Cleaning out a small goldfish tank

Hi there,

I've got a small goldfish tank with two goldfish. To clean it, I've been
putting the fish into a bowl of clean water, then cleaning out their tank
and gravel in the bath.

The tank is probably too small to bother with a filter, but is there any
other way to keep the water clean without changing it every week? Are there
any small water creatures I can get that will keep it cleaner for example?
I've also read somewhere about some sort of 'water hoover,' would that be
any good for what I'm talking about?

Thanks for any advice.

Regards,

Stephen

First of all, it is absolutely essential to have a filter when keeping
goldfish. Without one, the water will quickly become toxic and slowly poison
your fish. Are you aware that goldfish also need a minimum of 10 gallons of
water each in order to be happy and healthy?
It really would be best to upgrade to a larger tank, but until then please
think about getting a filter. With goldfish you should be getting the water
turned over between 8-10 times per hour so look for a filter good enough to
do this. Fluval make filters for small tanks, or you can buy sponge filters
which attach to an airpump which would be better than nothing.
Also, 100% water changes aren't good for the fish. In an adequately stocked
tank a 30% water change per week is usually sufficient but that's when
keeping 1 fish in 10 gallons or more. If your tank is really small then I'd
suggest a 30% water change every day using dechlorinated and temperature
matched water. You can buy gravel vacuums which suck any debris for the
gravel at the same time as removing the water and it would be wise to get
one.You can also buy little sponges on sticks which clean the algae from the
glass as well. You can do all this without removing the fish from the tank
so it will be less stressful for them.
I wouldn't go adding any other fish to your tank, even if you think they
will help keep it clean. I suspect that you are already overstocked, and any
addition to the tank is going to create extra waste of it's own which you
really don't need. There is no substitute for a good gravel vacuum and a
water change I'm afraid.
Mel.
"ste ©" wrote in message
...
Hi there,

I've got a small goldfish tank with two goldfish. To clean it, I've been
putting the fish into a bowl of clean water, then cleaning out their tank
and gravel in the bath.

The tank is probably too small to bother with a filter, but is there any
other way to keep the water clean without changing it every week? Are
there
any small water creatures I can get that will keep it cleaner for example?
I've also read somewhere about some sort of 'water hoover,' would that be
any good for what I'm talking about?

Thanks for any advice.

Regards,

Stephen

give teh fish to somebody with a larger tank. you absolutely must have a filter for
GF unless you are going to do water changes every day. Ingrid

"ste ©" wrote:

Hi there,

I've got a small goldfish tank with two goldfish. To clean it, I've been
putting the fish into a bowl of clean water, then cleaning out their tank
and gravel in the bath.

The tank is probably too small to bother with a filter, but is there any
other way to keep the water clean without changing it every week? Are there
any small water creatures I can get that will keep it cleaner for example?
I've also read somewhere about some sort of 'water hoover,' would that be
any good for what I'm talking about?

Thanks for any advice.

Regards,

Stephen




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

You cannot keep goldfish without filtration. Goldies expel and enormous amount
of ammonia into the water. Your fish are swimming in their own waste, and will
eventually be ill. You don't say how small the tank is, but rule of thumb is
10g per fish. You can get an Aquaclear 150 for a 10g tank and keep 2 fish,
because it's over filtered (I know, because I've had to do this for about a
year), but you also need some kind of bubble bar or other aeriation.

Don't over wash the gravel (I could be wrong, maybe you're not supposed to wash
it at all, I use sand) because the gravel contains the bio-bugs - benficial
bacteria - to keep the tank healthy.

I don't know what a water hoover is, unless it's a python, but that's just a
modified syphon hose.

You need to do a litte research, goldfish can grow over 12" long and live over
20 years, they need lots of space. I have a new 150g tank for just 6 fish.

