Fresh to the fresh water family.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

NEVERLAND

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Feb 20, 2013
Messages
82
Hey everyone. I'm excited to be here! Iv just begun my first freshwater tank. Iv had it running with a filter for about a month, no fish at all. And i have a heater. That's it though. That's all i have, no gravel or rocks. No plants or decorations of any kind. Just a tank full of water with a filter and heater. Oh and the tank is a 20 gallon. So i am going to need some help to get my tank beautiful. I just bought some goldfish. Two lion heads. And iv also ordered a few more. A couple bubble eye and celestial goldfish. But before i get the whole family i want to decorate the house. Iv been thinking about getting live plants. Its going to be my first time with live plants. And i saw some of the pictures of other member tanks and they are amazing. I just want to know . . . .

[ X ]What kind of plants are right for bubble eye / celestial goldfish?

[ X ] What kind of light do i need to support the plant life?

[ X ] Does the type of gravel matter?

[ X ]How do i plant the plants? <---- silly right? But i really don't have a clue.

[ X ] What kind of decorations can i use with the frail bubble eye goldfish?

Any help and advise would be appreciated. I'm totally lost without you guys. Please respond soon.



~~~~~~> UPDATE <~~~~~~
ALL MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED THANKS ERIC!

I WENT TO BUY MORE SUPPLIES. I GOT TWO JAVA FERNS AND PUT THEM IN LITTLE POTS. I ALSO GOT A LIGHT FOR THE PLANTS. I BOUGHT SOME FLAT BLUE MARBLES SCATTERED THEM ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK AND THE POTS FOR THE PLANTS ARE CLEAR GLASS PURPLE. I WANT TO SHOW YOU GUYS A PICTURE BUUUUUUT I DON'T HAVE A CAMERA. SO SAD BECAUSE THE TANK LOOKS AMAZING. I WANT EVERYONE WHOSE FREAKING ABOUT MY FISH BEING IN A 20 GAL TO CALM DOWN TAKE A BREATH AND UNDERSTAND THAT I WILL MOVE THEM TO THE 55 GAL AS SOON AS I GET THE MONEY. AND I GET PAID AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. IT WONT BE TOO LONG OF A WAIT AND I WILL KEEP THE TANK AS CLEAN AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

THANKS TO JLK I KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW.

I NOW KNOW THAT MY FISH HAVE JUST BEGUN TO CYCLE. THAT MONTH WITH THE FILTER ON DID NOTHING BECAUSE I DID NOT ADD ANY DAILY DOSES OF AMMONIA. I WILL NOT REMOVE THE FILTER FOR 4-6 WEEKS AND NOT GET NEW FISH UNTIL MY TANK IS DONE CYCLING. AT THE END OF THIS MONTH WHEN I GET PAID ILL MOVE MY FISH TO THE NEW 55 GAL. AND CONTINUE THE CYCLING PROCESS. I WILL NEED TO BUY A KIT ASAP WHILE WAITING ILL DO A 50% (DAILY MAYBE EVERY 2 DAYS) WATER CHANGE TO MAKE SURE MY FISH DON'T GET SICK FROM TOO MUCH TOXINS INT HE WATER. ALSO WILL FEED FISH DAILY SO THAT THEY GROW BIG AND STRONG.

THIS IS HOW THINGS WILL GO DOWN.

1. KIT
2. GET PAID (END OF MONTH)
3. BUY STAND AND LARGER FILTER
4. TRANSFER TO 55GAL (WAIT 4-6 WEEKS)
5. GET ORDERED FISH
 
First of all welcome to the site and the hobby!

I'm sure there are other members (and probably other threads) that can give you much more specific advice regarding goldfish care but here are a few things that stand out to me.

1. Generally I believe goldfish prefer cooler water so the heater is probably not strictly necessary. Perhaps on its lowest setting it would be useful for providing some stability at the lower end of the temperature range. A temperature floor so to speak.

2. You would probably need a larger tank for all the goldfish you want. Goldfish are messy and without some serious over-filtration and large frequent water changes you will have problems keeping up with water quality. Plus the physical space required as they grow.

3. You may need to move the fish to another tank or container when you add the gravel. While I've certainly added substrate after the water i wouldn't do it with fish present.

4. I'm not sure what kind of plants you can use with goldfish. I might be mistaken but I believe they have a tendency to uproot and/or eat them. Without knowing what plants you can or will use I can't give you much lighting advice. A fluorescent should do the trick for you though. Also not that it provides much from a decorative standpoint (and I'm pretty sure the goldfish will chow on it) some duckweed can go a long way towards controlling algae growth in your tank by removing nutrients. It grows fast via division so just scoop some out when you need to.

5. If these are the first fish you are adding to your tank it is not cycled. Other threads can tell you all about cycling but for the time being lets mitigate the damage. Stability (by seachem) can get some beneficial bacteria in your tank in a hurry. Keep up with water changes and pick up some amquell to help your fish past the ammonia spikes.

