Hi from Arizona

[ilikemoneygreen]

Hello, im from Phoenix Arizona. I have a nice 55 gal tank and its been running well for 2 years now. i was initially scared of overcrowding my tank so i only bought 3 fish (this was 2 years ago) and they are 2 Koi fish and an algae eater. i just have a couple random questions. My first one being: recently i just re did my tank i have basically all new decorations and stuff. I got a new filter becuase the one i had wasnt really putting out anymore, and my heater gave up on me after everything was redone. I kinda bought them without doing my research but i bought the $$ ones just to be sure i wasnt getting crummy stuff. Can anyone tell me how i did?

• old filter was an AquaClear replaced by a Fluval U4 (the thing submerges in the tank)
• Heater before was Rena (then it cracked on me somehow) and now i have Aqueon pro 200.

Question 2, i bought these 2 koi fish but apparently they get 24' long, how long will this take? i really wish I would have been told that but i really didnt find out until recently googling my fish just for the fun of it. They are only about 6 inches now. Do petshops buy fish or would i just need a larger tank? (id buy one if it came to that)

Question 3, i recently saw an automatic fish feeder at petsmart. it looks like its got several compartments.... Do you think it would be healthier for the koi fish if i fill that up once a day so they can be fed multiple times instead of the one i usually do (sometimes twice... but mostly once at night) I realize automatic feeder is taking the fun out of things but feeding it would still be a daily occurance.

Question 4, since it has been 2 years, the tank does seem very roomy for more fish, anyone have any suggestions on a tough freshwater fish? i want it to be almost indestructible like the Koi but my fish knowledge isnt very high.

Question 5, my algae eater is kinda aggressive, i was thinking about adding a snail in their as well, think it would bother the snail? its only aggressive when one of my koi fish go to the bottom and start nipping at the rocks, which i guess is frequent.

Question 6, my whisper quiet airpump is still kinda loud, any suggestions on that? i bought a cheapy $10 topfin one today just to have something to compare it to and they were the same.
Thank you in the future for answering my questions and thanks for reading.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Hello, im from Phoenix Arizona. I have a nice 55 gal tank and its been running well for 2 years now. i was initially scared of overcrowding my tank so i only bought 3 fish (this was 2 years ago) and they are 2 Koi fish and an algae eater. i just have a couple random questions. My first one being: recently i just re did my tank i have basically all new decorations and stuff. I got a new filter becuase the one i had wasnt really putting out anymore, and my heater gave up on me after everything was redone. I kinda bought them without doing my research but i bought the $$ ones just to be sure i wasnt getting crummy stuff. Can anyone tell me how i did?

[*]old filter was an AquaClear replaced by a Fluval U4 (the thing submerges in the tank)
[*]Heater before was Rena (then it cracked on me somehow) and now i have Aqueon pro 200.


Question 2, i bought these 2 koi fish but apparently they get 24' long, how long will this take? i really wish I would have been told that but i really didnt find out until recently googling my fish just for the fun of it. They are only about 6 inches now. Do petshops buy fish or would i just need a larger tank? (id buy one if it came to that)

Question 3, i recently saw an automatic fish feeder at petsmart. it looks like its got several compartments.... Do you think it would be healthier for the koi fish if i fill that up once a day so they can be fed multiple times instead of the one i usually do (sometimes twice... but mostly once at night) I realize automatic feeder is taking the fun out of things but feeding it would still be a daily occurance.

Question 4, since it has been 2 years, the tank does seem very roomy for more fish, anyone have any suggestions on a tough freshwater fish? i want it to be almost indestructible like the Koi but my fish knowledge isnt very high.

Question 5, my algae eater is kinda aggressive, i was thinking about adding a snail in their as well, think it would bother the snail? its only aggressive when one of my koi fish go to the bottom and start nipping at the rocks, which i guess is frequent.

Question 6, my whisper quiet airpump is still kinda loud, any suggestions on that? i bought a cheapy $10 topfin one today just to have something to compare it to and they were the same.
Thank you in the future for answering my questions and thanks for reading.

Hi and welcome to AA!
I don't know a whole heap about koi but I know about gold fish. So I'll try help you out.

1. I'm not familiar with your filter so I can't help with the quality except its a fluval so your doing good there Filtration for goldfish, including koi, needs to be powerful so your total filtration needs to be 10 times (or more) the size of your tank per hour. So a 55 needs 550g/h.

What temperature do you set the tank at?

