Starting a 45 Gal. Gold Fish tank.....Need your input

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ereefic

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Dec 8, 2003
Messages
3
Location
Wisconsin
Hi folks. I have a 45gal. tank i'm going to give to a friend who has a 10gal. goldfish tank. He needs a bigger tank so i'm going to hook him up. I'm giving him a 45 gal. tank and stand, NO strip light and cover and an Aquaclear 300 filter.

Now, I have a reef tank, but no experience with goldfish. Can anyone give me some good info on getting this set-up, what other equipment he might need to get a good healthy tank going? Any other info would help greatly. Thanks.
 
Yea! A goldfish tank! Make sure that your friend knows that full-grown fancy goldfish need at least 10 gal of water each. I'd put just 4 fancies in a 45. If he has comets or common goldfish, they may need more space than that. The biggest concern he will have is filtration. Goldfish are notoriously messy fish.

I would probably try a canister filter with a bio-wheel attachment. In any event, I would replace the AC300 with something a little more powerful. Or, you could add another HOB filter like one of the emperor's with a biowheel. That with the AC300 may be enough. (The biowheel will cut down on cycling problems whenever he changes the filter media).

Unless he has big temperature swings in his house, he shouldn't need a heater, because goldfish prefer cooler water. My unheated tank stays at 74 degrees pretty consistently anyway. If he has a really cold house, and fancy goldfish though, he may want to invest in a heater because they like it a little warmer than common goldfish. If the tank stays in the 70s though, I wouldn't worry about it.

Also the type of lighting isn't a concern unless he wants to grow plants (which the goldies may eat anyway) so I'm sure that your standard NO strip light and cover is fine.

Good luck and let us know how it works out. :D
 
Just to reiterate the excellent advice Tigerlily has already given....filtration is where you're going to want to sink your money. I just switched to a biowheel filter (I'm using a HOB), and it's so much easier...i can vacuum the heck outta the gravel without worry. Goldies don't seem to mind the currents a strong filter create, so you can go big without too much worry (within reason!).

I keep my fancies ~76..my apartment is notoriously drafty, so I threw a heater (with thermostat) in there just to keep it consistent in there. Last winter I didn't bother...and I've noticed their fins are in much better shape.

Have fun!
 
Thanks for all the info. What HOT filter would you recommend that would handle that size tank and is rather inexpensive?

I don't think he's going to go with "fancy" goldfish as the ones he has now are won from the fair. LOL Goldfish in a cup. :)
 
I would at first move all of the goldfish over to the new tank and continue to use both the 300 and the old smaller filter. This will help to establish a bacteria level for the new tank much quicker and keep those goldfish healthier.

I would then keep the 300 running and add another filter. Add a cheap canister probably. That way you don't need a huge expensive filter. I am always a fan of runnign more tahn 1 filter for bigger tanks. If one ever breaks down you aren't out of luck and have time to react. I don't know much about canisters though. Of course a complimentary AC300 might not be a bad thing. Easy to clean.
 
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