Deanna

Hey there,

First of all, thanks to Mel, Ingrid, and Deanna for your replies. I was
going to come back here and tell you that I thought your advice was a bit
over the top, and that my fish tank would be fine as it was. I was going to
say, if you want such a big tank for your fish, why don't you do the right
thing and let them back in the ocean where they belong, rather than keeping
them trapped in some aquarium, which no matter how big, will never compare
to their natural habitats.

But I then started reading more after your advice, so I've followed it. :-)
I bought a new tank today to replace the large goldfish bowl which we had
beforehand. The new tank came with a Fluval 2 filter. Hopefully, it will
do the job. If not, we'll just get a bigger filter later on. The tank also
came with a light in the hood, and the tank is 80cm x 30cm x 40cm, which
holds 96 litres, or 21 gallons.

I've got two fish in this, a Blackmoor, and something else - I will take a
photo later in the week and upload it to my webspace so someone can identify
it! ;-)

If anyone can recommend any real plants that will look nice in the tank and
be okay with my fish, then please feel free to do so. We've currently got
some of those plastic plants, but they look ever so tacky. Also, if anyone
can recommend any other aquatic life that would work well within our
aquarium, then please let me know.

So thanks to everyone for their help, it's much appreciated - not by me or
my bank balance so much, but my two little fishies! :-)

Thanks,

Stephen



"ste ©" wrote in message
...
| Hi there,
|
| I've got a small goldfish tank with two goldfish. To clean it, I've been
| putting the fish into a bowl of clean water, then cleaning out their tank
| and gravel in the bath.
|
| The tank is probably too small to bother with a filter, but is there any
| other way to keep the water clean without changing it every week? Are
there
| any small water creatures I can get that will keep it cleaner for example?
| I've also read somewhere about some sort of 'water hoover,' would that be
| any good for what I'm talking about?
|
| Thanks for any advice.
|
| Regards,
|
| Stephen
|
|

Plants: nothing with small leaves which goldfish can get in their mouths.
Java Fern is highly recommended. I had a goldfish rip apart a piece of
hornwort in seconds but I think she was possibly after some baby snails and
not the plant itself. I had wisteria in my tank and the fish left it alone,
too, but the snails wrecked it. It is pretty, but requires alot of light.

As for other fish, you don't want to mix tropicals with goldfish since the
GF produce so much ammonia, and they have different dietary needs. Also, a
common one to put in there is an "algae eater", but this is also a mistake
since some will suck on the slime coat of a GF. Besides, goldfish will
graze on algae so you don't need one.

Most of us just keep our goldfish by themselves, or with a snail or 2. I
have a little swordtail in with my goldfish, but he thinks he is a goldfish.
LOL. He was among plants which the LFS put in the tank with some fantails,
and when he scooped water into the bag to catch my new fantails, he scooped
up 2 fry, and this little guy is the surviving one. He's now 5 months old
and I don't have the heart to separate them. When I first got my big tank
set up and moved the goldfish into it, I left the swordtail in the little
tank by himself and he was "pacing" and swimming frantically around, so I
finally gave in and put him in the GF tank. He hangs around my smallest
fish and eats goldfish food, etc. he's healthy and happy so I haven't
bothered to move him, but other than that, I have guppies and Angelfish and
they have their own tanks.

Good luck with your new fish, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any
concerns. Sometimes people here can be blunt, but it doesn't mean you
should take it personally. Unfortunately, many people don't do their
homework, nor do they bother to ask about the fish, and us folks dedicated
to the hobby get upset when this happens, that's all. But we are here to
help, and you have a delete button for posts you don't like...



--
} Tammy {
Support the Canakin Project with me, by linking to your favorite store from
this address:
http://www.geocities.com/ontario_canakin All Proceeds will be used to
purchase equipment, fish, etc for the Canakin Project

Watkins Business Opportunity
www.tsginfo.com Enter code TD3796
Me and my fish Thank You!!
"ste mc ©" wrote in message
...
Hey there,

First of all, thanks to Mel, Ingrid, and Deanna for your replies. I was
going to come back here and tell you that I thought your advice was a bit
over the top, and that my fish tank would be fine as it was. I was going
to
say, if you want such a big tank for your fish, why don't you do the right
thing and let them back in the ocean where they belong, rather than
keeping
them trapped in some aquarium, which no matter how big, will never compare
to their natural habitats.

