Feeling guilty

Hi all.

im in a rather bad situation as my mother bought a biorb fish tank (the small one) and we currently have one fancy goldfish and four minnows. I got thrown into fish keeping after the first lot of fish died. she bought the ones i listed above yesterday and honestly i had to step in. I myself know not much about fish care but am hoping i can give these fish a better life than she would have. I cannot afford another tank at this moment so the biorb will have to do and i hope eveyrone respects this.

im going to list the things i do have so you can grasp my situation better and hopefully help me

1. pure aqauarium balls for healthy water
2. API goldfish protect
3.gravel tube that came with the tank.
4.one year combo alert for ammonmna and PH

after my own research i obviously feel rather guilty at these fish being thrown into a tank which did have around a month of on and off filtering before they entered but was not tested. i am still waiting for the PH and ammonia to settle as they where only placed in the tank yesterday so readings may be in accurate. i am going to buy the API master test kit which is widely reccomended as the combo alert is reviewed to be in accurate. i will also be purchasing API PH down as i think my PH is too high

now here comes the questions. i do hope someone can help.

1. when should i i do my first water change and how much water should i take out
2. how often should i completly empty the tank and clean the gravel etc
3.any tips for my current situation?

i do hope you are all kind to my situation as i am truly trying to do whats right with my given circumstances. If anyone can help id be truly grateful so please be kind.

edit- id like to add i really have fallen in love with my fish and the world of fish keeping even if it is over whelming so i really want to ensure the sustainability of my tank for years to come.

 

how do i get the ph of my tank down? if i’m not mistaken ,8.2 is far too high. do water changes resolve this? or should i buy something like API ph down?

 

I would not mess with the PH as an inexperienced aquarist. I do believe it is easier to lower than raise it tho. If you don't mind tannins, driftwood and leaves will lower PH/GH.

 

I agree with Canacullus Don't mess with your PH. Stable is much better than a specific number. The only way water changes will lower the PH is if the PH in your source water is lower and I see it is.

I am wondering why the PH is 8.2 in your tank but only 7.2 in your source water. Can you tell us what all you have in this tank? Do you by any chance have some limestone decor or a crushed coral substrate?

 

I'm no expert but I have seen people suggesting to let the water sit out for a night and that'll give you a more "accurate" reading.
You've got minnows and a goldfish, the ph will be fine. White clouds and goldfish are very very hardy fish IMO.

 

I agree with Canacullus Don't mess with your PH. Stable is much better than a specific number. The only way water changes will lower the PH is if the PH in your source water is lower and I see it is.

I am wondering why the PH is 8.2 in your tank but only 7.2 in your source water. Can you tell us what all you have in this tank? Do you by any chance have some limestone decor or a crushed coral substrate?

i have no decor about from the gravel

i have no decor about from the gravel

I agree with Canacullus Don't mess with your PH. Stable is much better than a specific number. The only way water changes will lower the PH is if the PH in your source water is lower and I see it is.

I am wondering why the PH is 8.2 in your tank but only 7.2 in your source water. Can you tell us what all you have in this tank? Do you by any chance have some limestone decor or a crushed coral substrate?

the rest is plastic

 

What kind of gravel? Could you give us pictures?

 

hi guys sorry for all these constant queries!

my fancy goldfish since ive had him has had this red mark on his gill. ill attach photos. i just want to know if this is anything to worry about or if its natural. If it helps i feed my golfish and minnows tetra goldfish flakes and bloodworms for variety. i dont know if this has any cause.

What kind of gravel? Could you give us pictures?

its the same gravel as the picture above, note dont worry these are old pictures and not where my lovely fish are now. The spot has not developed or got bigger from this picture which was three days ago.

biorb describe it as ceramic media, i had a load of it so i just filled my new tank with it too, was this a bad idea?

 

maybe ammonia burn.

 

maybe ammonia burn.

oh dear. that sounds bad! what can i do to help him

 

its the same gravel as the picture above, note dont worry these are old pictures and not where my lovely fish are now. The spot has not developed or got bigger from this picture which was three days ago.

biorb describe it as ceramic media, i had a load of it so i just filled my new tank with it too, was this a bad idea?

Not really a bad idea but it would be good to get to the bottom of why your PH is going up once in the tank. To find out of it is the gravel causing the PH to go up from the 7.2 of your tap water all the way up to 8.2 in the tank you could put some of your gravel in a container of water. Check the PH of the water when you first set it up and then again daily. If it is the gravel causing it to rise in the tank the water in the container will gradually rise.

