Yesterday the fish all seemed well.I gave them some pees for the first time

==>>> if it happened immediately after you do something for the first time....then we look to what you did ...

what are pees??? .. something other than the veg???

perhaps next time.. save some of the water for the test ... testing your new mix.. wont get you an answer about the water when the problem occurred ...

tell us more about pees ... peas ...

ken

I assume you offered them green peas? Were they fresh, frozen or out of a can? Is there any chance they were seasoned?
Since everything was fine beforehand I would definitely be suspicious of the peas, or......it's possible the tank was crashing at the time you fed the peas. When was the last time your tank was tested and had a water change, what size is the tank and how many fish are in the tank? Ammonia and nitrate builds up very quickly with goldfish if your biological filter is too small for the load in the tank then water quality could have been the problem.

Check the link below for how one person feeds green peas to goldfish.

Here is a link that might be useful: goldfish and peas

Thanks for your reply

Yes I offered them defrosted green peas.

The tank is 24 x 12 x 18 the tank is a AR-620 so has a external or overhead filter with an added internal filter with dual oxygen supply.

The tank had been set of for more than two months with 5 small fancy goldfish.

I think maybe you right that it was an Ammonia spike.

I had changed the water just 4 days before of 25%.

I'm sorry about your fishies!

Did you dechlorinate the water when you did your emergency water change?

20 gallons is on the small side for goldfish. Most experts recommend 20 gallons for one fancy goldfish, and add 10 gallons per fish after that. Now your fish were still small, so they would be OK for a while, but not likely to thrive in that tank long-term.

How warm was the tank? Goldfish like cooler water, and as water temperature increases, the amount of oxygen it can contain decreases. When you said your fish were gasping at the surface, I wonder if temperature might have been an issue.

Have you cleaned your filter media since you set up the tank? Goldfish are messy eaters and big poopers, and there might have been a lot of gunk in the filter. That shows down the water flow, reducing the rate at which good bacteria can break down ammonia and nitrites.

If you feed the fish a lot, the water quality might have been gradually deteriorating, even with your water changes. The peas might have been the last straw.

So, in the future, I suggest you get either a bigger tank or fewer fish, or switch to a fish that doesn't need as much water (though most aquarium fish require a heater). Cut back on feeding, keep on with water changes (maybe change 1/3 a week instead of 1/4), and monitor your water quality.

Adding plants will help with water quality in any aquarium. Goldfish eat plants, and love to dig around in substrate, so something like java fern is a good choice (and a low maintenance plant).

Good luck!

as mentioned above, dechlorinating water (often by just having it sit out for a day or so) is important. Sudden changes in water quality, or increases in salt contents (like Chlorine ions) can kill even the toughest gold fishes. Be sure not to add tap water (right out of the tap) to fish tanks. I have killed fish doing that, myself.

You can always take a water sample to a local fish store, as most have excellent water testing equipment. Pretty inexpensive (often free) way of monitoring your water.

Thank you all for your reply.

Yes I do add water from my tap but I do add a dechlorinate.

My fish were sitting at the bottom of the tank gasping for air so I changed the water as soon as i noticed the fish were sick, but I think it was just to late by then.

All died within an hour or two.

I think maybe less food next time and less fish.

I do use the best Media from pound guru and add my own upgrade filer sponges.

And the tank is very well oxygenated but as said above maybe to many fish or food.

Sad and painful lesson.

Sorry about your lost fish. I had aquariums for years and never fed them anything except fish food. Where did you get the idea of feeding the peas.

Hi Emma,

A lot of forums say that peas and other veg are very good to offer fish from time to time.

But it will be the last time for me! :(

We never know what is in processed foods so I think it is a good idea to feed only fish food. I still miss having an aquarium, I had a 50 gallon and a couple of 10's. If I got one now I would fill it with real seaweed and very tiny fish. I saw that in an aquarium shop and it was so neat. Also I never use the under gravel filter, nothing but trouble for me, lost fish every time. In the last few years I went to pumps with a filter that bubbled up. Never a problem with the fish with that.

Sadly with fish there can be a steep learning curve due to so much misinformation out there (and goldies contrary to popular opinion, are not really "easy" fish). Even manufacturers and people selling you stuff often don't have a clue - for one thing goldfish need much more space than is typically provided -- as much as 20-50 gallons per fish as full adult size is 6-12 inches - and because goldies eat and poop so much water quality issues can be an struggle until you have the right system in place and a good nitrification process going. High ammonia/ nitrites/ and/or nitrates could have caused symptoms you observed - along with various flukes, parasites, or bacterial infections. As you can see, you can drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what the problem is when the reality is its often some combination of various different factors, maybe water quality issues leading to fish becoming susceptible to disease. Better approach is to provide the right environment. You did good to start with water changes but too bad you couldn't do water tests because that would have given you some info to start to figure out the problem.

Honestly, I think the peas are the least of your worries (assuming they were plain ordinary frozen peas without any salt or additives). If you are going to pursue goldies again, I would think more in terms of providing an indoor pond vs. the usual aquarium set up - join us over in the pond forum for more info!

Another approach would be to post what your set up is - size, filtration system, gallons per hour water turnover, etc. - and THEN determine which is the appropriate freshwater fish that would not only survive but thrive. Rosy red minnows are often suggested as easy starter fish.

Finally - my sympathies for your loss of your pets - fishies esp goldies are real characters and I know how bad it feels to lose them.