Beginer advice saught.

[soup]

Son has got an Aquarium "kit" for his christmas.
Completely understand the chlorine must be
removed/neutralised by the addition of water treatment
chemical but how necessary is a heater, the aquarium will
be kept in the lounge so air temp will be mostly comfortable
human, at night the temperature will ba allowed to fall to
more or less ambient (Edinburgh Scotland).Is there any
recomended sites which detail what to do with a first
aquarium ?

--
yours S

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

[Geezer From The Freezer]

soup wrote:
>
> Son has got an Aquarium "kit" for his christmas.
> Completely understand the chlorine must be
> removed/neutralised by the addition of water treatment
> chemical but how necessary is a heater, the aquarium will
> be kept in the lounge so air temp will be mostly comfortable
> human, at night the temperature will ba allowed to fall to
> more or less ambient (Edinburgh Scotland).Is there any
> recomended sites which detail what to do with a first
> aquarium ?
>

How big is the tank?

[soup]

Geezer From The Freezer popped their head over the parapet saw what was
going on and said

> soup wrote:

<nine lines that needed snipping>

> How big is the tank?


It's only 5 gallons.

--
yours S

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

[Geezer From The Freezer]

soup wrote:
>
> Geezer From The Freezer popped their head over the parapet saw what was
> going on and said
>
> > soup wrote:
>
> <nine lines that needed snipping>
>
> > How big is the tank?
>
> It's only 5 gallons.
>

Then its not big enough for a goldfish! :(

[Geezer From The Freezer]

Geezer From The Freezer wrote:
>
> soup wrote:
> >
> > Geezer From The Freezer popped their head over the parapet saw what was
> > going on and said
> >
> > > soup wrote:
> >
> > <nine lines that needed snipping>
> >
> > > How big is the tank?
> >
> > It's only 5 gallons.
> >
>
> Then its not big enough for a goldfish! :(

Try a betta or some Cold White Mountain Minnows - they'd be much happier
But to answer your question - yeah a heater is required for that size tank
because of its size the temperature will swing faster and this can cause
fish stress and illness. Definitely do not go with a goldfish though! They
get MASSIVE!!!!

[John D. Goulden]

> Son has got an Aquarium "kit" for his christmas.
> Completely understand the chlorine must be
> removed/neutralised by the addition of water treatment
> chemical but how necessary is a heater, the aquarium will
> be kept in the lounge so air temp will be mostly comfortable
> human, at night the temperature will ba allowed to fall to
> more or less ambient (Edinburgh Scotland).Is there any
> recomended sites which detail what to do with a first
> aquarium ?

(earlier post in thread confirms tank size is five gallons)

That tank is too small for a goldfish (the traditional goldfish bowl is a
cruel hoax - the general rule of thumb for goldfish is ten gallons per inch)
but is just about perfect for a betta. OK, there are other small fish that
would work well (a few neon tetras, perhaps) but I'm partial to the
beautiful and personable betta splendens, which prefers to have a small tank
all to itself. You would need a small heater (bettas and other tropical fish
need a constant water temperature of about 78F) and a small sponge filter
(you need a filter of some sort but bettas prefer calm water, and sponge
filters are OK for small tanks). Add a broad-leaf aquatic plant or two; the
plants will do a lot to keep your aquarium stable and bettas like to rest on
the leaves. The tank must be "cycled" before adding the fish - do a google
search on "aquarium cycling" for more than you ever wanted to know and add
"rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc" to your subscribed newsgroups if your NNTP
provider carries it (most do). If you do decide on a betta just post to rafm
for all the help you could ever want. Good luck!

--
John Goulden
bettas, goldfish, swordtails, and guppies

[Tom Randy]

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 14:34:21 +0000, soup wrote:

>> soup wrote:
>
> <nine lines that needed snipping>
>
>> How big is the tank?
>
>
> It's only 5 gallons.


ONE goldfish needs at LEAST 10 gallons.

Try a betta instead. Although 10 gallon tanks aren't that expensive if he
really wants a goldfish, you'll need to cycle the tank first. Do a google
search on aquarium cycling.

