New Member Rundown

[NinaKalada]

Hi. We have had multiple aquariums in the past two to three years. Yes. I have killed my share of fish. I'm learning. And I've aquired many aquatic things. I have 10 gallon tank that's in use. And a 5 gallon that's not in use. I had a gallon Dr. Suess bowl. But tht recently cracked when I made a hospital tank. But I do have another gallon Dr. Suess bowl too. That's being used by a land snail we picked up at our local state park fishing. He's thriving. Laid about 100 eggs too. Lol. Within two weeks. Still waiting for them to hatch. I am a water sign. Have always loved water life. Both animal and plant. I have started an interest in bamboo, bonsai, & airplants too. I actually added a stalk of lucky bamboo to te land snail tank. But I'm getting better t all of this thru trial and error. And a ton of research. Lol. One thing that boggles my mid is, how in the hell do people keep their tanks so clean. I have goldfish. 3. And I know it's not enough space. But every 2-3 days I vacuum & Syphon a water change. Their fine. But my water still gets cloudy. I test the pH. N am buying the master test kit or the 7 in 1. But that'll be next check. My vacuum Syphon is battery operated. N I love it. But is it because I have dirty goldfish that some particles remain within my gravel and cause the cloudy after a vacuum and Syphon water change? I'd live to literally watch a detailed video, numerous actually, to see how everyone else does it. And maybe pick a few tips. Any tips from anyone here would be incorporated. How the heck do people keep it sparkling like on TV? I'm always vacuuming and water changing. A few friends of mine have tanks. N their waters clear. I should say mine is too, jus cloudy after a maintenance. But their decor gravel and tank is disgusting. Algae etc. they get jealous when they see mine. Ty for anyone whom took their time to read this. As well as a special thank you to anyone who comments.


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[Brian_Nano12g]

Hi NinaKalada,

Welcome to AA! Please make your way to the General Discussions or Getting Started sub-forums in the FW section as you'll get a lot of good advice there.

But right off the bat, I can tell you that even a single goldfish is too much for a 10g. Even if they're not that large yet, they have a HUGE bioload, meaning they produce a lot of ammonia. I'd recommend to get a larger tank or rehome your goldie. You can get fish that stay small and aren't heavy ammonia producers. Something like a school of tetras. It sounds like you have more than one goldfish in there?

The key to crystal clear tanks is to not overstock, don't overfeed, have a good quality filter, and stay on top of partial water changes. I do mine once a week and change about 30% of the water. Also, to avoid algae, don't leave the lights on too long and don't setup a tank near a window.

[Dallascowboys16]

Welcome to aa! Yes Bryan is correct about the goldfish. Do you know about the nitrogen cycle? If not look at the article on this site about fish in cycling.

[fort384]

Welcome to AA!! We are glad to have you!