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FAQs About Goldfish Systems 9

Goldfish need a 30 gallon tank, minimum. Failure to do this ends up with sick fish -- you will find it very difficult to provide the good water quality these fish need in such a tiny space.

My goldfish tank 11-13-08
Hey Guys,
I searched your site for some answers but I couldn't find anything pertaining to my exact question.
I have one fantailed gold fish. He is currently in a 1.5 gallon tank (small I know) but I do partial water changes usually twice a week, and he has been fine since I've brought him home (two months ago) .... *knock on wood* My space is limited as of right now but I was planning on upgrading him to at least a 5 gallon tank within a week. I know the ideal size for a goldfish is at least 10 gallons? If so would it be okay for him to temporarily live in the 5 gallon as opposed to the 1.5 (as long as I keep up with partial water changes) until I can purchase a 10+ gallon tank?
<You can keep your goldfish in a 5 gallon but just for a limited time. You should eventually get the 10 gallon when you can afford it, and hopefully soon. Don't worry; you aren't the only starving aquarist. Merritt A.>

Goldfish -10/31/08
Hello Wetwebmedia crew. I have a question. I currently have a 75 gallon aquarium with three fancy goldfish, two are about three inches long and the other is a baby. The pH is 7.6, and I have no ammonia or nitrites. I currently have about 6 old plastic plants that are starting to break up in the tank and I would like to get rid of them and get something more natural looking. I want to get some large pieces of driftwood, rocks and maybe attach some java ferns to them. When I get the driftwood can I take out the plastic plants all at once?
<Sure.>
I know they probably hold a lot of beneficial bacteria and I'm afraid that if I take them out the biological filtration will crash.
<Don't worry about it. Compared with the filter in your aquarium, the bacteria on the plants are contributing virtually NOTHING to water quality. So provided the filter is left running, you can change as much of the decor as you want. Do be careful with bogwood though: Goldfish dislike acidic water, so if you are in a soft water area, adding too much bogwood can cause the pH to drop. This will not be a problem if you tap water is hard.>
What is your opinion on this matter? Thanks, Pawel.
<Hope this helps, Neale.>

Re: Goldfish 11/2/08
Thanks for the advice. Now, you mentioned that if my water was too soft the bogwood would be a bad idea. Well I went out to buy a test kit and from what it tells me is that my aquarium water has a general hardness of 6 (107.4ppm), and a kH value of 3. I'm assuming that I have a soft water.
<Indeed, this does sound like you have quite soft water. Goldfish actually prefer hard water, so anything you can do harden the water will be useful.>
The thing is that I have some crushed coral in my hang on power filter (not a lot at all, just two cartridges of it) and I've been having a steady pH of 7.6.
<These filter cartridges are pretty useless to be honest. Bacteria cover them within days, rendering any chemical filtration practically non existent. Much better to add a mineral salt mix to the water. Cheaper and far more effective. Use something like a half-dose of Rift Valley Cichlid salt mix, i.e., adding to a 5 gallon (20 litre) bucket of water: 0.5 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) 0.5 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) 0.5 teaspoon marine salt mix (sodium chloride + trace elements) Don't do a massive water change all at once; instead just add these minerals to each new bucket of water you add during regular weekly water changes. That will gradually change the hardness and pH to something Goldfish prefer. If you still don't get the hard water you want, you can double this dosage without any problems. Throw away the stupid crushed coral modules in your filter and replace with filter wool or whatever to support biological/mechanical filtration, as you prefer.>
Do you still think that adding a few pieces of the bogwood would be detrimental?
<In soft water, yes.>
I don't want a fluctuating aquarium. Or do you think that the crushed coral is doing its job?
<Doesn't sound like it judging by your numbers. Goldfish want 10+ degrees dH, i.e., moderately hard to hard water.>
By the way, would I ever need to replace the crushed coral, and does it lose its buffering capacity over time?
<If put inside a filter, small amounts of crushed coral will be virtually useless within a couple of weeks, and all chemical media -- coral, carbon, Zeolite -- need to be replaced at least monthly even in the best of circumstances. These chemical media modules are mostly used as away to siphon money out of your pocket into those of the retailer and manufacturer. Their practical value in freshwater fish keeping is close to zero, and experienced freshwater fish keepers almost never use them. Carbon is another total waste of space, by the way. Big water changes, particularly if the water is treated with a chemical buffer mix as described above, will do a FAR better job of stabilizing pH and removing dissolved organic acids from the water. But water changes are free, so aquarium hardware manufacturers would much rather trick people into buying modules of carbon and crushed coral and Zeolite and other stuff they just don't need. Call me a cynic, but I'd sooner spend that kind of money on myself, not my fish tank.>
Thanks so much.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Goldfish Questions 10/30/08
Hello,
<Hello,>
I have two questions about my goldfish. I have two, got them in January of this year when they were babies, and both have been perfectly healthy all their lives.
<Do understand that as fish get bigger, they produce more waste, and if the tank is too small, eventually you hit a tipping point where the fish stop being healthy. Or put another way, as your financial advisor will say, simply because stocks increased in value in the past doesn't mean they'll keep doing so -- you have to look at the bigger picture.>
One is much much larger than the other (it's probably four-five inches long) and the smaller is about two and much skinnier. I'm not sure why, but they both are perfectly healthy, seemingly. Now, when I moved in August, my smaller one took up refuge inside the ornamental lighthouse in their 10 gal tank and refuses to come out.
<Ten gallons is far too small for these fish. You need at least 30 gallons in all seriousness. For two reasons: Firstly, water quality WILL become an issue, if not now, then X months from now, and you'll have to deal with Finrot and Fungus. Ethically, it's (obviously) indefensible to keep an animal in poor conditions until it becomes sick, so you need to upgrade NOW. Secondly, these are schooling fish, and it is VERY common for schooling fish to experience behavioural problems when kept in too small a group. I'd recommend at least three specimens. It is quite possible the bigger fish is being a bully, and adding another fish will divide his attentions, making it less easy for any one fish to be harassed.>
I thought it was just shock from the move, perhaps, but it's been two months, and it did no
such thing after I moved in May. It eats very eagerly, and sometimes comes out for a swim, but otherwise it just stays in the lighthouse. Is it scared of the bigger one? It never had been before, and I haven't noticed any change in the bigger one's behaviour. Should I do anything, or just let it be?
<Yep, some things to do: upgrade the tank, add one or more extra Goldfish of a similar breed (mixing the more extreme fancy Goldfish with single-tail types like Standards and Comets is asking for trouble; Black Moors and plain vanilla Fantails are about the only Fancy Goldfish I'd recommended combining with single-tail Goldfish).>
Secondly, my bigger one developed a scratch on its nose today- I have no idea how. What should I do for it? Just let it be? How could it have gotten scratched? Like I said, they've been living in the same tank and I've taken care of them in the same way since January. Please let me know what you think, thank you.
<Could be a scratch, for example if you have gravel in the tank. Goldfish are "diggers" and the worst thing in the world is to stick them in a tank with some of that sharp, brightly painted gravel that looks so fake. Besides being stressful for the fish (they hate bright colours underneath them) these gravels can damage their mouths as they dig. Ideally use a smooth, fine grained pea gravel. However, I suspect that mechanical damage alone isn't the issue, and would be very concerned about Mouth Fungus (actually a bacterial infection, also known as Columnaris). A photo would help. But in any case, you need to use an anti-bacterial medication of some type such as eSHa 2000 (in Europe) or Maracyn (in the US). Don't bother with rubbish like salt or Melafix. Do also read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Safest way to introduce a new goldfish 10/13/08
Hi everyone,
<Hello,>
I'll start by thanking you all for the tireless work you do in answering everyone's questions and posting articles. It really is very generous of you and I know the info I have received on your site has made all the difference to my fish's happiness and my enjoyment. I have thanked you before but it's worth doing so again.
<Thanks for your kind words.>
I have an 8 gallon tank (currently empty) which previously housed a small Black moor for about 8 weeks. During that time it never really cycled and got stuck at the nitrite stage with me doing water changes every day to prevent nitrites getting to high (they remained at around the 0.5ppm level with water changes).
<Likely "cycled" as far as it could; in small tanks the supplied/installed filter may never be able to remove the nitrite and ammonia sufficiently quickly enough to cover the mess created by Goldfish.>
So, when the new 35 gallon tank arrived I moved the fish in almost straight away (after 3 days testing) as I figured if he was going to be stuck in a cycling tank he would much prefer it to be the larger and more interesting one with the decent filter which (thanks to Neale) is rated just over 6x water volume.
<Cool.>
I'll add now, for everyone else who reads this mail, if anyone wants to know the advantage of housing a goldfish in a bigger home (beyond the water quality problem - which is in itself a great reason to do the right thing) they should see how ridiculously happy my fish seems now he has space, real plants to munch and something to do all day. Despite him seeming "fine" before I swear now he's almost giddy with glee (perhaps I am anthropomorphizing to a certain extent but the different in behaviour really is remarkable).
<You get it! That's the point to upgrading Goldfish to bigger tanks -- it isn't that they won't survive in small bowls or tanks (some certainly do survive) but you don't see them at their best. Spending a little more money up front turns your pet from being a lingering fishy ornament into a happy, active pet.>
Anyway, back to my question... The final stage in the "Make Fat Tony Happy" plan is to get him a friend in the form of another fancy goldfish. I am now unsure how best to go about it. The options as I see them are:
1) keep the smaller tank going, keep feeding it and wait until it cycles then use it as a quarantine tank for the new fish before moving it to the 35 gallon.
<Possible.>
2) wait until the bigger tank has fully cycled then add the new fish straight in
<Also possible; quarantining is the ideal, but if there's only a single fish in the existing tank, and treating with anti-Finrot or anti-Whitespot is safe (as it is with Goldfish) I might be tempted to risk introducing diseases rather than expose a new fish to unhealthy (non-zero ammonia) conditions in the small tank. It's really 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.>
I would really prefer option 1 as it seems the safest option for everyone. However, I am concerned about the lack of cycling in the smaller tank when my fish was previously kept in there.
<Well, you'd certainly need to keep adding the odd pinch of flake to ensure the existing filter stays "alive".>
Perhaps 8 weeks wasn't long enough or perhaps in my concern for the fish I was keeping the nitrite levels too low and now that I can allow them to build up as they want the cycle will come with time?
<Most tanks cycle in under 6 weeks. Goldfish being Goldfish, short term exposure to ammonia and nitrite doesn't usually cause undue hardship to the more robust varieties (Moors, Comets, Shubunkins, etc.). It's the delicate fancy varieties that are most sensitive (Ranchus, Pom-poms, Celestials, etc.).
Or perhaps the silly small tank and silly little filter just never will be up to the job of housing a goldfish, even just for 3 or 4 weeks and even if I cycle it without a fish as soon as I add one we'll hit water quality problems immediately.
<This argument certainly has its merits.>
I guess I'm just asking your opinion on the safest, least stressful approach for both my existing fish and the new one? As I can now do water changes in my sleep I'm not looking for the easiest option at all, but the best one for the fish.
<I'd make sure the existing Goldfish and its aquarium is in good condition, and then add a new fish to that aquarium directly. The risk is small, and any potential penalties in terms of diseases shouldn't be difficult to handle. Do take care choosing tankmates: Moors are best kept with their own kind, classic Fantails, or single-tail Goldfish like Standard Goldfish and London Shubunkins that aren't quite so frenetic as Comets (these latter are best left in ponds). Moors they tend to be a bit hard on the more delicate Fancies, taking the food and asserting their dominance too easily in the "pack". Basically, don't combine them with anything [a] lacking a dorsal fin; or [b] with weird growths on its head.>
Thanks again!
<Cheers, Neale.>

Aquarium conversion (tropical to goldfish) 10/12/08
Hello!
I have three comets in a 20-gallon aquarium. I am going to be given a 45-gallon aquarium that is currently housing tropical fish (all healthy in appearance) and live plants. I've found another home for the tropical fish, but I am wondering what I need to do to make the new aquarium suitable for my fish without destroying the established bacterial environment.
<Mmm, very little actually needs be done...>
I am unsure if I need to completely sterilize everything or if I should try to disturb the substrate as little as possible. Do I save any of the water that the tropicals were in?

