Complete newbie with a stupid question.

[subrhythm]

Hi everyone - complete newbie here. I've inherited my brother's tank of fish - three goldfish and two zebra danios. He has them in a pretty small tank so I've bought a bigger one - 13g. I have a really stupid question about the new tank's filter. It has four compartments, one with bio balls, one with ceramic rings and two with carbon/sponge. The bio balls and ceramic rings are in mesh-type bags - do I need to take them out of the bags?

Also, the guy at the pet shop said I could put up to ten goldfish in the 13g tank. From what I've read online, this would be massively overstocking the tank. Any thoughts on this?

The old tank is pretty small, and I don't think it has been cleaned or looked after for a while, and its certainly never had the water tested. I read online that I should use some of the old water when I set up the new tank. Is this still advisable, given that the old tank was rarely cleaned or looked after? Should I just set up the new tank with new water and let it cycle?

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Laura

 

[Razorbackfan]

Welcome to the forum! I'm going to let someone else address the issue about stocking and how many goldfish can go in your tank. I do know that goldfish have a really large bioload so don't listen to the local fish shop (LFS) advice.

I can help with the other questions:

Leave the rings & bioballs in the mesh bags. That keeps them grouped together so they're easier to manage. You probably already know this, but when you clean the rings/bioballs, just rinse them in some treated/tank water. You want to rinse off the debris, but you don't want to kill the good bacteria by running the filter material under untreated water.

As I understand it, most of the good bacteria (that cycle your tank) are not in the water; they're on the surfaces of bioballs/ceramic rings and other filter materials, plants, etc. Move those from the old tank into the new tank to to help cycle it.

 

[jbree13]

Hey, bio balls, leave them in the bag! For up to ten gold fish! WAY OVER STALKING. Keep it to what you have that is already a decent amount of fish in a tank that size (don't go more). Um it's always advisable to use the old tank water, but if you are unsure, don't bother. Let the tank cycle, and goldfish honestly aren't picky at all... So don't be to worried. Although goldfish should only be kept by themselves because they produce so much waste, so be careful!

 

[bud29]

You really want 1 goldfish in a 20 gallon and 1 more per every 10 gallons. (So, 2 goldfish in a 30 gallon) So, 10 goldfish in a 13 gallon tank is incredibly overstocked. They are very messy fish and it would stunt their growth to keep 10 in a small tank. Really, it's not good to keep 2 in a 13 gallon.

 

[subrhythm]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm starting to think I really need a bigger tank if I want the goldfish to be happy and healthy! I haven't used the new tank I bought yet so maybe the pet shop will let me take it back and get a bigger one.

I'm also worried about the goldfish having to be in their old small tank while I'm cycling the new one. I've heard it can take up to three months to properly cycle a new tank?! The old tank is about 7 gallons - how often should I be doing water changes and how much water should I be changing to keep the small tank healthy enough to keep the goldfish in while I'm cycling the new one?

Sorry for all the questions - I just want to look after these fish as best I can. I'm a vet nurse so I'm not used to being so unsure about what's best for these little animals!!

subrhythm

 

[jlk]

Do you know what type of goldfish they are? A fancy goldfish would be cramped in a 13g by itself. if they are single tail goldfish, 13g is quite overstocked with three. The additional fish further overstock it. You did a wonderful thing by getting a bigger tank but I honestly would rehome the goldfish unless you have plans for a much larger tank.

 

[subrhythm]

One is a Shubunkin, one is a Black Moor and the other one i'm not 100% sure, though I think it's a Common Goldfish - it's white and gold, and has a single tail. I can't rehome them - they have sentimental value! So i'm thinking my only option is to get a much bigger tank. I want them to be happy

 

[jlk]

Do you know how long they were living in the small tank? I am trying to get an idea of how badly they have been stunted to give you a better idea of a suitable tank size. The bad news is stunting is not 'curable' and they may have a diminished lifespan as a result of it. The good thing is you can provide them with ample, healthy water and they still should have a happy life. Keeping the moor with the shubunkin & common is not ideal but as long as you make sure the moor gets his fair share of food & he isn't being bullied, you should be ok. Typically in ideal conditions & care, shubunkins grow easily over a foot & commons well over foot (up to 18in). Moors can reach a foot in length as well. Please don't hesitate to ask questions!!

 

[subrhythm]

My brother had them in his 7 gallon tank for almost two years. I had no idea that goldfish could get that big! The people at pet and fish shops really don't give the best advice when it comes to keeping them properly. The guy at the place I bought my 13 gallon tank from said I could keep 10 goldfish in it, and to run it for two days before putting fish in it. He obviously had no idea what he was talking about!

 

[jlk]

I am sorry your lfs gave you such awful advice!!! Ok, if these guys spent 2yrs in a tiny tank so far, they are quite severely stunted. They will likely grow some once they have sufficient water but won't reach their full adult size. Goldfish do the largest portion of growth in their first 2-3yrs of life. So, I would look at a 40-50g tank for them & hope for the best!

 

[Alyxx]

As for keeping them in the old tank while cycling the new, don't! Just get the 40 or 55 if you can, and then move them over and do a fish in cycle. They are harder to do because you need to do frequent water changes, but even with the cycling it is better to be in 40 or more gallons than in 7. Also, move their current filter onto the new tank so that it will pretty much be instantly cycled for the existing bioload. When you get your new filter going, move some of the media from the old one into that one, maybe one of the bags of bio balls or something. That will seed the new filter with beneficial bacteria. This way you will probably not even see a cycle, and if you do it will be a mini cycle. Remember you do not cycle the water, you cycle the filter. I would keep both filters running on the larger tank just for the additional filtration and water movement. With goldfish it is recommended to have 10x filtration, so for a 40 gallon you should shoot for filters that circulate 400 gallons per hour, for a 55 you want at least 550 gallons per hour (gph). Good luck, and good for you for wanting to improve these fishes' lives!

 

[tamtam]

everyone is giving great advice on the goldies, you know they need a bigger tank which is great. When setting up either of the new ones use the old filter/media and if you have any decorations in that tank move them over too. Anything from an established tank(minus the water) will be helpful to your tank. Move the gold fish over to the bigger tank right away and invest in a good test kit. Test your water daily to give yourself an idea of how your tank is going to cycle(if at all with the established media you may luck out here)and anytime your ammonia or nitrites go above .25 do a water change. You can't do too many and your fish will thank you for it.

I wanted to mostly chime in about the danios which seem to have been forgotten. lol. They are schooling fish and I would consider either re homing them or adding to the 2 you have currently when you get your larger tank, keeping in mind that they grow to be about 3 inches each so factor them into your new tank size if you want to keep them.. Larger the better really! I'd suggest reading up on them a bit more honestly to give you an idea. Good news is I believe they will be fine with the water temp the goldies like.

 

[FishontheRock]

Won't the danios eventually become bite size snacks?

 

[tamtam]

Won't the danios eventually become bite size snacks?

the goldies have been in a tiny tank for 2 year, my guess is their growth is stunted enough that it wouldn't be an issue.