Very important question. Did you keep your old filter media and add it to you new filter? I ask because the beneficial bacteria lives on it and without it your tank will go into a cycle. I will link some info at the end if my post on it if your not familiar.

2. Most pet shops take trade ins or adoptions so that is an option when the time comes. They are pond fish and can live for decades so I'm assuming (don't quote me) that they will take a few years to reach even a foot in length. But as I said I don't know a whole heap about them. I don't think there is a commonly available tank large enough to accommodate them once they get bigger. They would be better off being rehomed to a pond.

3. Once a day feeding is fine but twice would be better. I would skip the auto feeder because it could malfunction dumping all the food in the tank or jam up and not feeding at all.

4. Technically your already over stocked so I wouldn't add any more fish to the mix.

5. My guess is you have a Chinese algae eater. Google a picture and see if that's what you've got. They are nasty bullies that latch on to the slime coat of other fish and give them 'hickies'. IMO you probably should rehome it before it does any damage to your koi.

6. Air pumps and stones aren't usually needed. Your filter usually produces enough surface agitation to promote oxygen exchange without it. They are good to have incase of emergencies though. As for the brand, I can't recommend one because I don't use them all the time.

Here is the link.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html

 

[Josh1158]

Sweet I had the same thing but it was all koi. I had two of the biggest H.O.B filters with bio wheels they make. I know it was over kill but they crap like none other. As far as decorations go, they ripped everything but rocks up. So I gave up on all but the big rock. I wouldn't worry about a heater they can live in a frozen pond as long as there is around 3 feet of water. As far as food goes, I fed mine once a day or every other day and they grew like crazy. When I traded them back to the lfs they gave me like 90 bucks credit for 4 of them. They vearied from 8 to 5 inches long. I wouldn't worry about the air pump unless there at the top sucking air. And just a fyi don't put a channel cat with them, he might eat them or at least try till there covered in bloody teeth marks and you remove him

 

[ilikemoneygreen]

Hi and welcome to AA!
I don't know a whole heap about koi but I know about gold fish. So I'll try help you out.

1. I'm not familiar with your filter so I can't help with the quality except its a fluval so your doing good there Filtration for goldfish, including koi, needs to be powerful so your total filtration needs to be 10 times (or more) the size of your tank per hour. So a 55 needs 550g/h.
Wow, i didnt know that... Why is this? mine is 260g/h which is only like 4.7 times 55. The box says its rated to 65 gallons. Wouldn't that x10 rule mean if you want the water to filter every hour? if mine filters every 2 to 3 hours is that really a cause for concern? i guess im confused where they come up with the number on the box now. i prolly could buy another one and run 2 of them. I might need more resarch into the 10x rule though. ***Just read the link, your after double the filtration. i see.

What temperature do you set the tank at?
My thermometer is set at 80, tank temp is currently 81.5.

Very important question. Did you keep your old filter media and add it to you new filter? I ask because the beneficial bacteria lives on it and without it your tank will go into a cycle. I will link some info at the end if my post on it if your not familiar.
I did not, i threw it out with the filter. In my defense though, none of the media would fit into my new filter anyway. I guess i could have got the biomax to fit. Im unsure of what you mean by cycle though... i probably should have gone to this site sooner, becuase i have always thrown out old media and added new stuff in the old AquaClear anyway. the whole tanks usually scrubbed down with water drained as well. (at least koi fish are tuff )
2. Most pet shops take trade ins or adoptions so that is an option when the time comes. They are pond fish and can live for decades so I'm assuming (don't quote me) that they will take a few years to reach even a foot in length. But as I said I don't know a whole heap about them. I don't think there is a commonly available tank large enough to accommodate them once they get bigger. They would be better off being rehomed to a pond.

3. Once a day feeding is fine but twice would be better. I would skip the auto feeder because it could malfunction dumping all the food in the tank or jam up and not feeding at all.

4. Technically your already over stocked so I wouldn't add any more fish to the mix.


5. My guess is you have a Chinese algae eater. Google a picture and see if that's what you've got. They are nasty bullies that latch on to the slime coat of other fish and give them 'hickies'. IMO you probably should rehome it before it does any damage to your koi.

i think its called the Hifin Spotted Pleco but it could also be the Plecostomus, the pics look very similar at petsmart site. Are these the chinese ones you are referring to? i hope not, hes the biggest in the tank, but i love that guy.

6. Air pumps and stones aren't usually needed. Your filter usually produces enough surface agitation to promote oxygen exchange without it. They are good to have incase of emergencies though. As for the brand, I can't recommend one because I don't use them all the time.

