New to the fish world.

[Clenny]

Hello all. I am new to the fish world. We have a 10gal tank that was bought for us. Don't know much else about it at this point as I am still on a major learning curve. We started out with 2 goldfish but they did not last long. We are now on our fourth by himself in the tank and he seem to be doing okay now that we took the heater out. If anyone has suggestions out was else we can add to tank it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[steez]

Hi Clenny. Welcome to AA!


Goldfish require a larger tank than 10g. One goldfish alone needs at least a 20g or 30g tank.

Now to the fish dying... did you cycle your tank before you added fish? This does not mean run the tank for 24hours before adding fish, and most all pet stores will not tell you how to truly cycle a tank.

Fish when they poop produce ammonia which is toxic to fish, by cycling an aquarium it is a process of creating BB (Better bacteria) to eat ammonia, and ultimately turn it into a more safe form of waste called Nitrate.

I would read through this thoroughly: I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!


If you have any questions, or help stocking (putting what fish / how many) the 10g aquarium be free to ask!

 

[Cornstar]

Hello all. I am new to the fish world. We have a 10gal tank that was bought for us. Don't know much else about it at this point as I am still on a major learning curve. We started out with 2 goldfish but they did not last long. We are now on our fourth by himself in the tank and he seem to be doing okay now that we took the heater out. If anyone has suggestions out was else we can add to tank it would be greatly appreciated.

Even though goldfish is a very hardy fish that can withstand many crazy water conditions, it is important to have your tank cycled. You can google fish tank cycling for the process and what it does. A heater is not necessary since goldfish can live in cold water, but if it is below mid 60s you might want to bump it to at least 70.

Filter is important for goldfish since they produce a lot of waste and are messy eaters which leads to a high ammonia level. And of course ammonia is bad for the fish.

It is very important to do a pwc (partial water change) about once a week. Removing 10-25% water a week with a gravel vacuum should suffice to remove the waste and food.

Many will suggest not to keep goldfish in a small fish tank since they usually require a large pond 55 gallons or so depending on the type. Comet grows to at least a foot, but in my opinion it's ok when they are small but definitely rehouse when they start growing big. In a small tank, their organs will keep growing but their body won't and you can kind of imagine what will happen.

I raised a comet goldfish from a baby to five inches in a 5.5 gallon but I felt bad for caging it in such a small environment so I have it to a local fish store that would take it.

 

[Clenny]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I am going shopping for a test kit. What other fish are good starter fish for a 10 gal tank to learn on

 

[Cornstar]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I am going shopping for a test kit. What other fish are good starter fish for a 10 gal tank to learn on

There are many options, I personally love dwarf cichlids such as kribensis and German blue ram. You can get a pair for the 10g and see them breed and see how they parent. It is indeed very fascinating IMO.

 

[Homer8]

Hi Clenny. Welcome to AA!


Fish when they poop produce ammonia which is toxic to fish, by cycling an aquarium it is a process of creating BB (Better bacteria) to eat ammonia, and ultimately turn it into a more safe form of waste called Nitrate.

Never heard it called Better Bacteria. I think you meant beneficial bacteria.

 

[F-8 pufferman]

Never saw if you mentioned whether you cycled your tank? Also without the heater in the tank what is the high and low temp throughout the day. Also have you used any chemicals to treat your tank? I suggest prime and special blend both great products that you would have a hard hard time overdosing with. As for tank mates I keep cory cats in all my tanks there great for cleaning up those little feeding mistakes we all made when we were new. Also might be a good idea to look into algea eaters for a 10 gal i like otocincles (probably not spelled right.) If you want live breaders for tank mates you cannot go wrong with guppies or mollies there prolific to the extreme so watch for the babies. Also Convict cichlids are great to keep in your tank as they are small and will protect there own eggs.

Hope this helps. Also what is your ph and other levels?

 

[redsea]

Welcome to AA! Thanks for joining!

 

[arcticfirefighter]

Welcome to the forum, I would do some searching around on here. You will find a ton of advice and way to build up your tank. Just look around a bit and I am sure you will answers to most of your questions. Good luck and again welcome!!

 

[steez]

Never heard it called Better Bacteria. I think you meant beneficial bacteria.

Lol I was talking to a lady yesterday when I posted this who kept saying better bacteria instead of beneficial and I think she got it stuck in my head.

 

[steez]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I am going shopping for a test kit. What other fish are good starter fish for a 10 gal tank to learn on

Good starter fish.. well let's see. There's a lot of nano fish for FW aquariums. Ember tetras, pygmy corys, celestial pearl danios or you could even do a shrimp tank or something of the sort.

check out this link:
tiny fish list (around an inch or less) - Vivarium Forums

 

[Fishie]

Welcome! Hope you make a good aquirum

 

[00youknowit00]

Welcome to AA!!

 

[Clenny]

Finally got a test kit. Tests as follows . 10 gal tank 1 goldfish . No live plants .

Ph 7.5
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0.

Going to check again in a few days.