My Super OverStocked Tank

[rvijay07]

Hi everyone:
I am postingg this message to get this off my chest. I have a 20G tank with 3 Gold Fish, FanTails, each about 3 inches long and about 3 years old. When I got them they were small and then they grew. They love veggies and get a wide variety of veggies including Spinach, bananas, peas, potatoes, rice etc., This tank has no filter. I can't get a bigger tank. Afraid to give fish away as not sure how another person will care for them. Need to do water change every 3 days now.

Thanks for listening.

Vijay

 

[TankGirl]

You could take them to the LFS - years ago I sold my goldfish that way when I moved.

Also if there is some kind of aquarium club in your area you could find an experienced aquarist who would make a good home for them. You could also post in the Classifieds section here and see if som AA members nearby would be interested.

 

[PondFond]

it sounds like you love these fish. Those are always good pond fish, would you be able to make a pond or if you know someone that has a large tank give them to them. That way you can make sure they are doing well. Make sure it is a close freind.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Agreed. Find a reputable LFS in your area whom will take them (or just one of them).

 

[TomK2]

you could buy an aquaclear HOB filter for aobut $10 online, if you intend to keep the fish. If you don't want them anymore, Your LFS is the best bet for them to find a new home.

 

[FishLover14]

It would be good to drop them off at the lfs.

JMHO

 

[Guest]

It does not sound that overstocked to me, but I would definitely get a filter.

 

[rvijay07]

Thanks for all the responses so far. Yes, I love these fish. They eat so much food and are doing well. But I did a 50% water change today after 3 days. The water was sooo dirtyyy. Theya re also growing more.

I do have a good filter but just am not using it. The fish produce so much waste anyways. I ahve mixed emotions. I want to keep them but also don't want to keep them. Like a love hate relationship.

One of the fish has the swim bladder disease and needs veggies constantly. I am afraid that if I return this to my LFS that the next owner may not give the right care. Infact I switched all my fish in this tank to a mostly veggie diet of rice, chapathi, potatoes, spinach, peas etc., etc.,
It is only after this that they started growing a lot.

Today I felt really stressed due to other things in my life. Sitting besides my fish tank inadvertently made all the stress disappear in 15 to 30 minutes and I felt very happy soon after. My fish also came close to me. I put my hand inside the tank and gently massaged them. I sometimes massage my fish and my parrots, gently. They seem to be scared initially but later enjoy the feeling.

Vijay

 

[StyleUK]

Well it's not that overstocked, but i'd definatly get them a filter if I was you.

I'm also going to try and message my fish and see what they do. Sounds like a good idea, gaining trust with your fish is the most important thing!

 

[kaaikop]

It sounds to me like you don't really want to get rid of them...
If they are able to make you relax and have a little moment of Zen,
they are definately worth the efforts! 8)
Just a suggestion, but why don't you get your filter running again, can't
hurt for sure... and I'm convinced when you are doing your routine
"maintenance", you forget about all the rest. That's what a hobby is all
about IMHO.

 

[rvijay07]

It sounds to me like you don't really want to get rid of them...
If they are able to make you relax and have a little moment of Zen,
they are definately worth the efforts! 8)
Just a suggestion, but why don't you get your filter running again, can't
hurt for sure... and I'm convinced when you are doing your routine
"maintenance", you forget about all the rest. That's what a hobby is all
about IMHO.

This is very true. I ahve a friend who is going on a cruise to the Caribbean to beat the stress for 1 week. Guess what ?!! I have a Caribbean in my home in my fish tank that I can see every time I am stressed.

Yes, I can also give them to an LFS should I move. My only worry is for the guy with the swim bladder problem who needs veggies constantly. I really should go to my local Acq. society but am being lazy about it.

Vijay

 

[fearlessfisch]

i vote for a filter, too. you obviously love the little guys. i would just work on ways to keep the water cleaner or get a bigger tank if i were you. just an idea....i sometimes see people offering to trade aquariums (because they really want bigger or smaller) on craigslist.org and other classifieds sites.

 

[rvijay07]

The filter is not going to help as the fish produce sooo much waste that it will get clogged real fast.

When I don't watch them, sometimes my Gold fish travel sooo fast and come to the surface and then immediately touch the bottom so fast like cat fish. It is truly amazing to see them develop such powerful muscles.

If I had the space and was sure to not relocate for atleast 3 years I will get a biger tank. However, my uncertainity/challenges are the biggest factors in this case.

Also their mouths are so big that I am able to stick the tip of my small finger into it !!! Theya re nibbling at the tank gravel and tehre is chance that they can choke on it.

Today I just did a 40% water change again. I wanted to do just a 10% change but the water smelled sooo bad. There was another corner of the tank with artificial driftwood that I had not cleaned for about a month atleast. I cleaned taht aprt and got sooo much dirt, it was incredible. Soon it became evident that I had to clean a lot more. The whole bucket was filled with small black particles with every clean. Can so many frequent water changes disturb the biological balance in the system ? This is a serious concern.

Will record all water and otehr changes to this tank here promptly and monitor it closely so all can advice me. Otherwise I might start ignoring/neglecting it.

Vijay

 

[rvijay07]

At this point I am also cosnidering feeding them fewer times a day, or maybe even alternate days. The hard thing in this regard is that they beg for food so hard, specially when I am eating in front of them it is hard to say no.

Vijay

 

[rvijay07]

Another option is to maybe give them one at time to the LFS, that way I don't feel the loss all at once and the tank may need lesser cleaning.

My concern is what if my LFS sells these fish to a kid who is going to keep them in a 1 Gallon bowl ?

Vijay

 

[megos1]

I don't think that you really need to get rid of your goldfish. I just think that you are in need of a filter.

 

[rvijay07]

Here is another concern. They are still growing bigger.

Vijay

 

[Fishy Aston]

Pop the filter back in