Fish Tank in Iraq...Need help

[crenier]

Ok so I've own Bettas most of my life but just recently aquired a 15 gal aquarium with one Fancy Goldfish that is about 4 years old. He was found by the marines that first came into the city and has had a couple homes here on base with various people. Now I have come to be Zeus' care taker (not even sure how to tell if it is a he/she). I didn't realize there was so much to know about aquariums until today when I started researching. So here are my questions:

1) How full should I fill the tank? The tank has an Emperor 400 Bio-wheel filter system. Should the water be sitting below the water runoff or should the water be running directly back into the water?

2) I had rinsed off some rocks yesterday from outside and put into aquarium but now read that I should do a vinegar test first. I've noticed today that the fish is going to the top of the water and "piping" as I've learned it to be called. Should I remove the rocks and do a test now? What other action can I take at this moment to help him get more O2 if that is the problem?


3) When I got him the tank smelled fishy and the filters were CAKED in gunk. We had to remove 75% of the water to transport him and then once we got everything put back together the tank was very clear. We use bottled water to fill his tank as there is chlorine/bleach in the water that they put into the restrooms and what not. The bottled water is stripped of everything. Now after putting rocks in it looks a lil murky again?

4) Zeus is in an office that is manned 24 hours a day, meaning the light is always on. Do I need to get a dark cover for the aquarium, like a dark sheet or blanket, to cover up for a certain amount of darkness time? My coworker said he has had aquariums and this was the case?

5) I've order a Master Liquid Test set, Underwater Bubble River Small, Whisper Air Pumps Model 20, 12 various plastic plants, new filters (both ready-to-use and the one that i have to build up using a media container), new bio-wheel, Hagen Thermometers Floating Glass w/Suction Cup, Acrylic Safe Mag-Float® Small, syphon/gravel cleaner, Brush Kit Impeller Brush. All were ordered from Dr Foster and Smith website except the plants and master test set. Is there anything else I should get?
I got all this because when I got the fish he had 4 large rocks and 2 marbles in the tank and that is it. This stuff will probably not arrive for at least a week.

Any advice and assistance would be GREATLY appreciated. Zeus has history and I'd like to be able to keep him around for awhile longer. I read that they can live up to 50 years if taken care of appropriately and he is just beautiful!

 

[JPKeenan]

Wow, good going man! Would actually like to see come pics!

Well you can use some dechlor to take care of the tap water. Just wondering what all would be involved in customs and shipping to the military.

Looks like so far so good with what you ordered.

As for the shading the tank from the ambient light I have no clue. I do know that even with the water bottles we get at work they get algae in them from having the lights on 24/7.

Gold fish can last a long time. My cousin won one at a fair and the bugger lived for about 10 years or more. Whenever someone would walk in the living room her would come up and kiss the water surface to ask for some more food.

Cool that ya'll have a company mascot so to speak.

That's my 2 cents, hopefully you will get some answers from folks more experienced than I am.

 

[crenier]

Thanks for your 2 cents

Not sure how strict customs is. Not sure that we are suppose to have live animals shipped over here but I just had a baby betta shipped over here in the mail and he arrived safe and is doing very well. I also have had butterfly larva shipped over and have a seamonkey tank as well...I love my animals and since I can't have my dogs over here I have to make due with what I can get.

Your comment on cover would make sense so I think I will have the guys cover him at night.

Yes in a way I guess he is our new mascot although I am a civilian and most of the guys I work with would rather just be negative about things. I find the fish very relaxing and find myself staring at him often as he is beautifully colored and is also VERY active. I love watching him eat, and usually watch until all of the food is gone. Only wish I could have the tank in line of sight rather than behind me. The sound of the water pouring into the tank is also very relaxing. Makes for a great mood enhancement in this part of the world.

