Need advice please!!

[KelsiDaisi]

I have a 28" tall and 18" wide hex. tank, not really sure how many gallons it is but assuming between 25-28 gals. I my tank I have the goldfish who is now about 3-4in., 2 angels, and a female kribensis. Im wondering a few different things because I want to have a good running tank with live plants and happy fish. I have three live plants currently will add more as I can. I was trying to figure out though if I should trade my female Krib in... shes still a little bossy in to the other fish even with out a mate (mostly picks on my goldfish) and recently my one angel seems to have a shorter fin.... dont know if it was the krib or not. So..
1. should I trade my lone female krib in?
2. Is there any schooling like fish I could keep with my angels and goldfish instead I want activity.
3. my water parameters are all screwy
I have a
NO3 of 0
NO2 of 0
PH of 8.0
KH of 240!!
GH of 0-30
and my ammonia is at stress level.
I did just do a water change and rearranged the tank and they are all still a little skittish (plus thats when I tried to catch my CAE before he died in my holding tank)
So as you can see im a beginner, looking for help with having a nice active tank and understanding how to keep things level, any help I would greatly appreciate. Thank you

 

[Aliray]

One of your major problems is that goldfish are cool water fish and angel fish need temps of 78 to 80 degrees. the krib is also a warmwater fish. Can you put the goldfish in another tank. You shouldn't need a heater for him but it is a must with the other two. Alison

 

[sinibotia]

The goldfish will outgrow the tank you have, and like Aliray said it has different temperature needs. Having two angelfish means you have a good chance of ending up with a pair which will terrorize any other fish so I wouldn't add schooling fish.

Your water paramters are screwy because your tank isn't cycled. You need to do water changes as often as necessary to keep your ammonia below .5 ppm.

 

[KelsiDaisi]

I actually don't have another tank to remove him so if I do I have to get rid of him I'm afraid to take him to a pet store and let him become a feeder fish. I do like him even though he's only a goldfish. I recently did learn about cyling a fish tank and I failed to do so when I started. I let it run for three days but I have learned that's not really how you do it. I started by getting advice at a PetCo.... they know nothing I have come to find. They also told me cold water was fine for my angels because that's what they keep theirs in... I almost lost all my fish due to that. I'm trying to incorporate plants to help cycle it a little but I don't think that's the right way getting an actual ammonia test tomorrow not strips, and going to start recording what I get. I'm so determined to make this work I've become obsessed. I'm just having a hard start. So my goldfish's life with me is being decided tonight. I will take him with me tomorrow if I can't figure out what else to I have a 3gal bowl but I don't want to stick him back in that...

 

[ScotJudd]

I actually don't have another tank to remove him so if I do I have to get rid of him I'm afraid to take him to a pet store and let him become a feeder fish. I do like him even though he's only a goldfish. I recently did learn about cyling a fish tank and I failed to do so when I started. I let it run for three days but I have learned that's not really how you do it. I started by getting advice at a PetCo.... they know nothing I have come to find. They also told me cold water was fine for my angels because that's what they keep theirs in... I almost lost all my fish due to that. I'm trying to incorporate plants to help cycle it a little but I don't think that's the right way getting an actual ammonia test tomorrow not strips, and going to start recording what I get. I'm so determined to make this work I've become obsessed. I'm just having a hard start. So my goldfish's life with me is being decided tonight. I will take him with me tomorrow if I can't figure out what else to I have a 3gal bowl but I don't want to stick him back in that...

Hi there. It's heartening that you want to succeed but sad that you've not had good advice as a novice. It can quickly put people off fish keeping.
Mixing goldfish with tropicals is a losing start. Pick cold water or tropical and stick with fish within those temperature ranges. Tropical, despite requiring a heater, is no more difficult than cold water but the choice of fish is much greater (size, colour, shoals etc).
Starting with a crib and two angels is also not perfect, but you have them now and have to work with what you've got. If you had no fish I would have recommended a fish less cycle or a fish cycle with a few tetras or guppies.
So, get yourself a good liquid test kit that tests Ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. See where you are in the cycle and use water changes, with dechlorinated water, to bring any dangerous levels down. Use a product like Prime to protect your fish until the cycling is complete.
Finding fish for a tall tank, as yours is, can be a challenge. Many fish will monopolise either the bottom, middle or top. I find that my tetras go everywhere but rarely swim above the planting so you could do with some tall plants to make them feel secure.
Post your test results and which fish you decide to keep and I'm sure you'll get very positive advice.


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[HooKooDooKu]

Some gross calculations indicate that you are in the right ball park for how many gallons your tank holds.

And I too have read that gold fish should not be kept with other fish. It's more than just the water temperature difference, there's also something about their slime coat that keeps them from being good tank made for anything else other than other gold fish.

I would suggest getting a second tank for the gold fish. Unless you have a "fancy" gold fish, just about any tank size is going to be considered too small... because given the right environment, a gold fish can grow to about a foot.

What I can say from experience is that a common gold fish in a 10 gallon tank will soon look cramped. But if you go to a 20g long, the gold fish will only grow to about 6" and won't look too cramped with that amount of space to swim in.