Also, my fish have never had live plants; do they pose any threat to the fish?
<Mmm, no... but the reverse is likely so... goldfish enjoy nibbling on such... is good for them>
I assume that the goldfish will eat them but I'm willing to do what it takes to allow them to thrive.
<Good>
Thank you for guiding me in helping transition my goldfish to their new home!
Tami
<If it were me, mine, I'd simply allow the water temperature in the new/tropical tank to drop (by adjusting the heater/s down) and mix-water acclimate the goldfish in time to their new system. Bob Fenner>

Poor Goldfish.... env., as too usual, reading... 9/26/08
Hi. I have a 4 year old goldfish. Its in a 10 gallon
<... too small a volume>
tank with an air filter. I do water changes regularly, and I feed the fish flake food.
About a month ago, the fish was staying at the bottom, and only coming up to eat - I noticed a large swelling in the abdomen. I took the advice of others, did a complete water change, and fed the fish peas. A few days later, I notice a HUGE poop coming out. It even had air bubbles in it. Then, like magic the fish was back to normal. About a week ago - the fish started getting black spots all over, which I understand to be ammonia burn?
<Mmm, maybe. Likely environmental challenge period>
The week started out with the fish laying at the bottom of the tank, but still coming up to eat, then going back down. The past 2 days, the fish is laying on its side, and barely moving. A few times - I noticed the mouth open - and the gills pushed out completed, almost as if the fish was gasping...Sometimes the breathing is normal, sometimes its completely sllllllow. Obviously, the fish isn't eating either. I did a complete water change. I called the pet store - they told me the fish was on its way out, and there was nothing I could to. I don't want to believe that. Is there something I can do to help the fish??? I don't want to lose the fish, nor do I want the poor thing to suffer. It breaks my heart. I know you will ask me to check the levels in the water, which I will do today, but please tell me its not too late to help it. It seems like it wants to swim - it just cant. When I approach the tank, she or he starts moving his fins - like it wants to swim....
I would appreciate any advice you could offer me.... THANK YOU
Denise X Ludwig
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Aquarium type switch 9/5/08
Hello I have a question and I hope you can answer it for me.
<Do my best.>
I currently have a 80 gallon tropical fish setup with only three angelfish. I am planning on giving the angelfish away and getting some goldfish because I'd like to stop using a heater in order to save money.
<OK. Do also remember at room temperature (say, 18-20 C) there's a nice selection of subtropical fish that will do fine as well. Danios (best not mixed with fancy goldfish), rosy barbs (again, not with fancy goldfish), White Cloud Mountain minnows, Paradisefish, weather loaches, bearded Corydoras, peppered Corydoras, and so on.>
I also miss having goldfish. After I give the angelfish away is it possible to put the goldfish in the same aquarium and then gradually lowering the temperature until I don't need a heater any more?
<Absolutely! Do make sure there's some source of ammonia though, otherwise the bacteria will die. For example, you might add a school of a dozen Zebra Danios in the tank. These will produce ammonia and keep the filter bacteria happy. If the room is centrally heated, the change in temperature will cause no harm to them. If your room gets really cold because it isn't heated in winter, then true coldwater fish like Goldfish, weather loaches, and Rosy Red Minnows would be used instead. Again, leave at least some fish in the tank after the angelfish are removed.>
I know that if I outright turn off the heater the beneficial bacteria will all probably die. What is your advice?
<Temperature has little direct effect on the filter; the main issue is not to leave the tank empty for more than a day. Otherwise the bacteria can "starve". Hope this helps! Neale.>

Re: Aquarium type switch 9/5/08
Thank you so much for your helpful information Neale!
<Most welcome.>
Although I have two more questions that I forgot to ask. The water in the tank has an ammonia level of 0, 5.0 ppm of nitrate, and a pH of 6.0.
<Ah, the pH is too low for Goldfish. Goldfish like moderately hard, basic water. You're aiming for a pH around 7.5 and a hardness of 10-20 degrees dH. Do understand that hardening water isn't the same thing as adding a pH buffer! Lots of people make that mistake. See here for tips:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2oquality.htm
>
Up until now I had all Amazon-type fish such as cardinal tetras and angelfish so low pH was good, but I don't think it will be good for goldfish.
<Indeed not; they tend to be more disease prone in acidic water.>
Is there any way to raise the pH level without using those useless chemicals, or will the goldfish not mind a low pH?
<See above link.>
Also, I would like to ask you if I should change at least one of the filter pads in my emperor 400 power filter. I have never changed them because I feared a biological crash in my aquarium.
<Biological media need only be replaced when it gets so dirty or decayed it doesn't look useful anymore. Otherwise it's fine. Mechanical media may be replaced as often as you want/can afford. But realistically, good quality sponge or ceramic media should last many, many years.>
Thank you.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Goldfish (maintenance; compatibility) -09/02/08
Hello all,
<Hello,>
Firstly a quick thank you to you all for your patience and dedication to answering all the questions put to you - having fairly recently become best friends with a Black Moor I have spent several hours scouring your site for all the info I can. However, I wondered if you would mind giving me some advice?
<Do our best...>
I have a little moor in a 10 gallon tank, he's only an inch or so big at the moment but the rate at which he eats his veggies it can't be long before he grows.
<Indeed. These fish grow rapidly, and Black Moors routinely reach about 20 cm/8" within 2-4 years. He'll need something that 30 gallons quite soon, and with a decent filter.>
It's just little old him on his own - maybe he likes it (he seems happy enough) but I'd like to get some friends for him.
<Friends are precisely what he wants. These are schooling fish, and much as Goldfish enjoy human company, your specimen will want at least one other pal of its own kind. Preferably another fancy Goldfish rather than something faster like a Comet or Standard. A Fantail Goldfish for example would get along great with a Black Moor.>
Before doing so I know we need more space so I shall be upgrading to a 32 gallon tank in the next month or so and keeping the smaller tank as a spare for quarantine/hospital duties. My question is what else can I add to the new tank that's interesting but won't overload it?
<Depends a lot of the temperature and water quality. By default, keep fancy Goldfish together in their own system to avoid problems with losing out at feeding time. Comets and Standards often eat all the food before the poor Fancies get a chance! If the tank is maintained at a fixed 18-22 degrees C, which is fine for Goldfish, you can add certain subtropical species, such as Corydoras paleatus. But the water quality needs to be good, and Goldfish being big and messy tend to put a heavier load on filters than the average community tropical fish. So by all means consider tankmates of other species, but review filtration carefully, and check that the nitrite concentration in the tank is zero. I'd recommend a decent external canister filter offering 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. So for a 30 gallon tank, buy a filter rated at 6 x 30 = 180 gallons per hour. A little more won't do any harm, but don't go under.>
I had thought about a small school of White Cloud but don't want Fat Tony (as the moor has been named) to eat them! Is there anything else with a bit of character?
<Minnows can work, provided the water doesn't get colder than 18 C, and generally Goldfish aren't predatory. But there's always a risk. Much better choices in unheated tanks are Rosy Red Minnows (Pimephales promelas) and Weather Loaches (Misgurnus spp.). If the tank is heated to 18-24 C, then your range of possible tankmates can include various subtropical fish like Peppered Catfish, as mentioned above. Very small catfish might be at risk of being eaten, but adults should be fine.>
Finally, Fat Tony has a small hole on his dorsal fin - 1-2 mm long between the first and second ray (is the right term?). It has been there since I got him and doesn't seem to get any bigger. There are no signs of any infection (no redness, no white fluffy spots) and he swims around merrily and playfully so I think he's fine, but like an over-anxious parent I just wanted to check what you thought?
<Likely mechanical damage, and should heal over time. Do keep an eye out for secondary infections, in which case treatment with something like Maracyn or eSHa 2000 will be required. Otherwise nothing to worry about.>
Thank you so much!!
J
<Cheers, Neale.>

Water Temp Info, goldfish sys. – 07/16/08
Dear Crew,
Hello again, this is Pierre. I have a question about my goldfish tank. The water temperature always ranges from 78 degrees F to 82 degrees F. The goldfish is happy like always, eats like a little piggy, is energetic, and displays vibrant colors. However, I know goldfish like cooler water and I want to know a safe way to lower the temperature of the water without giving the fish temperature shock. I don't know if Ice Cubes are the way to go.
Thanks again!
<Hello Pierre. For a few weeks, such high temperatures will do no harm at all. Increase the water circulation if you can, perhaps by turning the filter to its highest setting or by adding an airstone. This way, oxygen will be more effectively distributed in the water. But provided water quality remains good, your Goldfish will be fine. Cheers, Neale.>

