OK. Usually it's best with fish in an appropriately sized tank to change 25% of the water every week. Because your goldies have too little water you will need to do more like 10% every day until you can get them into a much bigger tank.

I'd suggest that 2 litres a day would be best. Treat it with water conditioner before adding to their tank and as you syphon out 2 litres of the dirty water, use your syphon to suck up any left over food or bits of poo and stir up the gravel to release anything trapped in there. Maybe cut the feeding to once a day instead of twice too as that will help reduce pollution of the water.

They really need a bigger tank urgently though as the more they grow the faster they will pollute the water. Also, restricted feeding will help very short term but it's not ideal as they need to have sufficient food for good health and proper growth.

Little I can add to the info you've had already but check this out and look at the pics here.

And read this and then this, again.

HTH.

Hi everyone! A very sad update for you all today. I only have internet on my phone at the moment - apologies if something dodgy happens as it often does on my phone (replying too soon for example)

On Friday i moved the fish with me to newcastle where im at university. I placed the bowl in a box to lessen any potential distress for them. For a couple of days afterwards the fishies seemed fine - however when i went to feed them after i got back from the student union a few hours ago i found one of them dead. ;(

Accidently sent the above post too soon - my phone is being difficult at the moment.

Im really upset by this :( i think it was caused by the drive up to newcastle. I've buried him in the front garden. I'm going to have to replace him so my son doesnt get upset when i take pictures of
the fish to visit him back home at the weekend.

Is there anything i can do to make travelling less traumatic? (I don't plan to travel with them any time soon-but better to know in case the situation arises

HiSO,

There are two things whicch spring to mind:

1. For travelling, bag fish up (like I told you)

2. Provide these animals a safe, clean and appropriate environmet, which meets their needs (like everybody has told you)

I assume you are joking about moving them each week!

JON

Hi again

Sorry to hear about your fish loss It is always horrid when you lose them...

Fish need a stable stress free environment - they don't like being moved around it stresses them and they can die = i lost a baby loach 2 weeks ago when I moved the tank a few foot...very upset.

Fish need to be in a much bigger tank than you are providing to be comfortable and happy, otherwise you will just keep losing them.

I started off with a 30 litre for 2 goldies which I was missold by a pet store. I had quite a few fish losses because it was far too small, it was very upsetting but I learnt from this site how they should be kept, I have followed advice and purchased a 90 litre tank initially, and now a 180 litre. Since I started keeping my fish in bigger tanks I have lost virtually none - happy fish = happy owner

Please don't buy any more fish until you get them a much bigger tank - and please do read the advice on here as to how big that should be (there are lots of second hand tanks around). If you do keep buying the fish it is very likely they will just keep dying - thats not nice for the fish - and not nice for you either

I'm sorry for the loss

Losing 13 goldfish one after the other is a sign that they are not being kept in a suitably sized tank, especially as they have no filtration.

I think you should sit back, read all of this post again and seriously consider whose interest buying these fish if for. Certainly not the fish who have died and given the advice you have been given (which to date has been ignored), it's rather inhumane to keeping buying them IMO.

Fishkeeping is a lovely hobby but if you cannot house a pet as it should be, consider another option. Perhaps a small furry like a Gerbil or two, for your little boy?

(Sigh)

I have seen this thread develop over a week or so and I simply have to say something.

I admire all of you who have taken the time out to provide help & advice for "Simplyobsessed" but unfortunately it seems pretty obvious they are not willing to act upon your advice which is a great shame.

Perhaps "Simplyobsessed" should reflect their namesake and become simply obsessed with reading up and researching on how to look after fish properly (information which plenty of members on here have kindly been providing links for) rather than being obsessed with ignoring top quality advice, carrying on regardless and then posting up messages a week later moaning about more fish they have needlessly killed.

Hi again :)

I didn't mean that I would travel with the fish every week - i promised my son that i would take a new picture for him when i return at the weekend which i wouldnt be able to if i didnt purchase a replacement which i did first thing this morning. Im very excited for two weeks time as all my flatmates are away enabling me to bring him to newcastle for a weekend and take him to all the kids places :D

Apologies again for my phone.

I think its a little unfair to say ive been ignoring your advice- i no longer put salt in the water and i do a change of water every week.