Bulk Honesty

I’ve decided not to give up on this tank, but I’ve decided to tell it as it is.  First it is best not to get too attached to these fish.  I’ve lost so many.  The two strongest, Bari the Lionhead and Sun the Oranda still survive.  Sun is nearly three years old.

Over the last three years I’ve never seen this tank cycled where all the proper colors appear for testing the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and PH. The PH and Nitrates do ok, but the ammonia and nitrites have always been at battle with each other. I have a canister and over the tank filter on this tank. I have all the recommended media, gravel, and things for bacteria to grow on. The back side of my tank has a silky green algae moss grown over it and the water is crystal clear. However the ammonia reads high as well as nitrites. These have always read high and always will. I believe it is impossible to have a perfectly cycled tank if all you are raising is goldfish.

I had one goldfish for a long time. Wabi-Sabi started off a small gray Oranda and then burst into a vibrant gold. He was a really cool fish. I felt really bad when he slowed swimming and eventfully curled into a frozen position and could no longer swim. He would eat and move around some, but layed mainly on the bottom. I thought he would eventually die, but he didn’t. He lived for several months, but this was so depressing. He was basically an invalid lying on the bottom and Sun protectively stayed right beside him and Bari would stay near Sun. All three fish stayed in one corner of this 55 gallon tank. A fish tank is to make you happy, but mine was making me so very sad. I felt so bad for Wabi. So as cruel as it may sound, I put Wabi down. I first put him to sleep using oil of clove and then I removed his head. Makes me a pretty awful fellow I suppose.

I purchased two more fish and have placed into the tank. I’ve a calico Ryukin and a gray Oranda to replace Wabi. All four fish are swimming all over the tank. There had to be a change.