My fish is in Bad Shape... Help!

[JBtheExplorer]

As some of you know, my fish are indoors now. Filtering the water is a bucket full of lava rock.

The fish have all seemed fine and happy, but a few days back I found one of the smallest baby fish dead. I looked today and saw my beautiful blue Shubunkin sucked to the side of the pump. I thought it was dead but realized it wasn't. Its floating on its side at the bottom of the tank. Hardly swims but I saw it try to attempt swimming a few times. I decided that this was the time I needed to get a full test kit with all tests and do this right. I bought the API master test kit and did the tests. Now, I won't rule our an error since this is brand new to me, but I did everything as it says and am confident I did it right. Here are the results.

pH registered as 7.6 on the regular test, as you know is the highest it goes, so I assume that meant to do the high range test, which I did and it said 8.2. The test said goldfish need it about 7.5, I'd like to here what you guys have to say and what I can do to fix that.
ammonia looked to be between 0ppm and 0.25ppm, but closer to 0.25ppm If that is an issue, I'd also like to know how to fix that.
nitrite was 0ppm
nitrate was 0ppm

Even though indoors, being in the basement, the water temp is 52° which I know is right around the temp where you should stop feeding them, so I have hardly been feeding, but have fed little every 5 days or so because of my uncertainty of it.

What worries me is that I had a fish die of what appeared to be the same issue last year while indoors but my lack of education made me not worry about it. I was sad to lose a fish but didn't necessarily think about the others at the time.

I took the fish out because I didn't want it to keep getting sucked to the filter. I made sure to get a photo too. I didn't notice anything abnormal. This is exactly how it lays, and will occasionally try to swim.

Any and all help about how and if I can save this fish, and prevent this from happening is appreciated.

 

[dieselplower]

Did you dechlorinate the water? Is there enough water movement to properly oxygenate the water? .25 ammonia is not enough to do that. How many gallons of water? How many fish? How fast did they go from warm water to cool water? Look at the belly of the fish... Is it red? Is it mushy to the touch?

 

[dieselplower]

Also that ph is fine. Goldfish can live in a wide range of ph, however, what is important is that the ph remains relatively stable, rather than having large swings.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Did you dechlorinate the water? Is there enough water movement to properly oxygenate the water? .25 ammonia is not enough to do that. How many gallons of water? How many fish? How fast did they go from warm water to cool water? Look at the belly of the fish... Is it red? Is it mushy to the touch?

No chlorine, as I have well water. Pump is about 250g per hour if I remember, I have two 40g stock tanks. 4 adult fish in the tank that I'm having these problems with, 3 adult fish in the other. I also have a few very small baby fish in each.

When they were brought into these tanks (in October), pond temp was 8 degrees cooler than indoor tanks, and I acclimated them slowly. I mixed pond water into the tanks and had it running for about two weeks before the fish were added. I have not done a water change.

Belly is not red and does not feel mushy.

 

[MitchM]

Being sucked to the side of a pump for a period of time will be hard on any fish.
Nothing jumps out at me as far as what could be wrong.
Do you have a picture of your whole setup?

 

[dieselplower]

Being sucked to the side of a pump for a period of time will be hard on any fish.
Nothing jumps out at me as far as what could be wrong.
Do you have a picture of your whole setup?

Yes it would but the thing to realize is a healthy fish would nit get stuck to a filter intake.

 

[MitchM]

It shouldn't, but like I said, nothing from what JB has described stands out as unusual.
A 250 gph pump sounds too weak to pull in a healthy fish as well, but we need to start somewhere, so I thought a picture of the whole setup would be a good start.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I thought a picture of the whole setup would be a good start.

Here's the setup.

Note the blue shubunkin in photo is my other shubunkin, as I said the sick one I had to take out as it was being sucked to the pump. It is still in bad shape on its side. hardly doing anything. So weird since the day before it looked just fine. Same with the baby that died, and same with the fish that died last year now that I think about it.

All I have in the tanks other than the fish are the pumps, a little hornwort, and a rock to hold the hornwort down.The filter setup was not used last winter when my other fish died so I don't think it would be the problem, but I suppose could always be a contributing factor if something is wrong.

I also keep a screen over the tanks unless I'm down there to keep the cat from getting the fish. Its not a metal screen, some type of fabric meant to be strong against pets. Water going back into the tank does not splash on the fabric, at least not enough to make it wet at all, so I've ruled that out. I also have pond liner wrapped around the wooden shelf to protect it from any splashing.

 

[MitchM]

What was the source of the lava rocks?
Were they new?
Have you done any water changes?
I don't like the length of time that the bubbles are lasting on the surface. It could indicate a buildup of protein.
I would do a water change for a start. The size of the water change would depend on how far apart the source water parameters are from the existing tank water parameters.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

What was the source of the lava rocks?
Were they new?
Have you done any water changes?
I don't like the length of time that the bubbles are lasting on the surface. It could indicate a buildup of protein.
I would do a water change for a start. The size of the water change would depend on how far apart the source water parameters are from the existing tank water parameters.

Lava rocks were not new. They were not in an area that would've seen any fertilizer or pesticides. I also rinsed them over and over and over to get all the dirt and anything else out.
The average time the larger bubbles last on the surface is about 5 seconds. There water returning hits the water pretty hard so I would figure that to be the reason, but of course don't know. I will start with a small water change. Any idea on what I can do to help my fish? To my surprise it was still alive today but still in the sad state that its in.

 

[dieselplower]

I really dont know what to tell you JB. Im sorry. I dont think those large bubbles are a concern. I thought a build up of protein would result in a more foamy bubbly consistency, not a few large bubbles. Have you brought the sick fish to an area where the water can be warmer?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

You state that you use these tanks each winter. What do you use to clean them before storing them each Spring. The large bubbles DO look suspicious.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

You state that you use these tanks each winter. What do you use to clean them before storing them each Spring.

Nothing but water and a rag. This is only their second year in use.

Have you brought the sick fish to an area where the water can be warmer?

I haven't but should I do so?

 

[dieselplower]

You state that you use these tanks each winter. What do you use to clean them before storing them each Spring. The large bubbles DO look suspicious.

What do you think about the bubbles? I have them on my pond right now too.

 

[Guy]

What do you think about the bubbles? I have them on my pond right now too.

so do I