Freshwater Aquarium Questions. Goldfish, sys.... mostly 7/15/08
The Questions in this message have been put in BOLD font for your sanity, lol, the rest is details.
<Not much use here I'm afraid, as the messages get here in plain text. So I guess I'm going to lose my sanity.>
I have a 5 gallon Eclipse Hexagon tank with a LOT of plastic plants (like 10 or 12 plants), a sterilized "hermit crab shell", a "cave" made of 3 rocks, natural colored quartzy looking aquarium gravel, an incandescent light bulb, a small (2.5 inches without tail fin) black moor goldfish, 2 silver hatchet fish (1.5 inches long each) and varying numbers of snails, the population of snails generally self regulates itself I usually never have more than 8 living snails that are visible, as of right now there are 4.
<OK, this tank is _way_ overstocked to start with. Goldfish need, minimum, 20 gallons a piece, and I'd reckon a 30 gallon tank so that you can keep at least two specimens (they're social, after all, and don't like to be "in solitary confinement"). So your number one priority here is to upgrade your tank. Next up, hexagonal tanks are a bit of a gimmick really. The only people who buy them are those without much fishkeeping experience. So yes, the manufacturers are trading on ignorance. You see, they are too deep relative to their surface area, so for any given volume you can't keep as many fish as for a similar capacity rectangular aquarium. The only things they're useful for are Bettas and systems containing only shrimps and snails. Do remember there is no such thing as a "small" Goldfish, and even your Black Moor will quickly grow into a 20 cm/8" monster if looked after correctly.>
This tank was fully matured for a year before I put any of these animals in there, because the tank was previously used to house baby live bearers for my mothers old 55 gallon (without the decorations, but the same gravel). When my mom sold the big tank, I kept the small tank running with the hatchet fish in it.
<Hmm... would have sold the hexagonal tank and kept the 55 gallon tank myself. No discussion about which is better.>
The hatchets weren't intended for the 5 gallon, they lived in my mother's tank, but she bought a catfish that got large and ate most of her fish and at the time she sold it, there was only a Pleco and the catfish and the hatchet fish left out of many live bearers, including mollies and platys, mom didn't want the hatchet fish to be eaten, so they put them in the "baby tank" and when we sold the big tank, the new owners didn't want the tiny little hatchets, so they stayed.
<With you so far...>
Anyway, fast forward. My aunt thought it would be a nice idea to buy me a black moor goldfish for my birthday, without asking me or letting me know, she figured I already had the tank, so it was alright, so the Black moor lives there too, the snails came on purpose for help with algae. Since the tank was so old before the adult fish got there, it was quite well established. My question is, I recently have been wanting to put live plants in the tank instead of the plastic ones, but I don't know if it would upset anything or even if the plants would last with the goldfish.
<Goldfish eat plants. They are herbivores. In fact they get very unhealthy if not given live plants to eat...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm
So no, live plants aren't really an option. Besides, you'd be hard pressed to illuminate a 5 gallon system sufficiently that plants would grow.>
This tank has been running in the current state for almost a year itself, so the biological factor is established. I do not have a test kit (I know, I know I should have one, but I never got around to it, with the babies we didn't use one, so I just never got into the habit of using one. I change 50% of the water with a gravel vac once or twice a month, I never change the filter media, I just rinse it under dechlorinated water every week and put it back in, it has a bio-wheel which is never touched and there's algae growing on the decorations, which I don't mind because it never gets on the walls and the snails seem to have a tough time scraping algae off the rough rock cave anyway. I use Tetra Aqua Aqua Safe Tap water conditioner with Bio-Extract for the water changes and once or twice a month I drop in a Jungle Bowl Buddy fizzing tablet to promote their slime coat and reduce ammonia slightly, once a week I add two or three drops of AP Crystal Clear water clarifier, which is half the recommended maintenance dose, but I always just use half the recommended dose of it just to be safe, I also use monthly a half tablet of Jungle Fizzing Ammonia Reducing Tank buddy (since a whole tablet treats 10g) and on occasion I add a tiny pinch of API aquarium salt to keep my goldfishes gills in good shape. I feed my fish Wardley Tropical flakes and Aqua-Buddies Goldfish pellets, I feed them two different forms of food because the hatchets can't fit the pellets in their mouths and the greedy goldfish goes for the big pellets before he goes for the tiny flakes, occasionally I put in a piece of fresh raw romaine lettuce for the snails to eat. Besides obviously getting a test kit, what else can I do to keep my goldfish and hatchets healthy, buying a new tank and decorations and restarting a whole new tank is not an option right now, I enjoy the fully matured tank I have and for the time being everything seems alright, no distress and healthy appetites and active movements all around, I may buy a new tank and get it started maturing sometime in the future, but right now I don't have the money to start all over again. I am very very sorry this message is so long, but I wanted to be sure you understood the entire situation.
<Didn't spot any other questions in here. But the answer is "get a bigger tank" because this one is a disaster waiting to happen...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/goldfish101art.htm
>
If you could please recommend a good test kit that will work with the products I use that I can buy online, that'd be great too.
<I'd recommend any aquarist own a nitrite test kit and a pH test kit. These two provide the easiest way to test for the two main sources of trouble: poor water quality and water chemistry instability. What you're aiming for is zero nitrite at all times, and that the pH remains stable between water changes. Goldfish prefer hard, alkaline conditions, so the ideal is a pH around 7.5, but the precise value doesn't matter so long as it doesn't keep changing.
Hope this helps, Neale.>

Goldfish... sys. – 07/10/08
Hello crew,
I have seen a lot of similar questions about peoples' goldfish, but I wanted to make my goldfish's symptoms more specific. He was fine a few days ago, but now he just lays down on his side or stomach on the bottom of the bowl. And it looks like he's making an effort to try and swim but only one of his fins is moving, so when he swims its almost like he's uneven. For example, when he tries to go up near the surface of the water only one fin will move and this causes him to twirl around or something like this. He still seems very aware as well, if my sister or I go sit near his bowl he comes over and sits closer to us. Every once and a while when he goes to the surface it looks like he's a bit better, but its almost as if he gets tired really quickly and just goes back to lay down. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Lee
<Hello Lee. The problem here is Goldfish do not live long in bowls. Forget everything you have seen on TV. Bowls are "goldfish killing machines" and most die within months of being placed in them. You absolutely must keep Goldfish in an aquarium. Juveniles will do well in tanks around the 75 litre/20 gallon size, while adults (which reach 20-30 cm/8-12 inches in length) invariably need something larger, around 125 litres/30 gallons being a good choice. In bowls they slowly get poisoned by the ammonia they produce, and the lack of oxygen in the water suffocates them. Please also understand Goldfish are sociable, and should be kept in groups of at least two specimens. But don't under any circumstances add another one to your bowl! Instead, read this article on Goldfish care, and then go buy an aquarium no smaller than 75 litres/20 gallons.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
Otherwise your Goldfish is doomed and will die. Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale

Re: goldfish 7/10/08
Thank you very much for all the advice. My fish is doing much better today, I'm not exactly sure what happened. I will definitely buy an aquarium. Thanks again!
Lee
<This sounds promising. But please don't delay buying an aquarium for too long... if I was you, I'd put it on my "to do" list for the weekend. And don't waste your money on a little 10 gallon system. For Goldfish, you need a fairly big tank because they grow very quickly and make a lot of mess. Cheers, Neale.>

Snails and goldfish 6/27/08
Hi,
<Candice>
I read about "algae eaters" and goldfish on your website and have a couple of questions on the subject. The goldfish is in a species specific tank.
(35 gal Hex, 6 fancy goldfish, small ones)
<Need more room than this... by at least twice>
I know I will need to put them in larger tanks as they grow but right now they are happy and they do generally stay in 3 different layers on the tank. Moors on the bottom sucking on rocks, blue ones (?) near the top, and some Ryukins in the middle. Could 4 of the goldfish be in this tank long term?
<Three, then two...>
I have read everything from 10-20 gallons per goldfish.
<At least this>
Just wanted some clarification.
<Glad to render mine>
Algae doesn't seem to be a big problem now but I don't want it to become one. I know that CAE are just downright viscous.
<Heee! Vicious?>
I unfortunately learned that the hard way. They are really evil little fish!
<We are in agreement>
(unless they were in a tank by themselves) One of the post talked about snails and I am curious exactly what type of snails would work if any at all?
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm
and the above sub-FAQs file on Snail Sel.>
Completely off the topic but I want to start a BW tank with some GSPs.
Could you give me any info on the SETUP of a brackish water tank?
<Sure... is posted: http://wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/BrackishSubWebIndex.htm>
If that can be solved by me reading more on your website you can be blunt and tell me to "keep reading" ;)
<Heeee! You DO know the drill>
Thank you,
Candice
<Enjoy and gain by y/our experience. Bob Fenner>

Calico fantail goldfish fighting, env. 6/24/08
I had four calico fantail goldfish in a 10 gallon tank for about a year now.
<Need much more room... had you read...>
One of them had been sick for a long time, and eventually lost his tail?
<Env.>
And died about two months ago, leaving me with three in the tank. Recently, I have noticed the two bigger fish bothering and pushing around the fish who is a little smaller natured. I immediately felt bad and put the small fish into a separate, 2 gallon tank, which is way too small.
<Yes>
I was wondering if it was common for fish to do this? They have been living in the same tank for a year, and this just started happening. Should I try and put him back in the tank with the other two?
<Due to crowding mostly... likely nutrition secondarily. Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
They, you need a larger world. Bob Fenner>

stones in fish tank, NNS? 6/9/08
hello sir
how r u
i have a 2'x2'x2' tank and have 8 goldfishes we also have stones at the bottom for decoration
now i want to inquire that if we don't put the stones then is it harmful
<Generally fish prefer tanks with sand or gravel at the bottom. Plain glass reflects light, and fish do not like light coming from underneath them. The reason is that they determine "up" and "down" by comparing where the light is (usually above them) and which way gravity is pulling them (usually downwards).>
what is the use of the stones at the bottom
<For most fish, it is just to stop light bouncing upwards from the bottom of the tank. But other species, like Goldfish and catfish, like to dig when feeding, so it is a "toy" of sorts, giving them something to do. Other fish move sand and gravel about to build nests or define territories. Gobies and cichlids will do this, for example. Yet others hide on or in the gravel. Loaches and flatfish are examples. Most fish adjust their colours to match the substrate. If you add a brightly coloured substrate, then they don't usually show their proper colours. The best sand or gravel is neutral or dark in colour.>
is it only for decoration
<The fish don't really care about decoration. But yes, many aquarists choose the substrate to create a particular "look" in the aquarium. I happen to like sand, specifically smooth silica ("silver") sand. It's fun to watch Corydoras dig through the stuff, and it is great for planted tanks too.>
pls reply
<Have done!>
thank you
<No problems.>
--
SHADAB
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: stones in fish tank 6/9/08
so if i don't put stones then no harm at all???????
<As stated, not putting gravel in the bottom of the tank will make your fish unhappy. They will not feel comfortable. It won't kill them, but if you want your fish to be happy, put sand or gravel on the bottom. Please remember to put your messages in proper sentences next time, with capital letters in the right places! Cheers, Neale.>

