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Barnyard Buddies:  What to do about a nasty Goldfish...  |
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 26 2009 : 11:14:46 AM
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I have the neatest aquarium with two neon fishies, a plecostamus (sp?) and a regular goldfish. 'He's' one of the fish that didn't make it into the horse tanks and went into the aquarium. I thought they only grow to the size of the aquarium but he's taken a real growth spurt and is HUGE.
Now, the aquarium is constantly nasty on the bottom. This goldie doesn't just poop, he s***s! Hubby is cleaning the tank out about every 3rd day or so.
I'd like to get rid of him, so, what to do with him?? It's too cold for the horse tanks, I feel bad flushing him down into the septic tank, can't fry him up because he's not big enough...what??
Any ideas??
For uber-opinionated, pleasurable horse related reading, please visit http://horseinfoperson.blogspot.com/
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Nov 26 2009 : 12:10:28 PM
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goldfish are cold water fish, I have many outside all year long, stock tanks and a small decortive pond. They all freeze over in the winter to some degree, and I have never had a goldfish die because of it. I would just go ahead on put it in your horse watertank, put water from fish tank in ziplock, add fish and leave room for air, close bag , let float for 15 min.s in outside water tank, then dump loose.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Sarahpauline
True Blue Farmgirl
672 Posts
sarah
Ringgold
GA
USA
672 Posts |
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LakeOntarioFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
933 Posts
Brenda
North Rose
NY
USA
933 Posts |
Posted - Nov 27 2009 : 07:47:02 AM
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Isn't it funny how they grow to the size of the tank?!!!
When my son got married in October 2008, my dil wanted goldfish bowls on all the tables. Well as far as I know, one out of 100 survived! One of my daughters took him, and he just grew and grew! He is the liveliest fish I've ever seen! When they went away in the spring and my other daughter took care of him, she called me and said she thought he was dying. I went and looked at him, and sure enough, he was hardly moving and very sickly looking. Do you know as soon as his "family" came home from vacation, he perked right back up! I think he just missed them! But yes, they have to clean his bowl every day, because he makes such a mess.
Sorry, to go into all that, Winona if I lived anywhere near you I would take him in a minute! Do you know anyone who would want him?
Brenda
FarmGirl # 711
If you rest, you rust. Helen Hayes
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Nov 27 2009 : 10:07:43 AM
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I once had a gold fish that out grew a 20 gallon tank. He was a science class rescue. I could and fried him up and eatten him! He was HUGE! I had a friend that was going to put him in her horse tank and then that fell through so I ended up releasing him into the river. I know you probably aren't supposed to do that...but I had to do something. I couldn't keep cleaning out a 20 gallon tank every day!
My suggestion is to make sure you aren't feeding him too much and if you can last until spring- try to. Then he can go in the stock tanks without shock. I would also suggest if you want to keep him inside, get some already started live plants, some bacteria innoculation and makesure your tank filter is working the best it can with new filters. The live plants and the bacteria will break down his waste and if you can get them started it should make it so you don't have to clean the tank. I think a bottom filter is best for this because it pulls everything to the bottom and the bacteria breaks it down.
Also make sure there isn't a heater going in his tank. Try and keep him in the coldest part of the house so his metabolism will start slowing down. Feed ever other day if his tank is below 70 degrees so you aren't stimulating his metabolism.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
Posted - Nov 27 2009 : 10:22:18 AM
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goldfish are from the carp family, they will live in just about any temps. If you put him his own aquarium he will just grow bigger. I would just put him in your stock pond with some time to adjust just like was suggested above. He'll be fine..
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett Beverley with an extra E...
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Faransgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
895 Posts
Beth
Houston
Texas
USA
895 Posts |
Posted - Nov 27 2009 : 7:57:54 PM
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I use to live in Scotland. We almost moved into a house that had a concrete pond with gold fish in it. It had a sheet of ice on the top and the fish were fine. I would put them in the stock tank and let him go. He will probably be fine. I did learn recently though that you should make sure after you worm your horses that there is no wormer left on their lips our mouth because if they drink with it on there it will kill your fish. Also, you don't need to feed them as they will eat the stuff that grows in the tank.
