debs01 Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 OK, I have had a fishtank for a while now but only decided 2 months ago to get it up and running, at this stage I have chosen to go with gold fish and the like (as a beginner and all) but since lurking around this forum I think I have done it all wrong, I bought fake plants and decorations, I have an internal filter for a 50l tank and bought 3 fish, I just chucked them all in the tank and way you go. I bought chemicals from the pet shop and so far all the fish are still alive. But what the heck is cycling and what are the right chemicals to use, how often should I clean the tank and how do I know if they are all healthy and happy???? Told you I was a begineer. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Hi there Debs, A warm welcome to the Fishroom Introduce yourself in the "Welcome" section, then members will know you are here. You say: I bought chemicals from the pet shop and so far all the fish are still alive. You don't "need" chemicals in order to start keeping fish, and the less you put in your tank in the way of chemicals the better. If you are just keeping Goldies for the time being, all you need to do is make sure the water is free of chlorine, and you can do this by just allowing the water to stand for a few hours. But what the heck is cycling and what are the right chemicals to use, Cycling is a word we seem to have adopted from the States.. but to put it in easily understandable terms it means that the tank is in a "balanced" condition, and that the waste products are being controlled by the benificial bacteria in the tank and filtration system. There's heaps of topics here on cycling if you do a search. how often should I clean the tank and how do I know if they are all healthy and happy???? Just like your own home... you clean it when it's dirty.. and the same applies for your tank, as this is the "home" for the fish. Use a siphon tube to remove any buildup of waste food or fish droppings. Don't pour the water back in that you siphoned off.. just dump it and replace with water that you hopefully have standing by in preperation. What you will be doing here is what are known as "Partial Water Changes".. which are important in the early stages when you first start up. Eventually (may take months).. your filter will become charged with benificial bacteria that will consume the bad bacteria that is constantly being produced in your tank.. and once this occurs.. then we say the tank is cycled.. It's not as simple as that, but to save going into technical details do some searching and reading here on the site. All the best with the new setup. Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs01 Posted July 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Thanks for that, um I have a couple of more questions though, I am on bore water, does that change how I do things, and also how do I know when the water is at the right balance? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 There is a lot here on cycling and setting up a new tank. Something I found real helpful for a newbie (was recommened here) was to get test kits. This way we can keep an eye on the water's condition (e.g. ammonia too high)...water change 8) I had tropicals mixed with 1 goldfish...which was a no-no. But now I have just a goldfish & 2 otto's in 10L... :oops: ...oh dear, I did buy another goldfish last night :roll: Water that has cholorine or choloramine (maybe spelled wrong :roll: ) must be left to sit for 24 hours. These things are dangerous for fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs01 Posted July 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Ok and if the ammonia is to high I do a partial water change, is that right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 If you are on bore water then you should be sweet. you don't need to leave the water to age. poor it straight into the tank. Like Caper said it may be wise to invest in some test kits. Nitrites, ph, Amonia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs01 Posted July 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Excellent, just what I needed to know, also finally how do I know if my fish and well and happy, I mean what tells you that they are unwell?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 fish will be a bit lethargic and hang around the bottom of the tank and not move much. fins will split or you will see red lines in the fins. fungus will appear around the gills. In all of the cases above it is best to prevent them by having regular water changes. at least 20% per week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Watch your fish...that way you will get to know their look, behavior, etc. that way you will be more likely to tell if something is not right. Feeding time is a good time to check them out plus you will see if they are eating? Not eating? Test kits: ammonia, pH, nitrites, & nitrates (I don't have the nitrate yet). debs01...did you put styrofoam under your tank? HEY ALAN, I still remember :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs01 Posted July 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 No why would I put styofoam under my tank? Also are blackmoors always so lazy, mines been alive for 2 months but seems to be pretty cruisy just hanging around not doin much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misnoma Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 If you don't have polystyrene under your tank (and it's not a framed tank like the Aqua One/Jebo ones) you're asking for it to crack on the bottom and leak all over the floor. Good enough reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 The polystyrene evens out the weight of the full tank over the whole surface area, all it takes is something not much bigger than a speck of dust to cause a pressure point that will eventually crack. I had to clean up 160 ltrs of water off the carpet at 10pm one night and i definetly would not recommend it, as well as trying to rescue fish at the same time. Ever seen 160 ltrs dumped on the floor in 10 mins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs01 Posted July 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Ohmigod, thanks for that. Now where on earth does one get that amount of styrofoam? Because I am going to have to get it, aye!