Goldfish sys. - 06/08/2007
Good afternoon WetWeb!
<Hello again Oliver,>
I have previously contacted you regarding my goldfishes, and thank you very much for your advice in the past. I only have a couple of quick questions today; I have recently purchased some crushed coral which I mean to use in my goldfish tank to raise the pH (currently about 6 (terrible), since I have just moved to an area with frankly rubbish water for goldies). I'm afraid I cannot provide the kH reading (a new test is on its way to me and has been for a fortnight...), but hopefully you can help me anyway. I was wondering if you could kindly advise me on two points;
<Hmm...?>
1) Whether the crushed coral I have is suitable for a goldfish tank. The brand is CaribSea Arag-Alive, which I had recommended to me by another goldfish-keeper. However, since the packet refers to use in all types of system EXCEPT freshwater, I wanted to check with you first whether this would in fact be safe to use for goldfish. The coral is in water at the moment, if that bears any relevance to your advice.
<Coral is aragonite, a relatively unstable form of calcium carbonate. It will dissolve slowly in water, and is perfectly safe to use for this sort of thing. The reason the packet says NOT to use it is that you wouldn't use this as a decorative sand in the typical freshwater tank. Tetras, barbs and so on wouldn't like the resulting hard, alkaline water. But we're using only a small amount, and the Goldfish will be much happier in hard water than soft.>
2) How I should go about adding the coral. I mean to place it inside the filter in a filter media bag, since my research found this to be the best method. My concern, however, is with how quickly the crushed coral will raise the tank pH (the tank itself is 125 litres). I really want to raise the pH with great care (since of course a quick change could cause more harm than good) but I don't know what the best method is to do this, since I can't find any specific detail online regarding how quickly change will occur or how much coral is needed per litre/gallon to achieve a higher pH (the pack I have states that it can raise pH to 8.2). As you can probably tell, I am very confused!
<Place the crushed coral into a "media bag". These are basically inert nylon nets with plastic fasteners. You can buy them from aquarium stores. In the old days, people used to use the "feet" from nylon stockings. Either way, all the bag is doing is keeping the coral in one place so you can remove and clean it easily. Start off with a small amount, perhaps half a cup. Put into the media bag, rinse under a tap to wash off the dust, and then place in the filter. Over the next two weeks, measure the pH every few days. What you should see is that the pH gradually climbs up and then levels off around 7.5 to 8.2. If the pH doesn't rise quickly enough, add a bit more coral. But do remember that you're losing biological filtration inside your filter, so don't go mad. I'd not fill a filter with more than 1/3rd chemical media of any type, including coral. Each time you do a filter clean (maybe once every 4-6 weeks) take out the old coral and replace with some new coral. Put back in the filter. Clean the old coral thoroughly under a hot tap, and leave it somewhere to dry. This will get rid of the bacteria and muck that coats the coral particles preventing it from buffering the water. You can now alternate between the dirty and clean batches of coral as required.>
I really hope you can help me and any advice or recommendations will be very gratefully received! Many thanks to all the WetWeb volunteers for all your terrific help in the past, and I hope you are all having a good weekend,
Oliver
<Hope this helps, Neale.>

Re: using coral to harden aquarium water 6/9/08
Hi Neale,
Thank you very much for your extremely helpful advice (once again - I don't know what I'd do without WetWeb). I'll get the coral in there tomorrow and am looking forward to seeing some improvement soon, am sure the goldfish will be very grateful!
Thank you very much again for all your help,
Oliver
<Glad we could help. Good luck! Neale.>

My Goldfish... sys., no reading or using WWM 05/23/08
I have one pearl scale gold fish in a bowl
<...>
with some stones and a plant from the pet store) and that is all, he seems fine most of the time especially after I clean his tank but then after a week or so her tends to spend allot
<...>
of time floating at the top and seems to ne gulping air, when I go near him he swims off easily enough but always blows out allot of air bubbles from the top. Can you tell me why? His tanks seems to cloud up so fast (within a week) which is when he starts to do it, could this be the issue or do I need to put some kind of air filter in it? It's only the standard size fish bowl you get 2L or so.
Regards
Annaliese Van Bekkum
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish pH -05/15/08
Good afternoon,
I haven't contacted you for some time, but you were all very helpful to me some time ago when I was having problems with my three goldfishes. Thank you once again for your help then; they are all currently happy and healthy!
My question today is regarding raising the pH in their aquarium. It is currently far too low, around 6.5 - we have just moved house and the water is quite acidic. Although the pH is creeping up gradually I want to get it up and keep it up, preferably around 7.5. I have done some reading and have obtained various suggestions, from using bicarbonate of soda at every water change, to adding marble chips or crushed coral to the filter. There is also a recommendation in an article on WetWeb to use Lake Malawi salts.
I am sure that any of these would be effective, but naturally I want to do the best thing for my goldies. I just wondered if any of you lovely people could offer some advice? Many thanks if you can and I look forward to hearing from you,
Sarah
<Hi Sarah. Very important this -- pH isn't the thing to worry about, it's carbonate hardness! What fish care about is that pH is stable. Yes, Goldfish prefer a basic pH (i.e., between about 7 and 8) but what really matters to them is that there isn't rapid pH decline between water changes. In fact, Goldfish can adjust to slightly acidic pH down to about 6.5, provided it doesn't go any lower and doesn't bounce up and down between water changes. So, the thing to do is ensure the carbonate hardness (which you measure with a KH test kit) is nice and high. Remember, carbonate hardness is the stuff the inhibits acidification by "mopping up" acidity. Anyway, that's where the Lake Malawi salts (and so on) come in. By adding these to the water, you send the carbonate hardness to around 5-10 degrees KH, and that's the thing that slows down the pH drop between water changes. And that, my friend, is what makes your goldfish happy as can be. The old school approach is to buy a bag of crushed coral of the sort used in marine aquaria, add them to the filter (in a filter media bag), and stick into a canister filter. The carbonate will dissolve into the water, and hopefully keep the carbonate hardness high and the pH level steady. Every few weeks you will need to clean the carbonate under a hot tap to wash away the slime, and maybe once or twice a year replace it completely. Adding Malawi Salts are an alternative approach that is perhaps more fiddly but is certainly more reliable and accurate. Malawi Salts can be purchased off the shelf or made at home for pennies. Cheers, Neale.>

New Tank Set Up, Goldfish 5/1/08
I've had tanks in the past and miss them.
<Come on back to the fold...>
I am getting ready to start a
new tank and at our local aquarium store, I found a 37gal tank but it is square and tall. It looks really cool and I wanted to see if that would be an issue in the long run with fish. I know that goldfish need longer, wider tanks to swim in, but if I were to keep smaller freshwater fish, would this be a problem?
<Not likely if kept circulated, filtered... carefully fed and maintained>
I am not keeping cichlids or fish that will grow large in size either.
Aquarium stores want to sell you something.
<Is their job>
I tested the guy by asking if this tank was good for goldfish, knowing it wasn't and he said "sure"! I appreciate your help and your honesty in answering this question for me.
<Mmm, as stated, these fishes do prefer more "squat" profiles than "show" for swimming, gas solubility reasons... Bob Fenner>

Please help my goldfish! Sys. 4/28/08
I have a ten gallon tank with two small goldfish.
<Need more room than this...>
I have been waiting for thirty nine days for my biological filter to mature.
<... not with the fish present...>
I even took my goldfish out at one point because the ammonia was too high and I tried fishless cycling (I didn't know how bad it was going to get when I first bought the fish and of course, Pet Smart didn't tell me about the ammonia spikes). I have since done A LOT of research because I do not trust what I am told at Pet Smart.
<You're getting smarter... Pet Smarter?>
I know all about the Nitrogen cycle and water quality.
<Yay!>
I got my ammonia under control (that is, at O!!!!!) through fishless cycling and my nitrates were up and my Nitrates were on the rise. My fish were back in the tank and it was time for a filter change. I wa concerned that the change would disrupt my nitrogen cycle because the filter was designed to replace all the filter media at once (replaceable cartridge). I called the "Top Fin help line" with my concerns and was assured that it would be "fine" to replace the cartridge
with one of their new ones and to just throw the old media in the garbage.
<... dismal... no>
Within hours, my system "crashed". The ammonia levels went to 1.0 and I haven't been able to get it down with regular water changes.
<... the changes... kill bacteria...>
I will do a 60 to 70 percent chance next. I just don't want to shock the fish. I will stay up all night if I have to. Please help me. I have done A LOT of research and I know now that each goldfish needs 20 to 30 gallons.
<So...?>
I plan to ask for a new tank for my birthday in July.
<Oh!>
However I need help to get my fish through until then. I am going out in the morning to by a new filter with a bio-wheel and I have ordered BioSpira form another website. When I first bought my fish at Pet Smart they told me I could put 3-4 goldfish in my ten gallon tank..... and then add a Pleco!!!!!!!!!!! How can we stop this?
<You're helping... here>
Please help me,
Laurie Dupuis
<Please read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
and the linked files above. Feed VERY sparingly, pre-store new water... Bob Fenner>