Here is the link.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html

put in blue

 

[ilikemoneygreen]

Sweet I had the same thing but it was all koi. I had two of the biggest H.O.B filters with bio wheels they make. I know it was over kill but they crap like none other. As far as decorations go, they ripped everything but rocks up. So I gave up on all but the big rock. I wouldn't worry about a heater they can live in a frozen pond as long as there is around 3 feet of water. As far as food goes, I fed mine once a day or every other day and they grew like crazy. When I traded them back to the lfs they gave me like 90 bucks credit for 4 of them. They vearied from 8 to 5 inches long. I wouldn't worry about the air pump unless there at the top sucking air. And just a fyi don't put a channel cat with them, he might eat them or at least try till there covered in bloody teeth marks and you remove him

Wow, my koi seem gentle. They definitely pecked the decor a couple of times but i think it was exploratory. im hoping they dont grow crazy like yours. 6 inches in 2 years isnt bad. I could set money aside every week just for a bigger tank. id have a nice 120 gal if my mom didnt take it for the two turtles (not really a fan, fish are cooler). Whats lfs if you dont mind me asking? a google hit gives me one shop in WA but idk if thats what you mean. And rofl, i dont have a cat fish. At least i dont think its a cat. its a Hifin Spotted Pleco but it could also be the Plecostomus... not sure which. Is that still bad?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

put in blue

Twice per hour is for tropicals. 10x and hour is needed for goldfish/koi because they have a very high waste output. They poop a lot and produce huge amounts of ammonia.

80F is too high for them. They are cool water fish so do better at room temperature.

In the link I gave you are some links on cycling. They will explain the nitrogen cycle. VERY important for a healthy, stable tank.

The pleco isn't the CAE. It can reach two feet long and is a poop machine just like your koi. They need a 125g tank.

Do you have your old filter still? If you can run it beside your new filter that will help out a bit.

Edit: Plecos don't make good tank mates for koi/goldfish. They require different water temperatures and, even through not as bad as the CAE, they have been known to suck the slime coats off them.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

LFS = local fish shop/store.

 

[Josh1158]

The # on the box is how many gallons per hour the pump can do. I personally feel the more the merrier.
81 degrees !?! For koi ? Thats kinda hot... Try around 72 76ish .

The filter looked like this. It's a penguin 330. I had carbon in the baskets and there is a filter pad that goes in too but I don't use that now. If you can find one they work great I've had mine almost 8 years I think. It's on my reef tank now and it only gives me a problem when the power goes out and comes back on.

 

[ilikemoneygreen]

This thread.... Informing indeed.

Im glad i didn't go with the canister that i was looking at then, it was only 250g/h. That penguin 300 filter looks INSANE, like a race car compared to the one i just got rid of. Are the HOB ones better? i kinda backed off the kind because of the waterfall noise, is the penguin loud? Mumma, what does this mean? : "The pleco isn't the CAE."

Heater is now on 72 btw. Chillin em down. It actually gets unplugged in summer but winter gets in the low 60's so i have to warm it up. Im to cheap to warm up the whole house.

Thank you all for your help so far btw, this is great stuff. They should inscribe this on a golden plaque and hang it up right before you enter the pet store. Who would have thought sticking to the box descriptions was actually for the uninformed.

 

[Josh1158]

I've never used a canister so I don't know on that. My koi were gentle too they jusy plowed the gravel like some amish dudes on crack.

When they got to big I traded them in at the pet store. I would get some new ones or go for something different. I had went lil comunity fish and that was fun. Platies, sword tails, and guppies were a blast. They have live babbies and you can mix colors and make new ones

 

[Josh1158]

Ohh yeah I took the annoying water fall noise as a clue to add more water. The worse it got the more I knew I had to do it

 

[ilikemoneygreen]

Ohh yeah I took the annoying water fall noise as a clue to add more water. The worse it got the more I knew I had to do it

That is so true. i filled the tank becuase the noise, not becuase i the fish need it to live in
It would be cool to have a school of fish in my tank, im not a fan of the 1 cm big fish though. I like looking at the koi, they are there... small fish they are just meh... not really a presence. it would be cool if they sold adult fish, like big enough for me to enjoy but not 2 feet long.

And rofl to the crack joke in the previous post. i rolled past that in my quick skim, got a text from a friend and started laughing when it registered in my head moments later. +1 for delayed reaction.

 

[Josh1158]

Yeah the school fish are different but it's cool as **** when you have a school of 8 fish and another school of 6 different fish and 4 or 5 other individuals swimming around.

