Hey Guys! I'm a new user on here and I've never done this so I hope this all comes out right. I'm a college student and the only pets they let us have are fish, so I got myself 2 goldfish to start off the year. I originally got a normal gold fantail and a black moore (sp?). However, shortly after I got them the black moore got Ick and died. After all of that the gold one was just fine and then all of a sudden a black/brown spot appeared on his head. Now (within a week or so) the spot has grown to cover almost all of his forehead, and his dorsal and tail fins are slightly darker (a light brownish color) there has been NO change in his behavior whatsoever. Other than the discoloration he seems like a normal happy fish. I just changed out the water today because it looked like the cage was getting dirty. I think it might have something to do with the fact that there was some un eaten food that falls to the bottom everyday and it was making everything dirty. It's just a VERY SIMPLE unfiltered unit. There is an air pump and a plant but that's about it. If anyone knows what this Brown/black thing on my fish is I'd really appreciate it. I don't want to loose both my fish within 3 weeks of buying them. Oh! Also, is it bad to have a fish by himself? Should I buy another so he's not alone? Haha, i hope that's not stupid. Thanks again!

hi

i take it that youve got him in a bowl, huh? well, i hate to inform you , but a bowl is not a suitable place to house a goldfish. goldies are very messy (lotsa poo) and need at least ten gallons per fish. not only do they need ten gal per fish, they need a filter that is efficient enough to keep up with the goldfish's wastes. a goldfish kept in a bowl is constantly being battered with toxins in the form of ammonia and nitrites (and nitrates). for more on that, read this: http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/cycle.html

i think that youll gather that your goldie isnt in very clean water at all. the brown spots that you see forming are most likely due to ammonia burns. the brown (or black) forming is a sign of healing, but if hes kept in the bowl for much longer,22 have to deal with ammonia again very soon.

my suggestion is that you get yourself these items:

ten gallon tank

filter that pumps 100 gallons per hour (or a bit more)

a few pounds of gravel

dechlorinator

test kits (ammonia, nitrItes, nitrAtes and ph)

essentially, this is all youll need. later on, you can concentrate on getting some ornaments, background, etc. i realize that this isnt going to be very cheap, but heres a very good link to a cheap online supplier: big als online all in all, id say that youll spend around 50-75 dollars max. and if im not mistaken, a ten gallon tank is an acceptable tank for dorms pretty much everywhere.

heres some very good reading for you: guide for keeping goldfish (by emmahj)

mull over these thoughts and let us know what you think.

paul

Thank you for the information. However, I live in a dorm and there isn't room at all for a 10 Gallon tank, so it is not possible for me to get anything else. It is not a bowl that I am keeping him in. It's a mini tank, equipped with everything except a filter. And air pump drops to de-toxify the water, gravel,light...the whole shabang. It's just not filtered and not 10 gallons. So thank you for the advice but all I can really do is change his water more frequently. He is already looking better in just the day and 1/2 that I've had him in it. But thank you SO much for your reply. I'll just try and keep his water clean.

hi,

in my own (and many others) opinion, ANY "tank", mini or otherwise, that does not have a filter is considered a "bowl".

so whats keeping you from adding a filter to his "mini-tank"? it really is for the best. unfortunately, goldfish live a micro-fraction of their potential lifespans in an unfiltered environment. more often than not, its a very stressfull/painful existence at that.

how many gallons is the "mini-tank"? keep in mind that a ten gallon does not take up much more room than a smaller tank. if youve got a 3-5 gallon tank now, youll only be taking up 1 more square foot of space if you were to get a ten.

im not trying to badger you, im just trying to get you to see the light about the conditions that your keeping your goldfish in.

good luck anyway.