Problems with ammonia, Goldfish in too small a world, reading 4/28/08
I have two fancy goldfish who are currently living in a 10 gallon aquarium.
<Stop! This is the real problem... Need more room than this...>
I am now aware that ten gallons is not sufficient and I am looking into upgrading to 30 gallons, hopefully in the near future. In the meantime, I am trying to cycle my tank
<!? Fish should not be present during>
and I am very concerned about the ammonia levels.
Unfortunately, I did not know about cycling ahead of time.
<Take the fish back>
The pet store did a quick water test of my two day old aquarium water and said I was "good to go." I knew that a biological filter would have to develop, but I thought it was OK to do that with the fish in there.
<No>
I didn't know how hard it would be on them and that I would have such trouble addressing the issues with ammonia. Regardless, I now have two adorable fish looking to me to provide a safe environment for them. I added the two small goldfish (one Oranda, one Ryukin) 17 days ago and I have been trying to keep the ammonia levels down by doing daily partial water changes of 25 to 40%.
<Mmm... the changing of water will forestall the establishment of cycling>
This does not seem to be providing adequate relief from the ammonia, however, and the tank does not seem to be cycling yet (Nitrates and Nitrites are both at zero and the ammonia does not decrease significantly). I am extremely concerned for my fish. I just can't get the ammonia down to an acceptable level.
Today, I placed them temporarily in a fishbowl with water that is similar to what they have in the tank (regarding temperature, pH, etc.) just to give them some relief from the ammonia while the aquarium cycles.
<Won't work either>
I plan to change the water daily (at least partially) and closely monitor ammonia. At least I can change the water in the fish bowl and let their aquarium cycle without them. I just could never get the ammonia down to zero in the aquarium. Is this OK? How long can they stay in the fish bowl? I just want them to be somewhere safe while their home undergoes all the ammonia and Nitrite, etc. spikes. I want them to go back in as soon as the aquarium water is safe for them. Please help. I love these little guys
<Then return them temporarily... use a real cycling product or other means... see below>
and I know a fish bowl is not where they should be but I don't know what else to do.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Laurie
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Beginner Chiller Questions, FW, and GF sys. 4/28/08
Hello Crew, How are you today?
<I'm fine, thanks>
I think I've come to the conclusion that I may need a chiller.
<Okay>
I currently own a 75 gallon FW tank. It houses two comet goldfish and a Pleco. I know the comets can accept a wide range of temps, but much higher than 80 will probably be bad for all involved.
<Mmm, not if permanently too high, or too vacillating... Let's see>
I like to keep the temperature around 73 degrees Fahrenheit/23 degrees Celsius. This is because this is on the upper scale for the comets and the lower end for the Pleco.
All seem happy with this temp.
<Yes>
Since I just recently upgraded to the 75 gallon (last October), I wanted to make sure I purchased the max I could afford. I bought the glass lids instead of the plastic hood, and I bought a triple-tube fluorescent light since I wanted to make some algae for my Pleco (and he does a good job of keeping things clean). I also purchased a Rena XP 4 filter. I'm looking into getting a new one, but if I do need a chiller, I'll have to wait on that.
The lights are 32W per tube, so that's roughly 96W of heat assuming no losses (I know, very simple assumption). I have a hang-in refugium that has a small 7W powerhead for the Anacharis I purchased to try to help with Nitrates.
<Good>
They are doing well and this was only purchased to stop the fish from eating the plants to death. It hangs just below the water line so the plants receive a great deal of light. Also, the filter runs at 31W, so assuming 100% heat dump from both (another simple assumption) I now have about 140W of heat dump into the system.
<Mmm, as you say, minus losses>
Here's the problem. When I run the lights during the day and the apartment heats up (we're talking up to 75-76 degrees F, if you call that heating up), the aquarium can easily reach upwards of 78-79 degrees F. I tried to remedy the situation over the past few days by raising up the lights on about a 1" shim, putting a 12" fan running against the side and front of the aquarium, removing a tube from the fixture to reduce heat, and then finally by raising both glass access flaps to help aid in evaporation cooling (see, I am reading the FAQs!!! ;) ).
<Heeeee! You're ready to start writing them!>
Nothing seemed to work. Even with ambient air temperatures around 72 degrees and all the "fixes" in place, the temp in the tank still rises to around 76-77 degrees F.
<No big deal>
So I went on to my next idea which I haven't finished yet. I plan on putting three 120mm fans connected up to a converter that I purchased at Radio Shack, and then implementing those into the left side of my aquarium to blow down on the water, and on the other side put just a screen mesh so that air can get out, but fish can't.
<Good>
But, here's the catch. I'm a meteorologist, so I know a little bit about thermodynamics and air temperatures. I live in Philadelphia. The summers here are pretty humid most times. Strike one on evaporation cooling.
Second, I know that even with the fans going and the humidity low, the water can only be cooled down to ambient air temperature. The air exiting the tank theoretically could get lower (wet bulb temp), but even then, the humidity inside the apartment will quickly rise leaving an equilibrium of eventually air temperature when ambient reaches wet bulb, or 100% humid. Strike two against air cooling. Finally, when I leave my apartment, I turn the A/C up to 82F to save energy and money. I don't like $250 electric bills, and that's what it costs around here if I keep the A/C at a friendly 75F during the morning and night when I'm here. I could only imagine the price if it was that temp 24/7. I also plan to go on vacation during the summer for around 10 days, and this combined with the thermostat at 82F will definitely not keep the tank cool, regardless if I turn off the lights or not. Strike three, no?
<Again... I think you'll be fine...>
So I started to take another look at the chillers. Man, are they pricey. On top of that, there is no unique guide to sizing the things. Some sites say 1/10 HP goes up to 130 gallons, where some say only 50 gallons.
<There are differences in efficiency... and insulation...>
I have looked at the JBJ Arctica and the Current USA Prime coolers. I was looking at the 1/10 HP models since that's what the JBJ site sized out for me. but I wanted to ask you guys to make sure this sounds ok. I could go up to the 1/5 HP from JBJ (I want quiet, and you guys said in one of the chiller FAQs that was high on the list) if you think that's what I need, but I'd hate to buy a V12 when a V6 can do the job more efficiently and still have room to grow if needed. I also don't want to short-cycle the compressor or cause rapid spikes in temperatures for the fish.
<Mmm, yes... these devices consume electricity as well...>
I wanted to do inline instead of drop-in since I read here that drop-ins are very inefficient.
<Agreed. They're inappropriate tech. for most all applications>
I wanted to connect the chiller up right after my XP4 since then I wouldn't have to purchase a new pump or anything. The XP4 says it has a 450GPH flow, and I bet that's probably without any media inside. My only reservation with that was that I didn't see any kind of flow curve or documentation on how restrictive the chillers are. I've water-cooled computers before so reading those charts does give an idea of flow rates and pump needs. The last thing I want to do is kill my filter pump.
<Yes... and this may well do it. The small head magnetic drive pumps for these filters are not meant to encounter any/much induced drag>
The JBJ says that it can handle up to 960 GPH through it - great considering I may end up getting a second filter anyway in the long run and pairing both filters into a Y tube that goes into the chiller, then splitting back out of a Y tube to two outputs. That would give roughly a max 900 GPH flow through the chiller.
<A bit less in actual practice... like half>
Anyway, sorry to make a short story long. But I hope you have some insight for me. I'm really confused on what to do since not a whole lot of people seem to be in my position. Most have metal halide lighting, sumps, etc. I don't. My setup is pretty simple, and I keep it that way since I know the more complicated I make it, the more I'm going to mess something up and potentially kill my fish (i.e. the reason I don't have a sump is because I don't know how to keep it from siphoning my tank out, and what happens in a power failure?!?). Maybe one day I will start to use a sump since I do have a spare 20 gallon that I moved up from. I'd like a de-nitrate tank and I know I could get one with either a planted sump or a deep sand bed. just gotta figure out the whole water-draining scenarios first.
<Neat! Sounds like a worthy project>
It scares me to get a call from apartment management telling me my 75 gallons all drained into the apartment below and that my fish are now gone. I know they were only 70 cent feeder fish. but I still can't fathom such an inhumane death.
Weird, I know.
Anyway, let me know if you can help, and if you can I greatly appreciate it.
And so does my wallet.
John Lindsay
<John, I would maybe shift your lighting schedule, with one or more on-off cycles per day... have the lights come on (and maybe go off) till later in the day, eve, when it's cooler... Is what I do for my fancy goldfish here in S. Cal. (where it was 90 F. ayer)... Not a problem, really... In the volume you have, the species you care for, all this will work out... Keep doing those 20-25% water changes every week and no worries. Bob Fenner>

Re: Beginner Chiller Questions 4/29/08
Bob,
<John>
Thank you for the reply.
<Welcome>
I tend to agree with you about the fact that as long as it isn't a continuous situation, I'd be ok.
However, my idea with the fans didn't work as well as I thought. They don't fit, and I don't have the tools necessary (I am just out of college in my first job with an apartment - no time to have purchased the right equipment, plus the right equipment to do so, like just a rip saw or table saw, is about at much as a chiller) to implement the right design.
<Understood>
So, if my air temperature still stays at 82F for the week and a half I'm gone, with the fact that no cool-down will occur at night since I won't be home to monitor the temps, and the same for during the day when I keep the A/C on at 82F... are you recommending the chiller or not? I don't know if I got a true answer, but perhaps you were leaving it up for me to decide since it is my purchase!!! :)
<Am advising against such purchase, use. I don't use one...>
I know that 77 isn't a worry for temps... but the fact that when the apartment is at 72 the temp is at 77, and when I have the apartment at 75 I know the tank will heat up to around 79, I can only imagine when the air in the apartment is at 82... the tank will rise to around 85+ which I know is too hot for any fish...
<Not really... if one thinks/considers that the back-up, redundancy processes/mechanisms on a space shuttle or submarine are impressive, they should take a look at the capability of shifting biochemical pathways in biotic systems... MUCH more impressive>
I'm just trying to make sure I don't come home to dinner one day.
<Not to worry, I assure you>
Thank you so much for your help. I know it has been time consuming with my last e-mail!
John Lindsay
<A pleasure to share. BobF>

Goldfish problems, hlth., env. – 04/21/08
Hello
I am writing about a 5 year old fantail goldfish. I think she is female. She exhibits very strange behavior and might be sick. She is a valued member of our household.
She is about 3.5 inches
<Stunted for this age>
in body length (not including the tail). She is in a 29 gallon tank by herself and all water qualities are good. Ammonia is 0, ph 7.5, nitrite is 0 and nitrates are 0. She was fed Omega-One goldfish flakes and occasional peas.
<Needs more greenery>
The tank was set up about 2 months ago.
<Where was this fish before?>
There was some ammonia (.25) but no nitrite buildup a while ago but that is resolved. I used old water plus live sponges for the filter.
<Ah, good>
The tank is filtered with an Aqua-Clear 30 and has an air stone with a good amount of air. There are some live plants?bolbitis fern and crypto. There is no sand. I put in Kent RO Right and baking soda to harden the water because our water is soft.
<Good>
For a couple of months this winter, she was in a 10 gallon tank
<Too small... as you likely are aware>
when her 20 gallon tank broke. I did not do a lot of water changes and the nitrate level went through the roof for a while. Ammonia and nitrites were OK.
There have been times that she snaps at the water surface? she loves to eat. This is followed by some temporary bloating problems that seem to pass after eating peas.