But I then started reading more after your advice, so I've followed it.
:-)
I bought a new tank today to replace the large goldfish bowl which we had
beforehand. The new tank came with a Fluval 2 filter. Hopefully, it will
do the job. If not, we'll just get a bigger filter later on. The tank
also
came with a light in the hood, and the tank is 80cm x 30cm x 40cm, which
holds 96 litres, or 21 gallons.

I've got two fish in this, a Blackmoor, and something else - I will take a
photo later in the week and upload it to my webspace so someone can
identify
it! ;-)

If anyone can recommend any real plants that will look nice in the tank
and
be okay with my fish, then please feel free to do so. We've currently got
some of those plastic plants, but they look ever so tacky. Also, if
anyone
can recommend any other aquatic life that would work well within our
aquarium, then please let me know.

So thanks to everyone for their help, it's much appreciated - not by me or
my bank balance so much, but my two little fishies! :-)

Thanks,

Stephen



"ste ©" wrote in message
...
| Hi there,
|
| I've got a small goldfish tank with two goldfish. To clean it, I've
been
| putting the fish into a bowl of clean water, then cleaning out their
tank
| and gravel in the bath.
|
| The tank is probably too small to bother with a filter, but is there any
| other way to keep the water clean without changing it every week? Are
there
| any small water creatures I can get that will keep it cleaner for
example?
| I've also read somewhere about some sort of 'water hoover,' would that
be
| any good for what I'm talking about?
|
| Thanks for any advice.
|
| Regards,
|
| Stephen
|
|

That's great news Stephen!! Another one converted...g
Your fish will be so much happier in their nice new tank and I bet you that
in 6 months you'll understand why they need the 10 gallons when you see how
big and healthy they they have become.
You'll probably find that the Fluval 2 will do the job while the fish are
smallish, but once they start growing bigger and producing more waste you'll
probably find you need to upgrade or add another. To keep the water crystal
clear it's best to have a filter/or a combination of filters which will turn
the volume of your water over between 8-10 times per hour. Again, this might
sound excessive (like the 10 gallons rule!) but once you've got it you'll
see why.
As for plants, most will get wrecked within hours with goldfish. I have had
success with Java fern which I grow on chunks of bogwood but anything else
I've tried has been eaten.They do sometimes last a bit longer if you give
the goldfish a supply of romaine lettuce on a veggie clip as they tend to
pick at that instead of the plants.
Some plastic plants do look a bit tacky, but there are some better ones
around. Silk ones tend to look more realistic and although I've never bought
them I've seen them around in a few shops round here so I expect they're
readily available.The plastic ones will look better with age though as they
get a coating of algae etc.
As for other mates for your fish, opinion becomes divided. I have heaters in
my goldfish tanks so keep a couple of bristle places with them. These are
just about the only type which are suitable with goldfish so don't be
tempted to try anything else. Unlike most other places they stay herbivorous
for their entire lives and only get to 6 inches max. They would need a piece
of bogwood to hide under and chew. Trouble is once they were all full grown
your tank would be overstocked again so only get one of you know you can
upgrade when the time comes. I also have an apple snail. Despite what people
tell you they aren't that great at cleaning the algae off the tank (like the
bristlenoses), and also create an awful lot of poop. Hillstream loaches
would be another option. These are coldwater, stay very small (3 inches ish)
and are safe with goldfish. They like a lot of current though so you might
need to add the other filter to keep them happy.
Hope this helps anyway,
Mel.


"ste mc ©" wrote in message
...
Hey there,

First of all, thanks to Mel, Ingrid, and Deanna for your replies. I was
going to come back here and tell you that I thought your advice was a bit
over the top, and that my fish tank would be fine as it was. I was going
to
say, if you want such a big tank for your fish, why don't you do the right
thing and let them back in the ocean where they belong, rather than
keeping
them trapped in some aquarium, which no matter how big, will never compare
to their natural habitats.

