switched from gravel to sand.

[gravereaper0]

2 fancies and don't know what the other 2 are. They're golden orange on top and white on the bottom.

 

[ktomminello]

Trust me, the bioload of goldfish is more than sufficient to cycle any tank. There is no 'forcing' a fast cycle either unless your adding lots of cycled media. Mother nature works at her own schedule.

Although they have a high bioload, they will not slurp up the detritus and protein sludge that a plec does, and yes, always hit up a few of your lfs' and strike up conversation... Usually you'll find that they will give you a few gallons of cycled water (granted you have the bottles) and some precious cycled media, I don't know what I'd do without my hook ups My mom currently has 3 indoor koi ponds, a 400g goldfish pond and 4 river bed set ups housing a plethora of ecosystems. Different than my preferences, I'm just going on what I remember from being a kid, and my weekend visits to my oscars.

 

[gravereaper0]

So the wife checked our tap water. The ph is between 7.4 and 7.6 and has some traces of nitrate and ammonia.

 

[ktomminello]

Just a suggestion- amquel+ as a water conditioner, it works well for water like yours (mine is the same).

 

[gravereaper0]

Actually I'm getting a bottle of that in the mail tomorrow. Now should I use it with the API water conditioner or instead of it. Also getting a bottle of stress coat with the amquel

 

[CorallineAlgae]

If you have lots of plants you're water should be fine. The plants grow well with your water. I've always had to add nitrates daily into my planted tanks (except for this month). The ammonia shouldn't be to bad as long as it's just trace amounts. What were the levels from the tap?

 

[gravereaper0]

. What were the levels from the tap?

Ph 7.6
Ammonia. 25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-5

 

[jlk]

2 fancies and don't know what the other 2 are. They're golden orange on top and white on the bottom.

Can you post pics of the fish so we can help you id them? How big are they? What are your plans for these guys?

 

[gravereaper0]

These are my four fish and my tank.

 

[GNarnian]

So two fancy fantail goldfish, and two common goldfish. Those commons are going to get huge...

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Ph 7.6
Ammonia. 25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-5

It may be a good idea to run ammonia chips in the canister filter, as long as there's room. It's cheap stuff and actually works ok.

 

[gravereaper0]

It may be a good idea to run ammonia chips in the canister filter, as long as there's room. It's cheap stuff and actually works ok.

I'm not gonna use carbon so the top tray is for whatever I need to make it work the best. Right now I got pillow stuffing and a packet of algone in em so I can substitute one with the ammo chips.

I know two of em will get big, I'll be getting a 40-55 gallon tank in the somewhat near future. And I like the plants so I'll be getting more of those as well.

 

[jlk]

So two fancy fantail goldfish, and two common goldfish. Those commons are going to get huge...

Agree. Unfortunately, a 20g is overstocked with 2 fancies but the commons really dont belong in here or even in a 50g. They can grow grow to be 12-18in with adequate water (50-100+g per fish) and care and realistically are only suited to pond environments. Your fight against water quality issues is going to be a never ending battle that your not going to win here because of the stocking situation.

 

[gravereaper0]

Actually I'm getting a bottle of amquel + in the mail tomorrow. Now should I use it with the API water conditioner or instead of it. Also getting a bottle of stress coat with the amquel

Can someone shed some light on this. Do I use both of em or just the amquel

 

[gravereaper0]

Agree. Unfortunately, a 20g is overstocked with 2 fancies but the commons really dont belong in here or even in a 50g. They can grow grow to be 12-18in with adequate water (50-100+g per fish) and care and realistically are only suited to pond environments. Your fight against water quality issues is going to be a never ending battle that your not going to win here because of the stocking situation.

Well, its what I got and its what I got to work with. I'm not just gonna flush em down the toilet.
Maybe I can find a lfs that will take em.

 

[CoryFan]

I definitely know jlk would not mean you should flush them!

It is excellent that you are getting that second tank and I am sure you are pretty excited.

There are a couple things behind the recommendations for housing that may help you in your planning: goldfish need a high oxygen content so aiming for filters that move 10 gallons per hour x your tank size will be very helpful.

They are also "dirtier" because they don't have stomachs so generally you will see 50% weekly pwcs to keep your water quality on track.

They produce a growth inhibiting hormone if they have less room and/or oxygen. That keeps their skeleton size in check, but not their organ size. So on the long term it can reduce their lifespan.

My fancies each get at least 6" and some get over 10, depending on the exact type. I keep telescope, Pearlscale, and lionhead.

For fancies the recommended size is 20 gallons for your first and 10 for each additional.

This is the info I found the most helpful with my own goldies. I hope you do too!

 

[jlk]

Can someone shed some light on this. Do I use both of em or just the amquel

Amquel plus works as a dechlorinator/ammonia & nitrite detoxifier. So, it can be used alone but generally, its recommended you use it with something else (such as Nova Aqua) that detoxes heavy metals & adds slime coat as well. I dont know if your other stuff does this or not.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Stress Coat has a lot of slime coat. Not sure about heavy metal binders, but I think it has it. Haven't used it in a long time.

 

[gravereaper0]

How long does the nitrite spike last? Wife keeps doing daily water changes buy the nitrites won't go down. Also today the ph was 7.4 instead of the regular 7.8. Thoughts?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

How long does the nitrite spike last? Wife keeps doing daily water changes buy the nitrites won't go down. Also today the ph was 7.4 instead of the regular 7.8. Thoughts?

Every tank is different but two weeks is normal for the nitrite stage. When your pH starts dropping like that it's a sign that the bacteria are revving up and doing their job. Just keep doing small water changes and you'll soon be through the cycle. Once that's over you'll have a much more stable pH. The bacteria actually consume the minerals that keep pH high as they devour ammonia and nitrite. This is all normal and expected. The fun part isn't far off.