Goldfish sitting on bottom of tank....should i worry?

[funguy90210]

Hi all,

I have 4 small lionheads in my tank...they are all very young and i have minimal decor and a small filter running. I notice that one fish in particular, sometimes 2 of them just sit on the bottom of the tank if theres no one in the room. As soon as they see any movement in the room, all of them happily swim around the whole tank....they are all feeding happily.
Is this something i should be concerned about? Do they find it hard to swim in the filter current all the time so take a rest every so often? i do regular water changes and use Tetra Easybalance as well. Nothing to see on the fish and they swim from top to bottom during feeding etc.

Any advice please? Do i need more oxygen in the tank or something like that?

Kind Regards
FG

[Dr_House]

It never hurts to have an airstone in the tank for extra oxygenation.

There are a few things I would like to know about your little guys to assist me in better answering your question.

1. What are your water parameters? (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate)
2. What size aquarium are the fish in?
3. What type of filter are you running?

Those 3 answers will give us a clearer picture as to whether this is simply a behavior your fish is exhibiting or if it is a symptom.

[funguy90210]

Hi,
to answer your questions :

1) not sure off the top of my head just now - using Tetra Easybalance which is meant to be controlling levels of the toxins. Also i do a 15% water change every week.

2) 36" x 18" x 12"

3) Interpet pico filter bubbling at water surface.

[bscman]

Water parameters are very important.
You say you're not sure off the top of your head...does that mean you're not around right now to test, or you don't have a test kit?

You NEED a test kit. There is no wonder treatment that will control all the toxins in the water...most of them just screw with your water chemistry and set things further and further back. Tetra Easybalance isn't really meant so you can ignore your fish tank, it simply (and supposedly) keeps nitrate and phosphor levels in check...it does nothing for ammonia or nitrite. Do you know about the nitrogen cycle?

How long has the tank been set up?

[Dr_House]

I'm in agreement with bscman. Water test kits are vital to keeping a healthy fish tank, especially when first starting in the hobby or a new aquarium.

As far as your filter, I can't find a lot of information on it, but the little I have found suggest that it is suitable for 12 gallons. Usually these ratings overestimate a filter's capacity. But even at 12 gallons, your aquarium (roughly 34 gallons) is almost three times that size. Goldfish are very messy eaters and easy to overfeed, as they tend to always act hungry.

My best guess without knowing your exact water parameters would be that you have a buildup of toxins that is negatively impacting the health of your fish, and that is why you are seeing them laying on the bottom. I would recommend getting a much more capable filter for your aquarium (if you would like help selecting an appropriate filter let me know) and increasing the volume of your water changes to 50% per week. I would also make sure that you are feeding very sparingly. You may already be doing that, but I would say no more than your fish can completely consume in 1 minute. Again, I'm taking shots in the dark without knowing the exact water parameters in your tank. However, given the information you have supplied I feel fairly confident that is your problem. I hope that helps.