Basically, a skippy is an external filter that functions as BOTH a biological and mechanical filter. See the link below for details. I assembled my own, inexpensively I might add, with the guidance of everyone here. As I mentioned, my puddle is roughly twice the size of yours (actually it's three preforms strung together). Accordingly, my skippy is small. And small it may be, but it reduced my regular pond maintenance immeasurably! The short version is that I started with a lotus pot I got on clearance. Added the grate from Lowe's & a few short pieces of pvc pipe & fittings. Picked up some scrubbies at the dollar store along with some batting. Every year I sprig the top with cuttings from plants I already have which renders the skippy invisible...once the plants take off, it looks like a lucious container garden nestled next the pond and no one is the wiser:) My skippy is the simplest of the simple, no doubt, but it works! And it frees up space IN the pond plus cuts maintenace time beyond belief. Check out the link and if you're interested in my step-by-step details, I'll be happy to provide them. I don't have a lot to offer here in the big scheme of things but this is one lesson I learned well *chuckle* ~digger

First off, please start a new thread for your new problem. You might get lost down here. Anyway, fish in a new home need some time to get used to it. Hiding for a few days is normal. Soon they will come a running for food again! Next, if you didn't wash the dirt out of the gravel yeah it can make the water dirty. Fish don't seem to mind this (yeah, but we do). It should clear itself either by getting trapped in the filter or just settling out. Most things you add to clear it are bad for the fish. Finally, but most importantly, in revamping your pond you may well have killed off the bacteria living there that is processing the ammonia fish waste (very bad stuff) into nitrite (also bad stuff) into nitrate (not so bad in low levels) that plants use as food. This bacteria grows naturally but slowly. Keep an eye on your ammonia levels and be prepared to do water changes to keep it down until your bacterial is back.

Glenda, If Bubbles is still alive, gently move him about in a normal swimming motion, to see if you can force oxygen through his gills. If it's too late and he is dead, then so be it, but make it a point to keep both Melafix and Pimafix on-hand at all times, along with a small air pump. The smallest is enough to run an airstone in a 10. You can safely put either or both Pimafix or Melafix in any tank, but need also to remove the charcoal from the filter or it will remove the medicine. But DO NOT add salt to the water. Goldies are strictly fresh water carp. A salt water dip may be beneficial when a fish's slime coat has been damaged due to injury, but only for a short time. Otherwise-never put a strictly FW fish into salted water. The veggie clips are sold in just about any pet shop. They are really just all plastic clips with suction cups to hold them on the inside wall of the tank, to allow the fish to nibble at foods too large for them to eat whole. Lacking hands, they can't hold it down themselves. I am very sorry about poor Bubbles, but we often learn from our mistakes, so don't abuse yourself over it. But from here on: If you haven't already been doing it, water change the Goldie tank at least 50% every week and use a gravel cleaner to remove the muck that has sifted down into the gravel at the same time. If a septic condition was the problem, it may have been due to gravel, as gravel without a large load of live plants to use up the nutrients may be the primary killer of Goldies, especially when there is an undergravel filter in the tank. Even with regular water changes, the water may look clean, but there is poison hiding below, just waiting to burst out and kill the fish. I don't recall if you previously wrote that you did have a UG, but if you do, get rid of it and replace any small gravel with stones too large for either Smooch or your syphon hose to pick up. It will make cleaning a lot easier and allow you to get rid of the muck trapped beneath it every time you water change. I use large river stones in my Goldie tank; just enough to cover the bottom and hide the weighted bases of the fake plants, but easy to move around to clean around them. Another substrate cleaning trick, and a very old one, is to remove the media from the filter before you water change and replace it with only floss, then stir up the substrate for the floss to catch. Then, do the water change and install fresh media in the filter. A great filter floss is also the cheapest, the 100% poly sold for stuffing pillows. I buy it in large boxes at Wal-Mart, but for just one tank, a small bag will do. I've killed some pretty nice fish myself over the years, not from stupidity any more than your own; but simply from well meaning ignorance. You don't come across as being in the least stupid, just not yet fully educated. There is a huge difference. Ignorance is easily addressed by education. Base stupidity is, alas; a permanent condition. Feel better now? I hope so.

OK, if you have only had the fish for 2 months and you are seeing red streaks or veins and spots are appearing on the tail then stop feeding. Your fish has ammonia poisoning. Do a huge water change, like 75% if possible. Use a good water conditioner like "Prime" and double the dose. You can do that with Prime. Also add some aquarium salt to the water, follow the directions on the box. Get a 2 part, reagent type, ammonia test kit. Reagent kits have a liquid chemical, in this case 2, that you add drops to a sample of aquarium water. They come with small vials to take samples with and usually have good directions that should be followed to the letter. I like Aquarium Pharmaceuticals or AP brand. They cost more initially then others but last long so you wont have to re-buy. I think your tank is still cycling, or if it did cycle, it has crashed. Feed fish sparingly only every 3 days until you resolve this situation.