But I then started reading more after your advice, so I've followed it.
:-)
I bought a new tank today to replace the large goldfish bowl which we had
beforehand. The new tank came with a Fluval 2 filter. Hopefully, it will
do the job. If not, we'll just get a bigger filter later on. The tank
also
came with a light in the hood, and the tank is 80cm x 30cm x 40cm, which
holds 96 litres, or 21 gallons.

I've got two fish in this, a Blackmoor, and something else - I will take a
photo later in the week and upload it to my webspace so someone can
identify
it! ;-)

If anyone can recommend any real plants that will look nice in the tank
and
be okay with my fish, then please feel free to do so. We've currently got
some of those plastic plants, but they look ever so tacky. Also, if
anyone
can recommend any other aquatic life that would work well within our
aquarium, then please let me know.

So thanks to everyone for their help, it's much appreciated - not by me or
my bank balance so much, but my two little fishies! :-)

Thanks,

Stephen



"ste ©" wrote in message
...
| Hi there,
|
| I've got a small goldfish tank with two goldfish. To clean it, I've
been
| putting the fish into a bowl of clean water, then cleaning out their
tank
| and gravel in the bath.
|
| The tank is probably too small to bother with a filter, but is there any
| other way to keep the water clean without changing it every week? Are
there
| any small water creatures I can get that will keep it cleaner for
example?
| I've also read somewhere about some sort of 'water hoover,' would that
be
| any good for what I'm talking about?
|
| Thanks for any advice.
|
| Regards,
|
| Stephen
|
|

Hi Tammy,

Thanks for your post. I don't mind the fish eating the plants, so long as
it does them no harm. But obviously, my main objective is to have a plant
that looks pretty for me! ;-) When you say that Wisteria, you said it's
pretty but requires a lot of light. I've got a single light in my hood,
would this be okay, or not enough? It looks bright enough for me, but I
don't know that particular needs of plants.

I wouldn't mix tropical fish with goldfish, and I'm not using a heater in
the tank either so probably couldn't. When I move house later this year,
I'd then like to get a bigger tank to house some tropical fish on their own.

That's a cute little story about your swordfish, perhaps you could sell this
story to the makers of Finding Nemo 2, in case they are looking for a story!
:-)

Thanks for the advice, and I am a big reader! Perhaps I should have read
more before I got the first fish, but no going back now, just onwards and
upwards! :-)