If I were running this test I would run an airstone in the container. If that wasn't an option I would stir the water every time I was near it.

 

Not really a bad idea but it would be good to get to the bottom of why your PH is going up once in the tank. To find out of it is the gravel causing the PH to go up from the 7.2 of your tap water all the way up to 8.2 in the tank you could put some of your gravel in a container of water. Check the PH of the water when you first set it up and then again daily. If it is the gravel causing it to rise in the tank the water in the container will gradually rise.

If I were running this test I would run an airstone in the container. If that wasn't an option I would stir the water every time I was near it.

i can use the airstone from my old biorrb so this should work. hwo often should a test my tank if im doing a water change every day? and could you possibly look at the picture of my goldfish and see if you recognise if theirs anything wrong with him? sorry for all my questions but youve been a great help so far i really appreciate it!

if it helps, my goldfish is active, still fast, eats eagerly when fed and does not seem "sick". no cloudy eyes or gasping. The only thing he displays is that red mark.

 

i can use the airstone from my old biorrb so this should work. hwo often should a test my tank if im doing a water change every day? and could you possibly look at the picture of my goldfish and see if you recognise if theirs anything wrong with him? sorry for all my questions but youve been a great help so far i really appreciate it!

if it helps, my goldfish is active, still fast, eats eagerly when fed and does not seem "sick". no cloudy eyes or gasping. The only thing he displays is that red mark.

To be perfectly honest and others may not agree with me but I would stop doing the PH test until the cycle is complete. If we find that it is your substrate causing it to rise in the tank the only way to fix it is to remove it and replace it with a different substrate. We already know that it rises in the tank so testing daily is just adding to your stress level.

If you are doing daily water changes The tanks PH and the taps PH should remain fairly close but if it is your substrate causing it to go up you will always be dealing with this. If that is the case you may have to do smaller water changes but have to do them more often than once a week once this tank is cycled.

I am not sure about the red spot on your little guy. Is it red like that on both sides? If it is just the one side it leads me to believe the little guy bumped himself on something.

 

i can use the airstone from my old biorrb so this should work. hwo often should a test my tank if im doing a water change every day? and could you possibly look at the picture of my goldfish and see if you recognise if theirs anything wrong with him? sorry for all my questions but youve been a great help so far i really appreciate it!

if it helps, my goldfish is active, still fast, eats eagerly when fed and does not seem "sick". no cloudy eyes or gasping. The only thing he displays is that red mark.

The red gills may just be normal. Some goldfish will have more transparent gills and the redness may just be due to lighter pigmentation. I wouldn't be too worried unless she is acting strangely.

 

To be perfectly honest and others may not agree with me but I would stop doing the PH test until the cycle is complete. If we find that it is your substrate causing it to rise in the tank the only way to fix it is to remove it and replace it with a different substrate. We already know that it rises in the tank so testing daily is just adding to your stress level.

If you are doing daily water changes The tanks PH and the taps PH should remain fairly close but if it is your substrate causing it to go up you will always be dealing with this. If that is the case you may have to do smaller water changes but have to do them more often than once a week once this tank is cycled.

I am not sure about the red spot on your little guy. Is it red like that on both sides? If it is just the one side it leads me to believe the little guy bumped himself on something.

yes just on the one side! he does swim really fast so i wouldnt be suprised. in his new tank hes very inquisitive so i wonder if he bashed into the filter on the side? i really hope it isnt ammonia burn like cancallus said becasue from what ive read that can be really nasty for my poor old fish

 

I haven't been in the fish hobby but about five years now. I started out worse than you did, but with a poor betta. I bought the betta and this little plastic thing that held about two cups of water. No conditioner, nothing. Got interested in the betta and started watching youtube videos. It started to dawn on me about how bad I was treating the little guy. He was a lot of fun to watch and I was growing fond of him. So I bought a ten gallon starter kit at walmart, then later a 29 gallon at petco. Then a 55 gallon at petco. Well your getting the trend here.

 

yes just on the one side! he does swim really fast so i wouldnt be suprised. in his new tank hes very inquisitive so i wonder if he bashed into the filter on the side? i really hope it isnt ammonia burn like cancallus said becasue from what ive read that can be really nasty for my poor old fish

Since it is just on the one side I have to think it is just a bruise. I have to think ammonia burn would show up on both gills.

