New to the fish thing

[idavis90]

Hello all,

So my girlfriend and I just bought our first tank setup at Petco and then got a Fantail Goldfish. We bought the Aqueon 10 gallon basic starter kit (http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-17750-Basic-Kit-Aquarium/dp/B00176CMYI) since it was on sale. We followed the directions for the tank and they seem to be a bit vague. We set it all up, filtered it through and added our fish. I have a few questions though.

1. It seems like our fish is constantly swimming against a current so I was wondering if the filter is too strong for it. Any time it goes near the 'water fall' it seems to be pushed down a little. I don't know if I filled it up too much or if it is too strong.

2. The second question is how long to keep the light on for a goldfish. I have read different opinions ranging from 5-12 hour cycles. The kit came with a light and I don't know how long to keep it on/off for.

3. The third question I have is how many goldfish can fit in a 10 gallon tank. I was reading that it should be 1 fish to 10 gallons in some places, and then 1 fish per 30 gallons, and the people at Petco said 1 gallon per inch of fish. I'm not sure what to go with here.

Thanks for any help in advance and I hope to hear from you all soon.

 

[jsoong]

I assume you did not cycle the tank? If not, the first thing you need to do is understand cycling.
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

Now to the answers:
1. Fantails can swim against pretty strong current. A basic starter kit will not have a filter strong enough to harm it. <For reference, serious goldfish keepers have filters at 10x tank turnover. My pump return over 1000 gal/hr. That is an order of magnitude higher current than any starter kit.> A small fish or frys may get pushed back a bit in strong current, but they seem to enjoy playing in the current. As long as the fish is not sick & be pushed around by the filter & appears unable to regain balance, I would not worry too much.

2. If you only have fish, it does not matter too much as long as there is a dark period of 6 hrs or so each day for the fish to rest. Having the lights on longer will encourage more algae. So most fish only tanks are only lit for a few hours in the evening when there is someone around to enjoy watching the fish. <The rest of the time, ambient light is just fine for the fish.> If you have plants then 12 hr on 12 hr off is a good schedule.

3. I am afraid that the inch per gallon "rule" only applies to tropical fish ... Goldfish is thick bodied & requires much more water (and surface area). A 10 gal generally is only good for small (less than 1") goldfish (and only the double tailed fancies), and only 2-3. You will need to move the fish to bigger digs as they grow. I would say a pair of fancies at 2" each is the max a 10 gal can support. And even at that, you will be needing to have good filtration, and weekly or twice weekly large (50%) water changes. Considering that fancies can get to 4-6" within 1-2 years, a 10 gal is a temporary home.

My suggestion is to get through the cycling process, and then start considering a tank upgrade. <You will need to do this within 1-2 year max.> I would suggest a minimum of a 40 gal breeder tank for fancy goldfish (you can have 3-4 in that setup.). <Breeder tanks are shallower, and have larger surface area & so can support more fish.>

 

[pistolero]

The filter should be fine. My fantails like swimming in the waterfall. Filling the tank up all the way to the top can help cut the flow down by lowering the distance the water falls.

Congrats on your new hobby. You found the right place for good info. Welcome to AA!

 

[jlk]

Read up on cycling your tank! I would highly suggest taking the fish back until you can do this and i would look into getting a smaller fish if you plan on keeping the ten gallon. Fancy goldfish (such as a fantail) need atleast 20 gallons for one fish and can grow quite a bit. Also purchase an API master test kit-it will be the wisest purchase you can make!

 

[librarygirl]

Hi and welcome. My thoughts in blue:

Hello all,

So my girlfriend and I just bought our first tank setup at Petco and then got a Fantail Goldfish. We bought the Aqueon 10 gallon basic starter kit (http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-17750-Basic-Kit-Aquarium/dp/B00176CMYI) since it was on sale. We followed the directions for the tank and they seem to be a bit vague. We set it all up, filtered it through and added our fish. I have a few questions though.
That filter is a bit insufficient for the tank with a goldfish in there. AquaClear filters are highly recommended, just get one that's rated higher than your tank (an Aquaclear 30-50 would be good). Just move your filter media over to the new filter so you don't lose any beneficial bacteria that may be starting to grow.

