What kind of fish for a 10 gal?
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Menagerie
Aquarium Advice Addict
Before offering my advice--quick question for clarification: Are the fish you put in the 10 gal going to be moved to the 55 gal? Also, do you have a QT tank?
Menagerie
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes to the QT or to moving the fish from the 10 to the 55?
Another question hit me--what kind of fish do you want? A peaceful community? A semi-aggressive bunch (55 gal)? One very large fish? A betta and some cories?
ferret
Aquarium Advice Addict
You've already got an Oranda.. Are you aware of how big they get, and the large amount of waste they produce?
I would suggest keeping just the Oranda for now, and when you get the 55 gallon, getting him 2-3 more buddies (Other Oranda's and possibly Ryukin's). No more than that, and no other types of fish. They're big eater and make a lot of waste, and grow over 8-10inches. They also graze algae to an extent and an algae may be out of the question due to that food competition.
There is 0 algae in the 29gallon my Ryukin and Oranda share. There's a tiny rubberlipped pleco that has grown maybe a quarter of an inch in 4 months. It simply doesn't have a lot of food. (Considering moving him to the 90 gallon, it definately has some algae ;p)
I would suggest keeping just the Oranda for now, and when you get the 55 gallon, getting him 2-3 more buddies (Other Oranda's and possibly Ryukin's). No more than that, and no other types of fish. They're big eater and make a lot of waste, and grow over 8-10inches. They also graze algae to an extent and an algae may be out of the question due to that food competition.
There is 0 algae in the 29gallon my Ryukin and Oranda share. There's a tiny rubberlipped pleco that has grown maybe a quarter of an inch in 4 months. It simply doesn't have a lot of food. (Considering moving him to the 90 gallon, it definately has some algae ;p)
Menagerie
Aquarium Advice Addict
I missed that earlier. I am not familiar with Oranda (or any goldfish), so my advice is to research the needs of the fish you currently have and decide what is best for that fish.
If you decide the Oranda is not want you ultimately want, you should return him to a LFS. (I made a mistake a few months ago and did not do my research and impulsively bought –I will be taking that fish turned monster to the LFS soon
) In the end, it comes down to what you can handle and what the tank can handle.HTH
ferret
Aquarium Advice Addict
Don't get me wrong, goldfish are great. They can survive colder water (Although the fancy breeds prefer a little bit warmer), eat just about everything (This isn't to say its healthy for them), and have quite a bit of 'spunk'
But they're large, and make a lot of waste. A 55 gallon would do well with 3-4 adults (But that would be considered heavily stocked, IMO). They definately will not grow to their full potential in a 10 gallon. My Oranda started in a 10g. Then my wife wanted a buddy for 'Molly', so 'Polly' the Ryukin joined. Then 'George' the pleco (Who died). Then they moved to a 20 gallon, and George the Second joined. More algae in the 20, so he's gotten to eat but not a lot. Now they've moved to a 29 gallon and George is beginning to grow. Molly is twice as large as Polly, but a lot older too. I'm constantly fighting the urge to get a third, as that would require a 55 gallon in my mind for them to be comfortable.
The goldfish were technically for my wife and beyond maintenance, I didn't care about them much. But that's since changed and they're pretty interesting to watch.
But they're large, and make a lot of waste. A 55 gallon would do well with 3-4 adults (But that would be considered heavily stocked, IMO). They definately will not grow to their full potential in a 10 gallon. My Oranda started in a 10g. Then my wife wanted a buddy for 'Molly', so 'Polly' the Ryukin joined. Then 'George' the pleco (Who died). Then they moved to a 20 gallon, and George the Second joined. More algae in the 20, so he's gotten to eat but not a lot. Now they've moved to a 29 gallon and George is beginning to grow. Molly is twice as large as Polly, but a lot older too. I'm constantly fighting the urge to get a third, as that would require a 55 gallon in my mind for them to be comfortable.
The goldfish were technically for my wife and beyond maintenance, I didn't care about them much. But that's since changed and they're pretty interesting to watch.
Christmasfish
Aquarium Advice Addict
Nice goku..... 
Well I will make this assumption: the oranda is still small and not going to be in same community.....
So he gets to move to the 10 a while; when your community moves to the 55?
For a cheap QT if you are more willing to be patient to avoid a large layout;
you get a thermal compact (hagen. largest expense for your QT but it is a good back up) 25 watt and
put that in a 6-7 dollar 3 gallon kritter keeper (5 is better).
Get a throwaway 3 dollar filter that is good for about 3 weeks (perfect for long QT as I do or short)
You get a cheap airpump or split off one you have if it can power it.
You can QT about 3-4 same type fish in the 3 gallon.
Now to start getting animals in sets of 3-4 that will go nicely in your 55.
You probably cannot get more than 8-9 fish of any type for a 10.
Depends on just how soon you truly expect to get your 55.
I cannot suggest many species with confidence since my speccialty is in labyrinth fish and some of goldie and a wee bit pirahhna.
AS far as my experience goes; your oranda really needs to be alone in the 10 gallon or with another fancy if you want to keep it vital and get those really amazing colors to show. And really will need eventually a pristine kept 20 minimum for himself and a 30 for him and goldie companion. Heck I think the loose rule of thumb for goldies now is like 8 gallons per inch of fish? :?
