Milk in the goldfish tank

[David L. Burkhead]

Hi all,

Just got some new goldfish. My wife and I took our daughter to a Japanese
"summer festival" up in Chicago and my daughter "won" a goldfish in a game
there. Well, that meant a tank ("starter kit" actually), food, and chlorine
remover. Then my wife wanted us to get some more fish so the one "won't be
lonely" so we bought two more (comets, about 1 1/2" long--the "prize" fish
was similar size and shape, but dark along the back, light along the sides
and red/orange in the belley).

Well, come to find out that the "tank" is way, way too small for three
goldfish (actually more "goldfish bowl" sized, just rectangular). So it's
off to the store today to pick up a more appropriate tank (a 29 gallon
"starter kit" with filter, heater, hood and light, and thermometer). I also
picked up more chlorine remover, a set of water test strips with individual
pads to test pH, alkalinity, total chlorine, total hardness, nitrite, and
nitrate levels, and about 35 lbs of gravel.

So I set up the tank, fill it, test the water (pH between 7.8 and 8.4, total
alkalinity about 180 KH ppm, total chlorine 0, total Harness about 150 GH
ppm, nitrites 0, and nitrates 0), and start the filter and pump running to
let the system cycle for a few days before I move the two remaining fish
(the "prize" fish promptly died on us) into it.

Well the very evening I get it set up, my daughter (who is about 3 1/2)
pours some of her milk, and some of a "yogurt drink" into the tank.

Is there anything I can do to fix this short of emptying the tank, taking
everything apart, and starting over?

--
David L. Burkhead "Dum Vivimus Vivamus"
"While we live, let us live."
My webcomic Cold Servings
http://www.coldservings.com -- Back from hiatus!
Updates Wednesdays

[Telstar[_2_]]

My concern is less about the milk, but the cycling of the tank. How are you
getting those readings on a brand new set up? I would just keep testing the
water, and do a partial water change as indicated.

[Tristan[_3_]]

On 8 Aug, 22:32, "David L. Burkhead" > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Just got some new goldfish. My wife and I took our daughter to a Japanese
> "summer festival" up in Chicago and my daughter "won" a goldfish in a game
> there. Well, that meant a tank ("starter kit" actually), food, and chlorine
> remover. Then my wife wanted us to get some more fish so the one "won't be
> lonely" so we bought two more (comets, about 1 1/2" long--the "prize" fish
> was similar size and shape, but dark along the back, light along the sides
> and red/orange in the belley).
>
> Well, come to find out that the "tank" is way, way too small for three
> goldfish (actually more "goldfish bowl" sized, just rectangular). So it's
> off to the store today to pick up a more appropriate tank (a 29 gallon
> "starter kit" with filter, heater, hood and light, and thermometer). I also
> picked up more chlorine remover, a set of water test strips with individual
> pads to test pH, alkalinity, total chlorine, total hardness, nitrite, and
> nitrate levels, and about 35 lbs of gravel.
>
> So I set up the tank, fill it, test the water (pH between 7.8 and 8.4, total
> alkalinity about 180 KH ppm, total chlorine 0, total Harness about 150 GH
> ppm, nitrites 0, and nitrates 0), and start the filter and pump running to
> let the system cycle for a few days before I move the two remaining fish
> (the "prize" fish promptly died on us) into it.
>
> Well the very evening I get it set up, my daughter (who is about 3 1/2)
> pours some of her milk, and some of a "yogurt drink" into the tank.
>
> Is there anything I can do to fix this short of emptying the tank, taking
> everything apart, and starting over?
>
> --
> David L. Burkhead "Dum Vivimus Vivamus"
> "While we live, let us live."
> My webcomic Cold Servingshttp://www.coldservings.com-- Back from hiatus!
> Updates Wednesdays

yes, get rid of the gold fish threea re just too many in a tank like
that. One will reaidl;y outgrow it. Just do some water changes and
change yuor filter media. It will not hurt anyhting per se, as all it
will be is dissolved organic compounds, which will decompose and get
filtered out in due time, so do a water change 20-30% or so for now
and do another tomorrow.Its not a death sentence to the fish as much
as being crowded in a small tank would be..See what a litle old 10
cent feeder fish can get you into! :-) You can get a bit of decent
time out of a 29 gal; tank. It is possible to keep them in a tank
however the filters etc that come with those starter kits leave a lot
to be desired. They really need a larger tank to do them
good........see what cheap feeder goldies can do to you.oh I already
said that ;-) Personally I would see if the fish store would accept
the goldies back, break down the tank and carry it back and tell em
it leaks and you want yuor money back, or pick up some hardy
tropicals in place of the goldies. Just do not mix tropicals and
goldies together........

