(long) Super-beginner Thrown Under The Bus.

Update: It's a 5! Hopefully, it'll be ready for the weekend after I buy the necessary!

#5 (PP) is good - I would also have a look to see if a container has the food safe symbol - if its food-grade it should be safer for fish.

 

I'd look on craigslist or OfferUp for a larger tank. I just got a 60 for free plus the filter, light, and stand. Keep the bottom bare and only have minimal plants/decorations. Goldfish are very clumsy and tend to hurt themselves on decorations

 

I'd look on craigslist or OfferUp for a larger tank. I just got a 60 for free plus the filter, light, and stand. Keep the bottom bare and only have minimal plants/decorations. Goldfish are very clumsy and tend to hurt themselves on decorations

I will stay update for when one is available on Craigslist or offerup. Like I said before, the ones available at the moment are HUGE and out of the budget, but I will keep looking to see when one is posted.

 

Going to have to stick around for the whole story with this one. Pretty long.


So, I recently became really interested in fish after coming across the videos of the King of DIY and Solid Gold. I really wanted to get into aquarium hobby and wanted to start with some fancy goldfish. I am a teenager, so I was slowly—very slowly— saving up to buy a nice 40 to 60-gallon tank to set up and leave to cycle before getting my fish. I had a whole plan to make sure I was going to give my future fish a beautiful home. I was saving up for the price tag on a pair of Butterfly Telescopes.


Boy, those plans have been thrown out the window in the last week.


As I became interested in the hobby, I behaved as a teenager naturally behaves and decided to tell my friends to see if anyone else wanted to put in the time and effort. No one jumped on the boat, but they all could see I had a growing passion for fish. When we went on trips to the store, I would often buy a cute aquarium decoration here and there for my future tank. My parents were supportive; the only requirement is that all costs were coming from my pocket and not theirs.


Now I have a friend we will call Lora. Now Lora is a beautiful, wonderful person, but she has an impulsive streak in her. Lora is the reason I am in this debacle, albeit in her heart she honestly had good intentions.


I was spending the Wednesday with her (8/2) when we stopped at PetSmart to pick up some special food for her dog they only sold there. Naturally, I went over the fish isle where Lora joined me after her purchase. When we were looking at the fish together, it was kind of late, so all of the fish had been sold. A few stragglers here and there but of course I had to look at them. I remember quite clearly there was only of the Black Moors left, a small little guy, and another goldfish with a wen whose tag only read FANCY. He was also the last.


Since I was hoping to get goldfish, I stood around and gawked at them. Of course, then it was time to go so Lora and I left. She dropped me off at my house, a day passes.


Now on Sunday (8/6) Lora shows up with a “surprise gift” at my door. After she dropped me off, she had driven back to the store, gotten the last stragglers before closing time and had been keeping them in one of those itty-bitty plastic bowls. It broke my heart to see that tiny Moor and the fancy with a wen stuck in there together, and they’d already been in that sub par state for half a week.


Warning: You are going to chastise me a lot of the things I did next. I apologize, realize I was wrong in some areas, but I was a frantic teenager.


I assembled what I could on such short notice with my meager savings. I found a 5.5 gallon my aunt gracious let me have which I had planned for a betta. I filled it with water, spent a whole bunch of money on stuff I probably shouldn’t have, but I was sad for those fish. Poop and old food was floating in the stagnant water and it was kind of cloudy. I don’t know if it was just tap water or what but I was scared. I washed that new tank like priest washing a sinner clean with hot water. I bought new filters, and I probably bought what was unnecessary gravel. I add bacteria supplement because of there sure as wasn’t any beneficial bacteria in that tank and I didn’t know a single person with an aquarium much less healthy bacterium.


After letting that sit, I add the fish 24 hours later on Monday (8/7). I currently have the fish on my desk, and they seem to be fine. I know 5.5 gallon is probably not a lot better than a 1, but I have a filter causing some current and more room for the guys to get around.


The fish were in Monday (8/7), and so far, they seem active. They are eating twice daily at 6 in the morning and 6 in the afternoon, but they worry me. I haven’t had a fish since I was five so I have zero experience besides the internet. Sometimes Thisbe and Koa, (the unknown fancy and the Moor) will spit up the food I give them before re-eating it. Is this okay?


Bubbles are gathering at the top of the tank from my fish blowing bubbles. Is this alright? Thisbe and Koa will sometimes spend a couple of minutes at the bubble structures and honestly, I can’t tell if they think it’s food, or they are blowing more.


How often should I do water changes? I did a 25% on Saturday, but I honestly believe it should more water and more frequent. The internet gives so many conflicting answers. Tank instructions said weekly, but I honestly don’t think so.


Please help guys. Honestly, I didn’t realize how attached to these guys I became in a week but I did. They come to the tank corner when I do my homework and stay there until the light goes off. I love these little dudes.


I am saving up for a 40 gallon for them, but at this rate, it’s going to be a bare bottom with what decorations I have. Well, the universe has its plans. I have spent all my money on these fish and my bank account is in cents. All in the name of love for my fish.


And can anyone tell me what breed Thisbe (the fancy) is? Picture below:
View attachment 344101
View attachment 344102

Also, one of Tisbe's tail (fingers?) bent and doesn't make the X (as seen in the first photo). I received him as such and want to know if it will ever come undone.

Thisbe's wen is pretty small, but it's there.

I was at an Ace hardware store Sunday and they had enormous injection molded plastic storage bins, probably over 30 gallon, on sale for $7.99. You'd need to rinse it well, and probably let it sit for a week or two full to make sure all the manufacturing chemicals are out of it. We all want pretty, showpiece tanks, but something like that might save you a lot of time on water changes until you can get your dream tank, and the fish would probably appreciate a bit more gallonage.

 

I was at an Ace hardware store Sunday and they had enormous injection molded plastic storage bins, probably over 30 gallon, on sale for $7.99. You'd need to rinse it well, and probably let it sit for a week or two full to make sure all the manufacturing chemicals are out of it. We all want pretty, showpiece tanks, but something like that might save you a lot of time on water changes until you can get your dream tank, and the fish would probably appreciate a bit more gallonage.

I think she found a large tote she already had on hand to use, but that's a pretty good price for a 30 gallon bin.

 

You could rehome him to a person who is responsible and keep saving up for a big tank(55 minimum I'd recommend). Then when you have cycled, aquascaped, and everything get a goldfish tank.

I was at an Ace hardware store Sunday and they had enormous injection molded plastic storage bins, probably over 30 gallon, on sale for $7.99. You'd need to rinse it well, and probably let it sit for a week or two full to make sure all the manufacturing chemicals are out of it. We all want pretty, showpiece tanks, but something like that might save you a lot of time on water changes until you can get your dream tank, and the fish would probably appreciate a bit more gallonage.

What a smart solution, I agree as the glass tanks are mostly for show

 

by he way, decorations are nice but the fish don't care; the last purchases should be decorations

 

If a tank pops up on Craigslist that meets your needs but is out of budget, I'd suggest emailing the person anyways. When I was moving and selling furniture, I had a couple of people email me and say something along the lines of 'if you aren't able to find a buyer, but are willing to donate it, I would be happy to take it off your hands and use it for ___ (noble purpose).' So many buyers fall through on Craigslist that I did reach out to some people looking for donations. As a fish keeper, I'd rather give my equipment away to someone keeping fish responsibly than sell it to someone who has no idea what they're doing.