Rozski Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 OK lol, long story here but bear with me please (I was reading the 'what to do with a 30L tank' thread and wanted to ask about my own) I have a 20L tank, with 2 small goldfish in it at the moment. Heres a photo of it so you know what I'm on about: http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f69/R ... shtank.jpg Scuse the blurryness of the fish at the front lol, they dont stay still! :roll: I love my tank, infact I'd like a bigger tank, and then make it tropical... (yes, MTS strikes again). However, I am at university for another couple of years and have to bring these guys home twice a year, hence not being able to get a bigger tank. As you can see in the photo I have the generic gravel, live plants, rocks, a piece of driftwood.... The filter has a sponge and carbon in it. And I have a bubble stone under the rock which I turn on when I feel like having bubbles lol The only problem I have is that my plants go green! Lovely slimy algae covered green. The stones also manage to turn reasonably green by the end of the week (I do water changes weekly of about 40%) Now, talking to the guy at the LFS he said I can either get plastic plants (yuck!), buy new plants when they go green (well, thats an expense every few weeks id rather go without) or he knows of tanks that have added a pleco in with them. He explained I'd need a heater to get it up to 22 degrees to make it comfy for the pleco etc etc. Hence I ALMOST got sucked in but thought better of it.... Oh, and I know plecos grow. The Wet pets staff (our LFS) seem quite cool (yes I know, they are trying to sell me stuff) but he said I can bring back the pleco and swap it for a smaller one each time it gets too big. Hence come my questions: 1) Can my tank even hold another fish? I've been told 10L to 1 fish. And I realise my tank is small, I plan on getting a bigger tank when I'm out of uni. 2) Can I happily have a pleco and goldfish in together? The guy told me hes seen it done a number of times, but second opinions would be nice 3) Then after reading the thread about what to do with a 30L tank, I'm tossing up about turning my tank entirely tropical and swapping my goldies for tropicals. However I don't particularly like the small schooling fish. I saw someone in there suggest a pleco and siamese fishing fish, could this be done in my smaller tank? And then of course, would these guys transport ok (its only a 2 hour trip) And then what extra stuff do I need to do to take care of a tropical tank (water testing? I have NO idea about. I get my water from Wet Pets as I am flatting in town thus town water) All this from not wanting green plants!! BTW the photo was the day I bought new plants, hence the non-algaeness. The longer plant at the back was older, I tried to clean it but you can still see green on it... Thanks for bearing with me and any advice would be GREATLY appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Your tank is going green cos it probably has too much light on it. It appears to be right next to a window plus you have white gravel which will make the situation worse as it reflects even more light. Shift the tank away from the window and change the gravel for something dark (it doesn't show up the algae so much either ) This size is ok for your goldfish while small but they grow and the tank will be way too small. I really hate the idea of just returning fish to a shop when they get too big and swapping them for something smaller each time. If you are going to keep a live animal in artificial surroundings, totally dependent on you for its life, you should make sure they are in the best you can get and most suited to the animal concerned. Lots more live plants will compete with the algae and hopefully starve it of nutrients so it dies off as the plants mature. Fast growing plants like hygrophila are good (often sold as "bunch plants" in lfs). Search the net for a pic of it so you know what you are looking for. Plastic plants will not stop the algae by the way, in fact it will get worse. Go down to your local waterway and get some oxygen weed. Free and good for the fish. Check it is algae free, try to pick it from reasonably fast flowing water. A pleco will grow way too big for that tank. Bristlenoses are like little plecs but none will eat slimey algae. To make it tropical you just need a heater as you have everything else. Do not add any more fish to that tank as the problem will worsen - more fish - more poo - more nutrients for the algae. I know people have been known to have plecs and goldfish together but in bigger, tropical tanks. The fancy goldfish prefer it a little warmer than the common ones. If you go tropical, what about a single Siamese fighter and a couple of bristlenose catfish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Hokay, no adding a pleco, thats good, I pretty much realised the tank was too small anyway for an extra fish. I know my goldfish will outgrow this tank, but as I said, I will be upgrading in a couple of years. Thanks for the gravel idea, I just saw that in another thread. Need to find some dark gravel now lol. As to it being by a window, I don't have anywhere else to put it. Its only just in front of it, on the far right of my window and what little sun I get only comes in on the far left in the late afternoon. I only have the tank light on in the evening too. Aaaah conflicting information! I thought oxygen weed was good, then I got told by the Wet Pets staff that it isnt good for goldfish, and now its good? lol You suggested a siamese fighter and a couple of bristlenose catfish for tropical, is my tank big enough? Also, you said the bristlenose are not algae eaters, is there an algae eater I could get? Thanks so much for your help :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Rozski said: Aaaah conflicting information! I thought