a couple more questions

[saaebn]

hello - I have another question.

I went to my mom and pop LPS today and talked to one of the guys that keeps the fish. He said that my UGF bottom piece was fine and then told me what I needed to buy to get it all put together- pump, tubing, charcol holder, charcol and tubes. I went home and set this all up and then spread my brownish gravel over the top - 2- 25 lb bags.

Is this enough gravel with a UGF?

Also is there somewhere I can see a picture of a tank with a UGF so I can tell that I have set it up upside down or something?

I then put in two of our goldfish that we in our pond and they seem fine. This will be fine for now because it will give me time to pick put a heater that I like. But I still dont have a filter question. One worker said that since I only have 2 goldfish in a 75 gal tank I didnt need a filter right away but the other one wasnt so sure. The guy helping me said that I could just wait until it got really dirty and then clean the gravel really well. What does every think about this?? He did say that if I brought in my water once a week he would test it for me. I also have not put in any chemicals to reduce the chlorine content because I was regularly filling my pond with hose water and for now this cant be much different.

Also, what filter is recommended for a tank my size? I would like something that does well, is easy to clean and really quiet.

Thanks,
Stacie

 

[RogerMcAllen]

The UGF should look like a grate, with the high part facing up, creating a void underneath. Think of it like putting a crate upsidedown. At the corners of this grate there should be holes where the verticle tubes snap into place. Your airstone goes in the tube, and your charcoal goes up at the top.

As far as chlorine, your tap water might not even be a problem. Here near Chicago they put Cl in the water, but I am not sure how they do things in ID. With as much water volume you have it might not be a problem.

 

[Sesos]

Hi Stacie,

First off, I'm a total newbie so let's see if my opinion holds up after the others offer assistance

From what I've heard in my short time spent in these forums, goldfish are very messy. I would recommend starting with the best filter you can (I don't know what it would be, I only have a 10 gallon tank) and someone here will let you know what to look for. Why mess up a nice new tank and then clean it really well later when a filter will help you all along the way by not only keeping the "mess" level to a minimum but it will also make your fish happier and healthier. I would also say that you should add the water treating chemistry, again, happier and healthier fish make a happier owner

That's all I've got for ya, good luck!

Sesos

 

[fd1906]

You should definately get a filter asap, it helps with the good fish bacteria. Try to get something with a bio-wheel, or a canister filter like the fluval x04 series. This way when you change filter media you don't change everything. If you get a filter that only has one filtration stage you will shock your fish every time you do a filter media change. I hope I helped...

 

[fd1906]

BTW, so far everyone on this site hates UGFs. I never used one but from what i hear if it gets clogged you basically have to break down your whole tank to clean it out, messy :x

 

[fd1906]

Oh, if you went with fluval you want to get the 404

 

[Allivymar]

*nods and agrees*

Even tho you have a nice large tank for your goldies, you still will need a filter. Keep in mind they are in an enclosed environment, and boy are they messy. You'll want a mechanical filter to remove excess waste. I have never used a UGF; I don't particularly like the way they gather waste, although they can make great biological filters (where the nitrifying bacteria gather; you want those, they'll turn the ammonia the fish give off into nitrites and nitrates, nitrates being safe for fish to live with). Its either that or LOTS of big water changes, and who wants to be changing water all the time?

I suggest reading this: http://faq.thekrib.com/filters.html (about filters) and this: http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html (if you don't know about the "cycle" already) to get a clearer understanding. Good luck!

 

[tkos]

Well congrats on having a large tank with goldfish. So many people try and cram those poor guys into a small tank. A minimum of 10 gallons per goldfish is really the minimum. A UGF will never be able to handle a full load of goldfish. You will need a lagr HOB or a canister. And you have to get a filter going right away. Not down the road when you might need it more as you have to start building up that bacteria now. Even with a good filter you will have to do water changes everyweek cause as was mentioned goldfish are super messy poop machine.