6. If you don't have one already pick up a test kit. I use the liquid API master kit myself. It's a bit pricey when your starting out but it's one of the best investments you can make.


Anyway those are just some quick thoughts. I'm sure others will expand on what I've already said or will link you to the appropriate information. I know it's a lot to absorb at first but we all go through the learning curve. Don't get discouraged, ask any questions you need to ask and you'll get there.
 
Wow okay. Let me take a moment to let this sink in. ... ... ..

Alrighty lets see. . ...

First off. Thank you for the reply. Much appreciated. And i do have a larger tank. I actually have a 55 gal. I used to keep pacu but i really had no idea what i was doing it was a miracle that they lived for so long. (about a year) i moved and never saw them again, i gave them to my aunt. But i dont have a stand for the big tank yet and i don't want it just sitting on the floor. So for now, i'm going to have my fish in the 20 gal. When i save up enough money ill buy a stand, and all the rest of the junk that i need. And move my babies into a bigger home. So they'll probably be in the lil'tank for only a couple months. It sounds like i'm going to have a hard time keeping live plants if goldfish like to eat them. But what if i set up a routine with the feeding, if i keep their bellies full will they still want to eat my plants? I also have fish in the tank. There are two lion heads, i got them yesterday. I had the tank running with the filter for about a month it had an old/used filter in it from another tank. So i believe it was cycling, but without the kit i don't know that at all. And i don't think i want gravel, i'm thinking of just having a few big rocks so that the filter can pick up as much waste as it possibly can. I thought about putting the plants in cute little pots. I saw that in a photo from another member on this site.
 
Actually the pots will help a lot with the uprooting and with cleaning in general so I'd go that route if you like that look for your tank. Sounds like you've got the space issue under control as well. The test kit will let you know if you've got the cycle down. My concern is that even with the used filter you may have lost most of the beneficial bacteria over the first month without any fish to supply the necessary waste to feed them.
 
Well with my new lion heads and plants (i'm going to buy them today). Do you think it will be cycled enough for my new fish the bubble and celestial? I'm getting them in about 1-2 weeks.
 
Move the goldfish into the 55 gallon ASAP. That many goldfish will quickly over pollute a 20 and cause an ammonia spike. You should wait to get the rest of them until you can use the 55.
Goldfish don't eat plants. You're thinking of koi.
 
Move the goldfish into the 55 gallon ASAP. That many goldfish will quickly over pollute a 20 and cause an ammonia spike. You should wait to get the rest of them until you can use the 55.
Goldfish don't eat plants. You're thinking of koi.


Well as I stated I'm no expert on goldfish so they may or may not eat particular plants. However the uprooting is a problem (I've personally witnessed it). As far as the upgrade is concerned if the fish are currently small enough you could get away with the 20 gallon for a while in my opinion as long as the filtration is strong and the water changes are large and frequent.
 
Personally I would take them all back. Plan your tank after doing your research on everything and then getting new fish. When you get your 55 gal setup go for the goldfish. But there are so many things you can do with a 20 gal. I have freshwater puffers in mine. It is my joy. But it was mostly planned (blame the ex for some random fish but everyone is ok and been fine for 3 years). Research cycling and don't buy any fish until knowing about the cycle. You have to get the test kit. The liquid master kit I got was only like $20 and it is totally worth it and lasts forever. Also if money is ever an issue--save up and get everything you need before impulse buying. Believe me it will be a lot better (you will read these forums and be like oh man I shoulda done that! lol) good luck and I hope everything works out for you!
 
move the goldfish into the 55 gallon asap. That many goldfish will quickly over pollute a 20 and cause an ammonia spike. You should wait to get the rest of them until you can use the 55.
Goldfish don't eat plants. You're thinking of koi.

well i get paid at the end of the month. If its a real emergency i can buy a stand with that money. So then the fish will only be in the 20 gal for about 9- 12 days. But while they are in the small tank i will do a frequent water change, i think about twice a week. And filter change once a week.
 