oxygen weed was good, then I got told by the Wet Pets staff that it isnt good for goldfish, and now its good? lol But did you bother to ask their reason for saying this..? Elodia.. (Oxygen Weed).. is a common plant used in coldwater setups. Wetpets were possibly referring to the fact that many Goldies will tear it apart in quick short time, and love munching on it. Often it is put in tanks as a sacrificial plant (as it is cheap).. so that the fish munch on that instead of the more expensive plants. Saying something "isn't good" for a fish might imply that it is harmful in some way.. which the plant in question is not.. as many Goldfish keepers will testify Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishkeepa Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Also, you said the bristlenose are not algae eaters, is there an algae eater I could get? From what i know they eat a certain kinda of algae (green spot - I think :-? ) Not the algae you are talking about which -i'm pressuming by what you and Caryl have said- is a different type Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Hi Rozski, and welcome I totally agree with everything Caryl said. no adding a pleco, thats good, I pretty much realised the tank was too small anyway for an extra fish. I know my goldfish will outgrow this tank, but as I said, I will be upgrading in a couple of years. The goldies will get too big for that tank and I thoroughly recommend replacing them with tropical fish (and adding a heater to your tank). Do you know someone who already has a big tank or pond and will take your goldies? Then you can put more suitable fish in this little tank for the next couple of years. As to it being by a window, I don't have anywhere else to put it. Its only just in front of it, on the far right of my window and what little sun I get only comes in on the far left in the late afternoon. I only have the tank light on in the evening too. Try putting a backing on the tank to keep out some of the light from the window. It's not just the direct sun that's the issue, but all the light that comes in the window. If you add up all the hours of natural light plus the hours your tank light is on, that's a lot of opportunity for algae! You suggested a siamese fighter and a couple of bristlenose catfish for tropical, is my tank big enough? Also, you said the bristlenose are not algae eaters, is there an algae eater I could get? A siamese fighting fish and a bristlenose would be fine for your tank. You might only need one BN since the tank is so small. This is a much better arrangement than the goldfish you have now. The BN will eat most kinds of algae - it will certainly reduce the problem a lot, even if it doesn't get rid of it completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Hi again, Thanks all for your help. Have been thinking too much about fish now and not enough about my impending exam tomorrow lol OK, so oxygen weed is good for goldfish. This is why I thought I'd ask here, I think you guys would know what your talking about better then some store staff who told me I could have 4 goldfish in a 13 litre tank :roll: Am sooooo tempted to turn tropical, and it doesn't help that I have a soft spot for sucker fish. Only thing holding me back is that I realised I'm quite attached to my 2 goldies haha Oh, and I do have a backing on the tank, its dark blue. I checked the photo and realised it just looked as though it was the curtain continuing down, but no, there is a backing So definitely would get a bristlenose catfish for the tank. Apart from a lone male siamese fighter, is there any other fish I could have in there instead that I could prehaps have 2 of? Would also love to plant the tank up more, like using the hygrophilia to cover the back wall (and heater! lol) and have more of a natural environment looking tank Thanks so much again for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Oops, I meant to post a link to the kind of idea I have: http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/evils- ... 13686.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 thats my tank that you posted the link too.... I have a fighter, a couple platys, a harlequin and a couple BN BUT the tank is very well planted and the water is perfect because of them.(the plants) You may notice all the algae in the tank (green spots mainly) when the plants werent growing well... now they are pumping the algae is nearly gone. GOOD THINGS TAKE TIME.... If you were to put that many fish into your tank you will have to have it well planted otherwise the nitrites, ammonia etc. will just go through the roof and kill all of your fish. I would start with a fighter, a BN and a few plants, then slowly increase the number of fish with the number of plants that are growing.... You need the be careful and monitor the water parameters during the time so you know if it is handling the new fish or not etc. etc. etc. All i can say is....GOOD LUCK Rogan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Cool, thanks for that :-) Your tank is wicked for a little one, do you have any newer photos? I hadn't really made the connection that increasing plant numbers helps keep nitrates and ammonia down duh And yea, I would be starting very slow, don't want to screw things up. Looks like I might have to invest in a testing kit to keep things stable (or make frequent trips to the LFS to get them to test it, which isnt a bad thing in itself hehe) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Nah those are the most recent pics i have... Took them on the weekend...i should of kept still when i took them so they werent so blurry though Will put up another pic this weekend for ya Rogan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Ooooo whats to stop me having a few guppies in there? They look wicked :-) Yes, I'm having fun surfing the net and reading up on tropical fish care lol Kinda slow in here, but if anyone wanders in, would this heater be good for my tank? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pe ... 864713.htm What do I have to gain by spending a lot more on this one... http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pe ... 736880.htm And evilknieval, how often will you be doing water changes in your mini tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 the forst link you provided to the jebo heaters, those are the heaters i use!!! The second link is to a far better branded heater of much better quality.... as they say....'you get what you pay for' I havent done a water change in about a month on that little tank.... the water tests perfect though..... Its because of all the plants though Im going to do a water change on it tomorrow though Rogan P.S. not to mention the last time i cleaned out the filter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Haha and you have the same filter as me, albeit a little bigger! yeah i know about the whole "you get what you pay for" Am just wondering what the extra I "get" is buy spending so much more? The Jebo one will keep the tank at the right temperature and so will the Jager one...so whats the diff? lol Top of the list is a water testing kit tho. When I had the smaller tank I was always having a goldfish drop off the end due to overstocking I'd say. Now just have the two and they look happy as. Then just before I had a worry as my calico fan was hiding on the bottom. I do weekly changes (bout 40%), only feed once a day to once every 2 days, the fish don't have white spot or anything....so whats the problem?! thus want to check water quality, will get it tested tomorrow at a friends place. Haha sorry for the ramble, your the only one replying to my thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 put it this way, if i was you, i would buy the jebo I have bought about 4 jebo heaters (i think) of those people and they are all sweet. The only time i would fork out big $$ for a heater like the jager is when you have a tank full of expensive (as is 100's of dollars) fish. The goldfish hanging on the bottom i dont know alot about as i dont keep goldfish myself but if it was a tetra of some sort then i would keep an eye on it and make sure it doesnt get any worse. It may be a case of it being bullied, infection other that WS as you mentioned, or it may just be acting funny and will be right tomorrow. I wouldnt worry about it untill it got worse... Good idea to get test kits, i got my master test kit off trademe for $45 and $5 postage, it has ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and Ph HTH Rogan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Haha yeah I was eyeing up one of those $45 dollar test kits tonight Was thinking the Jebo would be fine, for a few years until I get my BIG tank anyway mwarhar Goldfish seems fine now, just worried as thats how my other ones went, just started hanging out on the bottom more and more and then.... *doom doom doom* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 What is the thing in the upper right hand side of your tank?? Kinda looks like a....stingray :lol: :lol: Evil, I think you have the same thing?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 Its the filter lol, sucks in the water through the 'tail' at the bottom and spits it out the top :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted June 17, 2006 Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 yep ive got a stingray filter.... Its WAAAY to big for the size tank its in but it filters it well Rogan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keri Anne Posted June 17, 2006 Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 Just word of advice... If you're going to keep livebearers [Guppies, platties, mollies, swordtails...etc] in a tank that small get males only. Otherwise the tank will quickly get overrun with babies. I have a much larger tank with 20-30 male guppies and 15 or so male swordtails (Silver bodied ones) The guppies think the Swordies are female guppies and chase them which is really funny to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 Yeah I was reading about them and their breeding. Have to admit at first I thought "hey, that would be cool" and then reading on realised how prolific it really is and decided males only might be better ;-) Thats if I can find some nice guppies, if not I will probably go with a small school of neon or cardinal tetras Hey Evil! Any sign of that photo you promised me? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keri Anne Posted June 17, 2006 Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 I hear "Wet Pets" is THE place to go down in your area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted June 17, 2006 Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 Hey Evil! Any sign of that photo you promised me? ;-) Coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted June 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 I looooove Wet Pets, the staff must think I'm crazy because when I get there (which isnt that often) I spend ages there, even just deciding what plants I want ;-) Am going there on Wednesday before I head home up to Hawkes Bay. Was hoping not to have to re-cycle my tank, but I have a sick goldfish for absolutely no apparent reason so I think it might be better to start from scratch. Will just get some plants and start the cycle... The healthy comet will be going into a pond :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted June 17, 2006 Report Share Posted June 17, 2006 Ok here we go Front view Another view which shows where it is sitting (sorta) Excuse the algae spots on the front :oops: :oops: Needs a water change and a scrape Rogan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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