Not to mention it really isn't that good to mix goldies with tropicals because many species like it warmer than a goldfish will tolerate. I suppose a half dozen cloudfish or certain guppies coud be okay if they are not nippers. A person that knows those breeds better can say.
Also a nixing for mixing, goldies need monster filtration and some current to be happy, many small fish may not like current. I found them to be high maintainance fish when I used to help my grandfather with his prizewiners. I love to look at them but I will NEVER own one because of that. Unless I have a pond
One last note..before buying a single fish more..but a reliable brand test kit.
Your tapwater readings may narrow the field and make deciding easier.
And it is the number one tool of any fishkeepers toolkit!
Well I will make this assumption: the oranda is still small and not going to be in same community.....
So he gets to move to the 10 a while; when your community moves to the 55?
For a cheap QT if you are more willing to be patient to avoid a large layout;
you get a thermal compact (hagen. largest expense for your QT but it is a good back up) 25 watt and
put that in a 6-7 dollar 3 gallon kritter keeper (5 is better).
Get a throwaway 3 dollar filter that is good for about 3 weeks (perfect for long QT as I do or short)
You get a cheap airpump or split off one you have if it can power it.
You can QT about 3-4 same type fish in the 3 gallon.
Now to start getting animals in sets of 3-4 that will go nicely in your 55.
You probably cannot get more than 8-9 fish of any type for a 10.
Depends on just how soon you truly expect to get your 55.
I cannot suggest many species with confidence since my speccialty is in labyrinth fish and some of goldie and a wee bit pirahhna.
AS far as my experience goes; your oranda really needs to be alone in the 10 gallon or with another fancy if you want to keep it vital and get those really amazing colors to show. And really will need eventually a pristine kept 20 minimum for himself and a 30 for him and goldie companion. Heck I think the loose rule of thumb for goldies now is like 8 gallons per inch of fish? :?
Not to mention it really isn't that good to mix goldies with tropicals because many species like it warmer than a goldfish will tolerate. I suppose a half dozen cloudfish or certain guppies coud be okay if they are not nippers. A person that knows those breeds better can say.
Also a nixing for mixing, goldies need monster filtration and some current to be happy, many small fish may not like current. I found them to be high maintainance fish when I used to help my grandfather with his prizewiners. I love to look at them but I will NEVER own one because of that. Unless I have a pond
One last note..before buying a single fish more..but a reliable brand test kit.
Your tapwater readings may narrow the field and make deciding easier.
And it is the number one tool of any fishkeepers toolkit!
ferret
Aquarium Advice Addict
Woah woah woah. Koi are like, goldfish on growth hormones. You don't want to go down this path. Koi are goldfish. Just 2-6 times larger depending on species.
Christmasfish
Aquarium Advice Addict
WAAK! Slow down! I was just thinking a second (period; in your situation) oranda of a different color or a ryo. And as the only occupants of their habitat.
KOI! Yikes! Don't even think them without a pond. Or a huge cashflow for constant tank upgrades. They grow much faster and larger that the oranda (and yeah they are less picky about the temp..but are known to occasionally eat smaller tank mates, so the once fed fish become the feeders ^_^). Koi are the bottom feeder version of the goldfish. Closer to the carps they descended from.
And once they are larger they are not as attractive as when they were under a foot. They need to be seen from above through some water. Side veews of large ones make them look like catfish dressed to streetwalk!
KOI! Yikes! Don't even think them without a pond. Or a huge cashflow for constant tank upgrades. They grow much faster and larger that the oranda (and yeah they are less picky about the temp..but are known to occasionally eat smaller tank mates, so the once fed fish become the feeders ^_^). Koi are the bottom feeder version of the goldfish. Closer to the carps they descended from.
And once they are larger they are not as attractive as when they were under a foot. They need to be seen from above through some water. Side veews of large ones make them look like catfish dressed to streetwalk!
I have five gold fish and one koi that I bought last year when I was unaware of what I was doing and had them all in one 10. Keep in mind that they were all under and inch at the time. Then I split them up in two tanks now all are in one 55 gal. Which is really not enough. The Koi is roughly six inches now, (in under a year) I have to have the water perfect so with that load I have to change the water two times a week. They ate Every plant I put in there nothing was spared. And spend their time digging up the gravel making messes. They really don't belong in a tank. I am in the process of trying to find him a nice pond. I will miss him but know it's for the best. Funny thing is they spend most of the time together and don't take up to much room so it feels kind of empty.
Good on ya for passing on the koi; the more streamlined goldfish/koi strains are not recommended tankmates for the more specialized, slower strains. They tend to get to the food before the slower fancy guys, and have been known to knock em around simply because they're so much quicker.
Ooo. I wouldn't put wild anything into your tanks unless everything in the tank comes from the same place. Its impossible to know if the snails are carrying disease or parasites, or have ingested toxins that would affect the fish (goldfish, for example, have been known to chow on a snail or 2).
Ooo. I wouldn't put wild anything into your tanks unless everything in the tank comes from the same place. Its impossible to know if the snails are carrying disease or parasites, or have ingested toxins that would affect the fish (goldfish, for example, have been known to chow on a snail or 2).
