Coldwater fish and hot summers

[Roz]

I am new to looking after goldfish and so hope my question isn't too silly.

I have a small 50L tank with three young Fantail goldfish. I am very worried how they will go in the forthcoming summer in Melbourne, Australia. It gets up to 45 degrees Celsius without cool nights, and it can be in the 40s for days. Is there a way to keep water in such a small tank below 30 degrees?

Thank you to anyone who can assist

 

[Pokechoo]

What I use when my tank water gets hot is the dechlorinated ice cubes, just regular ice cubes in a tray. I'll just a one or two depending on how hot it is. Or just put in some cooler water but not to cold! A drastic water temperature change can really harm fish.

 

[Cactuspixie]

I am new to looking after goldfish and so hope my question isn't too silly.

I have a small 50L tank with three young Fantail goldfish. I am very worried how they will go in the forthcoming summer in Melbourne, Australia. It gets up to 45 degrees Celsius without cool nights, and it can be in the 40s for days. Is there a way to keep water in such a small tank below 30 degrees?

Thank you to anyone who can assist

I really don't like your chances- in Queensland summers I took the hoods and lids off my large tanks to try to keep them under 30 degrees. It didn't work, and I ended up buying a portable air conditioner for them.
One think you need to keep in mind is that your tank is actually far too small for the bioload of your fish- this means your ammonia levels will increase quickly, requiring water changes every other day at least. Ammonia becomes more toxic at higher temperatures, making it all the more imperative that you keep up with the pwcs.

 

[Cactuspixie]

As well as changing the old warm water with cool water, leave your lights off- it's amazing how much heat those things can give off! Internal pumps also give off heat.

 

[Roz]

Hi everyone, I am taking note of your very helpful suggestions.

I realise the tank is too small and am saving up for a larger one, which will be much better for my fishie family.

I'll keep watching for more suggestions and thank you all for sharing your knowledge.

 

[Mebbid]

By far the best way I found to cool off tank is to freeze bottles of water (leaving the lids off or they could break) and then capping them before putting one or two in my tank. For a 50l tank I would probably do 250ml of ice at a time.

I was cooling down both of my 55g tanks with 6 2 liter bottles that I would rotate out and it would keep the tank temp down enough for my fish.

 

[Fishperson]

Am I the only one who noticed that the OP has a ~13 gallon tank with 3 goldfish in it?

Roz- Those fish need a much bigger tank, I don't even think one should be in that tank. They can grow to well over 8 inches each. If you plan to move them once they get bigger, then I guess it might be fine, but they certainly can't live in there to an adult size. Plus, they are very messy, so you'll need to do lots of water changes.

Welcome to AA!

 

[Roz]

Hi there, I only realised the tank was too small for the fishies just recently - I wish some aquarium shops were more responsible! Most still sell bowls, too!

I am currently saving for a larger tank and hope to move them across by the end of the year -before it gets too hot ( a larger body of water should be more stable in temperature).

The fishies are tiny at the moment - no more than an inch long in the body. I am changing 10% of their water every week, have real plants and a filter and bubbles - trying to make it as comfortable for them as possible until the new tank arrives.

Roz

 

[Roz]

Ps what does OP stand for ?

 

[flitabout]

original poster

 

[Cactuspixie]

Ps what does OP stand for ?

Original poster.

Your fish will fare better if you change 25% each week. Any less than that and you are going to have steadily increasing toxin levels and the subsequent battles with diseases as a result
An API master test kit is a really good investment in the health of your tank.

 

[Roz]

Thank you and apologies for my ignorance!


I am finding this forum incredibly helpful and thank you all.

 

[Cactuspixie]

Thank you and apologies for my ignorance!

I am finding this forum incredibly helpful and thank you all.

Hey, no need to apologies for ignorance- its a condition we all suffer from in varying degrees on different subjects! Me especially!!

 

[Fishperson]

Hi there, I only realised the tank was too small for the fishies just recently - I wish some aquarium shops were more responsible! Most still sell bowls, too!

I am currently saving for a larger tank and hope to move them across by the end of the year -before it gets too hot ( a larger body of water should be more stable in temperature).

The fishies are tiny at the moment - no more than an inch long in the body. I am changing 10% of their water every week, have real plants and a filter and bubbles - trying to make it as comfortable for them as possible until the new tank arrives.

Roz

OP stands for original post or original poster. To keep on the subject of aquarium lingo, LFS's (lfs stands for local fish store) are notorious for giving terrible advice. But it's okay, we were all beginners once! I would say a 30 gallon long would be a good tank for them for a little while, but I think they would need something bigger eventually. But I'm certainly no expert!

As far as water changes go, I think you should do at least 1/3 of the tank volume weekly (~4 gallons or 17 liters/litres). Do you have a test kit? If not, I recommend the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. Most people on here have one. Don't buy it from the big box stores though . You can get it on Amazon or Ebay for >$20 with free shipping .

Hope this helps!

 

[Scottyhorse]

If you could get a 40 gallon tank, or even a 55 gallon tank, that would be awesome! A 40 gallon would provide enough room for the fish you have now at full size, and no more. With a 55 gallon, you could add another

 

[Roz]

Thank you so much! Have just bought the test kit you recommended and will increase the water changes.

 

[Roz]

Great advice about the tank size, too. I'll check out the tanks at a good store a friend has found for me in Melbourne.

 

[Cactuspixie]

Great advice about the tank size, too. I'll check out the tanks at a good store a friend has found for me in Melbourne.

Check out Gumtree too. So much cheaper!

 

[jlk]

Do you know what type of goldfish you have? This will give us a better idea for tank recommendations. Also, is this a new tank that you just setup in the past month or so? if so, you will need to test daily and do frequent water changes (wcs) to keep toxins at bay. You will likely have a bit of trouble trying to cycle this tank properly with this many messy fish in such a small volume of water which means expect to be facing daily (or more frequent) 50% wcs. Please check out the links below and 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

 

[Roz]

Hello, I have three tiny fantail goldfish and have had them almost a month now. The fish are small - about one inch in length (excluding tail).

I have a Marina filter with bio media, and an air stone running. I have real plants and so far have changed 10-15% water each week.