personally i would take them all back. Plan your tank after doing your research on everything and then getting new fish. When you get your 55 gal setup go for the goldfish. But there are so many things you can do with a 20 gal. I have freshwater puffers in mine. It is my joy. But it was mostly planned (blame the ex for some random fish but everyone is ok and been fine for 3 years). Research cycling and don't buy any fish until knowing about the cycle. You have to get the test kit. The liquid master kit i got was only like $20 and it is totally worth it and lasts forever. Also if money is ever an issue--save up and get everything you need before impulse buying. Believe me it will be a lot better (you will read these forums and be like oh man i shoulda done that! Lol) good luck and i hope everything works out for you!

i cant take them back, i love them already!
And i think i know the basics. Just change the water and filter as often as possible. Feed them once every 2 days to minimize the amount of waste they produce. Like i said they wont be in the small tank too long. I plan to get a stand and have them in the big tank by next month now. They are going to be very small goldfish. I ordered the smallest. I don't have the kit but i can get it soon too.

And my brother in law had a puffer. Do you mean the little brownish ones with the bright green spots? Those are adorable they look like little frogs. And i thought after puffers get a little bigger they need salt water. Is that true?
 
well as i stated i'm no expert on goldfish so they may or may not eat particular plants. However the uprooting is a problem (i've personally witnessed it). As far as the upgrade is concerned if the fish are currently small enough you could get away with the 20 gallon for a while in my opinion as long as the filtration is strong and the water changes are large and frequent.

hey eric! I bought the plants. Only two though. I think they are called java fern. I put them in the pots like i said. They look great. They are small right now, only like 4-6 inch tall but i hope they grow up to be big and beautiful. I also bought a light for the tank it looks amazing because i got everything in clear glass. Like the stones i bought are the flat marbles, blue in color. And the pots are a clear glass purple. Its so pretty i just want to die.

I couldn't buy more plants because then i wouldn't have had enough molla to get the light. But i will get more plants. After the transfer to the 55 gal.
 
Ok, few things here to help straighten out the confusion. Have you been adding an ammonia source daily to this tank? If not, your tank has yet to even begin the cycling process. You are now just beginning a fish-in cycle with fish that do not handle cycling very well. You will need to test your water daily (preferably, twice daily) and do 50% water changes anytime your ammonia and/or nitrite hit .25ppm or higher. This will likely mean daily or more frequent water changes. With two goldfish in a 20g, toxins will spike quickly. I highly suggest investing in a good liquid test kit such as the API fw master test kit and a bottle of Prime to help limit toxicity between water changes.

Next, do not change your filter media. Do not even touch it right now until this tank is fully cycled (which will take 4-8+wks) unless it becomes very clogged. If this happens, just swish it around in some used tank water to remove debris. Do not rinse it in tap water. You want to keep your filter media literally until its falling apart because it contains the largest portion of your good bacteria.

Feeding juvenile fancies every other day is not a good idea. Although it may minimize ammonia output, you are at risk of stunting them because this basically is a starvation diet. Juveniles do the majority of their growth in the first two years of life until reaching sexual maturity but goldfish will continue to grow throughout their entire life as long as they have adequate water and space.

Heres some more info on goldfish and their care as well as a link to fish-in cycling- please ask any questions! :)

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice

http://www.myaquariumclub.com/goldfish-101-11174823.html
 
ok, few things here to help straighten out the confusion. Have you been adding an ammonia source daily to this tank? If not, your tank has yet to even begin the cycling process. You are now just beginning a fish-in cycle with fish that do not handle cycling very well. You will need to test your water daily (preferably, twice daily) and do 50% water changes anytime your ammonia and/or nitrite hit .25ppm or higher. This will likely mean daily or more frequent water changes. With two goldfish in a 20g, toxins will spike quickly. I highly suggest investing in a good liquid test kit such as the api fw master test kit and a bottle of prime to help limit toxicity between water changes.

