FINALLY Got a New (60 Gallon Again) Tank Up & Running for my Goldies! Long Post...

[ArtesiaWells]

Here's something else I thought of with regard to my air pumps and bubble bars...

If I disconnect the tubing from each pump and blow hard into them with just my breath, the bars EXPLODE into LOTS of cascading bubbles...then, when I reconnect the tubing, the bubbles go weak again...does this mean that the bars are not clogged or defective, and I'm just not pushing enough air pressure?

 

[ArtesiaWells]

UPDATE:

Okay, so without testing, I just went ahead and did a 15 gallon water change (meaning I took approximately 15 gallons out of the 60) just to keep any ammonia from spiking, and replenished with fresh cool tap water treated with Prime (for the size of the tank); I didn't fill the water all the way up to the maximum brim of the aquarium as initially, so now the filters are really breaking the surface with good, powerful flow and extra oxygen push. The water looks clean and clear (still kinda cloudy from the sides though; don't know what that's about) and tomorrow I will be on my fifth day of Stability treatment; Tuesday will be the last...fish also look healthy and happy, swimming around and through decor, etc...

Was it okay to do this small change without even testing? At the very least, the 15 gallon exchange sholuld have gotten some toxins/ammonia out, no?​

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Well, think like this. If you had .50 ammonia, and you did a 50% WC, then after you should have .25 ammonia depending on how much is in your tap. I would always check to make sure, though.

 

[Rivercats]

Goldies produce copious amounts of waste and alot of ammonia. You have to do weekly 50% WC's IMO and need to be doing WC's during cycling whenever your ammonia or nitrites raise above .25ppm. I have 2-55g goldie tanks with 7 8+ inch fancies divided between them. There have been times due to their size and need of even bigger tanks I've had to do more then one weekly WC. I also think you have nitrates in your tap water with as new as your set up is. Also my goldie tanks are planted. You can use Swords, crypts, Corkscrew Val, Java Fern, and Anubia as goldies don't tend to try eating on these plants. I also use these plant anchors on swords and crypts to help hold them down... Professional Plant Anchors (on sale)(reg. $2.29). Also feeding cooked, deshelled peas and other veggies about every 3rd day help keep plant nibbling down.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Well, think like this. If you had .50 ammonia, and you did a 50% WC, then after you should have .25 ammonia depending on how much is in your tap. I would always check to make sure, though.

Thanks, Dan; while those statistics seem logical on the surface, I suppose I do have to physically check with the test kit. My thinking was, how could even a 15 gallon exchange with fresh water NOT help them at all without disturbing the cycle too much?

Was that not logical?

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Goldies produce copious amounts of waste and alot of ammonia.

I'm aware; this isn't my first goldfish setup. The ONLY thing that kept these four alive in the 10 gallon they were previously in (see long description in the initial post of this thread as to why they were in there to begin with) was the fact that I did a 50% water change EVERY DAY for nearly a year, dosing with Prime each time and keeping the filter media maintained.

You have to do weekly 50% WC's IMO and need to be doing WC's during cycling whenever your ammonia or nitrites raise above .25ppm. I have 2-55g goldie tanks with 7 8+ inch fancies divided between them. There have been times due to their size and need of even bigger tanks I've had to do more then one weekly WC. I also think you have nitrates in your tap water with as new as your set up is. Also my goldie tanks are planted. You can use Swords, crypts, Corkscrew Val, Java Fern, and Anubia as goldies don't tend to try eating on these plants. I also use these plant anchors on swords and crypts to help hold them down... Professional Plant Anchors (on sale)(reg. $2.29). Also feeding cooked, deshelled peas and other veggies about every 3rd day help keep plant nibbling down.

Well, I am not planning on keeping live plants, but thank you for the info; as for the water changes, my plan WAS to, once I was finished dosing with the Stability to finish the cycle kick, perform WEEKLY 50% or so changes on this tank, cleaning the gravel too, religiously...

 

[Rivercats]

Everyone thinks my 220g planted tank is alot of work but those two goldie tank since the fish have grown so big are the most time consuming by far.

