Hey,
So a friend of mine had a fish, I think it's a goldfish and has long flared fins/tail. She kept it in a small tank with no filter/water change/perhaps no food for more than too long (weeks). I've now got it and have it in a fish bowl at home, until I can get a larger tank which should be today. It's barely breathing, and is looking very ill. Can anybody give me some guidance on how to better this fish???
Thanks a lot.

Can you post a pic of what your fish looks like?
Have you treated the water in its bowl?
Do you have city water or well water?

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150G, 1 shovelnose sturgeon 8", 1 polypterus endilicheri 9", 1 leopard ctenapoma 4", 1 Distichodus Sexfasciatus 6", 1 Farlowella acus algae eater 8", 2 silver dollars, 2 tank bred angelfish, 1 clown knife 11", 1 Jaguar hybrid syntadonis 4", 6 African cichlids 3+"

Thanks for getting back to me. I'm sorry the picture isn't very clear but here it is anyway. (assuming it attached to the message.)

Attached Images

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Oh and yes I've treated it with basic water conditioner and it is city water.

I mainly used new treated water and topped up with the water the fish was already in.

Another quick question..I'm in the process of getting a larger tank, the fish's old home which still contains the old water. Do you think I should move it into the larger tank immediately? If so should i completely remove all the old water?

Thank you so much!

I'd suggest doing a 50% water change, then test for ammonia, nitrItes, and nitrAtes.
If they are high, wait a few hours then do another partial water change.
Keep doing that until the levels are right.

Master test kit from API will explain the right levels.

Chances are the old tank has cycled, and just has horrible water quality, but the bowl will likely have ammonia spikes soon.
Have you added stress coat?

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150G, 1 shovelnose sturgeon 8", 1 polypterus endilicheri 9", 1 leopard ctenapoma 4", 1 Distichodus Sexfasciatus 6", 1 Farlowella acus algae eater 8", 2 silver dollars, 2 tank bred angelfish, 1 clown knife 11", 1 Jaguar hybrid syntadonis 4", 6 African cichlids 3+"

Haven't done any of that. Very new to having a fish, the fish I own are old housemates fish who were going to flush them! So really I've only got the basic stuff at home.

I just picked up the old fish tank with half of it's old water. I'll set that up with conditioner and put fish in a little later? The fish is hardly breathing and lying upside down, I'm concerned if I don't move it soon it will die. Yet it's gone through enough stress I don't want to do further damage.

Thanks again.