Thanks again for your comments and hope I get some other advice as well
Cherie

 

[Lynae]

Amazing!
I couldn't help but smile reading this!! I love that you guys still have the time and mental capacity to care for and enjoy a few fishies!!! I'm not too educated on goldfish, so I too, will let another member fill you in, but you should be question-free soon!
Believe it or not, your little "story", sadly enough, has made my day. Thank you!

 

[glassbird]

Wow, lots of good questions! I am sure others will be along to help soon, so I will just take a stab at the questions I have answers for...

First, sounds like you have a project on your hands! I am a huge goldfish fan, so I would like to thank you for looking out for Zeus! The most vital item on your list of things that you have ordered is the master test kit. You will be doing a lot with that over the next few weeks. It is quite likely that some of the beneficial bacteria in the tank was removed when you moved the tank and cleaned the filter. Read all the articles here on cycling a tank. You might want to get a small notebook, and keep track of your test results, and water changes. Did you order some type of water conditioner/chlorine remover? I like Prime...it is very concentrated, and can help lower your ammonia levels which is especially helpful while cycling with a fish in the tank.

Just my opinion, but I would remove the rocks. Unknown rocks are an added complication/possible risk that you do not need right now. Any gravel in the tank? The gravel cleaner was a good purchase, just make sure you can find a completely clean bucket that can be dedicated for fish use only. Put a lid on it, to keep out dust and dirt, label it for fish use only, maybe store the gravel cleaner and other water change supplies in it.

The murkiness could be a bacterial bloom, or just stirred up sediment. When you say that the bottled water is "stripped of everything", what do you mean? Can you look up details on the specific brand of water? I am concerned about the pH of it...some bottled waters can be VERY low, which can bring on a whole crowd of issues.

You will get multiple opinions regarding the height of the water, and here is mine. Once you have the air pump and air stone going, you could raise the height until the water just slides into the surface (as opposed to falling). For now, I would let it fall, maybe an inch or so, just to boost oxygen levels. The pump and air stone will do it once they are installed.

I wish you were closer than Iraq! I could send you some media from my cycled tank to help Zeus's tank get through the cycle faster, but I do not think it would survive that long!

Anything else I can do to help, let me know. Any fish rescued by the Marines deserves a chance, in my book!

CT

 

[dkpate]

Good story! I wanted to chime in with the cover. I am not sure if they need it or not, but I cover my tanks when I have the light on late at night, so the day fish can sleep and the night fish can come out. I have loaches and they are not too active in the daytime, although they still have spurts of craziness at all hours lol! I put the covers on every night at the same time so they are kind of on a schedule. (I work nights, so when I am home on my days off, I still stay up late). I also have 2 bettas! They are SOOO funny! They just got moved into their split tank tonight and are busy flaring up at their own reflections and making me laugh! Even the new one is coming out of his shell! Good luck with your goldfish! And I am sure with all of the stuff you are getting here soon, he will have a long happy life!

 

[JPKeenan]

Friend of mine I work with served over there in the Army. Don't matter what anyone thinks of the polotical reasons for being there don;t think you find a single person downing the folks over there. I'm at the age where I have friends and family that served in conflicts from Korea to our new front. Not something I would want to do no matter how good the pay is. Way too much mental and physical stress, so it is good that someone can find a little peace for a little time. We all need to find a little something to help us hang on when the stress gets too much.

With the military over there I think customs would be a bit relaxed for nationals. They might take an uzi, illicit stuff & the like but you figure they should cut a break for fish and fish care products .

Maybe as a cover all you'd have to do would be to cut a box down to the size of the glass of the tank. It might not stop all the light from coming it but it might be good enough. Plus it's usually easy to replace a box on a moment's notice.

 

[crenier]

Thanks for the advice Glassbird

First off thank you for the assistance Glassbird

I just ordered the test set today so it will be about 7-10 days before I get it. The bottled water is manufactured here in country using the water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. From what I have been told it is just plain old water stripped of all minerals and chemicals, they have been using it for years in his tank so I would think that it is ok as he is still very active and alive. I did not order chlorine remover because I am sure there is none in the bottled water and I wouldn't use the other water that is piped into the restrooms, especially since there is no plumbing anywhere near my office (think porta johns).

