Introducing Fancy Goldfish into Tank

[GallonsOfFun]

I'm planning on getting 2 fancy goldfish and a brittlenose pleco for my 38g tank. What's the best way to introduce these fish?

I know fancy goldfish produce a lot of ammonia and I've never owned them before so I'm a little cautious. Should I do a fishless cycle and introduce them 1 by 1 (if so, which first?)? Should I do the cycle with minnows and introduce them all at once? Should I use any product in the water? Help is much appreciated.

Also, feel free to leave any comments about the tank environment or any ideas you have! Planted, silk plants, sand, gravel, deadwood (for the pleco), amount of free space to leave, etc...let me know what you think please it will help me out a lot!

Thanks

Edit: I'm also purchasing a 10g betta tank for a bit of fun, so any betta tankmates that could do the cycle in this tank (then be moved to the betta tank) would be ideal!

 

[cgthebeast]

If you have a 10g cycled just pull the media out of it an place it in the goldfish tank. Then add one goldfish an test water religiously.
I'm a little iffy on the bristle nose pleco as ole is produce a lot of waste too.

 

[GallonsOfFun]

I haven't cycled the 10g yet I'll likely get them at the same time. Excluding the 10g idea, how would I do it normally with fancys? Oh, and I forgot to mention I'll be using two filters so the pleco should be good I think (correct me if im wrong). Thanks!

 

[cgthebeast]

I haven't cycled the 10g yet I'll likely get them at the same time. Excluding the 10g idea, how would I do it normally with fancys? Oh, and I forgot to mention I'll be using two filters so the pleco should be good I think (correct me if im wrong). Thanks!

K, as long as there heavy filters an water changes too, then you could be fine. Fish less cycling is always a good thing to go with. If you have a good freshwater test kit what you do is add food to the water as a source of ammonia. What I like to do usually is take quite a bit of cheap food, wrap it up or stuff it into the panty house an set it into the filter. Wait a day then test the water, keep a journal near by to write the results. When the food goes too bad, replace. This should cycle the tank if you wait long enough an is easier then the straight ammonia dosing imho.

 

[Sonata]

Hey Gang,
Correct me if I am wrong. The proper tank balance is;
PH 6.8 - 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .5
GH 125.3 - 89.5
KH 71.6
I don't know what KH & GH are or if I need to test them.
I found no reading for nitrates. Is it necessary to test them ?
One more question. One member told me that, when I begin cycling, I should add ammonia to develop good bacteria to fight it. How much ?
Thanks guys.

 

[cgthebeast]

Hey Gang,
Correct me if I am wrong. The proper tank balance is;
PH 6.8 - 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .5
GH 125.3 - 89.5
KH 71.6
I don't know what KH & GH are or if I need to test them.
I found no reading for nitrates. Is it necessary to test them ?
One more question. One member told me that, when I begin cycling, I should add ammonia to develop good bacteria to fight it. How much ?
Thanks guys.

Ammonia needs to be 0 as well as nitrite. Nitrate will always be low as that is what there turning into. You don't need to test GH or KH for a goldfish tank (that's more of a reeding thing)

People usually dose pure ammonia up to 4ppm. Then test a day later then bump it back to 4 then repeat

 

[Sonata]

Call Me Old Fashioned
I have had aquariums for more years than I care to imagine.
Gone are the days of filling up the aquarium with water & bringing it up to temperature.
Then off to the pet store to get my fish, floating the bag in the tank for 15 & releasing them into the tank.
I didn't even have testing kits.
I don't remember having tons of causalities.
Maybe time has dulled my memory.
Progress.
I'm continually learning. That's what it is all about.

 

[Aliray]

Call Me Old Fashioned
I have had aquariums for more years than I care to imagine.
Gone are the days of filling up the aquarium with water & bringing it up to temperature.
Then off to the pet store to get my fish, floating the bag in the tank for 15 & releasing them into the tank.
I didn't even have testing kits.
I don't remember having tons of causalities.
Maybe time has dulled my memory.
Progress.
I'm continually learning. That's what it is all about.

I agree with you. I am 69 years old and that was how we did it to. Got my first tank at around age 8 with guppies. they did fine. The internet didn't exist then. Now when I read all that you really should be doing I wonder how the guppies all survived. Plus when the little internal box filter needed cleaning, you threw everything out, scrubbed it clean , refilled with new charcoal and filter floss and you were good to go. Somehow they survived, although in hindsite I don't know how. Alison

 

[Sonata]

Goldfish here. After keeping many kinds , including some very challenging ones ( salt water, discus, etc ), I am back full circle. Yep, the box filter with floss & charcoal. No ammonia chips. No testing kit, no computers. As you said, when it got dirty, we turfed the media & reloaded.
Times have changed, my friend.

 

[FishyMamma]

Gallons of Fun, there are excellent articles on this forum for fishless cycling. It's not hard and so much better for the fish because they don't get killed or damaged in some way that curbs their health and lifespan. If you have an LFS (Local Fish Store) near you, they may be willing to sell you a seeded ("dirty" or "old") filter for one of their tanks. If you keep it wet until you get home to your tank, which you have pre-filled with water and declorinated!, you can put it right in and nearly instantly cycle your tank.

There is more info on how to do this in the Getting Started forum.

A good online source for seeded filters is www.angelsplus.com

Good luck!




Sent via an unladen European Swallow

 

[lunch]

Over dinner?