How is he?
Some (er..lots...) questions...
About him:
1: Are the fins fraying, or are pieces missing?
2: Is there any place on the body where the scales are standing out- like a pinecone?
3: Is there any discolouration on the body or fins?
4: Any cottony growth anywhere on the fish?
5: Are the tips of the fins black, or red?
6. If you shine a flashlight on him from above, is there any gold or grey "dust" on him?
7: Any white spots on him? Might look like someone shook salt or sugar on him?
8: Any behavioural changes that you have noticed? Basically I am wondering if anything is out-of-the-ordinary.
9: How often is he fed? Does he eat all of his food? Also, how much is he fed? Is he eating
normally(not spitting out his food, or taking a long time to eat?
9: Has anything new been added to the tank?
10: I know its a funny question, but is he pooping regularly? What colour is it?
About the tank, maintenance and equipment:
1. What kind of filter is it? And how ofter do you change the filter pads? (A tip: sponges never need to be changes unless they are worn, or impossible to clean. A little dirt is fine, but when you do a water change take them out, and rinse them in the dirty water that you would have in the bucket/container. And for the carbon/charcoal: it isn't necessary. Use that space for another sponge. Only thing you would need carbon for is removing medicine from his water. No ammo chips are necessary either. It just messes with the cycle. Fill that space with sponges, or Just some money saving tips and tricks.
)
2. How often do you do gravel vacuums? For a 5 gallon I would recommend 25% 2x a week. Adding fresh de-clorinated water each time.
I think thats about it...If you have any questions feel free to ask. The one ? you don't ask could be the important one.