FishForums.com - View Single Post - Hey all ! just got my black moore goldfish today! please come in

bscman · 05-31-2007, 12:11 AM

NITROGEN CYCLE BASICS:
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/gene...le-basics.html

10 gallons is a bit small for goldfish. They are quite messy fish, and can get fairly large. I know I wouldn't feel comfortable putting two black moores in a 10 gallon--heck, I think a 20g would be my minimum for only ONE of them...but lets face it, ideal isn't always possible.
You can get by with the 10g, if you keep the water clean, but do NOT add any more fish!

ESPECIALLY a "cheap orange goldfish" as those cheap feeder goldfish can easily reach a foot in length as adults. A 10g tank will be MUCH too small, will stunt his growth, and evetually lead to his death.

"Rule of thumb" for goldfish is about 20 gallons for the first fish, and 10 gallons for each additional...so 30g would be good for two goldfish...but this only works for fancies, like your black moore.
This is NOT the case with comets or "feeder" goldfish, as they need a MUCH larger tank....and I mean MUCH larger.

As for cleaning the tank...get a small or medium size siphon and vacuum the gravel out about once a week (IMO). Also, and this is especially important since your tank has not yet cycled, keep up on your water changes... Let too much of the bad stuff build up, and it will permanantly injure/kill your fish...NOT a happy thought.
A test kit is a must (checking ammonia/nitrites/nitrates)

Do NOT do a complete cleaning of your tank (meaning, don't rinse the gravel...scrub the plants...etc)...a complete cleaning will wipe out all those healthy and helpful bacteria that break down the icky ammonia and such. A complete cleaning will re-start the nitrogen cycle and is VERY stressful (deadly) to your fish.

As for the light...
Is the room your tank is in well lit with NATURAL light? Many of my tanks don't even have lights since the rooms they stay in are usually well lit in the daytime (windows, sunlights, etc).
You don't want your poor fishy in direct sunlight, but you probably don't need the light on all the time either....especially since all your plants are fake. I vote only have the lights on in the evenings to enjoy your fishy better! Also, you mention "yellow lights" in the hood...I'm assuming incandescent. You can get more efficient, whiter "Flourescent" lights to put in your hood at your local pet store/walmart even...they'll use less energy and won't look so "dingy."

Above all....congrats on your new aquarium!!! You'll be addicted in no time!!!
I have TONS of goldfish, and TONS of tanks...a 40g, 30g, 25g, 15g, 10g, 2.5g, 1g, and a 100+ gallon pond... probably about 30 fish total. Some of my "feeder" goldfish that were bought late last summer (which I rescued from certain death) are now approaching the 7" mark...HUGE!
Enjoy watching your goldy grow!

05-31-2007, 12:11 AM	#4
bscman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NW Washington Age: 25 Posts: 159	NITROGEN CYCLE BASICS: http://www.fishforums.com/forum/gene...le-basics.html 10 gallons is a bit small for goldfish. They are quite messy fish, and can get fairly large. I know I wouldn't feel comfortable putting two black moores in a 10 gallon--heck, I think a 20g would be my minimum for only ONE of them...but lets face it, ideal isn't always possible. You can get by with the 10g, if you keep the water clean, but do NOT add any more fish! ESPECIALLY a "cheap orange goldfish" as those cheap feeder goldfish can easily reach a foot in length as adults. A 10g tank will be MUCH too small, will stunt his growth, and evetually lead to his death. "Rule of thumb" for goldfish is about 20 gallons for the first fish, and 10 gallons for each additional...so 30g would be good for two goldfish...but this only works for fancies, like your black moore. This is NOT the case with comets or "feeder" goldfish, as they need a MUCH larger tank....and I mean MUCH larger. As for cleaning the tank...get a small or medium size siphon and vacuum the gravel out about once a week (IMO). Also, and this is especially important since your tank has not yet cycled, keep up on your water changes... Let too much of the bad stuff build up, and it will permanantly injure/kill your fish...NOT a happy thought. A test kit is a must (checking ammonia/nitrites/nitrates) Do NOT do a complete cleaning of your tank (meaning, don't rinse the gravel...scrub the plants...etc)...a complete cleaning will wipe out all those healthy and helpful bacteria that break down the icky ammonia and such. A complete cleaning will re-start the nitrogen cycle and is VERY stressful (deadly) to your fish. As for the light... Is the room your tank is in well lit with NATURAL light? Many of my tanks don't even have lights since the rooms they stay in are usually well lit in the daytime (windows, sunlights, etc). You don't want your poor fishy in direct sunlight, but you probably don't need the light on all the time either....especially since all your plants are fake. I vote only have the lights on in the evenings to enjoy your fishy better! Also, you mention "yellow lights" in the hood...I'm assuming incandescent. You can get more efficient, whiter "Flourescent" lights to put in your hood at your local pet store/walmart even...they'll use less energy and won't look so "dingy." Above all....congrats on your new aquarium!!! You'll be addicted in no time!!! I have TONS of goldfish, and TONS of tanks...a 40g, 30g, 25g, 15g, 10g, 2.5g, 1g, and a 100+ gallon pond... probably about 30 fish total. Some of my "feeder" goldfish that were bought late last summer (which I rescued from certain death) are now approaching the 7" mark...HUGE! Enjoy watching your goldy grow! Last edited by bscman; 05-31-2007 at 12:23 AM.