Help< just got started.

[poohbear81813]

Me and my husband just started a fish aquarium for our kids, we have a 20 gallon tank, we got everthing to go with it the pump the filter, air strip plants nick nack for the tank rocks and such. We go two goldfish and 2 fan tail goldfish sadily one of the fantail gold fish died b4 we go the tank set up. So the next day we went and got another fish to replace the one that died. Then two days later two of the other fish died, bummer its hard getting started. About a week later someone I work with had a algeater he was wanting to get ride of cause he had it in a 5 gallon tank and it was out growing his tank so I took it off his hands. So now we have 1 fantail goldfish wich is black, a real pain orange goldfish and the pelco alge eater wich is about 7 or 8 inchs long. Do I need or can I add mor Fish or other sea creaters to the tank. Would like to add more if I can. Any suggestions? MY Kids love the fish but they say they need friends go figure a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old. lol we nice talking hope someone can help.

 

[Terry]

Hiya poohbear, love the name.

I think that basically who ever sold you your tank from has given you no advice at all. It is not just a case of buy a tank and stick some fish into it. The tank has to cycle, i think that there are a few sites that you should read up on. the tank has to mature.
Have a look at these sites and it will explain a bit about the maturing cycle of a tank. As for adding more fish thats a no, no.


www.badmanstropicalfish.com
www.tomgriffin.com
www.thekrib.com

Hopefully Alivymar will answer your post soon, and take in what she says because IMO she is the Guru of cycling a aquarium.

 

[LondonGman]

Do I need or can I add mor Fish or other sea creaters to the tank

No, first you have to leave the fishes you have in the tank to”cycle” the tank. This means letting the bacteria that feast on the fishes waste set itself up in your tank. This takes a a little while. Also the fishes you have are not normally put in the same tank.

Goldfishes are cold water fishes and can survive in varying water temperatures while the pleco cannot. Therefore to keep the water temperature constant you should ensure that you have an aquarium heater unless the ambient temperature of the room is suitably warm. Phew that was a lot of typing

Would like to add more if I can.

we all do but; patience…

Any suggestions

first decide if you want a cold tank or “tropical tank”. Do research. Tropical tank has the nice coloured fishes. Gold fishes are basically cold water fishes.

Basically when you set up a tank, you really cannot do much for the first few week except feed the fishes only ONCE a day. There is a product called Bio-Spira which apparently speeds up the biological process. If you rush things you may be doing a lot of fish funerals. LOL

 

[Allivymar]

Heya Pooh:

Do read thru the sites Terry gave you; didn't realise when we spoke last nite that your tank may not be cycled. Have you checked your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? I don't remember.

Also, as we discussed, your tank is as full of fish as it should be now. Because of the space needs and the mess those 2 types of fish make, there really isn't any other fish that can go into your tank.

And Terry? ;P LOL