I am careful to not overfeed her? giving her only 3 or 4 small, skinned cooked peas? or a similar amount of blanched greens or Nori. After feeding her brine shrimp, she was lethargic with her dorsal fin clamped so I have stopped that food. I have recently switched her to an all vegetarian diet and eliminated the flakes.
<Oh! Good>
Rarely I find feces floating that are long and stringy? sometimes white and sometimes green. Most of the time I do not find feces in the tank. She eats well and her color is good.
Her symptoms are that she will sit on the bottom sleeping, dorsal fin clamped and barely breathing. This has been an intermittent problem for a few years. Recently it has become a lot more prevalent and I am likely to see her like this when I enter the room. For a few months now she has added a new behavior: she will get into a corner of the tank, vertically looking straight up at the water surface and stay that way for hours. She seems dazed and hardly breathes. One tap on the glass however and she is active, fins expanded, swimming normally looking for food. Her dorsal fin is up when she swims around.
I noticed this morning that her left side rear is swollen and the scales are beginning to stick out on this swollen area. I've read many articles on line and am confused as to what to do.
Could it be a Costia problem?
<Mmm, doubtful... where would this protozoan come from?>
In Dr. Eric Johnson's book, ?Fancy Goldfish,? he says put in salt to .3% for Costia. I read another article that said feed Romet B, raise the temperature to 86 degrees F and add Epsom salts one quarter teaspoon to 5 gallons ?and no salt. Another article by Sabrina Fullhart says Epsom salts 1 to 2 Tablespoons to 10 gallons and feed strictly soft vegetable food.
<Sabrina and I are in agreement, as usual>
I'm confused as to how to approach this. I do keep fresh water angelfish and use the same bucket for all the tanks.
Is it possible that Costia from the angels is affecting the goldfish?
<Yes... but rare that this would be present on either... you have a microscope?>
What could the swelling on her left side be?
<Resultant from a bump, the exposure to poor conditions some time back>
I do have Medigold pellets from Goldfish Connection. Should I feed her this? I am concerned that she won't be able to digest the hard pellets.
I would appreciate any help that you could give me.
Thanks.
Rick Burt

Goldfish, sys. 4/19/08
Hey,
I have 2 feeder goldfish that I have had through college (in an undersized tank) and I am moving them to a 10g to start off with. I am planning on setting up my tank and letting it do it's thing over the weekend. Because feeders seem pretty tough, is the weekend long enough for a 10g to cycle before I add them? Do I need to add something like a plant from their old tank to the new one while it's cycling? I have read a mix of information on it. I have also read that fan shrimp are okay to mix with goldfish. I wanted to add other fish like tiger barb to the tank with them but from my week of becoming a fish expert I have decided to leave them alone and give them more space versus friends. I would like a few shrimp though if they are okay with them.
Thanks, Tash
<Hi Tash. Our standard advice is always to cycle the tank before adding the fish. Cycling a tank takes at least 4 weeks, likely 6. But you can add various products to "instantly" get the filter going, such as BioSpira. You also have the option of taking filter media from a mature tank and sticking it in the filter in the new tank. This works 100% reliably assuming the water chemistry in both tanks is roughly the same. Moving "stuff" like rocks, gravel, plants, etc. will have next to no useful affect so don't bother. All the bacteria are in the filter, whatever that may be: sponge, ceramic noodles, or even gravel from an undergravel filter. For what its worth, Goldfish are best kept alone, or perhaps with a Weather Loach; Goldfish can combine with subtropical fish up to a point, but they are not really ideally tankmates for tropical species. Moreover, in a 10 gallon system, the Goldfish aren't really going to work out in the long term, so I wouldn't make things worse by buying a bunch of other livestock that will be stressed by poor water quality and only add to your need for bigger tanks and stronger filters. Cheers, Neale.>

Filtration for 190 liters, FW, goldfish 4/19/08
Hi WWM,
I'm new to this game so please bear with me!
I am ripping my hair out about Eheim filter/s for my 190L fancy goldfish tank which we would like to put into our bedroom situated around 50-cm from my ears; when it comes!!! We are thinking of giving it a try for a month first in the bedroom (before putting the fish in)!
<Good idea; do add fish food every day or two though: this will "feed" the bacteria, and so cycle the filter for you perfectly.>
I am a light sleeper and need a deadly quiet filter/s plus worried about the smell!
<A properly maintained aquarium has no smell. Smells come from decaying things. So if you smell something = fish tank is dirty! I have had fish tanks in my bedroom. Not a problem. Use a good external filter. Adjust the outflow so the water "ripples" but does not splash. Completely silent!>
The guy at the fish-shop suggests the pro 2 2028, but I'm not sure if it is a good idea to put all my eggs in one basket! I think it's better to have two on the go. I have a classic 2211 ultra silent on my 60L but is a bit of a pain for cleaning reasons & getting the top off.
So these are my suggestions:
1: 1x 2026 pro 2 plus 1x 2224 pro 1
2: 1x 2028 pro 2 plus 1x 2211 classic
3: 1x 2217 classic plus 1X 2211 classic
It's for my 2 fancy goldfish in 60L tank, one with swimming problems & stunted growth and there two babies six months old in 20L tank.
<Any of these should work.>
Turn over 5 times an hour minimum, I think! My fish are messy, maybe due to overfeeding.
<So: cut back on food! Goldfish need little food. Turnover of 5 times is good for Goldfish. I'd even say 6 is best! Big filter = less the filter needs cleaning, and the cleaner the water. Spend a little more money, but save a lot more time! A good filter lasts many, many years.>
I would like to alternate cleaning. With the 2211 I'm worried I will be cleaning it every 2 min.s including pipes! eek

Another problem one of my fancies has a swimming problem so the flow has to be reasonable.
<Also put plastic plants in one or two corners. In nice clumps. These will break the water flow, and create a gentle area for the fish to rest. Rocks and wood can be used in the same way.>
So if you have any suggestions for the filter plus your thoughts on fish-tanks in the bedroom i.e smell & noise! I will be so so happy.
P.S This is becoming an obsession 24/24
<Yes, it can be so!>
Thanks a lot
Jeanette
<Bon chance, Neale.>

Re: filtration for 190 liters 4/20/08
Hi Neale,
Thanks for the speedy reply!
I really appreciate your help - I don't know where us "rookies" would be without internet sites like yours.
<You are most welcome!>
Anyhow I've opted for the full on 2028 even though it intimidates me a bit & run this along with the 2211 until I can afford to upgrade the 2211 to a 2215.
<The Eheim 2028 offers 1050 litres per hour; for a 190 litre aquarium it should be plenty, even by itself.>
What do you think?
<A good choice.>
For the 2028, I've heard a few moans & groans that it's not as good as it's made out to be.
<Eheim filters generally have a good reputation. I've used both Fluval and Eheim filters over the years and had good experiences with both of them. In general, if either type rattles or makes odd noises, even when set up properly, assume it is "broken" and demand a replacement. Both manufacturers make filters that are silent and easy to use. The Eheim 2211 and Eheim 2215 filters are "old school" in design, but work extremely well. I see no real advantage to upgrading the Eheim 2211 you already have (300 litres per hour) to the Eheim 2215 (600 l/h) if you are buying the Eheim 2028 as well. You already have more than 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour (1050 from the Eheim 2028 + 300 from the Eheim 2211). That should be ample for Goldfish.>
Just curious - do you have any experience with this pro 11 & what would be your personal choice out of the batch I've suggested?
<No personal experience. To be honest, I tend to choose the filter that is best value at the time I go shopping. I balance my needs against price, and then choose.>
I don't want to make any other mistakes. I think I've gone through the lot!
<Agreed!>
Happy fish & a good nights sleep is what I'm aiming for.
Thanks again & have a great weekend
Jeanette
<Good luck, Neale.>

Freshwater Decor ? Goldfish sys. 3/12/08
Hello...
Would a product made of alabastrite (not painted) be safe for a goldfish tank? And would a concrete type statue be safe with enough water circulation and oxygen?
Lisa
<No, none of these things is acceptable. Unless an ornament or material is explicitly sold as aquarium safe, don't assume that they are. Concrete for example contains lime, and that can raise the pH of the aquarium very quickly. You can get coatings that prevent this, allowing its use in ponds for example, but why bother? The variety of aquarium-safe rocks and ornaments is huge and wide ranging in price as well, so there's really no reason not to use them. Granite and slate can be bought from garden centres and used to create all manner of "terrain" inside the tank, and there's also bogwood, ceramic ornaments, terracotta, etc. Anything pond-safe should be aquarium safe. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Freshwater Decor ? 3/12/08
Thanks again Neale......
I asked about ceramics before and see that you mentioned that they would be safe as well but I'm getting so much different feedback from others. Some say ceramics are not safe unless they are marked "dinnerware" safe.
<Ah, you misunderstand. When I say "ceramic ornaments" I mean the stuff sold in pet stores for fish tanks. Ceramic mangrove roots, castles, and the like.>
Well, no statues or things of that nature would be marked dinnerware safe. Someone suggested buying "bisque" ceramics and then painting it ......but where would I find the right type of paint for inside the aquarium.
<Wouldn't bother. Running an aquarium is difficult enough sometimes without adding unknown variables.>
And some have said that ceramic can be glazed but needs to be fired a certain temp to make it "safe". I know I'm being anal here but I have yet to find one single aquarium decoration that I really like.
<Hmm... I tend to go with what I know -- granite, slate and other stones sold as pond safe. Cheap, easy to obtain, safe. I don't really care much for ceramic castles and temples and shipwrecks, but I know some people like them. To be honest, Goldfish couldn't care less about ornaments save plastic plants, which they like for the shade. So why not go for a "jungle" style with thickets of plastic plants surrounding an open area for swimming? Bamboo is another great material, especially the super-thick stuff, for creating "oriental" scenes. The downside to bamboo is it rots and needs replacing every couple of years. But it is so cheap, who cares?>
I'd be willing to buy someone from another country even if it was what I was looking for....don't mind shipping it in for the right product.
Lisa
<Some books on aquarium decor out there... 'The Inspired Aquarium', 'Aquarium Design', 'Aquarium Displays Inspired by Nature ', 'The Complete Aquarium' and others. Track down, consult. I happen to like 'The Complete Aquarium' a lot, and on Amazon.com it goes for about a buck second hand. Do also visit a garden centre and see what they have for decorating ponds and rockeries. Factor in the use of submersible lights and airstones -- these make dramatic additions, and will turn something humdrum into sheer magic if used right. Cheers, Neale.>