Thanks,

Stephen



"LoaderLady" wrote in message
. ..
| Plants: nothing with small leaves which goldfish can get in their mouths.
| Java Fern is highly recommended. I had a goldfish rip apart a piece of
| hornwort in seconds but I think she was possibly after some baby snails
and
| not the plant itself. I had wisteria in my tank and the fish left it
alone,
| too, but the snails wrecked it. It is pretty, but requires alot of light.
|
| As for other fish, you don't want to mix tropicals with goldfish since the
| GF produce so much ammonia, and they have different dietary needs. Also,
a
| common one to put in there is an "algae eater", but this is also a mistake
| since some will suck on the slime coat of a GF. Besides, goldfish will
| graze on algae so you don't need one.
|
| Most of us just keep our goldfish by themselves, or with a snail or 2. I
| have a little swordtail in with my goldfish, but he thinks he is a
goldfish.
| LOL. He was among plants which the LFS put in the tank with some
fantails,
| and when he scooped water into the bag to catch my new fantails, he
scooped
| up 2 fry, and this little guy is the surviving one. He's now 5 months old
| and I don't have the heart to separate them. When I first got my big tank
| set up and moved the goldfish into it, I left the swordtail in the little
| tank by himself and he was "pacing" and swimming frantically around, so I
| finally gave in and put him in the GF tank. He hangs around my smallest
| fish and eats goldfish food, etc. he's healthy and happy so I haven't
| bothered to move him, but other than that, I have guppies and Angelfish
and
| they have their own tanks.
|
| Good luck with your new fish, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any
| concerns. Sometimes people here can be blunt, but it doesn't mean you
| should take it personally. Unfortunately, many people don't do their
| homework, nor do they bother to ask about the fish, and us folks dedicated
| to the hobby get upset when this happens, that's all. But we are here to
| help, and you have a delete button for posts you don't like...
|
|
|
| --
| } Tammy {
| Support the Canakin Project with me, by linking to your favorite store
from
| this address:
| http://www.geocities.com/ontario_canakin All Proceeds will be used to
| purchase equipment, fish, etc for the Canakin Project
|
| Watkins Business Opportunity
| www.tsginfo.com Enter code TD3796
| Me and my fish Thank You!!
| "ste mc ©" wrote in message
| ...
| Hey there,
|
| First of all, thanks to Mel, Ingrid, and Deanna for your replies. I was
| going to come back here and tell you that I thought your advice was a
bit
| over the top, and that my fish tank would be fine as it was. I was
going
| to
| say, if you want such a big tank for your fish, why don't you do the
right
| thing and let them back in the ocean where they belong, rather than
| keeping
| them trapped in some aquarium, which no matter how big, will never
compare
| to their natural habitats.
|
| But I then started reading more after your advice, so I've followed it.
| :-)
| I bought a new tank today to replace the large goldfish bowl which we
had
| beforehand. The new tank came with a Fluval 2 filter. Hopefully, it
will
| do the job. If not, we'll just get a bigger filter later on. The tank
| also
| came with a light in the hood, and the tank is 80cm x 30cm x 40cm, which
| holds 96 litres, or 21 gallons.
|
| I've got two fish in this, a Blackmoor, and something else - I will take
a
| photo later in the week and upload it to my webspace so someone can
| identify
| it! ;-)
|
| If anyone can recommend any real plants that will look nice in the tank
| and
| be okay with my fish, then please feel free to do so. We've currently
got
| some of those plastic plants, but they look ever so tacky. Also, if
| anyone
| can recommend any other aquatic life that would work well within our
| aquarium, then please let me know.
|
| So thanks to everyone for their help, it's much appreciated - not by me
or
| my bank balance so much, but my two little fishies! :-)
|
| Thanks,
|
| Stephen
|
|
|
| "ste ©" wrote in message
| ...
| | Hi there,
| |
| | I've got a small goldfish tank with two goldfish. To clean it, I've
| been
| | putting the fish into a bowl of clean water, then cleaning out their
| tank
| | and gravel in the bath.
| |
| | The tank is probably too small to bother with a filter, but is there
any
| | other way to keep the water clean without changing it every week? Are
| there
| | any small water creatures I can get that will keep it cleaner for
| example?
| | I've also read somewhere about some sort of 'water hoover,' would that
| be
| | any good for what I'm talking about?
| |
| | Thanks for any advice.
| |
| | Regards,
| |
| | Stephen
| |
| |
|
|
|
|

Hi Mel,

Thanks for your reply. And nice to hear that I'm slowly being converted!
;-)

I'm sure that as my fish get bigger, I'll get an even bigger tank, but this
one came as a kit for £100, and seemed to have everything I needed for now.
As you say, I might end up needing a bigger and better filter in this tank,
and I'll have a browse around when I get to this stage. One thing I don't
like about this filter is that it's a black box in the corner of the tank -
an external filter that's hidden from view might be nicer in the future, if
they're any good.

I hope my plastic plants look better with age, but if not, some real plants
of those silk plants that you recommend should do the trick. I'll have to
browse around my local shop to see what they've got.

And as for the snails, I guess I'd need a heater in the tank of just have
fish for now, no worries.

One question I've got is this: should I leave the light in the hood on all
night, or turn it off at night? I turned it off last night because it was
lighting my room up! Also, I was thinking that fish in the wild are used to
light and dark conditions. But if it would be better to leave the light on
24/7, then I could.