I am going to remove the rocks this afternoon as it is making me nervous. I'm going to have some aquarium rock/gravel sent from the states as it can be sent in a flat rate box but my mom is out of country right now so I will have to wait on that for another couple weeks. The current rocks in the tank are more of a gravel type but not too small as I know that the fish like to pick them up so I was unsure if I should get small stuff in case he could accidently swallow it?

Thank you again!
Cherie

Wow, lots of good questions! I am sure others will be along to help soon, so I will just take a stab at the questions I have answers for...

First, sounds like you have a project on your hands! I am a huge goldfish fan, so I would like to thank you for looking out for Zeus! The most vital item on your list of things that you have ordered is the master test kit. You will be doing a lot with that over the next few weeks. It is quite likely that some of the beneficial bacteria in the tank was removed when you moved the tank and cleaned the filter. Read all the articles here on cycling a tank. You might want to get a small notebook, and keep track of your test results, and water changes. Did you order some type of water conditioner/chlorine remover? I like Prime...it is very concentrated, and can help lower your ammonia levels which is especially helpful while cycling with a fish in the tank.

Just my opinion, but I would remove the rocks. Unknown rocks are an added complication/possible risk that you do not need right now. Any gravel in the tank? The gravel cleaner was a good purchase, just make sure you can find a completely clean bucket that can be dedicated for fish use only. Put a lid on it, to keep out dust and dirt, label it for fish use only, maybe store the gravel cleaner and other water change supplies in it.

The murkiness could be a bacterial bloom, or just stirred up sediment. When you say that the bottled water is "stripped of everything", what do you mean? Can you look up details on the specific brand of water? I am concerned about the pH of it...some bottled waters can be VERY low, which can bring on a whole crowd of issues.

You will get multiple opinions regarding the height of the water, and here is mine. Once you have the air pump and air stone going, you could raise the height until the water just slides into the surface (as opposed to falling). For now, I would let it fall, maybe an inch or so, just to boost oxygen levels. The pump and air stone will do it once they are installed.

I wish you were closer than Iraq! I could send you some media from my cycled tank to help Zeus's tank get through the cycle faster, but I do not think it would survive that long!

Anything else I can do to help, let me know. Any fish rescued by the Marines deserves a chance, in my book!

CT

 

[crenier]

Great Box idea JPKeenan

It is a stressful situation being over here, mainly because I am away from family and friends, but being a military brat having spent most of my life overseas as well as having served in the Navy myself, I find this life style "normal". You learn to make the best of every situation and it gives me great pride and fulfillment to be able to be here to support our troops while they do their job. It also helps that I LOVE my job and the money isn't bad either considering the current state of the economy. I love being able to have the fish, although it is actually agaisnt the rules to have pets over here, but oh well. There is a certain tranquility about fish and the way they move and play.

Thanks for the great box idea. I am in the logistic field and manage a storeroom of aircraft parts, so I have shelves of empty boxes for shipping. At the moment I don't have any big enough to cover the tank but I'm sure that they guys can jerry-rig something up, they are good at that. There is a light directly in front of the aquarium so I would like at least give him some dark time.

Thanks again
Cherie

Friend of mine I work with served over there in the Army. Don't matter what anyone thinks of the polotical reasons for being there don;t think you find a single person downing the folks over there. I'm at the age where I have friends and family that served in conflicts from Korea to our new front. Not something I would want to do no matter how good the pay is. Way too much mental and physical stress, so it is good that someone can find a little peace for a little time. We all need to find a little something to help us hang on when the stress gets too much.

With the military over there I think customs would be a bit relaxed for nationals. They might take an uzi, illicit stuff & the like but you figure they should cut a break for fish and fish care products .

Maybe as a cover all you'd have to do would be to cut a box down to the size of the glass of the tank. It might not stop all the light from coming it but it might be good enough. Plus it's usually easy to replace a box on a moment's notice.