 

I haven't been in the fish hobby but about five years now. I started out worse than you did, but with a poor betta. I bought the betta and this little plastic thing that held about two cups of water. No conditioner, nothing. Got interested in the betta and started watching youtube videos. It started to dawn on me about how bad I was treating the little guy. He was a lot of fun to watch and I was growing fond of him. So I bought a ten gallon starter kit at walmart, then later a 29 gallon at petco. Then a 55 gallon at petco. Well your getting the trend here.

im glad someone else has had a similar experience! i think i may be on my way to being a full fanatic at this point. seems to me that all i do is think about my little fish! i love stressinabox who does tiktok and owns andersonaquatics, her bettas are awesome!

Since it is just on the one side I have to think it is just a bruise. I have to think ammonia burn would show up on both gills.

huge relief thank you. this should naturally clear up then so ill keep a good eye on it. Going to set up the gravel in a seperate container now.

The red gills may just be normal. Some goldfish will have more transparent gills and the redness may just be due to lighter pigmentation. I wouldn't be too worried unless she is acting strangely.

i was thinking this could be a possibility as the side it is on is the side he is completly white/ transparentish which is just his markings. and the otherside he is a beautiful orange where no red is seen. (i say he but have no idea of gender)

 

hi guys ive got an AMAZING update. firstly we found the tank i was sold had a leak! i got my money back and had to move my poor fish back into the biorb. However, my amazing dad got me a Juwel rio 180! Its in my room now but i have no instructions on how to set up. i Seem to have loads of filter foams of all different colours yet no idea what to do wit them. Does anyone else have this tank? unsure on how to set up and any help would be appreciated. This is a brand new tank and i couldnt be more excited

 

That's awesome! I'd go to the website and see if you can find setup instructions there. I googled the model and clicked on the first link to pop up. It took me to the company's website and I scrolled down a bit and found a photo of the filter setup. If you can't find more detailed instructions, this may be of some help:

 

You should have three different grades of sponges. Course, medium, and fine. Depending on which way your flow is through your filter you install the sponges with the course one first, medium one next and the fine one last. You want the course one to catch all the bigger stuff, then medium stuff and finally the fine muck will be caught by the fine filter before it re-enters your tank.

 

I’m so excited for you! Remember when you move everyone over to the bigger tank to move all of your media too since that’s where your beneficial bacteria are growing!

 

youve all been a great help thank you! can not tell you how happier my fish seem!

 

Do you know anyone with a pond? Goldfish really need larger tanks or even an outdoor pond. They're big dirty fish.

 

youve all been a great help thank you! can not tell you how happier my fish seem!

I am very happy for both you and your fish. Pat yourself on the back. We advised but you did all the work so be proud of your self. You done good.

 

youve all been a great help thank you! can not tell you how happier my fish seem!

Awesome! I'm glad we've been able to help. Like mattgirl said, be proud of yourself

Do you know anyone with a pond? Goldfish really need larger tanks or even an outdoor pond. They're big dirty fish.

I understand where you are coming from and I don't want to start an argument, but I personally disagree. IMO depending on the situation, tanks 20-29 gallons and up with good surface area are fine for fancies.

 

hi guys! just wanted to ask a few questions to help me plan for the future of my tank ! as you guys know i currently have four white cloud minnows who are incredibly quick and a lovley fancy goldfish. As you guys so helpfully advised me, i know id like to get some more minnows as they are schooling fish. i also was thinking i could get another fancu goldfish to keep my current one company? these are obviously all ideas and id love for you guys to advise as to what the best stocking combinations would be. I am open to anything really but would prefer something a bit more hardy as obviously its a new tank and im a beginer so i dont think i should get any tricky fish just yet!

secondly i was wondering when i can introduce more fish and how many. As you guys know i moved my fish into the larger tank straight away however i also moved the ceramics too from the old tank so that hopefully helped aid cycling. Any ideas as to when my tank will be finished cycling or is this impossible to tell? my old tank went through a bacterial bloom just before i moved them and i learnt this is a sign of the tank buiding up the good biological filter. any help would be appreciated as you guys have been brilliant thus far!

also i thought you guys may want an update on my fish and see thier new tank! so here it is.

 

LotteH You have been on a wonderful adventure and have gotten some great advice from people more knowledgeable than me. You have a great attitude and have been wonderfully receptive to comments. You are going to be a great fish keeper!!!