 

[ilikemoneygreen]

I took a Marine Biology class last semester, the classroom had a huge tank, like 500g+ gallons and it had a couple schools of fish. It was pretty awesome. it also had live coral and stuff so thats way out of my reach but i stared aat that two hours a day. So i know what you mean. it is pretty cool seeing that. on a side note on topic, i guess im going "dumbster" diving tomorrow (see what i did their) and retrieving that old filter. i dont know though, its not exactly the best after 2+ years. Its a cheapy. Nothing like the Penguin.

 

[Josh1158]

Yeah I went salt water, it costs more to get all the stuff but all the little things you see that you didn't know were there are worth it.

As far as the filters go what you pay for is what you get. That one cost me like 40 or 50 bucks I think. I've seen them not to long ago but it was called a emperor or something I think.

 

[ilikemoneygreen]

Yeah I went salt water, it costs more to get all the stuff but all the little things you see that you didn't know were there are worth it.

As far as the filters go what you pay for is what you get. That one cost me like 40 or 50 bucks I think. I've seen them not to long ago but it was called a emperor or something I think.

i spent $80 on my fluval two days ago. I thought i was stepping it up and just biting the bullet but i guess i was wrong. Im not buying that same one, ill prolly just get another cheapy.

In a side thought though, While it may be a rule of thumb to have a tank full of fish to have 10xtank size... That ignores the variable on the fish. While its true my fish do poo a lot, their current size isnt exactly big (at the moment) so its not really a lot. Ive got 3 fish in their about 6inches big including tail. i do monitor the ammonia rates before i just "cycled" (so i guess that doesnt count as much now) Every week or so i stick in a strip and nitrate and nitrite are always white. if i had 8 regular gold fish out putting their normal poo, id prolly need the 10x because of the output but situationally the current size of the fish, and the low number of them, the one filter will probably work. volume of poo now is (im making up numbers to explain my theory) 2cm^3 rather then 6cm^3. Im still going to do what you guys say, im just battling it out in my head though.

 

[Josh1158]

Whoa I thought thoes were good. I would bring it back and get a new one I ya could. The bio load you got isn't really much to really worry about.
I've drove my self completely nuts with all thoes tests you can get. It always seems like something is to high and I gota fix it. Which just ends up sucking more money outa my pocket. I've found it's cheaper and less stresful to just let things take there course. Ya win some, ya lose some. Just learn something from it and it's worth what ever dumped into it.

 

[ilikemoneygreen]

Whoa I thought thoes were good. I would bring it back and get a new one I ya could. The bio load you got isn't really much to really worry about.
I've drove my self completely nuts with all thoes tests you can get. It always seems like something is to high and I gota fix it. Which just ends up sucking more money outa my pocket. I've found it's cheaper and less stresful to just let things take there course. Ya win some, ya lose some. Just learn something from it and it's worth what ever dumped into it.

lol, the reason i got koi fish is my dad said they live in ponds and stuff so they are a pretty good beginner fish. Even if i had problem they would live through it which probably has been right. i guess letting my dad tell me things isnt good cuz the other day when i did change everything he cussed me out for buying a couple gallons of purified water and told me that ph didnt matter. We have a well, which apparently has the ph (acidity) of above 8.8 (which was the highest reading my liquid stuff could show) and the reading in the holding tank for my fish was 6.4 (that water came from the tank before i dumped it out) lol, i think that would have been bad if i just threw em in that acid bath. even after a whole bottle of ph down it was off the charts 8.8+. My whole 55g tank is basically purified water. diluted it with 2 tank inches of my water and then it was 7.0 that 2 inches also turned the tank water to very hard. Why i just told you that is beyond me, i forgot at this point but i hope you enjoyed it.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

You have a pleco (what your sucker/carfish is) not at CAE (chinese algae eater).

If you think about it - 3 6in goldfish (same amount of waste as your fish) in a 55g tank is one fish off being fully stocked. Your fish are going to get much bigger so filtering 10x (at the very minimum 8x) an hour is really needed.

I've just bought (just arrived by mail 10mins ago! Excited!) a new canister filter for my goldfish rated for 12x The tanks volume an hour for $70 on eBay.

What is your taps normal pH? To test leave a cup of water to degas over night then check. Changing pH is dangerous for fish. It causes stress and stress can lead to illness. So I high stable pH is way better than a constantly changing or chemically altered on. pH altering chemicals can actually poison fish.

 

[redsea]

Welcome, thanks for joining AA!