Temp w/o a hood.. bad idea?

[lyquidphyre]

Okay, I found out earlier today and my tank set up isn't good for the fish I have (I have goldfish with tropical fish). And finding this out I want to fix the problem ASAP. My best friend is giving me her 20 gal aquarium... but it doesn't have a hood or anything. I found a good deal on filtration systems and what not, but finding a good deal on a hood is a whole other story. Since it is Xmas and I just spent a bunch of money setting up this aquarium, I don't have much to spare to start up another one- but I will find a way!

Would it be okay to put my goldfish in the 20 gal w/o a hood temporarily? It will have everything else it needs... just not a hood (or light for that matter). And if not, what can I do?

Ack, im in such a bind please help!

 

[Tigerlily]

I don't think a hood or light is crucial. With goldies, filtration is key, and it sounds like you have that covered.

Goldfish aren't notorious jumpers (IME mine only broke the water's surface when spawning or chomping on floating pellets), but I would get a hood anyway as soon as you're able. I'm always a nervous nelly about jumping fish, and any fish *could* jump... You could probably pick up a glass hood pretty cheaply for that tank ($10-12? at Petco), and then just forgo the lights - allow the room lighting to take care of things. As long as it's a bright room and you're not trying to grow plants, it should be OK.

Good luck and kudos for getting your goldies a home of their own!

 

[TankGirl]

I agree with Tigerlily. It is not crucial to have a hood on there for goldfish, and you can get the glass canopy for cheap (I got mine at PetsMart) and then you can even use one of those fluorescent strip lights you get at Home Depot for cheap, designed to be mounted under kitchen cabinets and the like. It is a really great thing to be able to get the goldies into their own digs, so you are fortunate to have a generous best friend!

 

[cowfish7]

What I do for covering tanks on a temporary basis is to put some cookie sheets or placemats over the top. Use your imagination! You may not be able to cover every spot, but I feel better covering as much as possible.

cowfish7

 

[jsoong]

I agree, a hood isn't crucial for goldies. Your fantail won't jump (at least mine never did), although your common might when they get bigger. If it'll make you feel better, get a glass cover. You can buy a pre-made glass top or just get a couple sheets of glass cut to fit the tank. We have a place here that sell used sheets of glass for $1 a piece, so you can make a glass top for a couple of bucks.

BTW, glad to hear that your goldies are getting new digs. With yoour decreased bioload spreading the fish out in two tanks, you might have less trouble with cycling too!

 

[sweetsuvvyb]

I wouldn't worry about about buying a hood, but I would do as someone suggested, and just put a couple of cookie sheets or pieces of cardboard over the top when you 1st move them...

They are probably going to be pretty stressed when you put them in the new tank (try to match the water conditions as best as possible) - both of my goldfish have tried their hand at jumping when they were stressed out (I think that might just be fishy instinct, not a species specific kinda thing).

Have fun with the new tank! I'd bet you'll enjoy your fish even more now...their personalities will really start to shine through when they're healthy + happy in their homes