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misnoma Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Any timber/hardware store will sell it.. if you ask nicely they might even have a top-sheet or similar that you could have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee_jay_01 Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 how do I know if my fish are well and happy, I mean what tells you that they are unwell?? Well you can tell by there colour, If they are losing colour and not swimming as much then check your water conditions, Gold Fish are pretty hardy fish (Sometimes) My Fiance's Brother has One Goldfish that has ben through hell and back, I went to their place and I couldn't see through the glass it was that Green, The fish was on the bottom of the tank NOT HAPPY, I ended up cleaning the tank for them, I had it clean enough to eat off by the end. As soon as I put the fish back in he went Berserk!! Loved It, since then they have seen the progress that the fish has made and keep the tank respectable, or they clean it before I get there (lol). So dont worry about to many chemicals except the Chlorine Remover, and keep an eye on your PH once per week (6.8 -7.0 reading) And DONT forget to feed them twice per day minimim... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs01 Posted July 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 And DONT forget to feed them twice per day minimim... are you sure I was told only to feed them about twice a week?? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustcooktea Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Some people do feed their fish twice a day, debs01. However, with your small tank I wouldn't feed them that often although I would feed them more than twice a week. I am feeding my goldfish once a day but giving them one day a week without food. Be careful about how much you feed though as excess food will pollute the tank. Try to feed them so that they eat it all up in a few minutes. I also feed my goldfish peas once a week (cooked and shelled) as this is good for them. Sometimes they get other veges too. Do you have a gravel vacuum? These are great for doing a water changes as they will suck out waste from the gravel and will help to keep your tank healthy. I usually feed peas or veges the day before my water change so that I can get any left over bits before they have been in the tank too long. BTW You must be doing a few things right as you have managed to keep your fish alive for two months - with all your new knowlege you will do even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Feed little bits often rather than more food less often. Make sure it is all eaten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs01 Posted July 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Thank you all so much, phew I have a lot to learn and I have no doubt I will have a million more questions Fortunately here is where you can get the answers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 I was wondering about peas & goldfish mustcooktea, questions: - how many peas? - they eat just the inside of pea, not shell, right? - how often do they get peas? - will peas harm my ottos? - do you give peas as a "treat" or do you substitute the peas for a meal? :-? I think that covers it for now! How many goldfish do you have mustcooktea & what kind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustcooktea Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Hi Caper I give our goldfish peas once a week, often after their fast day, in place of their flake food. The peas help prevent constipation, which goldfish are prone to. A day or more of fasting followed by peas is a recommended treatment for some goldfish problems like long stringy poo or swimming imbalance. I cook them and pop them out of their shells before dropping them in the tank. Our goldfish (a fantail and a black moor) are still small - about 5 cm without the tail - and one pea each is probably enough although sometimes my daughter drops in a couple of extras. I don't know much about ottos but peas are good for quite a few types of fish. Since ottos like to eat algae I would be fairly confident that if they like the peas it won't do them any harm. I have also fed the goldfish: courgette, cucumber, green beans, apple and orange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Thanks mustcooktea I was going to ask those questions about the peas as a new post but since it was brought up here I thought it would be ok? I wonder if I should do that one day fast, I feed twice a day every day. When I bought my first fish, the lady at the pet store said do 1 day no feeding, but I wasn't too sure about that since she told me I could put tropicals in with the goldfish! I was just checking on the net re:peas & ottos...it says veggies but nothing about peas...anybody know if I can use the peas? Sam is bigger than my new fantail (Puff) and gets to the food fairly fast. Is it possible to make sure that each one gets at least one pea, although, 2 might be ok for Sam if size is an indication of how many peas?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Start with one pea and, if they eat it, give them another one. Stop worrying so much caper you will do yourself an injury! :lol: Peas will not harm your ottos by the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Thanks Caryl! I've always been told I am a worrier :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 Be like my grandmother - she worried when things were going well because something was sure to go wrong soon ............ LOL Jude I just worry that I will be like her .......... :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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