1. It seems like our fish is constantly swimming against a current so I was wondering if the filter is too strong for it. Any time it goes near the 'water fall' it seems to be pushed down a little. I don't know if I filled it up too much or if it is too strong.
It's more likely it's ammonia poisoning. Have you done any water changes?

2. The second question is how long to keep the light on for a goldfish. I have read different opinions ranging from 5-12 hour cycles. The kit came with a light and I don't know how long to keep it on/off for.
Doesn't matter. Fish do like some dark, so keeping it off overnight is good. Otherwise it doesn't matter unless you start to see some algae growth then it could be on too long. Anywhere up to 8-10 hours per day is the average.

3. The third question I have is how many goldfish can fit in a 10 gallon tank. I was reading that it should be 1 fish to 10 gallons in some places, and then 1 fish per 30 gallons, and the people at Petco said 1 gallon per inch of fish. I'm not sure what to go with here.
For goldfish, the general rule is 20 gals for the first fish, 10 gals for each additional. So with one goldfish in a 10 you are already overstocked (they are very messy fish). Your other larger problem is that the tank isn't properly cycled. If you don't have one, get a good liquid test kit (API Master is best). Test your water daily for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Any time ammonia and/or nitrite is over .25 do a water change (using a good dechlorinator like Seachem Prime) to get it down as close to 0 as you can; same with nitrate over 20. You'll be doing this for some weeks until the tank cycles. Although I have to say with a goldie in a 10 gal it may be a losing battle. I suggest returning the goldfish, cyclng the tank fishless and then research suitable fish for the 10 gal. Or upgrade to a 20 gal. (and that's if the goldfish is the only fish you want; if you want more you'll need a larger tank). There's a link in my signature called "new tank with fish;" it'll guide you through the cycling process if you decide to cycle with the goldie. There's also a link called 'what is cycling' that will explain why this needs to be done.

Thanks for any help in advance and I hope to hear from you all soon.

 

[idavis90]

Thanks for the replies all and sorry I didn't respond earlier. This tank is going to be a temporary home for sure since the apartment I am in is a temporary home so I will but upgrading in about a year. For now I have ordered the API Master Kit since no stores around me seem to have it and it should be here tomorrow or Wednesday. I did a water change to be safe over this weekend and our fish seems to be really happy. He is swimming strong and quick and I haven't noticed anything odd about him. Hopefully the test kit will let me know more about the water.

 

[librarygirl]

Thanks for the replies all and sorry I didn't respond earlier. This tank is going to be a temporary home for sure since the apartment I am in is a temporary home so I will but upgrading in about a year. For now I have ordered the API Master Kit since no stores around me seem to have it and it should be here tomorrow or Wednesday. I did a water change to be safe over this weekend and our fish seems to be really happy. He is swimming strong and quick and I haven't noticed anything odd about him. Hopefully the test kit will let me know more about the water.

Nice to hear that he's doing well. Personally with a goldfish in an uncycled 10 gal I'd be doing water changes of 50% every 1-2 days. They are very messy fish and ammonia can build up quickly in a tank that small. When you get the test kit, just post here if you need further help. Good luck!

 

[jlk]

Just a quick note, fancy fantail goldfish are not known for their 'quick' swimming. With everything you have told us, i am suspecting ammonia and/or nitrite poisoning. I would strongly suggest you start doing 50% pwcs every day. Once you are able to check your water parameters, you may be able to modify this a bit but not much because your tank will become toxic very quickly without them. Let us know how your numbers are and we will be able to further advise you! Also, make sure you are using a water conditioner with every pwc. Please keep us updated!

