Hey guys, right now my tank is both just starting the cycling process(maybe 3-4 days in), and I know it is overstocked (6 goldfish, still youn from 1-3.5 inches.)
I know that in the cycling process their chances are far less than ideal as is, but I'm starting to get very worried about my littlest one, hes about an inch long(bodywise, maybe 1.5 with the tail at best)
He seems like his tailfins are getting shorter and look tattered, but doesn't look like finrot, I took the plant I suspected as it was kind of sharp out yesterday, and it seems like its gotten a bit worse still.
He is also seeming really slow and sluggish, he pretty much just sits there barely swimming, unless something startles him, and it seems like if another one of them goes to him he runs away, as opposed to when I put the net down around him he just casually swam away from it.
He was really active before this, and all 5 others are still very active as they were, I didn't notice him eat anything today, as I was watching him the whole time and even saw flakes float right past him and it was as if he noticed them, but just kind of gave up.
I'm worried that maybe he's being bullied since every other fish dwarfs him in size, and I don't know if I should take him out and seperate him into the 1 gallon tank I have, but thats so small I would only want to keep him in there very briefly, so I really have no idea what to do here.
The tank is 71 degrees, has been constant between 71-72, the pH alkalinity nitrite and nitrate levels all seemed good last night before I changed out the water, all of the water is cured with dechlorinater and left out for at least 4 hours before changing the water, the temperatures between the tankwater and the water i switch in are identical(I keep thermometers in both, and the water sits out right next to the fish tank so it gets the same exposure and temperatures)
I don't know if theres anything else I can point out to see if it is like he's being bullied, or if maybe he's just not hardy enough to make it through the cycling process, but if anyone has any ideas I would love any suggestions or help to keep him around!
I know that in the cycling process their chances are far less than ideal as is, but I'm starting to get very worried about my littlest one, hes about an inch long(bodywise, maybe 1.5 with the tail at best)
He seems like his tailfins are getting shorter and look tattered, but doesn't look like finrot, I took the plant I suspected as it was kind of sharp out yesterday, and it seems like its gotten a bit worse still.
He is also seeming really slow and sluggish, he pretty much just sits there barely swimming, unless something startles him, and it seems like if another one of them goes to him he runs away, as opposed to when I put the net down around him he just casually swam away from it.
He was really active before this, and all 5 others are still very active as they were, I didn't notice him eat anything today, as I was watching him the whole time and even saw flakes float right past him and it was as if he noticed them, but just kind of gave up.
I'm worried that maybe he's being bullied since every other fish dwarfs him in size, and I don't know if I should take him out and seperate him into the 1 gallon tank I have, but thats so small I would only want to keep him in there very briefly, so I really have no idea what to do here.
The tank is 71 degrees, has been constant between 71-72, the pH alkalinity nitrite and nitrate levels all seemed good last night before I changed out the water, all of the water is cured with dechlorinater and left out for at least 4 hours before changing the water, the temperatures between the tankwater and the water i switch in are identical(I keep thermometers in both, and the water sits out right next to the fish tank so it gets the same exposure and temperatures)
I don't know if theres anything else I can point out to see if it is like he's being bullied, or if maybe he's just not hardy enough to make it through the cycling process, but if anyone has any ideas I would love any suggestions or help to keep him around!