Greetings from Daledog

[daledog]

two years ago I got a Bday present from my daughter.
A biodiversity fish tank/herb garden and two tiny goldfish.

the Fish water fed the plants, theoretically.

the herb garden didn't work but the fish grew.
I got them a 5 gallon

the fish grew
I got them a 20 gallon and my "easy" fish tank became more complicated.
turned green, but a UV filter fixed that.

but as soon as the green cleared up I noticed and orange tinge to the water.

at first I thought maybe a coloration/reflection of the two large goldfish.

but no, the water color gets deeper and when I do a significant change it gets lighter, then in a week darkens slightly.

I use a "good bacteria" additive, have a decent filter and a 3 watt UV.

any thoughts on whats up here?

 

[Autumnsky]

Do you have Driftwood in the tank?

 

[Autumnsky]

Also since we will end up getting to this anyhow, 2 goldfish would be a minimum of a larger tank. Probably 20 gallons per fish.

Goldfish are big eaters and waste producers. It is simply what they do. Because of this they need maximum amount of water to grow in with excellent water conditions and good food.

What type of Goldfish do you have?
Comet
Common
Oranda
Fantail
Telescoping Eye
or ???

Here is an interesting thread courtesy of an expert GF keeper, it is an eye opener!!!
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...uire-big-tanks-visual-perspective-265871.html

 

[daledog]

I have nothing in the tank that will give off a color.
plastic jellyfish, plastic seaweed.

one of them is losing orange scales if that is significant.

I don't have any idea what kind of goldfish they are.
they have to be 10 times their original size

 

[Autumnsky]

Check the names of kinds of GF I posted with Google and see which kind you have.

Do the water changes. Test the water.

 

[daledog]

it seems they are just common goldfish AND my tank is already too small.
gees

read through the aquarium advice article.

I guess I need a test kit.
seems I am not as frequent with my water changes as I should be

 

[2swimmersAlike]

1st off you need a substrate , I recommend gravel as it's easiest to maintain. I would also recommend a live plant, as they help break down waste and improve water quality and oxygen levels and such
2nd off, you need a bigger tank. I don't know the specifics but one person said 20 gallons a fish and they prefer a community.
Third, test your water, for everything. Do your water changes and make sure you are treating the water.
Please keep us posted.

 

[daledog]

I ordered a master test kit today.

pulling water for a change. my RO is only 2 gals every 4-5 hours.
so I will change 10 gal tomorrow.

I had gravel there at first but that seemed to be where all the debris was.
when I cleaned the tank, the gravel is always the dirtiest part.
I though eliminating it would help it be cleaner.

what purpose does it serve?

I did like the look.

the fish clean up all the food because it's easy to find.
none of that sucking up gravel and spitting it out.
(hard with no gravel, but you know what I mean)

I like the tank when crystal clear but curse the daughter when it's green or not perfect and "tranquil" when I walk by.

I am kind of a reluctant fish person, (if you read my story)
from simple to a "hobby" to pain in the butt (when dirty)

I did retire just this year but......

SO, do I have to go to a 30 gal tank?
for two goldfish?

new tank, new filters new UV.
they were just one inch long when I got them!!!


thanks for any advise.
I was just winging IT.

time to be more serious about the matter.
in for a penny in for a pound I guess.

 

[daledog]

my fish look like "comon" goldfish

based on the pics I found on google the two are common goldfish.
based on fins and eyes.


though it should be noted that one of them developed white parts as it grew.
the largest one.

 

[2swimmersAlike]

Substrate provides a place for good bacteria to grow and the debris is supposed to fall to the substrate, use a gravel vacuum to clean it up, I believe they are relatively inexpensive. I think they need like 20 gallons each with a powerful filter and partial water changes regularly

 

[superpeytonm]

You don't NEED a substrate. Some fish prefer it if they like to dig and such, but mostly a substrate is just a personal preference.

A substrate does provide more places for good bacteria to reside, but it's not a necessity.

 

[Autumnsky]

it seems they are just common goldfish AND my tank is already too small.
gees

read through the aquarium advice article.

I guess I need a test kit.
seems I am not as frequent with my water changes as I should be

Big learning curve. It is a good thing you are doing what you can to give them a good life.

If it would be possible are you able to find a good pond fish keeper to take your fish? A park, a zoo, a nature center, a restaurant, a friend or ????? With their permission of course.

There are much easier to care for kinds of fish which don't require really large tanks.

~~
GF are so dirty, many people prefer bare bottom tank for them. For sure easier for cleaning.

 

[daledog]

oh, what kind of fish don't need a bigger tank?
out of curiosity?

I had considered just giving them back to the pet store
(small town)
but one of them is my reincarnated grandmother (long story), so I kind of have to keep her.
AND I hate to fail at things too.

I am going to get them some gravel tomorrow.
make sense from a biological point of view based on my reading.
but ya, easier to clean for sure.

and they get 10 gal of new water.

 

[Toad]

Common goldfish get big, like 12 inches or more, and really should be in a pond, and can live 30+ years.

There are LOTS of fish that stay small enough to live their entire lives in a tank that size, and with buddies. Tetras, guppies and platy, cories, loaches, rasboras, some dwarf cichlids, nano fish, all sorts of things tbh.

 

[Autumnsky]

oh, what kind of fish don't need a bigger tank?
out of curiosity?

I had considered just giving them back to the pet store
(small town)
but one of them is my reincarnated grandmother (long story), so I kind of have to keep her.
AND I hate to fail at things too.

I am going to get them some gravel tomorrow.
make sense from a biological point of view based on my reading.
but ya, easier to clean for sure.

and they get 10 gal of new water.

Hey Daledog,

What is the problem with your water that you need to use the
RO?

Might I suggest sand as a substrate, like CaribSea. The reasons for GF are that GF will mistakenly eat gravel and can get them stuck in their throat or create a blockage. And can cause death.

Small stones / gravel are not recommended at all for them. They have big mouths. I had a pond GF or Koi (can't recall which atm) get a stone stuck from a potted plant basket the store had used stones to cover up the soil an the darn GF got it stuck. Had to tweezer it out!

Well said by Toad too lots of choices for fish.

 

[daledog]

"Common goldfish get big, like 12 inches or more"

these were tiny and grandma is now a good 8 inches.
had them a little over two years.

30 years?
great then I can will them to the daughter.
instant karma

"Tetras, guppies and platy"

so that is why people have those fish.
are they not in need of heating?

 

[daledog]

"What is the problem with your water that you need to use the
RO?"

the water is not that bad but I just thought starting "pure" would be better.

I drink RO, the dog drinks RO so I didn't want to discriminate with the fish.
they live in it.

using regular water would make it much easier that is for sure.

as for the gravel, well I can belay that order and get some sand.

In my quest to get rid of the orange color, I am adding the sand to make my biosphere whole.
unless my fish are giving off color........

 

[Autumnsky]

Do you use ONLY RO water for the fish or partial RO and partial tap water treated for chlorine, etc???

RO water is removed of basically everything. For fish, this is a problem because of the absence of minerals needed for keeping fish electrolytes in proper order. And Magnesium and (maybe also calcium - science isn't my specific expertise) other "trace minerals" as a buffer needed for the stability of pH. You can search and read more exacting information...

 

[daledog]

I have been using only RO for the past two years
the PH is balanced.

 

[Autumnsky]

Hmmm.....doesn't that defy all the odds!?!