mustcooktea

I am thinking of getting a small tank for my kitchen bench. I like bristlenose catfish and was hoping to include one but I am not sure what size tank is suitable for them. I was looking at the AR380 as an attractive small tank but its footprint is only 38x25cm. Am I right that this would be too small? MCT

I've used greywacke stones from a place that sells metal. It cost me $2 for a bucket.

Welcome along nemo's mum. I come to this site for my children's fish also although now I would like some of my own too. My son (now 6 years old) and he has had a few losses He currently has some cold water leopard fish that have managed to stay alive for 6 month. My dauther (8 years old) got two goldfish about two months ago and I am using all the knowledge I gained as a result of my son's losses to get them off to a good start. I know that you too have got off to a rocky start but good luck with your future fishie endeavours.

What it means, Varina, is that you will need to do lots of partial water changes for the time it takes the tank to cycle. If you do a search on this site for this you will gets lots of information. Have you any test kits to keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrItes? These are what are most toxic to the fish during this time. Don't be afraid to have questions as most of us have been exactly where you are - with a tank full of fish before we hear about cycling.

Hi muerk and welcome to the site. I am another goldfish owner (well my 8 year old is). We have a black moor and a fantail and have only had them a couple of months. I am sticking with fake plants at the moment as the tank hasn't got any lighting and I know that goldfish are hard on plants. Good luck with your tank. PS What size is your tank?

You guys are making me want to get one of those! (Now I just need a new tank lol)

Hi Caper and welcome to the site. In regards to your water changes, because your tank is still very new (only one month) and probably still cycling, I was wondering whether you have tested your water at all? The reason I ask is because 2 weeks can be a long time between changes when the tank is cycling. If you test the water and everything is good then a water change can wait but if your ammonia or nitrItes are high then it is better for the fish if you do a water change. Sometimes more frequent changes are required during the cycling process compared to when the tank is established. Best of luck!

Hi Jane and Welcome :lol: It sounds like you are planning to have lots of fun. I look forward to reading all about it. And, of course, don't forget to take photos!

Nice to have another Gisborne person on the board and someone who knows about fancy goldfish too ! (I have just aquired my first fancy goldfish - a fantail and a black moor). Good to have you here.

I've seen it in Plastic Box.

Welcome! It's great to hear that you have been doing so much research. Your fish will love you for it! I have only recently caught the fish bug (through my children) and I would also love a guppy tank. I look forward to hearing your progress and seeing photos!

Yes, I would also agree with the peas. A couple of days without food is likely to help too. I have also heard that rice (soft but not mushy) is good for fish that are beginning to flip. If the fish was overfed then high nitrAtes could have contributed also, so some extra partial water changes might help. Did you test the water? Good luck

Thanks for that MGilchrist. I will keep testing and see what happens. I guess if the ammonia level never rises (which would be great for the fish) then I will know I have cycled when I start to get NitrAtes in the tank.

I put two small goldfish into a 100 litre tank (76cm L, 30cm W,50cm H) Saturday week ago (nine days) and I have been checking for ammonia each day. So far I haven't been reading any and I am wondering why? I did have the noodles that I placed in the filter sitting in my son's little tank for about a week but I didn't think that would give them time to grow much bacteria. I have only been feeding the fish once a day to help with my expected ammonia spike. Is it just that the tank is roomy for the fish (they are only a few cm long without the tail) and the ammonia hasn't had a chance to build up? Is it because the tank is cold water and therefore will cycle slower? I checked the date on the test kit and it doesn't expire until 2008, so it is fresh. The water stays clear but I can see a few small yellow particles floating around. Is this normal? Ph is about 7. There are no nitrItes and I am waiting for my nitrAte test kit to come into the store. Thank MCT

Welcome aboard Bigmill! I couldn't imagine having the time or space for that many tanks but sometimes a little break from something can lead to new enthusiasm. Talking about tanks and trademe, I have to admit to being very jealous of all the good tank deals that are up in Auckland. With that many tanks we are sure to hear lots from you.