Help with goldfish – 03/10/08
I have two goldfish, I am not sure what kind they are. My two children had gotten about six of them at a school carnival about three or four years ago, some of them died right away and three we alive for awhile then one died, so now we have two. They have been relatively healthy until recently. I keep them in a ten gallon tank and change the water once or twice a month. I used to do total break down of the tank, but stopped and just change some of the water.
<Ah, here's part of the problem. The tank is far too small. As the Goldfish grow, they produce more waste, and eventually there gets a tipping point where the tank was adequate but now becomes dangerous. Upgrade to at least a 30 gallon system. Non negotiable. If you don't want to do that, then don't keep Goldfish. Can't be any more clear than that. See here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
>
We have hard water where we live so I use both tap water with water conditioners and spring water to fill the tank. They have done pretty well with this.
<Hard water is fine for Goldfish. Spring water is a waste of your money. Use that money for a bigger tank already!>
This week I noticed one of the goldfish started to get some black stuff growing on its fins. I had another goldfish with this before, I did not treat because I was a broke college student, that fish eventually died after it started floating on its side.
<Finrot. Look, deciding not to treat and animal because you are too poor is animal cruelty. Period. Your local animal shelter could provide you with assistance here if you really didn't have the $5 to buy Finrot/Fungus treatment. But honestly, I can't be very sympathetic about this -- the cost of medication is minimal, the suffering caused on the fish is huge, and the bad karma incurred on the pet owner substantial! Unless you want to come back as a slug next time, I suggest responding to signs of sickness in your pets quickly!>
This fish was in the tank with the two that I have now and these were fine. With this fish I thought it was ick so I bought some ick remover. I followed the instructions and the black stuff went away. This morning both of the fish seemed to be breathing heavy and I changed some water and put in more water conditioner.
<Hmm... water changes are always a good idea but when fish are breathing heavily but otherwise look fine, the odds are either the water is polluted or too warm. You can check both easily, using a nitrite test kit for the former and a thermometer for the latter.>
I also heard about putting baking soda in the water to level the ph so I put in a teaspoon for the ten gallons.
<Pointless. Again, stop, save the pennies, and buy a bigger fish tank.>
I removed the fish from the tank so that it could settle and now one of the fish is floating on its side and still breathing heavy. I put some peas in the water and it has not done
anything.
<Why would it? You're doing random things without thinking about what's truly wrong. Have you *done* a nitrite test yet? If not, you're missing one of the key steps to finding out what is wrong with an aquarium. In any case, the problem is the tank is too small.>
My kids like these fish and I don't want it to die. What should I do?
<Buy a 30 gallon tank together with a decent filter. Problem solved. Nothing NOTHING else is acceptable here. If you decide you don't have space or money for a 30 gallon tank, that's fine -- but you can't keep Goldfish either. It's essential your children learn that keeping animals is a responsibility not just a pleasure. Switch on Animal Planet and watch those shows of people keeping 150 cats locked in a trailer home or feeding their dogs nothing but paper and dirt... cruel, yes, but just the same as keeping Goldfish in a 10 gallon tank. Hope this helps! Cheers, Neale.>

Goldfish, env. dis., no reading – 03/07/08
Hi all,
I'm a bit new to fish ownership but have followed the basic rules etc... set up the tank about a week before introducing any fish and then went about slowly stocking my goldfish tank. I have 2 fantail gold fish, a loach and 4 tiny minnows. All was going well until recently when I noticed Dave, my first fantail becoming a bit lethargic.
I asked the assistants in the fish department if this was normal they told me it was quite normal for them to rest like that so I thought there was nothing to worry about. But he is starting to move less and less and his fin always seems to be down (its like having a dog that isn't wagging his tail anymore)
<A good comparison>
I've also started to notice brown marks on the underside of him mainly near his anal spot but also by his chin - I don't really know how to describe it- it looks almost like bruising of some kind. He sometimes floats vertically, but at the moment he is on the bottom of the tank looking very poorly.
I thought maybe he had that bladder thing as I have been Googling all night and read about the disease so I haven't fed the usual pellet/flake tonight I have given him peeled peas as suggested by several sources.
<Good>
I haven't seen him eat anything though - mind you the peas have vanished.
Dave and my other fishes live in a Biorb aquarium and I feed both pellet and flake food and as a treat a little daphnia now and again.
<BiOrbs are notorious for being unstable, too small for goldfish of any type>
I do a partial water change every week to fortnight use AquaSafe and I never leave the filter in for more that 6 weeks at a time. I really don't know what else to do... the water is clean, I feed 6-8 small pellets and a small pinch of flake, the tank has 3 live plants.
Dave is fab and I'm really worried he wont make it to the morning now, please help
PS also I think my Loach my have mould, he has small patch of fine whispy white attached to him which I noticed this evening while desperately willing Dave to start swimming about again. How is this treated and how can I confirm if my suspicions are correct?
<... environmental... Need larger quarters. Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Fancy Goldfish Info., sys. 3/3/08
Hello again crew (Bob and Salty Dog were helpful with my last SW inquiries!),
I'm in the process of "shopping" around for my next venture into the wet pet world. I have a 125 gal FOWLR down in our clubroom and am now ready to set up a fancy goldfish tank in our new living room upstairs. I've read quite a lot over the last 2 weeks and have decided on either the Oranda, Ryukin, or maybe Pearlscale. I'm trying to think "long term" and was thinking of investing in another 125 gal for the goldfish as it seems they would prefer the width and more shallow depth of this sized tank?
<A tank this size would be ideal.>
If I go with a 125 gal for them....how many could I comfortably fit?
<At least a dozen adults. Thirty gallons for the first two adults, and then about another 10 gallons for each additional fish is about right. Depends somewhat on the variety, filtration method, etc.>
I was thinking 2 but would 3 be too much? I'd like to start with young fish and watch them grow so I know the tank will look a bit bare for quite a while I'm sure. The room is somewhat formal in decor (old world Italian) and even though my husband would rather a tank with a large variety of FW....I really prefer the look and personality of the fancy goldfish.........and the varieties are just amazing!
<Big Goldfish in a spacious, not-overstocked aquarium can look amazing, especially if care is taken to use a decent filter (to stop water going cloudy) and nice decorations are used. In this setting, I'd suggest tall (3'/1 m) plastic plants in quantity together with terracotta urns, so you get something like a pond in Ancient Rome or Greece. Add some decent airstones and maybe some submersible lights, and off you go!>
Ok, now to substrate....I was looking into a gravel called Shallow Creek Pebble Gravel (25lb bags) from That Pet Place (I live about 40 min from there) and like the "natural" look of it. Would this be appropriate for the larger goldfish?
<Fine.>
I haven't figured out what do go with filtration wise but would love to hear any suggestions........
<Anything, provided not less than 6x the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. Remember, mechanical filtration really is important with these messy, herbivorous fish.>
I do know that I will be filtering the heck out of it though as I know they are "dirty" fish. A neighbor has a 55gal with? way too many) "feeder" goldfish who are now about 6+"!! She just bought a Fluval FX5 Canister Filter (925 gph) and I love how silent it is....you don't even know it's running. She's only had it a week but her water is crystal clear and she has A LOT of big fish in that tank. I was thinking of buying this unit but would an additional means of filtration be needed (like a hang on box/canister type)?
<Skip the hang on the back/internal filters; too little turnover to be worthwhile. Go with what you suggest, the big external canister, perhaps connected to a Reverse Flow undergravel filter so that detritus is pushed into the water column and sucked into the filter.>
A friend of the family who is building our fireplace mantle is going to build a custom unit for the tank so as soon as I know what size I'm getting....we'll start the design. My problem is where to start!? lol? I was thinking of having him encase the tank (so you can just view from the front) and have 2 cabinets on either side....one for supplies and the other to house a large filter of some type (maybe the Fluval) and have him drill holes for the piping and such to run behind the tank.
<A sump system would work well here, but is perhaps overkill.>
Even though I know they don't "need" light, I will probably go with something very basic for when we are in the room/entertaining etc.......and that would be attached to the lid I suppose. Should I have fans installed on either side of the "lid" so it doesn't get too warm.....or do you think that some low light fluorescents won't be much of a problem? I was thinking of just a full sized hinged top that can open all the way up for feeding/cleaning, etc. Any suggestions?
<I'd actually use a decent amount of light so you get (pretty) green algae on the ornaments and plastic plants rather than the ugly brown algae. Say, 2 Watts per gallon. Use a heater to keep the tank around 22-24C, and then add a Garra sp. algae eater of some type. I like Garra; they're pretty, not as big as Plecs, and constantly active. You might have space for multiple specimens, though in twos and threes they tend to be aggressive towards one another. Look at Garra panda, Garra flavatra and Garra cambodgiensis for example.>
And although I do generally prefer a more natural setting for fish (like mt SW tank), I don't want the hassle folive plants so we "may" go with a few artificial ones if any. And I have looked into the faux stone columns and roman looking tank decorations (I know..a bit tacky but they'd tie in with the room?? lol) and wondered if that would be ok for the larger fish> Nothing overdone.....very simple and clean is the plan.
<All fine. But I suspect garden-sized terracotta will be more effective at this size scale: at least here in England garden centres sell many different "urns" and other pots that are safe in fish tanks and once covered with green algae look really nice.>
I know this is terribly long and I'm asking more for "personal opinions" rather than having major concerns but I don't have anyone else to turn to for help. And of course...I want to do this properly....from setting up the "correct" type of tank/substrate/filters, etc...letting it cycle for the proper term, and keeping the fishies happy and healthy!
Thanks so much!
Lisa
<Hope this helps, Neale.>

Re: Fancy Goldfish Info 3/3/08
Thank you Neale for taking the time to respond to my inquiry!
<Not a problem.>
Wow......I was a bit surprised to read a dozen adults! I was thinking 2 full grown Oranda or Ryukin would be "comfortable" but maybe I will go ahead and get 3 or 4. I just can't imagine 12 big goldfish, even in a 125 gal!? They'd eat my checkbook faster than my SW fish do!?? lol
<Indeed. But fancy goldfish aren't as big or as space demanding as, say, Comets. And 125 gallons is a LOT of tank-space. Especially when you factor in some decent filtration.>
I think I will look into some ancient looking pots and such and a few artificial plants. I like the silk ones better than plastic but will goldfish pick at the silk plants in an attempt to eat them?
<The silk plants should be fine; but modern plastic plants are pretty good, especially when they have the algae on them *and* are used in bulk. I admit, once plastic plant sitting there looks kinda crummy.>
I will more than likely go with a large canister type filter (maybe the Fluval) but what is the reverse undergravel filter you spoke of?
<You set up a canister filter and an undergravel filter. But instead of putting a powerhead or airstone on the undergravel, you connect it to the OUTFLOW from the canister filter. So water is scrubbed in the canister (removing solid waste) and then the silt-free water is pushed into the gravel and up into the tank (biological filtration). The benefit is that you don't get any crud in the undergravel filter (so no "nitrate factory") and you don't have silt sitting on the bottom of the tank either, because there is a gentle flow of water pushing it off into the canister filter.>
The only thing I read about undergravel filters was something that Bob wrote about them being "old school"......maybe you're speaking of something different?
<Indeed. Reverse-flow UG filters combine the best of both worlds. The only reason they aren't more widely used is you can't combine them with plants.>
Is this something I can easily find at the LFS or is it something I need to rig up myself?
<Mostly with off-the-shelf parts. Might need a little fiddling about to get Brand X canister filter connected to Brand Y undergravel filter uplifts, but nothing beyond the wit of man.>
the concept sounds good. I initially wanted to use sand because I thought it would look nice and the "waste" from the fish would fall on top and it would be easier to clean (scoop out with a turkey baster even) but other things I have read say that it's not good with goldfish as they may inhale too much and too many gasses would get trapped in the sand.
<Sand is excellent with Goldfish and both these "problems" are myths. For a start, sand is used in tanks with fish that "earth-eat" precisely because it doesn't get swallowed or trapped in the gills; it is gravel that can cause this problem. Secondly, a thin bed of sand is zero risk of anaerobic decay, and even if you did get anaerobic decay, oxygen in the water neutralises hydrogen sulphide so quickly there danger to your fish is non existent. Odd: people accept anaerobic decay in marine tanks and ponds, but think it is dangerous in freshwater tanks!>
I have a DSB in my FOWLR marine tank but didn't know if it would be suitable for the freshwater goldfish I want to house.
<Not what I'd use in this instance, though doubtless it would work.>
I also was curious about your mention of adding an algae eater because I'm a little nervous about that due to what I've been reading. Seems that many of these like to "suck" and some eat the slower moving goldfish......have you heard of this?
<Sounds possible. Have read this, but only observed with very small algae eaters (Otocinclus spp.).>
And algae eater would help with tank maintenance I'm sure but I don't want their to be a problem in the long run for the goldfish.
<Indeed; on reflection maybe a good idea to either skip the algae eater or use something like Apple snails you know will be safe.>
Thanks again and look forward to your response.
Lisa
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Fancy Goldfish Info 3/3/08
Thanks Neale..........you're the best!!

