My goldfish is pooping A LOT. No, like, really, A LOT.
- Thread starter StarSapphire22
- Start date
If I can help I'm more than happy to.
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That doesn't looks like sick poop to me. I have a 75 gallon fancy goldfish tank, and that poop your moor has going on there looks healthy. Sometimes they have HUGE poo strings, and don't seem embarrassed about swimming all day long with streamers. (kind of like the one time my cat ate tinsel strings off a Christmas tree- but, that's a whole different story!) If there was constipation going on, they wouldn't be pooping at all, and their bellies might swell up some- and possibly be clamping fins or otherwise looking uncomfortable. My guess is that there is just a lot of material they are deeming as edible in the new substrate, and having a pig out fest going on. Skip feeding for a day or 2, and watch for the poop to start going down before starting to add more food again. Feeding peas and other veggies a few days a week also is never a bad idea. Healthier for them, and they LOVE it. Your guys look just fine- they're just scavenging, is my guess, and that is what goldies do best.
There is so much poo on the bottom now just overnight....on plants, sand, driftwood...im gonna have to whip out the siphon tonight. Thanks for the tips jamie!
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So today is day three of their "starvation." The poop shows no sign of decreasing. Look at these pics! (Sorry they're crappy I'm in a bit of a rush!)
Look at all the poo on these plants! We literally JUST siphoned out their tank 15 hours ago.
Lydia's poop string is as long as ever! It's gotten so long now, it's coming out in spirals! And Ratchet is still pooping up a storm too.
Anyways, my question is, should I keep "starving them?" They're obviously not starving, lol. They've started bottom sitting a little too, which concerns me. Not like, actual bottom sitting, but like....how when we eat to much and just want to lie down for a bit? They're doing the fishy version of that. Then they're fine. I'm really worried though. When I was 8 I had 5 goldfish. We went on a weeks vacation, and me being 8, I left enough food for a week. I came back to exploded fish. Literally, EXPLODED. I REEEEEEALLYYYYYYYYY don't want that to happen to these guys. :/
Look at all the poo on these plants! We literally JUST siphoned out their tank 15 hours ago.
Lydia's poop string is as long as ever! It's gotten so long now, it's coming out in spirals! And Ratchet is still pooping up a storm too.
Anyways, my question is, should I keep "starving them?" They're obviously not starving, lol. They've started bottom sitting a little too, which concerns me. Not like, actual bottom sitting, but like....how when we eat to much and just want to lie down for a bit? They're doing the fishy version of that. Then they're fine. I'm really worried though. When I was 8 I had 5 goldfish. We went on a weeks vacation, and me being 8, I left enough food for a week. I came back to exploded fish. Literally, EXPLODED. I REEEEEEALLYYYYYYYYY don't want that to happen to these guys. :/
Get some mystery snails- they are also water pigs and will do 2 things: Eat some of the food in the sand the goldies are gorging on before the goldies get it, and also eat the goldfish poop & help keep that under control (gross, I know... but, their poop is MUCH smaller, and easier to deal with). I keep my tank stocked at about 1 mystery snail for every 10 gallons of water, and they do a FANTASTIC job cleaning everything up. (including the sludge that grows on the suction cups for the heater, calcium deposits from anything in the tank, algae, pretty much everything. I love them!). I wouldn't do malaysian trumpet snails. Depending on the size of your goldies mouths, one could get wedged in there pretty easily. My mystery snails get along really well with my goldies, and between their size/ the hatch on the bottom of their shell, the fish can't bother them. I'd also do a pretty good sand siphon to see if you can get some of whatever they're eating out of there. You might end up with a cycle going through from all of the extra gunk in there and the other changes. Watch your parameters really closely. What kind of sand did you use?
I definitely would not give them any food if they are pooping that much- they are certainly still eating-, and keep an eye on that bottom sitting for any other signs of illness. That is definitely really strange!
I definitely would not give them any food if they are pooping that much- they are certainly still eating-, and keep an eye on that bottom sitting for any other signs of illness. That is definitely really strange!
So, just to clarify, I should not feed them until the poo epidemic is over? I did a pretty decent sand siphoning last night, so hopefully that will help. I have no idea what kind of sand it is, it came with our tank off CL already established and stuff. I might have to try the snails. They give me the creeps but, hey, if they do their job....
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I say let them exhaust the food in the substrate then give them the peas. Then start with your pellets and they should be good.
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Nope, don't feed them. They are definitely eating, hence the abundance of poop.
I used to get grossed out by snails, too... but, the mystery snails are different. I swear. They're actually kind of fun. Kind of cute little faces, if you look at them. Then they just do fun stuff. Like crawling across the bubble curtain in the back, they'll let go, launch up with it, and just kind of surf along the whole back of the tank. Climb to the tops of plants, or the top of the tank along the wall, catch a current, let go, and go sailing across the tank... or just base jump off the high objects/walls. They also ski down the sides of the tank walls (go up really high, and then half way let go to go sliding down super fast to the bottom). Additionally to that- they make tank maintenance SO much easier! I friggen HATE descaling stuff of calcium deposits from our hard water- the snails make that a COMPLETE non-issue. I just have to wipe down the tops of the HOB filter covers/ tank hoods/tops every so often, if I see a build up happening- and build ups only happen where the snails can't get to them to eat the calcium. NOTHING on the walls at the water line, filter tubes, heaters, plants, decorations... nowhere. They also eliminate the need to take the heater off to clean it and the suction cups every week from the sludgy stuff that starts building on them- the things in all tanks look spotless and brand new. I have them in 3 of my 4 tanks, and LOVE them. The betta sorority has none, only because the girls attack them. I highly recommend those guys! Especially with heavy pooping fish... they take care of that, too, and have much smaller poop. (you still do need to siphon, though- nothing totally gets around that.)
Alright, well I picked up 2 we'll give them a shot!
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