Tom

[MattO]

"soup" > wrote in message
.uk...
> Son has got an Aquarium "kit" for his christmas.
<>
> recomended sites which detail what to do with a first
> aquarium ?
>
Fishkeeping 101
http://faq.thekrib.com/ (see "setting up your tank"-> "the nitrogen cycle")


If it's goldfish you keep - many say minimum 20g for the first 1 *or* 2
goldfish + additional 10g/additional GF
small GF tanks seldom thrive IME

Some Goldfish links
http://mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net/Cauratus.html#4
http://www.bristol-aquarists.org.uk/goldfish/info/info.htm
http://members.aol.com/sirchin/goldfish.htm
http://www.howardthehumble.com/aquatic/p2.html
http://koivet.com/html/articles/articles_cat.php?category=16&name=Goldfish%20Information&intro=Goldfish%20Information
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/8175/gdcare.html
http://petlibrary.com/goldfish/goldfish.html
and of course!
http://puregold.aquaria.net/pg/home.html

[soup]

soup popped their head over the parapet saw what was going on and said
> Son has got an Aquarium "kit" for his christmas.
> Completely understand the chlorine must be
> removed/neutralised by the addition of water treatment
> chemical but how necessary is a heater, the aquarium will
> be kept in the lounge so air temp will be mostly comfortable
> human, at night the temperature will ba allowed to fall to
> more or less ambient (Edinburgh Scotland).Is there any
> recomended sites which detail what to do with a first
> aquarium ?

Thanks all, perhaps I shouldn't have posted here as he doesn't
have his heart set on goldfish, maybe this froup is a bit specific
but it was the only aqurium one I could see (must have
searched under something else as I see this is aquaria not
aquarium) ah well will of to rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc
will probably annoy some (?) of you there.

--
yours S

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

[Craig]

tell your son he can have a siamesse fighting fish (thats a betta), much
cooler then a gold fish, alot smarter, more petty if you will.

theyll beg at the glass when he feeds them, they have real carisma, and
hes much less likly to get bored of it.

youll need a heater for the fighting fish but not a gold fish, but their
about 5 pounds from a pet shop anyways.

hope that helped Craig

(avoid goldfish, they do get really too big)



--
Posted via CichlidFish.com
http://www.cichlidfish.com/portal/forums

[Geezer From The Freezer]

Craig wrote:
>
> tell your son he can have a siamesse fighting fish (thats a betta), much
> cooler then a gold fish, alot smarter, more petty if you will.
>
> theyll beg at the glass when he feeds them, they have real carisma, and
> hes much less likly to get bored of it.
>
> youll need a heater for the fighting fish but not a gold fish, but their
> about 5 pounds from a pet shop anyways.
>
> hope that helped Craig
>
> (avoid goldfish, they do get really too big)


Smarter than a goldfish? You reckon?

Avoid goldfish if you don't want a proper sized tank!

[Lilly]

Another option could be a Paradise Fish (related to a Betta).

http://www.petfish.net/pdise.htm

They do well in small volumes of water and are more cold tolerant (down
to about 60F) so you may not even need a heater. I would keep just one
in a 5G tank, they are like Bettas where they will beat the living
daylights out of tankmates if they don't have enough space/cover or a
big enough population of them to spread the aggression around. I see
them in the local fish stores from time to time, so you could probably
find some. Not quite as colorful, but a bit more sturdy than Bettas.

They're even smarter than Bettas. ;-)

Lilly


Geezer From The Freezer wrote:

> Smarter than a goldfish? You reckon?
>
> Avoid goldfish if you don't want a proper sized tank!

[daoscar]

i agree with craig (maybe for the first time) but i would go for a male
betta much more fun and exiting



--
Posted via CichlidFish.com
http://www.cichlidfish.com/portal/forums

[Mike]

Hello, Soup.

Don't let all of these people scare you away. While I'll admit that
five gallons isn't the best thing for a goldfish, it is more than
enough. In Japan, I have trained under Myoshi Yorimoto, who among
things, is often refereed to as one of the best breeders of goldfish in
all of Japan--goldfish are extremely popular over there. His "dyokara"
breed of goldfish are bred exclusively in small, singled tanks, and
many of them have been doing well for many years--most are starting to
approach thirty years of age.