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Well you are supposed to preform weeky water changes no matter what, I like to do 50% weekly on mine. Checking the water after each change would probably be the best thing to do, and changing the water should not mess with the cycling at all since all it's doing is getting the filter established, you probably could do almost a 100% water change and it not mess up the cycling as long as you leave the filter alone.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Well you are supposed to preform weeky water changes no matter what, I like to do 50% weekly on mine. Checking the water after each change would probably be the best thing to do, and changing the water should not mess with the cycling at all since all it's doing is getting the filter established, you probably could do almost a 100% water change and it not mess up the cycling as long as you leave the filter alone.

Gotcha; thank you!!

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Everyone thinks my 220g planted tank is alot of work but those two goldie tank since the fish have grown so big are the most time consuming by far.

Do you have any pics of your goldie tanks?

 

[Rivercats]

Do you have any pics of your goldie tanks?

Nope none of my little ones either. It's kind of hard to post pic's of other tanks when they don't come close to comparing to the 220g.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Too bad; I really wanted to see them...

 

[ArtesiaWells]

UPDATE:

Okay, so yesterday was the tank's last day of Stability treatment (I did it for the Seachem-advised seven days) and now I don't plan on adding any chemicals to the tank save for Prime treatment prior to adding fresh water back in during a change; last night, the fish seemed a little "jumpy" and "edgy" and the water smelled a bit "off" and "fishy," so I ran the API ammonia test and it came back on the slightly elevated side -- definitely 0.25 or possibly higher. I did a 25% water change and fasted the fish all day until just a little while ago, when I dropped in a few flakes...they seem to be doing better since the water change and fasting.

At this point in my fish-in cycle, do I need to do anything other than keep up with parameter readings and water changes?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

UPDATE:

Okay, so yesterday was the tank's last day of Stability treatment (I did it for the Seachem-advised seven days) and now I don't plan on adding any chemicals to the tank save for Prime treatment prior to adding fresh water back in during a change; last night, the fish seemed a little "jumpy" and "edgy" and the water smelled a bit "off" and "fishy," so I ran the API ammonia test and it came back on the slightly elevated side -- definitely 0.25 or possibly higher. I did a 25% water change and fasted the fish all day until just a little while ago, when I dropped in a few flakes...they seem to be doing better since the water change and fasting.

At this point in my fish-in cycle, do I need to do anything other than keep up with parameter readings and water changes?

Sounds like you have everything under control, and just keep up with the readings and pwc's and you should be good until the cycle is thru. I need to check my tanks parameters...haven't done that in almost a month

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Sounds like you have everything under control, and just keep up with the readings and pwc's and you should be good until the cycle is thru. I need to check my tanks parameters...haven't done that in almost a month

Thank you, Dan!

And from that point on -- when the cycle is seemingly, or confirmed, through -- all I have to do is weekly, regular water changes and gravel vacs?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Thank you, Dan!

And from that point on -- when the cycle is seemingly, or confirmed, through -- all I have to do is weekly, regular water changes and gravel vacs?

Yup! Do your pwc's on a weekly basis, I would test parameters after each pwc or once every 2 pwc's. other than that, just keep everything else in the tank rolling and it should be awesome!

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Thanks very much...

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Thanks very much...

No problem!

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Oh, and as for filter media -- do I need to constantly replace the carbon/floss cartridges that my Aqueon HOB takes when they're saturated with debris, or just keep rinising/dunking these in removed tank water during a change? And what about the sponge and BioMax in my AquaClear...these just get dunked and rinsed off when they begin to get nasty, correct?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Oh, and as for filter media -- do I need to constantly replace the carbon/floss cartridges that my Aqueon HOB takes when they're saturated with debris, or just keep rinising/dunking these in removed tank water during a change? And what about the sponge and BioMax in my AquaClear...these just get dunked and rinsed off when they begin to get nasty, correct?

Yes- DON'T replace any filter media! That's why you are cycling the tank- to get the BB in the media of the filter, and I you replace the media, the BB goes with it and you would have to cycle all over again! Just rinse the cartridges and othe media clean with tank water or dechlorinated water and put it back.