Intro & help needed

[volleyball005]

Hi there,

My previous experience has been goldfish.
My kids had a goldfish we won from a carnival and it lived for 3 years.

I currently have an aquarium with 4 platy and 1 sucker fish.
It is 16" wide, 9 " high and 8 1/2 " deep.
(don't know how many gallons)

I got it from a friend and am not really sure how to clean the tank.
The bottom has decorative rocks.

I don't have a vaccuum (siphon?) and probably can't afford one.

When I read that you need to empty 20% of the water & refill it do I need to move the fish first ?
Sorry if that sounds like a stupid question but none of the places I have read say to remove the fish first ?

I would like to remove the fish and completely refill it because of the accumulation of food and waste at the bottom.

Please let me know if that would be a good idea
or any other advice.

Thank you very much !

 

[Slade]

Welcome! It sounds close to a 5 gallon. For water changes, if you can't afford a siphon, get about 6 feet of 1/2inch tubing and a bucket from home depot. You will need a conditioner for the tap water. Be careful to match temperature.

Read up on cycling and get yourself a test kit. Meanwhile change about 2 gallons a week while vacuuming the gunk off the bottom. Don't over feed. Good luck with your aquarium.

 

[Coursair]

What kind of "sucker fish " ??? You will probably need to rehome him, as a 5g is really tiny for that many fish. Plus if he's a Pleco he will get BIG.

I'm really sorry to say you should also rehome 2 of the Platies. You are overstocked.

Platies get 2" for males and females can get 2.5"

That is partly why your tank is dirty. Too many fish, too much poop

So options are:
Get a larger tank, a 20g would be better for Platies IMHO. Keep the small tank, so you can cycle the large one faster, using filter media from the 5g

Rehome all but 2 of the Platies and only keep the same sex. Babies could crash your tank.

Rehome all the fish and restart the tank with a better plan. Chili Rasboras and some live plants would look great or we can help you set up a Red Cherry Shrimp tank ( my favorite ).

We've all been in your shoes. We've all had to learn better fish care. This is a good place to go forward with a healthy tank and thriving fish.

 

[volleyball005]

Thank you both for your help.
I may have to break down and buy some of the supplies I would need,
maybe some extra hrs at work ?

I got the tank from a friend and my only experience with tropical fish
before this was the tank my Dad had, when I was a kid.

Thank you again !

 

[Coursair]

Thank you both for your help.
I may have to break down and buy some of the supplies I would need,
maybe some extra hrs at work ?

I got the tank from a friend and my only experience with tropical fish
before this was the tank my Dad had, when I was a kid.

Thank you again !

If you decide to go bigger check Craigslist for deals on used tanks.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Welcome to AA!
This will answer some of your questions.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...-to-Starting-a-Freshwater-Aquarium/Page1.html

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard. We are glad you found us here at AA.