 

[librarygirl]

Just a quick note, fancy fantail goldfish are not known for their 'quick' swimming. With everything you have told us, i am suspecting ammonia and/or nitrite poisoning. I would strongly suggest you start doing 50% pwcs every day. Once you are able to check your water parameters, you may be able to modify this a bit but not much because your tank will become toxic very quickly without them. Let us know how your numbers are and we will be able to further advise you! Also, make sure you are using a water conditioner with every pwc. Please keep us updated!

Nice catch! I thought something was off b/c I know by now that fish should be in trouble without daily water changes. Thanks for the info.

 

[tarpon]

I would take the goldfish out and cycle it. Then get tropical fish. You can do so much more and are limiting yourself bc id only recomend keeping 1 goldfish in a 10 and even that would be temporary.

 

[librarygirl]

I would take the goldfish out and cycle it. Then get tropical fish. You can do so much more and are limiting yourself bc id only recomend keeping 1 goldfish in a 10 and even that would be temporary.

I actually agree to this too. I know it's hard to hear but a goldfish in an uncycled 10 gal tank is going to be an uphill battle with trying to keep ammonia (and eventually nitrite) levels down. That fish alone needs a 20 gal minimum. I know PetCo has a return policy for fish and it hasn't been that long, I would highly recommend returning the fish, cycling the tank fishless with ammonia the proper way (link in my signature; new empty tank), and then stock the tank with fish suitable for a 10 gal.

 

[jlk]

I agree with taking the fish back (that was my earlier suggestion). If you decide to keep him, he really needs minimum of a 20 galllon tank. You can try craigslist to find one super cheap.

 

[tarpon]

Id buy an aqeuon or python water changer if you have the money too! I just bought one and now i know why people love them.
Test kit first though

 

[librarygirl]

Id buy an aqeuon or python water changer if you have the money too! I just bought one and now i know why people love them.
Test kit first though

I have an Aqueon and I like it too, although I don't use it much anymore. It might be overkill for a 10 gal tank though lol

 

[jsoong]

Just a quick note, fancy fantail goldfish are not known for their 'quick' swimming. ...

Not strictly true ... it all depends on what you have. A metallic fantail (the most common in chain store) is actually quite fast. <I had one that is named speedy!> They can compete with single tailed fish for food.

A better indication of NH3/NO2 poisoning is air-hunger - ie breathing very fast & gulping air at the surface.

 

[tarpon]

I have an Aqueon and I like it too, although I don't use it much anymore. It might be overkill for a 10 gal tank though lol

Oh yeah..it probably would haha

 

[jlk]

Not strictly true ... it all depends on what you have. A metallic fantail (the most common in chain store) is actually quite fast. <I had one that is named speedy!> They can compete with single tailed fish for food.

A better indication of NH3/NO2 poisoning is air-hunger - ie breathing very fast & gulping air at the surface.

Hi jsoong! Im not debating the speed of goldfish and its a not a good idea to combine fancies with their single-tailed friends and hope the fancies can compete for the same food (they generally can not but im sure there are exceptions to this rule). That said, any fancy in an uncycled 10 gal tank without frequent water changes is at high risk of ammonia and/or nitrite poisoning. I learned this one the hard way when i first began my adventures in fishdom.

 

[jsoong]

I am not advocating combining fancy & commons at all, esp. in tanks. I also agree that any goldfish in a 10 is a lot of work & risks bad water. However, simply seeing the fish swimming fast is not necessarily any sign of illness.

 

[idavis90]

Alright, so we returned the fish last week and got the API test kit which showed the water was not good for it, but it's back at the store now. I started cycling the tank a few days ago. I have a couple questions though. The guide I read said to pump the heater up but we don't have one. We are thinking of going with tropical type fish that can live in a 10 gallon tank and would love some suggestions. We were thinking either a red, blue, or yellow variety. With that in mind, will we need a heater anyway? Also, for the pwc's should I just use a bucket system or is it worth it to get a python or aqueon water changer? I will let you all know what the levels of my tank are when i get to test it again tonight. Thanks for all the help.

 

[tarpon]

The python is not worth it for a ten gallon