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Today is a very sad day. My Thread Fin Rainbow just passed away today. It entered a terrible state of rigor mortis. Ich and fin nipping was its downfall. He did not float to the top of the tank as you expect them to, but rather sunk to the bottom. All of my fish have done that from my understanding. None the less at about 8:30 this morning, (15 minutes ago) I committed to The Dreaded Flush upon the corps of my beloved fish.

In honor of Fray (its name) I am creating this thread for you to post the history of your own fish and the deaths you have encounter. Say a few words about your lost friends. Post about old deaths, and recent ones. Let us reminisce about The Dreaded Flush.

If you took better care of your fish, that probably wouldn't have happened. I would take a crash course in fish care before you get anymore. Otherwise you're just as bad as all of the other animal abusers out there.

It's not an assumption. You said in another thread that you keep your goldfish in a 1g with no filtration and there's supposedly nothing wrong with that. Yet you call me the monster? I'm all for irony, but that's ridiculous.

Actually, I work at an aquarium. I spend all day on fish forums, I have 4 tanks. Fish are pretty much my life. I don't pretend to know everything, but I know more than the casual fish keeper.

Common goldies need at least 20-30g per fish, and they also like company. They grow fairly big and are more of a pond fish rather than a tank fish. I've seen first hand both the effects of poor goldfish husbandry and what happens when you keep them in the proper conditions.

Unless you're doing multiple 100% changes throughout the day, a 1g tank is still too small, even for a little goldfish. 5-10g and cycled is much much healthier. I have mixed feelings on grow out tanks. It's one thing if you already have the adult tank set-up with other fish in it and you're just growing it out big enough to hold it's own in that one. But commonly people say "Oh, I'll get a bigger tank when it gets bigger" and they still end up with a stunted fish, or even more often, they never end up getting the bigger tank, due to unforseen financial problems, space issues, or just not caring.

The way you presented it, a dirty, small tank, even if it's something as insignificant as a 10 cent feeder fish, to me, that is animal abuse. It's akin to keeping a dog or a person in a small cage and letting them sit in their own waste and filth. It especially bothers me when it's fish, someone has to stick up for them.

Alright people, please chill out with the drama.

I'm sorry to hear that your fish passed away, but since you said your fish had ich, I'd start giving the tank a treatment.
Fin nipping is also a sign that there is something wrong, and weakens the fish, making it harder for the fish to fight off a parasite or an illness.
If you have a nipper I'd eighter isolate it or if it's a schooling fish I'd get him more of the same species.

On the subject of grow-in tanks I'm against them; even if you take propper care of them, there's always the chance that you'll be much too bussy for a week and slip up. And what of when you go on vacation and need a tank sitter? Not many people are up to the task.
Appart from that, it's just cruel to limit a species such as a goldfish to such small quarters. 'Moving' fish like carps and barbs need more space then 'standing' fish like gouramis and chiclids.

I agree with you wholeheartedly but...

this thread is getting a bit ugly.