FranTom
Aquarium Advice Regular
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2013
- Messages
- 50
Here is my disclaimer - I'm new to this. Last August my BIL bought my 4 year old son a red cap fantail goldfish (which my son named "Tom") and a 15 gallon tank. He lived happily in that tank with bi-weekly water changes and a Marineland biowheel filter -- but the more I learned about him (and grew to really like the little guy!), the more I felt guilty about his small space. We also added an albino corydora (Rosie) and an otocinclus catfish (Emery). In the 15 gallon tank I changed the filter cartridges (not the biowheel, of course, just the carbon containing filter thing) every two weeks - following the instructions that came with the filter. The tank was always very clear and clean and Tom always seemed very happy and social.
Recently I bought them a 30 gallon tank (with a Marineland biowheel filter for a 50 gallon tank) and let it cycle for a couple of weeks, added Tom and his cleaning crew to the new tank and all was well for a couple of weeks. Then we added another fantail goldfish. That wasn't why we got a bigger tank, honestly, I fell in love with him the pet store and couldn't resist. (Kids named him Francisco.) I read that changing filter media is actually bad -- so I didn't change it at all (just rinsed it in old aquarium water during water changes) in the new tank. But, since we added Francisco the water has become slightly cloudy (milky?). I'm not even sure it's actually cloudy - it's so slight. I can still see everyone and their plants and such well, but it's not as crystal clear as it was at first. When the sunlight shines on the tank (not very often) it actually looks like there are too many bubbles in the water? Tom and Francisco seem healthy (as do their cleaning crew) -- although Francisco is not keen at sharing his food and does seem to chase Tom's tail around to get him away from his food (please tell me this will stop???). I was concerned about the cloudy water (never happened in the smaller tank) and so I changed the filter cartridges (rinsed the new ones in the old water at PWC). Was this a mistake?
Do I need to change the carbon in these filters? Just rinse them is fine??
Also - I never used any chemicals -- we actually filled the tank and do all water changes with bottled spring water (from an actual spring according to the listed source on the bottles).
Would it be too much to add another corydora now that we added Francisco?
Sorry this is so long.
Recently I bought them a 30 gallon tank (with a Marineland biowheel filter for a 50 gallon tank) and let it cycle for a couple of weeks, added Tom and his cleaning crew to the new tank and all was well for a couple of weeks. Then we added another fantail goldfish. That wasn't why we got a bigger tank, honestly, I fell in love with him the pet store and couldn't resist. (Kids named him Francisco.) I read that changing filter media is actually bad -- so I didn't change it at all (just rinsed it in old aquarium water during water changes) in the new tank. But, since we added Francisco the water has become slightly cloudy (milky?). I'm not even sure it's actually cloudy - it's so slight. I can still see everyone and their plants and such well, but it's not as crystal clear as it was at first. When the sunlight shines on the tank (not very often) it actually looks like there are too many bubbles in the water? Tom and Francisco seem healthy (as do their cleaning crew) -- although Francisco is not keen at sharing his food and does seem to chase Tom's tail around to get him away from his food (please tell me this will stop???). I was concerned about the cloudy water (never happened in the smaller tank) and so I changed the filter cartridges (rinsed the new ones in the old water at PWC). Was this a mistake?
Do I need to change the carbon in these filters? Just rinse them is fine??
Also - I never used any chemicals -- we actually filled the tank and do all water changes with bottled spring water (from an actual spring according to the listed source on the bottles).
Would it be too much to add another corydora now that we added Francisco?
Sorry this is so long.