Farmgirl Sister 572
May the force of the horse be with you. |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Nov 28 2009 : 03:22:38 AM
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goldfish: AKA carp like someone already stated, grow to the size of their enclosure. This is why at amusement parks and zoos they are HUGE!
Yes, they can freeze. It's something their body does and something special in the blood that prevents ice crystals and the cell walls from bursting.
If you want to safely transfer him to a stock tank, do what the pet stores do. Take a 2 gallon ziploc bag and put him in this with some air in the bag too...close the bag completely then take it to the tank and float him in this for a while. It helps the fish adjust to the other tank's water temp. After an hour unseal the bag and set him free in his new home. I say 2 gallon only b/c I don't know how big the fish is in relation to a regualr ziploc. So if you think it would work in just a gallon bag or smaller, that's fine too.
In college we had a small fish pond behind a dorm. This was in Northern Ohio where the pond would freeze 6 inches or more. The fish were fine.
Hope this helps |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Nov 28 2009 : 12:03:52 PM
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If the water is dirty it could be you are over feeding. It may be that your tank filter isn't working properly. Reace the filter cut back on feeding and consider getting a sucker fish to help keep the tank clean.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
Posted - Nov 28 2009 : 9:43:09 PM
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**UPDATE!**
Welp, the goldfish didn't make it (I don't think). I think he's belly-up as we speak. I tried to put him in a ziploc (gallon) and took him to the barn. The other horse tank fish made it so far, they were in the bottom of the tank just chillin' (a play on words). All I could see was a flick of a fin once in a while so I know they weren't fishy Encino-men.
So, I introduced the ziploc slowly and all was well. I left it floating for quite a while, maybe 45 minutes or so and he was finnin' around in there. Then I gingerly poured him out and he swam away. All seemed well for a while and when I checked again, he was on his side but still on the bottom. I forgot to check before I left the barn to see if he'd made it or not. Since he was on his side, I'm assuming he'd did the hypothermia thing. I'll try to remember tmr to check.
I guess I did feed him too much, don't know. I have the pleco, which is a very good algae eater and keeps the tank walls very clean. Hubby doesn't like snails, so I got the pleco. All I know is no more goldfish. We have/had gone thru filters like you wouldn't believe. Hubby spent so much time vaccuuming and cleaning all the rocks and plants! I'm sorry about the goldfish but I should have put him in the tank in the first place with the others. Out of about 26 fish I put in there, most of them have lived. Way more than usual for some reason. I usually expect about a little more than half to die but this time, most lived. Good thing it's a 500 gallon tank!! So many lived that I told one of the ranchhand's kids to catch a few to take home for their aquariums...little did I know! I'll bet their mom's are really happy with me...hehehe... 
For uber-opinionated, pleasurable horse related reading, please visit http://horseinfoperson.blogspot.com/
I have some other blogs in the works...please stay tuned and I'll let you know where to go! :-)
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2009 : 03:41:09 AM
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You tried.
If the house aquarium was heated, even using the bag method may have been too much of a shock. Although I doubt it. Those are supposed to be tough fish.
And no matter, they are VERY dirty and the proof of that are the filters you say you went through.
Well, in good conscience, I couldn't have flushed something that big either. All we have is a spetic, and that's a bad way to go 
So enjoy your now cleaner aquarium I guess
I tried snails once and regretted every minute. They are hermaphordites and can reproduce like crazy with just one individual. BIG MISTAKE Not sure if the apple snails are as troublesome (those are the really big ones)
Would give anything to get back into aquariums and such, but we don't have a decent pet store that is close.
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2009 : 4:22:02 PM
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Nope, he didn't make it. Still on the bottom on his side...unless he's a really good faker. I can only see three of the others, they were in the sun. Can't see into the shaded side. Guess we'll find out next Spring.
For uber-opinionated, pleasurable horse related reading, please visit http://horseinfoperson.blogspot.com/
I have some other blogs in the works...please stay tuned and I'll let you know where to go! :-)
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Barnyard Buddies: What to do about a nasty Goldfish... |
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What to do about a nasty Goldfish...
