xmamx Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Hello i have just got myself a cold water aquarium and i was wondering which fish i should get for it and what sort of filtration setup i should get. I currently have 1 small goldfish (not sure of species) about 7cms long including tail and 1 brown ramshorn snail (similar size to garden snail) so my tank is looking rather empty at the moment. There is also a small ceramic log and a little sunken ship and gravel on the bottom. I plan on getting a nice background for the tank and also some plants as well. I have had a look in these forums and found certain fish types that can be kept in cold water but was wondering if there was list of cold water to semi tropical fishes so i could see which ones i like and could therefore try and get. I quite like guppies and i have heard they can live in cold water. The pet shop said i should get a heater and put it to 20 degrees and then i can put neons maybe and other semi tropical fish and my goldfish would still be allright. Also i dont want the other fish to pick on the goldfish as he is my first fish in the tank and therefore have grown attached to him\her. Therefore will try and summerise: What are the best plant types (that look good) for a cold water aquarium.? Should i get a heater? Which is better, under gravel filter or stick on the side filter? Is there a list of cold water fish species (maybe with pictures and behaviors) that i can look at? Can anybody advise the best shop for getting fish in wellington region? Is my current pump to small? The current setup is: 60 x 45 x 45 dimensions I have about 110 Litres of water in it An Elite 799 Pump (which i think might be to small for the tank) which is hooked up to an aqua stone about 15 - 20 cms long Sorry for the rambling, there is just so much to think about. Thanks in advance, Xmamx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 welcome!!! firstly i think you need to get a bigger tank. contrary to popular beleif goldfish do grow big and need big tanks, they make messes like oscars apparently so they need alot of filtration. probably round the 10x per hour id guess, not too sure cause im not that up on goldfish. they can grow pretty quick when they have the space and given the room your little 7cm bubba can reach 30cm! not sure on the plants, i know they like to eay oxygen weed though. not a UG filter IMO, theyre quite delicate things and normally it takes a pro to get them right. goldfish are messy fish and i think they can actually dig? you need alot of gravel for a UG filter to work and then you cant siphon the substrate. stick with your internal filter, theyre pretty good most of them and are easy to maintain. paradise fish and WCMM (white clown moutain minnows) like cold water and danios have been used too i think. neons do like cooler water, just not sure how cold sorry, but i think youd need a heater. i had guppies in a cold water tank once, only had em one day cause they slowed so much, i think if you were to get some make sure you have a warmer tank for winter. maybe wild guppies would be better? sorry i cant be of more help, im not too up on my cold water fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Gidday X If your goldfish has been living nicely for awhile in the tank then your filter must be doing something right so it gets the tick of approval :lol: There are quite a few nice coldwater fish that are a bit bigger than neons. Neons will just get eaten by your goldfish!! McNeon's your goldfish will say. $1.95 a burger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 mmmmm McNeons *drools* never tasted anything quite like em :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmamx Posted March 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Cheers guys, neons are quite small so i suppose Gonzo (goldfish) would probably eat them. I think i figured out what type he is, hes a Fantail. The tank looks massive compared to him so dont think he would grow out of it to fast. May look in to getting some guppies still and also try and get myself a heater to keep the tank at 20 especially with winter coming up and apparently gonzo will like the water being 20degrees. If getting rocks from fresh water streams, is it best to scrub them with tap water to kill the bateria on them and then put them in the tank once they are clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustcooktea Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 You can boil rocks or pour boiling water over them or soak them in bleach to kill anything on them. If you use bleach be sure to rinse them well afterwards. Also it is important that the rocks are safe for aquarium use so that they don't leach stuff into the water. Do you know what sort of rocks they are? MCT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmamx Posted March 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Nah have not got the rocks yet, i was thinking of getting the grey rounded stones you find in some streams. If it is from a mountain stream there shouldnt be to many heavy metals etc leeched into the stones?? Is there a list of types of rocks you can use in an aquarium? Cheers, Xmamx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monaro1 Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 most stones are fine,the rounded river rocks are good,a quick scrub and in they go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmamx Posted March 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 Thanks for the help guys. I am currently looking at filters for the tank at the moment. I found one but it is for a 66 gallon tank which is about 250 or 300 litres and my tank is only about 100 so would that cause to many issues with currents etc. Its a shark Pf2 filter and it is cheaper that the ones that fit my tank. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 goldfish are some mighty messy fish, id go for at least 500lph and if you think the flow is too strong make a spray bar or face it to the front Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskas Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I have heard that if you pour vinegar on a rock and the vinegar just flows off without changing colour or frothing etc that the rock is OK to be used in a tank, ie it doesn't leech stuff into the water. Some people say that goldies will only grow to the size of their tank, this is not always true. The 2 goldies at work were small (6cm or so) and started their lives in a 10litre (?) tank. They outgrew that quickly and are now in a much larger tank and have grown to about 15cm! They must be happy in the new tank as they spawned, which was great fun to watch the fry's development! The goldies eat everyting we put in their tank! We can't have snails nor plants as they eat these to death very very quickly! We do put some oxygen weed in their tank every now and then to give them their 'greens'. Same goes for my little guys at home. Best of luck and have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskas Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Forgot to say: I have a bristlenose (BN) in my tank at home with my little goldies. The BN seems to be doing well even though he should be in a tropical tank. My tank is currently about 15 degrees. He has been in there for about 6months. I am moving my BN this week into a tropical tank just cos i dont want to risk losing him. When i get some more BN i may test to see if they will last fulltime in a coldwater indoor aquarium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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