Problem: Carbon Filter Bag Broke.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

rvijay07

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Messages
326
Location
Canada
Hi everyone:

Back here after a long time !!! I hardly even lurk here.

Just happy with my 3 Gold FIsh in a 20G tank. Here is what happened today. My carbon filter bag broke loose and all the carbon particles started getting into the tank, slowly. I just noticed it today. I hated cleaning it as did my fish.

However, this is another learning experience not to keep recycling the Carbon filter for too long. In worst cases, the fish may swallow some of those particles and even die.

Best regards to all and their fishes.

Vijay :x
 
Well your tank is SUPER overstocked with 3 goldies. You really can only keep one in a 20g tank.

It is never a good idea to use carbon for more then a month or so. This is because it can relsease whent ever posion it has, back into the tank. It also is more or less useless after a week because it becomes inactive.
 
I have had them like this for 4 years now or so. The GF are only about 1.5 inch or so each. So stocking is OK.

I ahd the filter there for several months. Some said it is OK. Thanks for the info.

Vijay
 
carbon is only active for 7-10 days max. After that, it's not doing anything other than providing surface area for bacteria to grow on, which isn't necessary in a healthy tank. You should be changing it out every water change, which should be weekly, and to the tune of 25-50%

Kasakato is correct about goldfish though. I'm not a goldfish expert, but I'm not really aware of any goldfish that don't hit about 4" in size as adults. If you had these for 4 years in a 20 gallon tank, I think you've stunted their growth, as they should be larger than 1.5" by now.

The lowest volume of water per goldfish I've heard is 10gallons per fish, up to 20gallons per fish for die hard goldfish experts. I tend to walk in the middle and say 15gallons per fish...but this is all assuming it's not a comet goldfish (which get to 12") or a koi (which is actually in the carp family, and gets over a foot long).
 
I would not worry a bit about it. Consider it part of your gravel now. No harm, no foul.

Welcome back, rvijay07! :D
 
Thanks Tank Girl. I am just here for this one brief stop. Actually I measured my GF. The biggest one is 3.5 inches and the other two are 2.5 inches.

I love fish keeping and honestly wish I had the time, space and resources to keep more. However, I have to accept reality. Fish keeping is a very peaceful hobby and I wish great contentment, peace of mind and happiness to all fish keepers and their fish.

Vijay :)
 
Kasakato said:
Well your tank is SUPER overstocked with 3 goldies. You really can only keep one in a 20g tank.

It is never a good idea to use carbon for more then a month or so. This is because it can relsease whent ever posion it has, back into the tank. It also is more or less useless after a week because it becomes inactive.

This post reminded me how big my GF have grown. I started doing water changes once every 3 days.

Also one GF was sick and hardly used to swim, this was a few months ago. Giving peas helped.

Then I started experimenting a little. I gave them other veggies: Cantelope, pineapple, banana, potatoes, chapathi (Indian Bread), rice, cooked beet root, finely cut lettuce etc., They all really started enjoying all these. So for the past 3 weeks or so, I give them pellet just once a week or so. Mostly I give them all the other veggies and Chapathi I mentioned above.

They have all grown quite a bit in the last few weeks, developed excellent fins and look very colorful.

Now it will be even more ahrd to part with them should the need ever arise. Moreover, it is sad that just a fwe months ago, I thought that the sick GF may die. Now this sick fish so healthy and swimming. His fins look like an angelic dream.

Vijay :D
 
Back
Top Bottom