Next, do not change your filter media. Do not even touch it right now until this tank is fully cycled (which will take 4-8+wks) unless it becomes very clogged. If this happens, just swish it around in some used tank water to remove debris. Do not rinse it in tap water. You want to keep your filter media literally until its falling apart because it contains the largest portion of your good bacteria.

Feeding juvenile fancies every other day is not a good idea. Although it may minimize ammonia output, you are at risk of stunting them because this basically is a starvation diet. Juveniles do the majority of their growth in the first two years of life until reaching sexual maturity but goldfish will continue to grow throughout their entire life as long as they have adequate water and space.

Heres some more info on goldfish and their care as well as a link to fish-in cycling- please ask any questions! :)

i just learned about cycling but i already have fish. What now?! - aquarium advice

http://www.myaquariumclub.com/goldfish-101-11174823.html


oh my gosh okay. Thank you so much.

I guess the answer is no i did not add daily ammonia, so my tank is just beginning to cycle as of two days ago. (when i got the fish) i guess ill have to put the kit sooner than i thought. You made it sound very super important. And do not change the filter, okay. I wont. And don't get ... -sob- ... My new fish till 4-6 weeks pass. And ill feed my fish more, i don't want them to be short. Like me.

Just one more question. Once i begin to move them into the 55 gal. Will i need to to the cycle thing all over again? Or can i mix the 20 gal water in with the new water?
 
As soon as you are able to get the 55g set up, move your fish over. A 55g will be much more forgiving in a fish-in cycle as more water equals more dilute toxin levels. You can move the media from the 20g filter into the new 55g filter(s) to help seed the new tank with bacteria. Or just move the filter from the 20g to 55g and run all of the filters together. Water holds very little bacteria so using the water from the 20g will not be very helpful.

Until you are able to invest in a liquid test kit (amazon has them inexpensively), I would suggest a 50% water change daily with temperature matched, properly conditioned water. If you notice your fish acting strangely (bottom sitting, floating, gasping at the surface, not eating, anything unusual), do another 50% water change to reduce toxin levels. :)
 
as soon as you are able to get the 55g set up, move your fish over. A 55g will be much more forgiving in a fish-in cycle as more water equals more dilute toxin levels. You can move the media from the 20g filter into the new 55g filter(s) to help seed the new tank with bacteria. Or just move the filter from the 20g to 55g and run all of the filters together. Water holds very little bacteria so using the water from the 20g will not be very helpful.

Until you are able to invest in a liquid test kit (amazon has them inexpensively), i would suggest a 50% water change daily with temperature matched, properly conditioned water. If you notice your fish acting strangely (bottom sitting, floating, gasping at the surface, not eating, anything unusual), do another 50% water change to reduce toxin levels. :)

i plan to run the 20 gal filter and buy a new 55 gal filter and run them all together. I heard you cant have enough filters with goldfish. Before this whole change of tank. Ill keep an eye on my fish and make sure they are acting normally. Do a water change daily if i can every 2 days if i cant.

Thank you so much for your advice you have been very helpful. And really opened my eyes to how much work having a simple goldfish tank can really be. I'm wondering how everyone handles it with all the exotic fish they have.

Annnnd another question!!!
When i get the 55 gal filter how do i "baby" proof it so that my bubble eye's little sack-things wont get sucked into the filter and pop! That is my number 1 fear.
 
On the 55g, your going to need either a big canister or two hob-type filters. I run over 1000gph combined on my 55g's between big hob's and powerheads with sponges. 550gph (gallons per hour) or 10x the tank size is recommended for a goldfish tank. I do cover the intakes on the filter tubes with filter foam (aq sponge) because of the risk of delicate eyes or fins being injured or sucked into the intakes. Make sure there is nothing pointed, jagged, tight (ie, a cave) or sharp (including plastic plants) because bubbles are very easily injured. :)
 
It's a lot of work( or as us hobbyists call it "fun") getting a new tank up and running. Once it is setup and ready though it is just regular water changes with gravel vac'ing and feeding. But as most on here can attest to, you will find yourself constantly tinkering and making changes.
 
Back
Top Bottom