Had two little goldfish for a week in a big tank and one died?? Am i a bad owner?

Question

I established my tank a good week and a half before buying them all the conditions were good. Added two small fantails from the same tank at the shop and one went downhill mid the first week, it didnt want to use its fins and sitting at bottom whereas the other one was whizzing around being really active and it has either grown or developed more markings. Was it ill before I brought it home as the shop i got it from the half of the goldfish looked a bit iffy (swim bladder, looking tired not swimming much etc). i think it was either over fed as it was quite greedy and the other one swims oddly :) so doesnt get to the food as quick. I dont think the ammonia got too high as I was monitoring it and using remover etc. I have other goldfish too for 8 months in a seperate tank which are doing really really well so Im not a complete amateur at looking after them :)

Anyway I felt guilty as h**l when I flushed it this morning and need some advice.

Thanks

Answer 1

If you purchased them from a tank full of cheap goldfish, they're probably feeder fish and aren't expected to live long.  They're the weak, sick, and deformed, the runts and rejects.  If they live past a week, they're doing good.  So, no, you aren't necessarily a bad owner.

Answer 2

that doesnt make you a bad owner. goldfish die...end of story. me and my boyfriend have 4 and we are surprised they have lived as long as they have(1 month). anyways no it doesnt make you a bad owner and yes they might have been sick before you brought them home. the one that answered below me said that you "didn't estabilish the tank..." well we put ours in a little 1 gallon bowl with nothing in it but tap water and the water solution stuff...i don't know what its call and they are stull alive and like i said we have had them for a month!

Answer 3

I don't know why people flush their goldfish but ohwell....

Leaving the water for a week is not establishing a tank. When you say you established a tank, did you check for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. That is establishing a tank not the pH or hardness, or chlorine etc. You tank was not cycled. The fish with its own waste. To cycle a tank, leave in 5 dead shrimps/prawns in water and wait for a month. After a month, take out the shrimps and do a water change. It should probably have cycled. The point cycling is to  establish bacteria that convert your poisonnous fish waste into a lesser poisonous matter. Less poisonous matter (nitrate) is used up by plants or a water change required to get rid of it. I suggest you google : fishless cycling and learn more about cycling before putting in fishes.

Hope this helps you understand the tank cycle, preventing any further fish deaths.