When is feeding time?!

[mayne_sav]

I have brought a Goldfish its my first one.Its in tank with filter and pump, the tank is a nice size but she only seems to sit at the bottom? is it stress or just normal?

I have brought some flakes to feed her but I am unsure when to feed her, I put some in there and she just sits at the bottom and doesn't get them, is there a normal time to feed them? or do they do something to let you know they want feeding?

Thank You

Sav

[Eric Git]

Hi Sav,

Goldfish usually get fed every two days as the flakes will sink to the bottom of the tank where the fish will scavenge for them later. If you give more than a good pinch of flakes and do this daily you will 'over-feed' the fish, making the water murky and contaminiated even with a filter and pump. If your fish is stressed you will see little white spots appear on the scales, don't panic, this is called white spot and can be sorted out with treatment available at your local pet shop.

Good luck and enjoy your new pet.

[mayne_sav]

Thanks Eric

I will do this, is it normal for the water to go so murky in the first night?her top fin is up which i read means shes happy?

[Eric Git]

Hi Sav,

Don't worry about th ewater it should clear in a couple of days,if not change it, but go to the pet shop first and get a little product which helps with the clearing, also ifit is near direct sunlight it will cloud, and direct sunlight is not good for the fish, don't place the tank near windows either as they heat up the water too quickly.

Hope that this helps.

[Champagne]

Hi Sav. Eric is right, you only need to feed your fish once every day or every other day. And whatever quantity you feed it, you can probably half it! Overfeeding is the biggest cause of disease because it dirties up the tank quicker.

Your fish�s fin being upright does not necessarily mean that all is fine. If the fish is sulking at the bottom of the tank then it is likely to be ill. First thing you should do is carry out a partial water change (1/2 of the tank). When you set up the tank with the filter did you put the fish straight in? You should allow 24 hours with a new filter before adding the fish. Also, you should buy water treatments as fish don�t like tap water.

Monitor your fish�s actions over the next couple of days. Look for symptoms (spots on fins, gasping for air, imbalance etc. etc.). There are plenty of websites around to help you identify fish illness.

[sixpence]

mayne_sav, as with everything, when you first set up the tank, everything seems so complicated, but you will soon do it all without thinking. The first time I cleaned a filter you would have thought I was doing brain surgery, I worried so much!