New Aquarium and Feeding

Hello all,

I posted last week about the aquarium assembly question. I fully set
it up Friday w/ gravel and ornament, waited 48 hrs, treated with mucus
and conditioner, put two fish in it, put starter solution in it, and
fed lightly.

The problem is, this is a 5 gallon tank with two goldfish.
Thankfully, at least, it does have an Aquatech power filter....one
that hangs on the aquarium and also provides a waterfall.

I understand that this 5 gallon is small for goldfish, ESPECIALLY two.
However, this was more or less an emergency procedure because they
came from my 7 month old 30 gal half whiskey barrel pond whose liner
for some reason sprung a leak. The water easily became at critically
low level--we're talking a little over an inch high with fallen
leaves. To boot, these two fish were starting to hang too close to
the surface during the night; bad sign. I was refilling the barrel w/
liner once every two days, sometimes twice. Unfortunately, my plan
was to just get another liner but none were available that were fully
in tact. Whatever caused the liner to leak in the first place would
inevitably happen again.

So, 5 gal was all I was able manage given the fact that I have no
aquarium stand and was paranoid about another leak. I put a towel
under it. I did have *a* stand, though; an old record player built
into an oversized chest, so this is what I plan to use until I can get
a real aquarium stand and a nice-sized tank.

I would just like to know what I can do for a less than ideal
situation. These are feeder fish that I got from Wal Mart for 24
cents or less, so as you can see I've gone through a lot of trouble
for them if you're to measure them in quality and price. Hey, I could
have done much worse and put them in a small bowl with no filtration,
right?

What's really interesting to me is that these two goldfish were active
right away when I put them in the tank. Just about as normal as they
were in the pond. However, when I first put them in the pond early
this year they stayed virtually motionless on the bottom for at least
a month or two. I don't know why they did that then and not now.
Both waters were conditioned, but the different thing is that the
aquarium is filtered and also I had put stuff with stress coating in
it. The fish developed black spots back then, which cleared up. One
fish even went from all black when I first got it to orange. Early
this year, I let the bag float in the water--but this time around I
didn't have a bag w/ inflated oxygen so I just put them in the
aquarium from a regular bowl.

Anyway, I hope I can get some advice. Like I said, I'd like to make
the best of this situation. I do have a testing kit and will even
test the water tonight and of course daily. I'll do a water change
each day if I need to, until things can get stabalized (hopefully).
Yes, I also bought an aquarium book since books on aquariums (maybe
lots of them) have been highly recommended for beginners. Some rocks
from the barrel are still on the liner floor, would it be beneficial
to use those?

I know that goldfish are very hardy. I accidentally dropped one in
the grass once and then picked it up with my hands to put it back into
the "pond" with no ill effect. Even so, I feel I should at least make
an effort for their well being to the best of my ability. I hope they
survive, so I can feel justified in giving them names...

As far the large goldfish bowl that I got earlier this month, I think
that will be reserved for the one fish that can handle it as shallow
pools is its "natural" setting...forgot the name.

Oh yeah, and finally. What about feeding? I have read fish can last a
long time without food. Is that true of goldfish? I put a few flakes
in there and they ate them almost immediately and they have been
mouthing the bottom. I initially put a Top Fin vacation feeder in the
aquarium, but then removed it because they kept trying to eat from it
and also because I read that they play with water chemistry too much.

The goldfish aren't staying near the surface. Occaisionally they do
go to the surface and seem to want to eat a bubble, but they don't
stay there gasping. It also seems as though they do this near the
walls or corners without touching said walls or corners. I hope they
have will have enough oxygen; I imagine the filter flow should
provide that for them.

Daniel

P.S. Hood raised or lowered?

Daniel Phillips

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