 

[glassbird]

Gravel in a tank is one of those subjects that everyone has an opinion on..

Size is certainly an issue. Too small and they can swallow it, or get it stuck in the mouth. Too large, and it traps debris. Some people are big fans of "bare bottom" tanks... easy to keep clean and safe, but not everyone likes that look. A really safe option is bare bottom, with a single layer of "river rocks" or glass marbles..I like the marbles that are slightly flat. Clear or colored, whatever you like. I saw a tank with dark brown semi-flat ones once, nice. (But, I have standard aquarium gravel in my tank.) There is also the likelihood that quite a bit of beneficial bacteria is living in the gravel that you have now, so do not be in a hurry to remove it.

Re: the water...if it is what he is used to, and he is doing well, then that might be OK. But test the pH right out of a bottle, when you get your test kit. Also, not sure how water stripped of its minerals may affect a fish. I will step back and let someone else address that issue.

CT

 

[crenier]

Size is certainly an issue. Too small and they can swallow it, or get it stuck in the mouth. Too large, and it traps debris. Some people are big fans of "bare bottom" tanks... easy to keep clean and safe, but not everyone likes that look. A really safe option is bare bottom, with a single layer of "river rocks" or glass marbles..I like the marbles that are slightly flat. Clear or colored, whatever you like. I saw a tank with dark brown semi-flat ones once, nice. (But, I have standard aquarium gravel in my tank.) There is also the likelihood that quite a bit of beneficial bacteria is living in the gravel that you have now, so do not be in a hurry to remove it.
CT

The only thing that scares me about leaving the rocks in the aquarium is that he keeps piping at the top of the tank and he wasn't doing that before and the fact that the water looks more cloudy now. I like the look of just the river rocks on the bottom as I have it (not sure if you can see the pics in the album) but I plan on polishing some rocks for the tank (i have a rock tumbler here) although it will take me a couple months to do enough to put a layer on the bottom.

 

[EscVelocity]

Welcome to AA!

I just have a couple questions.
How long has the tank been set up in your office?
Is the office air conditioned?
How big is Zeus'?

Since you do not have a test kit as of now, water changes are gonna be your best friend. If his behavior is giving you a little scare, it wouldn't hurt to do at least a 30% water change. That will help also to ease your mind by eliminating what might be in the water column from introducing the unknown rocks to the aquarium. Make sure the bottled water is room temp when you add it. (I'm sure you know that, I'm just covering bases.)

Covering Zeus's aquarium at night wouldn't be a bad idea. Getting your hands on a good cave for him, would also benefit him.

Concerning the water. Distilled, Reverse Osmosis/Deionized water should be aerated in a bucket with a bubble stone or power head for at least an hour or left standing over night in a bucket. Bottled water and purified water contain practically zero oxygen. Purified water should also be treated to add essential minerals back into the water. You would need your test kit to test the water for PH and hardness before dosing. I recommend Kent RO right water conditioner Aquarium Water Conditioners for RO Water: Kent R/O Right Water Conditioner . If you decide to treat your water, i would start slowly so we don't shock the fish with a ph jump. I would treat 1/3 of your water change water, and use 2/3 straight bottled water. Do that for about 4 water changes, then switch to 2/3 treated water and 1/3 bottled water. 4 water changes later, use treated water exclusively. You should be doing atleast 25%-30% water changes weekly.

Thats all i have for now, good luck with Zeus'!

 

[crenier]

Welcome to AA!

I just have a couple questions.
How long has the tank been set up in your office?
Is the office air conditioned?
How big is Zeus'?

The tank has been set up for almost 2 days. The day after we set up the tank the water was clear and Zeus was good. That day we rinsed the rock in a collander and added to the tank. This morning tank was cloudy and he has been piping regularly all day.
Yes the office is air conditioned, but temp varies throughout the day.
I'd say he is about 5-6 inches long (head to base of tail) and 3-4 inch wide. I've attached pics so you can get a better feel of his size. I'm guessing it is a 15gal tank as that is what I was told. The tank dimensions are:

24" L x 12.5" W x 16" H

Its an acrylic tank.

