Goldfish ---Set Up Questions

[Bina]

I was going to get 2 of those really small feeder goldfish to brighten up my computer desk area......well,
hubby came back home with 2 good sized fish. So much for my plan of a simple bowl set up.
I believe they are comets....about 2.5 inches long.

So, some of my goldfish stuff is with my daughter, but I still have a 5 gallon tank with lid and light.
I have a few questions even after reading through the threads here.

1) Pump/filter: maybe the outside hang on the tank type....AquaClear mini?
2) Can I turn off the pump at night to avoid the noise factor?
3) Do I really need gravel on the bottom.... it's hard to clean.
4) Would snails or an algae eater help with waste in the tank?
Thanks for any help.

[want4rain]

hopefully being on this forum, my response wont sound rude but informative instead!!!

goldfish should never, ever be kept in a bowl.

i can not say this enough.

a single fancy goldfish should have 15g of overly filtered water (in other words the filter should be rated for at least 30g)

a comet goldfish will grow, in the aquarium, up to 8 inches long.

a pond- 12-15 inches long.



id strongly suggest taking them both back.



the least a desk setup should be (to keep -any- fish healthy) no less than 2.5g with a small filter and a heater.

some basic information that is a must-
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebi...estcycling.htm

fish that you can fit in a 2.5g tank are probably limited to a betta.

if you bump it up to a 5g tank you can get a few Endlers Livebearers, a few guppies, a Dwarf Gourami, Threadfin Rainbows, a single Dwarf Puffer, OR a single Dwarf Frog.

as in pick one of those, not all of them. most of the fish in there can live with other shrimp but not a cray fish.


good luck with the fish!!

-ashley

[want4rain]

Originally Posted by Bina

1) Pump/filter: maybe the outside hang on the tank type....AquaClear mini?

unless its seriously under stocked, all tanks need a filter to house the good bacteria that turns fish poo into something less harmful.

2) Can I turn off the pump at night to avoid the noise factor?

no, the bacteria needs constant circulation to stay alive.

3) Do I really need gravel on the bottom.... it's hard to clean.

nope!! bare bottom makes for super easy clean up. get a turkey baster

4) Would snails or an algae eater help with waste in the tank?
Thanks for any help.
probably make it worse. they reproduce and poop a bunch. stick to water changes to manage waste and thus algae.

sorry so short- one hand typing.

-ash

[Melinda]

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ndingMethod=rr

these are pretty good tanks, 7 yrs ago my daughters friends were using live feeder goldfish for table displays at their highschool graduation, I woudn't allow it , they returned all the fish except for 3 sick ones, I kept them in a 16 cup measuring cup while giving them daily treatments *L* once recovered I grabbed the cheapest bowl/aquarium at walmart I could find, not thinking they'd live very long....in May it will be 7 yrs they've been "swimming" in my kitchen. This may be a good set up for in your office(desk) I clean it once a month, it has an air stone, light for heat and a nice quiet hum to the pump. My dad raised fish for pet stores decades ago and I grew up with dozens of aquariums in our basement and swore I'd never have fish *LOL*....

[Bina]

No offense taken, I appreciate honest recommendations.

My previous experience with goldfish was that they were "poo factories", but my daughter loved them.
(of course, one day we introduced 2 aquatic frogs, and the goldies were stressed)

Anyway, I didn't want to hurt hubby's feelings, but maybe these comets are better off with my neighbour.
She raises fish in her pond and indoors in a 6 foot tank.

When I was a kid, my Mom had 2 tanks: one with goldfish, one with tropical; guppies, swordtails, mollies, neons. So much fun.
Maybe that kit from Walmart would be sufficient for 2 guppies, or 2 Neons?

[want4rain]

a 5g kit?? in all honesty the 10g kits are probably cheaper!! you shoudl be able to get a 10g for under $35 with a heater, filter, a net... and a hood. i think thats what i paid for my last one anyway.

a 10g can hold quite a bit actually. a whole school (6 or so) of neons, i wuld start out with only 3 guppies (2 females and 1 male) because they will breed and you dont want so many that you have to take all your first babies back to the store. there are some other interesting fish that are commonly found.

you could do a betta and a few neons.

some common fish you DONT want...

do not get a pleco. there isnt a pleco that stays small enough to live in a 10g! no angel fish in anythign smaller than 55g. they get really tall... um... do some research on their adult size. www.liveaquaria.com has some great and reliable fish profiles though some of their tank sizes err on the side of caution.

im heading to bed. hope that helps!!

[Bina]

When I was a kid we had great fun with the guppies and neons....simple, pretty fish.
I should mention that I have well water and a water softener that runs once a week. I read somewhere that
guppies were quite tolerant of hard water...?