 

[saaebn]

Thanks so much for the input. I was really worried that it would just start getting really messy. I am going to go out today and look at filters again. As far as using the UGF the only reason I did that was because the plastic bottom pieces came with the tank. So I might change that somewhere down the line. I need to also get my light strip and something for decoration. Since they are somewhat bigger fish (about 4 inches long). I would like something that has larger holes in it so they can have places to swim around and hide. I have seen pots used in tanks turned on their side- Does these need to be specially cleaned or treated?

Another dumb question . In my pond outback there is a lot of green algea on the outside edges and some on the waterfall. Would it help if I put some of this water in my tank once I get my filters to help the good bacteria to start growing?? I have read a couple books on cycling but the whole idea of this still makes me really nervous. I feel like I might flunk fish keeping.

Also, Is it better to get a magnetic scrapper for the sides of my tank or the scouring pad on a stick?

Thanks, Have a great day everyone.

Stacie

 

[tkos]

The magnetic scraper is good if you have flat sides. The scouring pad is good bowfront tanks. But in the end it is a persoanl choice as they pretty much work the same.

Use untreated brandnew clay pots from any garden store. I like to boil them first just to make sure they are clean. Then you can take any number tools to break the bottom out of the pot and file the edges smooth. Easy as pie.

The water in your pond really doesn't contain bacteria. The bacteria grows on things. So if there are some nice rocks in the pond you could put those in the tank to jump start the bacteria.

You shoudl also buy a test kit and test for ammonia and nitrites quite often at first. If there is any detectable amount of these do water changes to get them down to 0. Those 4 inch fish of your can get anywhere from 6 inches to close to 2 feet depending on the species of goldfish. So they make a lot of waste. It is a good thing you have a big tank.

With a tank that size you really should look at a canister filter. I don't use them as I haven't got a tank big enough yet but it is pretty standard practice. And make sure to get one that is rated for higher than your tank. Probably 100 gallons. They almost always underrate these things, and we almost always put too many fish in our tanks.

 

[saaebn]

hello- I went shopping!!! I bought a test kit and a gravel vac. Then I went and bought two stump looking decorations and some artificial plants. I just got everything in and it actually looks really ok. I cant wait for my kids to come home from school to see it.

I did my first test - from what I can tell my PH is 7.5, nitrates 0 and ammonia 0. so far so good. My water temp is about 75 degrees. I also today did more checking on purchasing a filter. I am hoping to get one going by the weekend. I stopped by a small fish specialty store and this kid showed me how to use the gravel vac. He also had me get stress coat for my tank because I have just been using regular hose water to fill my tank. I have been filling my pond this way all summer and my fish were just fine so I didnt know I needed to treat it. I got a bucket to treat my water first before I clean it next time. They had a cannister filter but it wasnt the fluval 404 so I am still looking around for one if that is what I decide to go with.

My plan now is to get it up and running and cycling with the goldfish and then if we decide to switch to different fish, then I will buy a heater and warm up the water. I can then put the goldfish back out in the pond. My other sons one request was that he wanted a sucker type fish for the side of the tank. I dont know if my water is too cold or if my goldfish would be too aggressive. I also want to wait for my water to cycle first. I explained to him what we needed to do and he is ok with waiting.

I am probably finding all of this more exciting than someone with a life actually should

Thanks,
Stacie

 

[Sesos]

I hate to be the one to break this to you Stacie, ...you just might have "the bug"!


Good luck with the new set-up, the kids are gonna love it!


Sesos

 

[Allivymar]

Just a quick FYI:

You probably won't have anything (ammonia/nitrites/nitrates) showing up yet as its a BIG tank with only 2 fish; keep checking regularly!

Neato on the purchases! We want pics LOL and yeah, we all are a little more absorbed in our fish then normal people LOL comes with the territory I think. I just got a 55g and am ALL a twitter LOL so I can relate