 

hi guys! just wanted to ask a few questions to help me plan for the future of my tank ! as you guys know i currently have four white cloud minnows who are incredibly quick and a lovley fancy goldfish. As you guys so helpfully advised me, i know id like to get some more minnows as they are schooling fish. i also was thinking i could get another fancu goldfish to keep my current one company? these are obviously all ideas and id love for you guys to advise as to what the best stocking combinations would be. I am open to anything really but would prefer something a bit more hardy as obviously its a new tank and im a beginer so i dont think i should get any tricky fish just yet!

secondly i was wondering when i can introduce more fish and how many. As you guys know i moved my fish into the larger tank straight away however i also moved the ceramics too from the old tank so that hopefully helped aid cycling. Any ideas as to when my tank will be finished cycling or is this impossible to tell? my old tank went through a bacterial bloom just before i moved them and i learnt this is a sign of the tank buiding up the good biological filter. any help would be appreciated as you guys have been brilliant thus far!

You need to wait until your cycle process complete, and the tank is stable. Adding more fishes when cycle is going, is not ideal.

So how big is your current tank?

Edit: so I read in previous post, you were talking about 180 liter tank (different picture to the new picture). If so it would be between 45-50 gallon. For minnows and fishes that size, not counting the goldfish, 45- 50 is playing safe by the the book. You can add more, let them spawn to have more over that limit, but keep check on the water parameter. If readings ain't getting bad too quickly, then you're safe. If not, then your tank isn bottlenecking. Adding quick growing plant, would help with increase capacity of how many fishes your tank can hold, but there would also be an limit.

The comet gold fish however would be an issue for stocking. These guys grow huge. I saw foot long comet goldfishes in aquarium setting before, so in a long run the goldfish would take over the tank. Goldfish is also schooling fish. Due to their size, the minimum recommended school is 3 for this size of tank. Gold fishes would destroy the plants, so it can't be easily worked around. As they grow big, they would wipe of the minnows, so you would have to make a decision now.

 

Wow that was a rollercoaster to read in one shot! I'm happy to see you got such a nice big tank for your fish, what a happy ending!

Do you still have the old filter media from the biorb or from the other tank? It might help your cycle get started if you put it in your new filter.

You could also post on FB/check your lfs and see if you can get some filter media from anyone to kick start your cycle?

 

You need to wait until your cycle process complete, and the tank is stable. Adding more fishes when cycle is going, is not ideal.

So how big is your current tank?

Edit: so I read in previous post, you were talking about 180 liter tank (different picture to the new picture). If so it would be between 45-50 gallon. For minnows and fishes that size, not counting the goldfish, 45- 50 is playing safe by the the book. You can add more, let them spawn to have more over that limit, but keep check on the water parameter. If readings ain't getting bad too quickly, then you're safe. If not, then your tank isn bottlenecking. Adding quick growing plant, would help with increase capacity of how many fishes your tank can hold, but there would also be an limit.

The comet gold fish however would be an issue for stocking. These guys grow huge. I saw foot long comet goldfishes in aquarium setting before, so in a long run the goldfish would take over the tank. Goldfish is also schooling fish. Due to their size, the minimum recommended school is 3 for this size of tank. Gold fishes would destroy the plants, so it can't be easily worked around. As they grow big, they would wipe of the minnows, so you would have to make a decision now.

hi there, thank you for such a detailed reply! im sorry if this sounds stupid but what is a comet goldfish? also my new tank which is seen above is 180 litres yes

 

hi there, thank you for such a detailed reply! im sorry if this sounds stupid but what is a comet goldfish?

They are the ones that are more slim bodied and tend to be the ones sold at fairs . They also look like koi do.

 

Wow that was a rollercoaster to read in one shot! I'm happy to see you got such a nice big tank for your fish, what a happy ending!

Do you still have the old filter media from the biorb or from the other tank? It might help your cycle get started if you put it in your new filter.

You could also post on FB/check your lfs and see if you can get some filter media from anyone to kick start your cycle?

hi! thank you for taking the time to read through and i know its been crazy getting these fish a better tank! i did move all my old ceramic media into my new tank so hopefully that will help. i will see if i can find a local fish fb group for some more!

They are the ones that are more slim bodied and tend to be the ones sold at fairs . They also look like koi do.

ahh i understand now! i have a fancy goldfish not one of those if that helps i think im right in saying they need less space than the common goldfish? correct me if im wrong !

LotteH You have been on a wonderful adventure and have gotten some great advice from people more knowledgeable than me. You have a great attitude and have been wonderfully receptive to comments. You are going to be a great fish keeper!!!

thank you so much thats really lovley of you to say!

 

ahh i understand now! i have a fancy goldfish not one of those if that helps i think im right in saying they need less space than the common goldfish? correct me if im wrong !