Hi Kazz I'm new here too. I just bought two fancy goldfish at the weekend for my 7 year old daughter. They are a black moor and a fantail (both only a few centimetres long) and I have them in a 100 litre tank. I aspire to a pond one day also but I don't think my hubby will let me have five! I look forward to hearing about what you do with your new tanks.

Okay, here is my attempt at adding a photo. Santa is the red fantail. Rudolf is the black moor.

Seahorses are adorable. You could end up with quite a herd of them! How big is the little one from last years brood?

Well, we went and picked up my daughters goldfish today. She was excited enough about it to come and wake me up this morning to remind me that we were getting them today. She has chosen a black moor (Rudolf) and a gold fantail (Santa). She said she gave them those names to remind her of Christmas. As a result they will be boys until they prove otherwise. They have settled in very well and explored their tank once they could drag themselves away from their reflections in the side of the tank. Currently they are checking the gravel very throughly to make sure that there is no food there. Goldfish are such foodaholics! :roll: My next trick will be to try to get some photos and work out how to post them.

It looks like this could be a case of good advice from the lfs. I'm still not sure that I've gotten over him selling me two commets for a 13 litre unfiltered tank! :evil: (I'm surprised they lived as long as they did and probably would have lasted longer if my children hadn't decided to decorate their tank with bottle tops on one of the rare days that I didn't check it at bed time). In saying that, he is a nice guy and beside, it's the only pet store in town! It's good to know that I have the advice of all you knowledgeable people to help me out this time around. None of my friends here in Gisborne keep fish so I will be relying on your advice and opinions to get things right.

Thanks for everyones advice . I have decided not to use the undergravel filter as I know they are not the best for goldfish and besides only one line of the second hand air pump worked! I'm sure I will use the pump somewhere along the line though. Filter wise, I have picked up a near new AquaClear 200 which will get me started while I save my $$ for a canister filter. It didn't come with any media so I have purchased a sponge and some ceramic noodles for it. The lfs guy recommended puting the noodles at the bottom and the sponge on top. I thought that would make it easy to rinse the sponge but wondered if anyone had an opinion on the order they should be? I have had the noodles sitting in my son's little tank since saturday while I waited for the filter to arrive. Will that have had a chance to seed it at all or will it really make no difference? I thought that I would steal some gravel from his tank too. I am planning to pick up two small goldfish at the weekend which is very exciting for my daughter and I am hoping that if I keep a good eye on the water parameters they can get off to a good start. Wish me luck

Hi Shelly That is a lovely size tank that your daughter has bought to start out with. I am also new here and trying to learn as much as I can for the sake of the fish. I look forward to hearing more about your fishy adventures. mustcooktea

Well, I picked up my daughter’s new (second-hand) tank from the lfs yesterday. Yay! When I saw it again (I had it on layby), I thought, “Did I really buy something that big!†It is 76cm long x 30cm wide x 50 cm high. I know, it’s not really big but we are only planning on getting two fancy goldfish. I am hoping they will be able to grow huge and healthy in this tank. It has an undergravel filter with it, although I haven’t decided whether or not to use it. I am aware that goldfish may get too messy for an undergravel filter. Any opinions? I am also concerned that the air pump could be noisy in her bedroom. Can I check how it sounds by putting the tubes in some water and turning it on? (It is an Infinity AP-750). I thought that I would get the hang-on type filters (from the AquaClear range) and I am trying to decide whether to get one large one or two smaller ones. I thought that with two smaller ones I would have one in case of breakdown or the need to quarantine. I am in no rush to set the tank up as my daughter won’t be getting her fish until after her last little mouse goes to the big cheese in the sky. Hopefully, I will have time to get things organised before that happens. Thanks in advance for everyone’s help!

Hello fishy people I have been busy learning off this site the last few months and thought that it was about time that I registered. I wish that I had known about it before I got my son's fish last year. He still has a couple of little leopard fish but it has been sad to lose ones due to our ignorance. My daughter wants to get goldfish this year and I am determined to get things right this time! I am picking up a 100 litre tank next week and we will work on things from there. We never had fish growing up but I can see that I could become a very fishy person myself. I am already having dreams of my own tank! mustcooktea