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Hi, I'm new...

1K views 10 replies 3 participants last post by  emc7 
#1 ·
Hi. :) Fish are harder than I thought! My husband got our 11 yo a fishbowl the day he won 2 goldfish at the fair. I thought a 10 gal aquarium would be better, so set one up. Then our son gave his siblings the goldfish & got a betta (for the bowl) with his money. I've changed 1/3 of the water every week, but his goldfish now look bad. Their fins look ragged. I don't want them to die... Can I find medicine at petsm@rt or do I have to order? And isn't a bowl too small for any fish? Son's betta (Prince) needs an aquarium, right? Should he have fish friends? How big of a tank for 2 goldfish? What meds? I'm not sure I've done any of this right. Help would be appreciated! Thanks!


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#2 ·
Get a dechlorinator that "detoxifies" ammonia and nitrite. Do bigger water changes (100% if you have no filter) in both containers. Read about "cycling" a tank. Likely ammonia is killing the goldfish.

Betta can survive in little bowls in a warm room with frequent (daily) 100% water changes. They will really start to thrive with a heater and a filter, and few fit bowls. There is a Lee's, "small round filter" that can be cut down (saw off the upright tube) to fit. But it would be best to put the betta in the 10 and get the goldfish a bigger tank.

Goldfish are pond fish that get big and live for decades. Its only because they are cheap and colorful that keep getting pushed on beginners. A 55 is a good size for 2 goldfish, but now you are spending hundreds of dollars on your "free" fish.
 
#3 ·
Oh yikes. My husband is not going to go for buying a huge tank. :( Maybe 20 gal but if they need 55, he'll say no.I will read about cycling the tank. I use a dechlorinator but it doesn't say detox so I have to get one. Do the goldfish need a heater too? I change their filter every 2 weeks but maybe need more since they are in 10 gal. They have doubled in size and are now 2-3" each including fins. I had no idea goldfish required so much... Will a medicine fix their fins? Thanks again.


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#4 · (Edited)
goldfish don't need a heater. Clean water will help their fins. But if they continue to shrink, get something for "fin rot". It can take weeks for fins the grow back, so just worry if they are getting worse. Don't change the filter, just rinse it and put it back. Up your water changes to 60% twice weekly, more often if the fish look bad.

You might manage with a 30, but my suggestion is to start looking for friends with a pond and plan on re-homing them in the spring. Tell your kids how happy they'll be to have so much space.
 
#8 ·
Oops. Already rinsed in tap water. So when do I replace the filter??? The filter package said every 2 weeks...
I changed the water yesterday and already I see gunk. Think it might be algae that didn't get completely removed. Not sure.
Want these guys to make it. If they do maybe we can get big tank a little later.


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#9 ·
I usually don't replace until the cartridge is damaged-looking. Sagging down, leaking charcoal,etc. What sort of filter do you have? 2 filters per tank is best. Sponge filters are cheap once you have an air-pump. Every time you discard the media you throw away most of your filter bacteria.
 
#10 ·
Ok, the goldfish are looking so much better! Yay! Thanks for info! I medicated them & been changing some water daily. Read bout cycling... seems confusing depending on the article. Prob should not have, but had golden pothos in the water first month. I bought some salt for freshwater but not sure if that will help or hurt. Still in the bag.

Think I need to put the (blk moor ?) in a separate tank. Think the other is a fantail... Going off Internet pics. He's not letting the blk one get enough food. He gobbles most of the food up right away & getting bigger faster. He swims fast & the other is slow. Don't think anyone we know has a pond.

So... We move next summer & plan to take all 3 fish. (Yes - 3 kids, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 parrot, & 3 fish.) CRAZY, huh! Going to save my mad money for bigger tanks. Is it stupid to hope the fish will survive a 2,000 mi trip mid Jun/Jul? Kinda want to know before I spend my money on a bigger tank. Thanks again! :)
 
#11 · (Edited)
There are a couple of ways to move fish a long way. After you fast them for a few days. You can put them in breather bags in clean water with dechlor, ammonia detoxifer, and buffer. They can stay in the bag for days if you keep them warm (use an insulated lunch box). For larger fish (they tend to pop the breather bags) what you do is get bunch of large bags (order online well ahead of time, someplace like kensfish.com). Take your dechlor with you. Put your fish in a styrofoam box or a coleman cooler bagged one to a bag. If you car gets hot, take the fish in with you when you stop for lunch. Every night when you stop, give each fish a fresh bag of clean water. Repeat until you set up the tank.

If you are being moved by a employer or are moving yourself, you can get the tank. If you have to pay for a mover, you may be better off waiting on the big tank until you arrive. One reason you find so many cheap tanks on craigslist is that movers want more than the cost of the tank to move them and even then, don't promise not to break them.

I think you are right to separate a bully fish that won't let the other one eat. Food aggression is one of the unpleasant ways fish deal with crowding. You can divide a tank, you can get another tank, or you can use a plastic bin or something like that as a tank. A big sponge filter and water changes will keep a temporary "tank" healthy for fish.

Pothos is a house plant that will root in aquarium, but will not survive long term submerged. Either let it stick out of the tank or check it periodically and throw it in the trash when the stem gets soft (that means its going to rot). I would stick broken pieces in the tank, pot them after they have lots of roots and put in new pieces.
 
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