First Fish

[ckzhi]

Ok, so on impulse I decided to buy my first fish, a Black Moor, while strolling around in walmart. I expected him to be fairly cheap and very low maintenance but as soon as I got home I began my research.

I bought Sputnik (my black moor a live plant and some ornaments with no real sharp edges as I came to learn that it can be hazardous for his big eyes. He's currently in a 5 gallon tank, with a whisper hang on back filter. Yes, I now understand I need to invest in a bigger tank for his health, but I will need to wait 2-3 weeks before I can do so. I plan to get at least a 20-30 gallon.

I started only feeding him goldfish flakes, but realized I need to start giving him some veggies, so after a couple days, I began giving him some peas and zucchinis. I feed him a 2-3 pinches of flakes a day, and maybe 2-3 flake sized zucchinis. As well as 1-2 pea guts every few days. Am I feeding him too much? or too little?

I understand that my tank needs to cycle in order for all the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels to equalize so my fish tank can become stable. It has been four days since I introduced him into my tank. I have used the dechloramate and dechlorinator that came with my tank. Here is my current reading according to my test kit, 4 days in.

Ammonia = around 0.25
pH = 7.0
Alkalinity = over 180 but considerable smaller than 300...
Hardness = below 25ish
Nitrite = light grey, not on color chart so unreadable i think
Nitrate = dark grey, also not on color chart.
Temp = 72 degrees F
I have done one 25% water change.

I'm growing really attached to this fish and I want to make sure everything is alright for him. So I just want to check if I am doing anything wrong or what I can do to make him live long and healthily.

He likes to swim and check everything, always searching for food it looks like. He eats bubbles at the top and spits em out, but spends just as much time scavenging the bottom. He was pretty black when I first got him, but within four days he seems to have gotten a shade of gold. Also has a silver bottom, not sure if that's normal. He is only about 2".
Also, my water level is about 2" from the top, and the water filter falls on top, but it doesn't create bubbles or ripples or anything, just constantly and quietly cycling. I'm concerned about his oxygen levels. Again, this is a 5 gallon tank which is 10" x 8.5" x 16" - I will get a 20-30 gallon probably after Christmas.

Also, the tank was getting cloudy, but after the water change and vacuum it cleaned up nicely, but still isn't crystal clear. everything looks clean and is fairly clear looking.

-How often should I be doing water changes?
-Am I feeding him too little?
-Does his sudden color change mean anything?
-Is he getting enough oxygen?
-Will he be ok to wait a few weeks before he gets a bigger tank?
-Will I have to go through this 4-6 cycle again if I transfer everything into the larger tank?
-What else can I/should I do or am I just worrying too much?
-Should I use an ammonia/chloramine eliminator'?

Any advice or suggestions would be great!!!
thank youusss

 

[librarygirl]

I think you may be feeding too much but I'll let the goldfish experts chime in on that part.

Here's a great article written by a member here who is a goldfish expert: http://www.myaquariumclub.com/goldfish-101-11174823.html

What test kit are you using, liquid or strips? Strips aren't very accurate.

What filter is on the tank?

You already know that a 5 gal tank isn't enough for a goldfish. Unfortunately in the meantime ammonia and/or nitrite levels are going to rise quickly as goldfish are rather large and messy fish so you may have a very hard time keeping these levels down once they start to rise. I'd try to get the larger fish tank sooner rather than later if you can. Goldfish also require at least 10x the filtration for your size tank so you're already underfiltered for the goldie.

To answer your questions:

--for water changes, keep an eye on the test results. Any time ammonia and/or nitrite go up over .25, do a 50% water change. Now keep in mind the higher the levels the more water changes you'll have to do to get them down. So if ammonia spikes to 1, for example, you'll need to do two 50% water changes to get ammmonia down to .25.

--For feeding I'd say too much. Most fish do fine with once per day feedings. I don't know if goldies are different though; Jlk should come along and chime in soon.