Fancy’s need wayyyy less space than the common goldfish . Most common goldies do much better in ponds or large tanks

 

My sister lives in Michigan. She has a small outdoor pond. She stocks it with goldfish in the spring. Lets them grow all summer and then in the fall, she returns some nice big ones to the fish store and drains her pond for the winter.

I do not know anything about goldfish, but in general I do not think all plans have to center around the maximum expected size as long as your are willing to re home or get a bigger tank when necessary.

 

I personally don't understand the huge tank size difference between slim bodied goldies and fancies. But that is just my opinion.
I would add more fish when the tank is cycled. I would add the minnows first, then the second goldfish second, but not for any particular reason lol.
P.S. your tank is cycled when there is constantly 0 ammonia and nitrites, and if there is nitrate production. Of course the nitrate can be hard to measure if you've got something that is eating it up like plants(or the plants eat up the ammonia, therefore there is less of a nitrate reading). If you have 0 ammonia and nitrite, I wouldn't be too worried.

 

i live in england and have a pretty small budget for a tank. is their any tanks people suggest? i’ve been looking on ebay etc but none seem to come with a filter and lights


ok thank you that’s very useful

Check with your local Petco to see when they are having the dollar per gallon sale. It's a cheep way to get a big tank and some stores go up to 40 gallons, I believe. You can also get an Aqueon starter kit as it will have everything but the gravel and decor to get you started. I hope this helps and good luck! Don't feel guilty just enjoy the ride, learn, and have fun!

 

I personally don't understand the huge tank size difference between slim bodied goldies and fancies. But that is just my opinion.

slim bodied are much more streamlined which means they are more active vs fancies which are bit wonky in their swimming. Not very fast so not as much footprint is needed for them.

2 totally different builds.

 

slim bodied are much more streamlined which means they are more active vs fancies which are bit wonky in their swimming. Not very fast so not as much footprint is needed for them.

2 totally different builds.

i love taht you described their swimming as wonky hahaha brilliant description!

My sister lives in Michigan. She has a small outdoor pond. She stocks it with goldfish in the spring. Lets them grow all summer and then in the fall, she returns some nice big ones to the fish store and drains her pond for the winter.

I do not know anything about goldfish, but in general I do not think all plans have to center around the maximum expected size as long as your are willing to re home or get a bigger tank when necessary.

wow that sounds cool. and yes i think people above have said my 180l tank is suitable for my fancy goldfish! i think as i get more experienced however i will get a bigger tank!

I personally don't understand the huge tank size difference between slim bodied goldies and fancies. But that is just my opinion.
I would add more fish when the tank is cycled. I would add the minnows first, then the second goldfish second, but not for any particular reason lol.
P.S. your tank is cycled when there is constantly 0 ammonia and nitrites, and if there is nitrate production. Of course the nitrate can be hard to measure if you've got something that is eating it up like plants(or the plants eat up the ammonia, therefore there is less of a nitrate reading). If you have 0 ammonia and nitrite, I wouldn't be too worried.

thank you this was really helpful how often would you recommend changing the water in my tank and by ehat percentage? also how often should i test the water. sorry for all the questions!

 

slim bodied are much more streamlined which means they are more active vs fancies which are bit wonky in their swimming. Not very fast so not as much footprint is needed for them.

2 totally different builds.

I know, I've just never really seen a difference that makes some size differences I've seen make sense to me though. Again that is my opinion, I've kept both and the fancy was not much slower than the shubunkins. Of course I'm not an expert

thank you this was really helpful how often would you recommend changing the water in my tank and by ehat percentage? also how often should i test the water. sorry for all the questions!

I would change enough to keep nitrites and ammonia each below .5, .1 probably won't cause significant problems but keeping it lower is good. Once your tank is established/cycled, I would do weekly water changes that are 30-60 percent. For your set up I think it'll be fine to go off nitrate readings. I would go 40 ppm and under, some say 20 and under which is not a problem, in fact, you could say it is better.

 

I know, I've just never really seen a difference that makes some size differences I've seen make sense to me though. Again that is my opinion, I've kept both and the fancy was not much slower than the shubunkins. Of course I'm not an expert

I would change enough to keep nitrites and ammonia each below .5, .1 probably won't cause significant problems but keeping it lower is good. Once your tank is established/cycled, I would do weekly water changes that are 30-60 percent. For your set up I think it'll be fine to go off nitrate readings. I would go 40 ppm and under, some say 20 and under which is not a problem, in fact, you could say it is better.

great thank you so much!