Pet Forum / Aquaria / Goldfish / August 2007

Hi all,

Just got some new goldfish.  My wife and I took our daughter to a Japanese
"summer festival" up in Chicago and my daughter "won" a goldfish in a game
there.  Well, that meant a tank ("starter kit" actually), food, and chlorine
remover.  Then my wife wanted us to get some more fish so the one "won't be
lonely" so we bought two more (comets, about 1 1/2" long--the "prize" fish
was similar size and shape, but dark along the back, light along the sides
and red/orange in the belley).

Well, come to find out that the "tank" is way, way too small for three
goldfish (actually more "goldfish bowl" sized, just rectangular).  So it's
off to the store today to pick up a more appropriate tank (a 29 gallon
"starter kit" with filter, heater, hood and light, and thermometer).  I also
picked up more chlorine remover, a set of water test strips with individual
pads to test pH, alkalinity, total chlorine, total hardness, nitrite, and
nitrate levels, and about 35 lbs of gravel.

So I set up the tank, fill it, test the water (pH between 7.8 and 8.4, total
alkalinity about 180 KH ppm, total chlorine 0, total Harness about 150 GH
ppm, nitrites 0, and nitrates 0), and start the filter and pump running to
let the system cycle for a few days before I move the two remaining fish
(the "prize" fish promptly died on us) into it.

Well the very evening I get it set up, my daughter (who is about 3 1/2)
pours some of her milk, and some of a "yogurt drink" into the tank.

Is there anything I can do to fix this short of emptying the tank, taking
everything apart, and starting over?