enough concentrations can be toxic to fish. I use Wardley's "Ich Away" which is basically a malachite green solution. You're right in your assesment that other maladies will trigger Ich, because as the fishes immune system is busy fighting off the other illness, Ich will step in and take advantage of the fishes, but it really is easy to treat. I've had outbreaks of Ich (usually brought in by a new fish or plant), and have never had an infestation last more than five days or so. It's all about when you treat it in the life cycle. It's fairly useless to treat it in the cyst stage, as the medication won't pass through the exoskeleton. You have to get it while it's free floating, which is why it usually takes a week or so for full treatment of Ich.

-- B

MasonM

on Jun 12, 2004

I have kept aquariums for a good many years. I really enjoy it but it does require some knowledge to keep everything running just right and healthy. I agree with the others as it does sound like ick. It isn't that hard to treat if caught early, otherwise it can be difficult. A good active filter helps a lot.

The tank while go through an ammonia spike

I always use a mix of 2/3 activated charcoal and1/3 "ammoniasorb" in my filter as this prevents ammonia build up in the water. This is especially a problem with goldfish as they produce a lot more ammonia than the same size/number of tropical fish.

Aquariums can be a great hobby if you're willing to take the time to learn what you're doing. And one note: Larger tanks are easier to maintain as the water conditions change more slowly. I don't keep anything smaller than a 30 gallon except a single 10 gallon for breeding feeder fish. I prefer 50 gal and larger.

Casey Quick

on Jun 12, 2004

I will second dharmas vote of Hermit Crabs

KarmaGirl

on Jun 13, 2004

Kharma, it's interesting that you would recommend Coppersafe to treat Ich. That's not really the correct medicine to fix Ich, and copper in high enough concentrations can be toxic to fish.

Actually, Coppersafe was recommended by the fish store that we use. It is a preventative medicine as well as a treatment. I have had the same fish in the same 55 gallon tank for over 3 years. I've never had a serious outbreak of Ich. The only fish that I lost in the last year was the constipated one....that was nasty. The fish was too big to flush so we had to bury it.

Considering that she had a fish bowl, I don't think that the filters will help her much. But a good diatom filter does wonders.

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