Going with the sand.... add some apple snails I'm ready. I'll have to send pics when it's all set up and has livestock in it....
<Indeed!>
so you'll see something is say 6-8 months!! lol
Lisa :o)
<Very good. Enjoy the aquarium! Cheers, Neale.>

Anacharis in aquariums, and as food for goldfish 2/29/08
Hi!
Just wanted to let you know that Anacharis is no longer being sold in Michigan. It's illegal because of the invasive nature of the plant.
I found that out when looking for a good plant to help a year-old goldfish which has developed a swim bladder problem. He was in a pond from spring - fall and did well, but has had problems in the aquarium since then. (I do feed 'sinking' pellets as well as flakes.)
So far, Sunkist is the only one who has had tummy troubles, and I'm hoping to keep it that way!
So glad I found this website, it has loads of good information!
Thanks,
Karen
<If you can't get hold of Anacharis, then other similar species will do well -- Elodea, Egeria, Cabomba, etc. Plants *are* important for Goldfish, and neglecting this aspect of their diet will end with problems! Other green foods include tinned peas, blanched lettuce (especially curly lettuce), Sushi Nori, etc. Daphnia also work well, and you can buy these frozen as well as live. Pellets and flakes, by themselves, just aren't good enough in the long term. Cheers, Neale.>

A few questions for Neale... Silica sand use in FW, Goldfish sys. 1/25/08
Hi Neale,
<Nicole,>
Hope you are doing well!
<Yep.>
I thought I would ask you, since I have heard you say before that you use silica sand (aka silver sand, aka pool filter sand) in your tanks...have you ever heard of any problems arising from goldfish being kept in an aquarium with such a substrate?
<Goldfish love sand! Your main problems are these: [1] Sand doesn't hide faeces the way gravel does. Faecal matter in tanks with gravel sinks between the grains, where you can't see it. It doesn't go away, but at least you can't see it until you stir the gravel. In a tank with sand, faeces sit on top of the sand. If you have a strong filter, they'll get sucked into the filter, but otherwise it can look messy. I find "spot cleaning" with an old turkey baster a great solution. If something looks too yucky, suck it up, and dump onto a houseplant. Problem [2] is that Goldfish can kick the sand about when they root about for food. They're happy as the proverbial pigs, but if the filter inlet is too close to the bottom of the tank, you can end up getting sand in the filter.>
My friend tried using sand but missed his undergravel filter, so he's giving me 50# of silica sand, and I was considering using that for my future 30 gallon semi-planted goldfish tank. I have read - admittedly, on forums of questionable repute - that this can be problematic, causing intestinal impactions in the goldfish due to swallowing mouthfuls of sand when they are rooting about in the gravel, and have also heard it can irritate their gills as it passes.
<Neither of these sounds likely. For a start, these fish live in muddy environments where they routinely throw all kinds of muck through their gills. But from my personal experience I've see smaller fish such as Corydoras and gobies thriving in sandy tanks, let alone massive great things like Goldies.>
Would you know if there is any truth to this? I suspect there is not, but if so, my next choice would be organic potting soil with a layer of fine gravel on top, since I have read that soil can be a fine substrate for a planted tank.
<Potting soil is rich in nitrate and phosphate, so tends to cause problems with algae. I do use pond soil in aquaria, which is formulated to be nitrate-free, but plain vanilla loams and soils tend not to be recommended. A better choice is coir (coconut fibre) which is relatively inert but looks very nice. Your problem here is that as much as the fish love this stuff, it makes the water completely cloudy *unless* you have teeny-tiny fish such as killifish that can't root about.>
I have silica sand on two of my tanks, and I notice that (for me, anyway) it does seem to encourage smudge algae, or brown algae or diatoms - whichever it may be! This is fine since both tanks have a trio of Otos, and they seem to relish the stuff, but I am nervous about keeping Otos with goldfish, so I'll just have to step up on the water changes and do two 30% changes weekly.
<The jury is out on whether silica sand genuinely creates a diatom bloom or not. Here's the issue: silica sand is basically glass, and both are effectively non-soluble. The amount of silicon coming out of silica sand will be completely negligible if the chemists are to be believed. My thinking is that silica sand is more difficult to clean than gravel, so perhaps more silt gets in, and *this* promotes algae. Perhaps also the brighter colour of silica sand makes algae more obvious. Finally, it's worth mentioning that all new tanks get diatom blooms; it seems to be part of what happens when you set aquaria up.>
My plan is to keep 2 shubunkins, and a Synodontis eupterus together in the 30 gallon tank. I know this is woefully small for the Syno, but he is still "only" 6 inches and he is moving to a 55 gallon tank by the end of the year. If the shubunkins ever get too large where maintenance becomes impossible, the same friend who is giving me the sand has a natural clay lined pond that already has a couple of full grown comets in there.
<Hmm... some Synodontis are confirmed fin-nibblers, so do your research here carefully.>
I plan on massively over filtering the tank: hang-on back, 330 gph filter rated for 60 gallons, plus a Penn Plax 115 gph canister filter rated for 30 gallons, with a spray bar, and chock full of sponges and ceramic noodles. The hang-on back filter will contain filter floss contained in 800 micron media bags. The floss I plan on rinsing weekly and replacing monthly. Does this sound all right?
<Sounds great. The more you rinse the floss, the less often you actually need to replace it, by the way.>
The plants I intend to keep are a few of the inedible kinds - Java fern, Java moss. Some regularly thinned Salvinia on the top, and Water Wisteria in the substrate. I plan on trying Elodea/Anacharis but I suspect it will be chomped on heavily.
<Elodea = goldfish food.>
Is there any benefit to adding a thin layer of Laterite (20 oz.) and pouring the sand on top? (That is, if the silica sand is acceptable, of course.)
<Laterite mixed with fine gravel, and then topped with sand (with a gravel tidy between the two layers) works very well. It's a trifle old school, but serviceable.>
I would really appreciate your comments, and any advice, since I am a planted tank newbie. I have never had luck with plants; I do realize now that lack of lighting has been the reason, along with being sold houseplants. I know better now! My water is very hard and alkaline (alkalinity is off the charts at 300 ppm on my test kit) and I am lucky enough to be on a well, so no need for dechlorinator either.
<Goldfish love this kind of water.>
The city water I had before this was dreadful, very low in alkalinity.
Fishkeeping is loads easier now, it almost felt like you were speaking to me directly when I read your hard water article! I've been meaning to try some fish that would really appreciate the hard water and plant combination, I am hoping that the goldfish will.
<You get it! Yep, everyone thinks hard water is a bad thing. It's actually a blessing in disguise, once you understand how aquaria go wrong, and what it is water hardness actually does to help.>
Thank you so much for your time. Also, your article about fish for a 10 gallon tank was superb! I suspect you had lots more to say, but had to keep it concise due to space constraints. I am definitely keeping it sandwiched in my aquarium books for future reference.
<Glad you enjoyed the article! Yes, there is a lot to say about the topic of choosing the right fish for a given aquarium.>
Take care, and thanks again!
Nicole
<Happy to help.>
P.S. By any chance, do you remember what kind of Synos these were?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_cichlid
I noticed you were the author of this stunning photo! The sand looks beautiful, I've never seen such a lovely yellow color, although I am guessing it's a trick of the light and it's really silver sand...
<The sand does look very yellow under certain lights, especially if you have some bogwood in the tank tinting the water brown. Those cats are Synodontis nigriventris, a nicely-behaved small, schooling Syno ideally suited to community tanks although it is one of the fin-nibblers, so you do need to watch it carefully if mixed with slow-moving fish.>

Aggressive goldfish... just too crowded, not reading 1/7/08
Hello! I'm KJ! First of all, thank you for having such a helpful site, I have really learned a lot from it!
<Ah, am glad KJ>
I have a question about my crazy goldfish (they aren't actually crazy, it is probably more that I'm crazy about them).
<Insightful>
Anyway, I rescued two goldfish, a comet and a fantail, from my swim team's coach's office over the summer. I became very attached to them, and wanted a better home for them than a small bowl. I don't know exactly how many gallons were in the bowl, but I *know* there was no way any number of fish should have been in it. So, for a Christmas present, my parents gave me an Eclipse 12 Gallon tank (Yay!) that I planned on moving my two lovely fishies into. However, a week or so before Christmas, I noticed symptoms in my fantail that resembled dropsy (I've had a beta fish die from it as well). I tried to help him/her, but I think it only extended his life a little.
Sadly, he died on Christmas Eve. So I set up my new tank on Christmas morning, and my parents were ready to move my yellow fishy, as I call my comet, into his new home. I made them wait three days to let the tank mature a bit, because that was the time most people suggested.
<Need more time than this...>
Before I woke up on the 28th, my parents ran out to Petco to surprise me and bought FIVE new fish, 3 more comets (all very small, about 3/4 o f an inch), a red-cap Oranda, and a calico fantail. The largest fish in the tank is yellow fishy, my old comet, but only by about a quarter inch.
<Yikes... the 12 gallon isn't large enough for one goldfish in time...>
So the whole point of that story is that today, I was procrastinating from my homework and watching my lovely fish when I noticed that the calico fantail had the uppermost right tip of its tail missing. It doesn't look like rot, I already checked that out, but it looks like it was cut off. At first I suspected the pump that draws water into the filter, but I looked into my tank with horror as my beloved yellow fishy was nipping the fantail!
<Yes... too crowded>
So, I have removed yellow fishy, and put him in his bowl (only temporarily, of course). My main question is, however, even though there are too many fish in one tank, why did my yellow fishy only go after the one fantail?
<Crowding... easier target>
And he has more room than in the bowl with my old fantail?! How should I deal with my yellow fishy and my calico? He really just igno