Be very carefull of youngsters around a tank. They have been known to
pull them over on themselves.....or at the least dump all kinds of
stuff in the water and give mom and dad fits trying to figure out
whats killing the fishies

[Telstar[_2_]]

> Be very carefull of youngsters around a tank. They have been known to
> pull them over on themselves.....

I had not thought of this possibility...it certainly happens with TV sets.
The danger increases if the child 'rocks' the tank, and the water weight in
resonance pulls the tank over!

[[email protected]]

milk wont hurt the fish, in fact some people use a pure milk bath to
sooth fish with burns. HOWEVER:
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/care/care1.htm#essentials

join PureGold GF list for more help. Ingrid

On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 23:32:14 -0400, "David L. Burkhead"
> wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>Just got some new goldfish. My wife and I took our daughter to a Japanese
>"summer festival" up in Chicago and my daughter "won" a goldfish in a game
>there. Well, that meant a tank ("starter kit" actually), food, and chlorine
>remover. Then my wife wanted us to get some more fish so the one "won't be
>lonely" so we bought two more (comets, about 1 1/2" long--the "prize" fish
>was similar size and shape, but dark along the back, light along the sides
>and red/orange in the belley).
>
>Well, come to find out that the "tank" is way, way too small for three
>goldfish (actually more "goldfish bowl" sized, just rectangular). So it's
>off to the store today to pick up a more appropriate tank (a 29 gallon
>"starter kit" with filter, heater, hood and light, and thermometer). I also
>picked up more chlorine remover, a set of water test strips with individual
>pads to test pH, alkalinity, total chlorine, total hardness, nitrite, and
>nitrate levels, and about 35 lbs of gravel.
>
>So I set up the tank, fill it, test the water (pH between 7.8 and 8.4, total
>alkalinity about 180 KH ppm, total chlorine 0, total Harness about 150 GH
>ppm, nitrites 0, and nitrates 0), and start the filter and pump running to
>let the system cycle for a few days before I move the two remaining fish
>(the "prize" fish promptly died on us) into it.
>
>Well the very evening I get it set up, my daughter (who is about 3 1/2)
>pours some of her milk, and some of a "yogurt drink" into the tank.
>
>Is there anything I can do to fix this short of emptying the tank, taking
>everything apart, and starting over?

[swarvegorilla]

just water change... no more than 50% at a time
keep goldfish and ya have to keep up the water changes
solution to polution is dilution!



"David L. Burkhead" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
>
> Just got some new goldfish. My wife and I took our daughter to a Japanese
> "summer festival" up in Chicago and my daughter "won" a goldfish in a game
> there. Well, that meant a tank ("starter kit" actually), food, and
> chlorine
> remover. Then my wife wanted us to get some more fish so the one "won't
> be
> lonely" so we bought two more (comets, about 1 1/2" long--the "prize" fish
> was similar size and shape, but dark along the back, light along the sides
> and red/orange in the belley).
>
> Well, come to find out that the "tank" is way, way too small for three
> goldfish (actually more "goldfish bowl" sized, just rectangular). So it's
> off to the store today to pick up a more appropriate tank (a 29 gallon
> "starter kit" with filter, heater, hood and light, and thermometer). I
> also
> picked up more chlorine remover, a set of water test strips with
> individual
> pads to test pH, alkalinity, total chlorine, total hardness, nitrite, and
> nitrate levels, and about 35 lbs of gravel.
>
> So I set up the tank, fill it, test the water (pH between 7.8 and 8.4,
> total
> alkalinity about 180 KH ppm, total chlorine 0, total Harness about 150 GH
> ppm, nitrites 0, and nitrates 0), and start the filter and pump running to
> let the system cycle for a few days before I move the two remaining fish
> (the "prize" fish promptly died on us) into it.
>
> Well the very evening I get it set up, my daughter (who is about 3 1/2)
> pours some of her milk, and some of a "yogurt drink" into the tank.
>
> Is there anything I can do to fix this short of emptying the tank, taking
> everything apart, and starting over?
>
> --
> David L. Burkhead "Dum Vivimus Vivamus"
> "While we live, let us live."
> My webcomic Cold Servings
> http://www.coldservings.com -- Back from hiatus!
> Updates Wednesdays
>
>
>