 

[EscVelocity]

Your tank is a 20 gallon tall.

He is a very beautiful fish.

 

[crenier]

EscVelocity-
Well that is good to know. I believe everything I order was for a 30gal tank size anyways as I wasn't really sure and know we took out a lil more then 10 gallons to move him.

We did not clean the bio-wheels just floated them in tank while we cleaned out the filters. They were CAKED and hadn't been cleaned in some time. As I'm not sure how long they have been in there I think the charcoal is probably not any good anymore. I have some new ones on the way and was told to only change one at a time out. The filter has room for 4 media containers. Do I still only put 2 filters in?

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Lynae]

The rocks that you have in there don't appear to be porous, (which could leach extra things you couldn't get off) so I don't THINK that they'd be a Ph problem or any other matter. He may be piping because you have cleaned the tank a little too thoroughly in the past move?? That can sometimes throw your tank into a mini nitrogen cycle. Just thinking out loud for you. Your tank is indeed a 20 gallon high aquarium. Considering hes been in bottled water for a while, its probably okay, but just read up on what the bottle says, in terms of minerals, or reverse osmosis.. etc.. And ANY kind of nighttime cover would probably do him some good, throw a towel or shirt over it for the meantime, he'll thank you!
Once your shipment of fishie goodies comes in, you and Zeus shall be set!
Zeus is a stunning rescuee!!

 

[EscVelocity]

What did you clean out the filters with?

I would go with sponge filters and put as many that will fit. You can also use other materials. Charcoal/carbon filters you don't need to use regularly, they are really only good for removing impurities and medications. They do get old, and start to leach waste back into the water column. You can try to remove the carbon from the filter casing, and just put that back into your filter.
So, if you are using carbon filters, they should be replaced monthly. Don't worry about your bio-wheel, unless its falling apart.

I use a stack method in my filters. I have a penguin bio-wheel.
Sponge on bottom, filter floss, and a mesh baggie of gravel on top.

 

[crenier]

Lynae - I'd LOVE to read a label off the bottle but unfortunetly there is isn't one. The water is bottled here in Iraq and is merely a plain plastic litre bottle of water that comes 12 to a clear plastic case. I'm sure it can't be the best water as it sits out in this hot sun for a long time and when it freezes it freezes like no other liquid I've seen before. Its real odd.

I'm going to keep the rocks in for now and just do a 25-30% water change and see how that goes.

EscVelocity-
Just cleaned the filters with the bottled water.
What is filter floss? Can I buy a mess bag of gravel or do I need to make it myself?
I wish I had availability to more stuff but it is difficult being over here and when i google these products online I get a $**t load of answers that confuse me...I just wanted to give him a good home where his tank wouldn't be empty and he'd be fed on a daily basis.

Sorry that I'm not very knowledgeable at this stuff but I'm learning...QUICK!
Thanks again for ALL the help
Cherie and Zeus

 

[EscVelocity]

Filter floss is basically polyester fiber. The same stuff they use to stuff some types of pillows. If there is a fabric store around there, you can pick it up pretty cheap. Just rinse well without any detergent prior to use.
For the gravel, you can use new unwashed pantyhose, with the foot cut out. The gravel serves 2 purposes. It provides extra surface area for good bacteria to grow, and keeps your filter floss from floating away.

 

[crenier]

Filter floss is basically polyester fiber. The same stuff they use to stuff some types of pillows. If there is a fabric store around there, you can pick it up pretty cheap. Just rinse well without any detergent prior to use.
For the gravel, you can use new unwashed pantyhose, with the foot cut out. The gravel serves 2 purposes. It provides extra surface area for good bacteria to grow, and keeps your filter floss from floating away.

No fabric stores...I'm on a military base in Iraq.
Do I just assemble all that in a media container?