--The oxygen and color changes questions I'll leave to a goldie expert. I'll PM Jlk and make sure she sees this thread.

--for the bigger tank I'd get it as soon as you can. Make sure you get a very powerful filter for it.

--Not sure what you mean by 4-6 cycle? I doubt the tank will fully cycle by Chrismtas especially with a goldfish in a 5 gal. When you get the larger tank just either move the current filter to the larger tank's filter and run them both together or move the media from the 5 gal's filter into the larger filter; this will bring over any bacteria that are starting to form on the media.

--Yes always use dechlorinator when doing water changes. Anything you have on-hand is fine now but most of us on here use Seachem Prime which is one of the best.

Here's two more articles for you:
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice
Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

 

[Lardeelion]

Are you using an API test kit? Goldie people, is there a separate test for goldfish?

I ask because while I was doing a fishless cycle recently I also got a light gray color for nitrites. I couldn't figure it out. To make a long story short, I realized that gray means there are SO many nitrites that the test can't measure it. I diluted the sample with tap water and then got a deep purple color.

So, while I can't say for certain that that's what the explanation is for the gray, it's possible that you have off the charts nitrites and I would do a water change ASAP.

Unless there is a separate test kit for goldies. Then, ignore me. Good luck!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Are you using an API test kit? Goldie people, is there a separate test for goldfish?

I ask because while I was doing a fishless cycle recently I also got a light gray color for nitrites. I couldn't figure it out. To make a long story short, I realized that gray means there are SO many nitrites that the test can't measure it. I diluted the sample with tap water and then got a deep purple color.

So, while I can't say for certain that that's what the explanation is for the gray, it's possible that you have off the charts nitrites and I would do a water change ASAP.

Unless there is a separate test kit for goldies. Then, ignore me. Good luck!

No. Same test kit as for all fresh water.

 

[jlk]

Hi! I would start by testing your tap water for ammonia, nitrite & nitrate. Also check the expiration date on your test kit if its a liquid kit. If your using strips, I would suggest investing in a good liquid kit such as the API fw master test kit- strips can be notoriously inaccurate. With the liquid test kit, I have only ever seen a grey nitrite result when the nitrites are off the charts high- the test is not able to accurately read the results. In respect to the nitrate test, the bottles need to be shaken & banged on a hard surface for a good minute or two before testing to assure accurate results because the reagants can clump.

I dont think your overfeeding him but I would consider switching to a better quality sinking goldfish food. Feel free to offer him a variety of veggies daily- just remove anything uneaten within 12-24hrs & replace. Veggies dont have the same impact on water quality as feeding fish food does because they have very minimal amounts of protein. Juveniles typically need more/higher protein food to ensure growth.

In respect to the color change, moors do commonly change color but its usually over months or years. I actually suspect he was this color all along (with a silver/golden tone, particularly on the tummy) but the difference in light between where you purchased him and where he is now has made this more apparent. If your still unsure, post a pic of him/her. Hope this helps! Please ask if you have any questions!!

 

[ckzhi]

To answer some questions:

I am using an API strip test kit. I'll have to upgrade soon tomorrow!

As for the the type of filter I'm not sure as it doesn't specify the model #
it's a whisper hang on back that has settings for the strength.
I currently have it at medium, because he seemed to have some struggle with the current when it was at high. So is a strong current not good for my fish? or is that perfectly fine?

Thanks for all the suggestions and I will try to get him a tank sooner, much appreciated

 

[jlk]

In a tiny tank, almost any filter you put on it will produce a strong current simply because there isnt a big volume of water. Keeping it on the medium setting sounds fine for now. When you upgrade, just make sure you invest in a sufficient sized filter that will run atleast 10x the tank size in gph (gallons per hour). So, for example, on a 20g you want atleast a 200gph filter, a 30g a 300gph filter, etc. Dont purchase a filter based on what it 'says' its for (ie, for a 30g tank)- look at the 'gph'.

 

[ckzhi]

thanks for the tip jlk!