Any ways, five gallons will more than suffice for goldfish. In
America, this idea of big tanks for goldfish came about to compensate
for lack of water conditions. It's a lot easier to care for a large
tank than it is to care for a small one. Obviously, a single goldfish
in a large aquarium would cause a lot less havoc than one in a small
aquarium. American fish owners tend to have a "set it and forget
it" attitude towards water cleanliness.

While I was training under Yorimoto, I learned an invaluable lesson:
water changes should be done daily and with distilled water. On the
reverse side of the creek, one is considered to be on the "clean
side" if they partake in weekly water changes of non-distilled tap
water, which is "cleaned" by adding some sort of water treatment.
Then, after a year of this "treatment", people start to wonder why
their goldfish have lost their color.

It is also possible, but much more difficult to create an entire
natural aquarium. For your conditions, this would prove harder,
because of the lack of floor, surface area and real, available
sunlight. If you wish, I could describe how to create an all natural
habitat that would not require the use of filters, pumps, and heaters.


To get back to the main point: yes, goldfish would do rather well in
that type of environment, provided your son gives them the proper care
they deserve. Caring for a living thing has never been rocket science
for me. After seeing how people "raise" their kids, I can't
understand why they are so strict about raising animals--though, the
ignorance portion is certainly accurate.

I hope you and your son enjoy this hobby. If you have any questions,
don't be afraid to ask.

Yours truly,

Michael

[Geezer From The Freezer]

Distilled water? You need to add minerals back in as distilled water has low
hardness and results in PH instability.

10 gallons per fish is standard and actually most fish will require more
as they grow. They have high ammonia output and high oxygen requirements
as well as the fact they swim and need room. Would you let a cat live in
a box for its entire life?

[Starfish]

My goldfish hasnt lost its colour
"Mike" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hello, Soup.
>
> Don't let all of these people scare you away. While I'll admit that
> five gallons isn't the best thing for a goldfish, it is more than
> enough. In Japan, I have trained under Myoshi Yorimoto, who among
> things, is often refereed to as one of the best breeders of goldfish in
> all of Japan--goldfish are extremely popular over there. His "dyokara"
> breed of goldfish are bred exclusively in small, singled tanks, and
> many of them have been doing well for many years--most are starting to
> approach thirty years of age.
>
> Any ways, five gallons will more than suffice for goldfish. In
> America, this idea of big tanks for goldfish came about to compensate
> for lack of water conditions. It's a lot easier to care for a large
> tank than it is to care for a small one. Obviously, a single goldfish
> in a large aquarium would cause a lot less havoc than one in a small
> aquarium. American fish owners tend to have a "set it and forget
> it" attitude towards water cleanliness.
>
> While I was training under Yorimoto, I learned an invaluable lesson:
> water changes should be done daily and with distilled water. On the
> reverse side of the creek, one is considered to be on the "clean
> side" if they partake in weekly water changes of non-distilled tap
> water, which is "cleaned" by adding some sort of water treatment.
> Then, after a year of this "treatment", people start to wonder why
> their goldfish have lost their color.
>
> It is also possible, but much more difficult to create an entire
> natural aquarium. For your conditions, this would prove harder,
> because of the lack of floor, surface area and real, available
> sunlight. If you wish, I could describe how to create an all natural
> habitat that would not require the use of filters, pumps, and heaters.
>
>
> To get back to the main point: yes, goldfish would do rather well in
> that type of environment, provided your son gives them the proper care
> they deserve. Caring for a living thing has never been rocket science
> for me. After seeing how people "raise" their kids, I can't
> understand why they are so strict about raising animals--though, the
> ignorance portion is certainly accurate.
>
> I hope you and your son enjoy this hobby. If you have any questions,
> don't be afraid to ask.
>
> Yours truly,
>
> Michael
>

[Starfish]

He probably lives in a box ;-)
"Geezer From The Freezer" > wrote in message
...
>
> Distilled water? You need to add minerals back in as distilled water has
> low
> hardness and results in PH instability.
>
> 10 gallons per fish is standard and actually most fish will require more
> as they grow. They have high ammonia output and high oxygen requirements
> as well as the fact they swim and need room. Would you let a cat live in
> a box for its entire life?