Im back. Freshwater this tiime instead of reef

[fijiwigi]

Hello: haven't been on here in a really long time. I sold my 46g reef aquarium about 2 years ago and haven't had fish since. My gfriend brought home 2 goldfish and wanted to put them in a small bowl. Me being a fish junky of course I was like NO NO NO.. So I set them up in a 25 gallon clear plastic tote temporarily with a filter.

Found a great deal on craigslist for a 40g breeder tank brand new never been used for $60 bucks. Just brought it home.

Gold fish wouldn't of been my first choice for freshwater but hey it is what it is. I have 2 of them I need to care for now. I was kind of a saltwater buff before. So I am looking for some advice from the freshwater club. I don't want to mess with a planted tank. Want to keep the substrate very minimal.

I don't have any lighting yet or a heater. Nothing really but a 40g breeder tank a 30-60 gallon rated filter from wal mart and 2 gold fish. Thats it.

 

[jlk]

Hi! Do you know what type of goldfish they are? This will help to be able to advise you in the right direction. If your unsure, a good description or pics will help id them. Basics for goldfish include heavy filtration (min 400gph or 10x tank size) because of their messiness & hefty bioload, good diet & lots of water changes. Pfs is an easy & inexpensive substrate. No heater needed unless the tank is somewhere very cool or subject large fluctuations between day & night. Some extra aeration is a good idea though. For diet, a quality sinking goldfish pellet & daily veggies plus some fresh foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp, efc). Should be enough to get you started!

 

[fijiwigi]

Not sure what type of goldfish they are. One is a calico my gfreind tells me black spotted and gold. They have big bellies. tall dorsal fins. ?? I didn't buy them so not sure really.. I would assume that a 40g tank for 2 goldfish should be adequate. Was thinking of not even having substrate or just very thin since goldfish are messy. I have 1 hanging 30-60g rated filter on the back. Was gonna eventually get an additional for double filtration later. Thats what I had in the beginning on my 46g reef before I built my sump tank and it seemed to work out ok. Veggies huh (interesting What are other good long term ideas for other additions to the tank without overdoing the bioload of the tank. I plan to change 25% of the water weekly. Just using tap water and aquasafe dechlorinator now. Didn't cycle the tank really because I kinda just had to rescue two newly added unexpected fish. So its currently cycling with the fish in it (NOT by choice) Eventually I would like to have a bottom feeder.. Maybe some tiny community fish later on for more visual excitement for the kids

 

[FreshObsessed]

A 40 Gallon Breeder is an ideal tank size for 2 Fancy Goldfish. With plenty of water changed the goldfish will be left unharmed by the cycle. As for the heater and lighting:
Lighting doesn't matter, unless you plan to plant the tank.
Heating isn't required but will keep the tank at a constant temperature. Just get an adjustable heater then set it between 60*-73*F.
Best Regards.

 

[jlk]

Sounds like fancy goldfish- what type exactly, I don't know without pics. 40g is a good size for two fancies.

I am not sure what you have in mind for bottom feeders. Plecos & fancies are not compatible. Snails may work if they are very large (otherwise they will be eaten), shrimp will likely be eaten unless you can offer them ample areas to hide & I am drawing a blank right now on other possibilities.

Adding small 'community' fish will prove a bit hard as well- white cloud minnows are quick (so they won't be eaten) & cool water tolerant & can be kept with fancies. Most tropical community fish are not compatible goldfish due to their different temp, diet & housing needs. Hope this helps! Ask any questions you may have!

 

[fijiwigi]

Yeah I cringed when she brought home GOLDFISH lol from what I was googling they are compatible with like nothing I already felt the fish addiction went to the store and got my 40g all landscaped and setup. Ill post some pics

 

[fijiwigi]

Here are the pics. I put a bubble volcano. and the little green egg things glow in the dark which is kinda cool. The 2 gold fish will be in their new home fairly soon

 

[fijiwigi]

This is the best picture I could get. One of them is following the other and wiggling almost like flirting or taunting. Not being aggressive more like buddies and lots of shimmering and swirling

 

[fijiwigi]

More pics

 

[fijiwigi]

Fish pics....

 

[fijiwigi]

Entire setup was 150 bucks. Way nicer than the 3000 I spent on my reef tank. I added 2 bubble stones a small bubble stick. And I added power head for extra water movement. The volcano bubbles crash into the water flow from the filter for some good oxygen exchange. I am super happy and excited with how it turned out. Kids come home tomorrow they are gonna love it

 

[fijiwigi]

I was googling some companions. And thinking 2 hillstream loaches. 3 golden apple snails. 10 white cloud minnows. Too much perhaps ?

 

[jlk]

Your companions should work as long as you keep up on wcs. 50+% a week is the minimum I would follow. While the tank is cycling, you will need to be diligent on daily testing & wcs to keep toxin levels under control to keep everyone healthy. I dont keep loaches so I would ask for advice from others that do what their recommended group size should be. Your guys (or girls) look like a fantail (calico) and the other may be a baby oranda or another fantail- have to wait & see if he develops a wen because he is too small right now. Make sure any snails you purchase are larger than goldies mouth (nickel to quarter size) to prevent them from being eaten. Your off to good start! Enjoy your new fish!

 

[fijiwigi]

Thanks for the feedback jlk 50% a week should be no problem with freshwater. Saltwater was a much larger process to do that

 

[blert]

Nice setup. I know the Hillstream Loaches need a lot of flow but those Fancies are not going to appreciate that, they are not the strongest swimmers and might get blown around too much. I was even going to say that you might want to consider removing the power head.

Danio Rerio (prefer groups of six or more) has similar water temp requirements and they are fast so it is not likely that one of your Goldfish will be able to catch them. Just be careful with these and make sure that the Goldfish get their fair share of food.

My Goldfish love broccoli (cooked, of course) and bananas along with a variety of other fruits and cooked vegetables. Nothing from a can, too much salt.

I wouldn't add any more fish until your tank has cycled.

 

[jlk]

Thanks, Blert! Forgot about the danios! I actually have powerheads in my fancy tanks without an issue- real delicate fancies may have a more difficult time with them but these guys should be fine. If the flow presents itself as an issue, alot of powerheads are adjustable or filterfoam/prefilter inserts can be used to dampen the flow.

 

[fijiwigi]

I have my powerhead facing up and toward the side of the tank with the filter kind of creating a dead zone on the left side where I have the most fake plants and stuff. The fish dont appear to struggle they love swimming up and down and all over like a happy puppy dog bananas n broccoli really ? How would I feed them that exactly ?. And yes no fish till my cycles done

 

[jlk]

Yep, daily veggies will keep your guys healthy! And they love fruits! Pretty much any cooked veggie is game except for spicy stuff or starches (potatoes, corn)- broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, aspargus heads, spinach, carrots, green/red peppers, deshelled peas, etcetc. Stuff thats soft & they rip apart you can throw in whole pieces. Remove anything uneaten within 24hrs. I use a garlic press to smoosh tougher stuff (carrots, peppers) into bite-sized bits. For fruits, throw in smooshed bits or chunks (depending on how soft it is)- berries, grapes, bananas, tangerine/orange, watermelon, pear, etc. Have fun!

 

[blert]

If it is something that mostly retains it's integrity after cooking (ex: broccoli) I use a veggie clip so that it doesn't end up getting stuck somewhere I can't find it. If it is mushy (ex: banana) then I will just break off little pieces and slowly feed them some so it doesn't end up all over the tank.

 

[fijiwigi]

I tried some banana and they ate it. Super cool. Still havent seen the cycle take off yet. No ammonia or nitrites its only been 48 hours though. So im sure it will happen soon.