Thanks,

Stephen



"Mel" wrote in message
...
| That's great news Stephen!! Another one converted...g
| Your fish will be so much happier in their nice new tank and I bet you
that
| in 6 months you'll understand why they need the 10 gallons when you see
how
| big and healthy they they have become.
| You'll probably find that the Fluval 2 will do the job while the fish are
| smallish, but once they start growing bigger and producing more waste
you'll
| probably find you need to upgrade or add another. To keep the water
crystal
| clear it's best to have a filter/or a combination of filters which will
turn
| the volume of your water over between 8-10 times per hour. Again, this
might
| sound excessive (like the 10 gallons rule!) but once you've got it you'll
| see why.
| As for plants, most will get wrecked within hours with goldfish. I have
had
| success with Java fern which I grow on chunks of bogwood but anything else
| I've tried has been eaten.They do sometimes last a bit longer if you give
| the goldfish a supply of romaine lettuce on a veggie clip as they tend to
| pick at that instead of the plants.
| Some plastic plants do look a bit tacky, but there are some better ones
| around. Silk ones tend to look more realistic and although I've never
bought
| them I've seen them around in a few shops round here so I expect they're
| readily available.The plastic ones will look better with age though as
they
| get a coating of algae etc.
| As for other mates for your fish, opinion becomes divided. I have heaters
in
| my goldfish tanks so keep a couple of bristle places with them. These are
| just about the only type which are suitable with goldfish so don't be
| tempted to try anything else. Unlike most other places they stay
herbivorous
| for their entire lives and only get to 6 inches max. They would need a
piece
| of bogwood to hide under and chew. Trouble is once they were all full
grown
| your tank would be overstocked again so only get one of you know you can
| upgrade when the time comes. I also have an apple snail. Despite what
people
| tell you they aren't that great at cleaning the algae off the tank (like
the
| bristlenoses), and also create an awful lot of poop. Hillstream loaches
| would be another option. These are coldwater, stay very small (3 inches
ish)
| and are safe with goldfish. They like a lot of current though so you might
| need to add the other filter to keep them happy.
| Hope this helps anyway,
| Mel.
|
|
| "ste mc ©" wrote in message
| ...
| Hey there,
|
| First of all, thanks to Mel, Ingrid, and Deanna for your replies. I was
| going to come back here and tell you that I thought your advice was a
bit
| over the top, and that my fish tank would be fine as it was. I was
going
| to
| say, if you want such a big tank for your fish, why don't you do the
right
| thing and let them back in the ocean where they belong, rather than
| keeping
| them trapped in some aquarium, which no matter how big, will never
compare
| to their natural habitats.
|
| But I then started reading more after your advice, so I've followed it.
| :-)
| I bought a new tank today to replace the large goldfish bowl which we
had
| beforehand. The new tank came with a Fluval 2 filter. Hopefully, it
will
| do the job. If not, we'll just get a bigger filter later on. The tank
| also
| came with a light in the hood, and the tank is 80cm x 30cm x 40cm, which
| holds 96 litres, or 21 gallons.
|
| I've got two fish in this, a Blackmoor, and something else - I will take
a
| photo later in the week and upload it to my webspace so someone can
| identify
| it! ;-)
|
| If anyone can recommend any real plants that will look nice in the tank
| and
| be okay with my fish, then please feel free to do so. We've currently
got
| some of those plastic plants, but they look ever so tacky. Also, if
| anyone
| can recommend any other aquatic life that would work well within our
| aquarium, then please let me know.
|
| So thanks to everyone for their help, it's much appreciated - not by me
or
| my bank balance so much, but my two little fishies! :-)
|
| Thanks,
|
| Stephen
|
|
|
| "ste ©" wrote in message
| ...
| | Hi there,
| |
| | I've got a small goldfish tank with two goldfish. To clean it, I've
| been
| | putting the fish into a bowl of clean water, then cleaning out their
| tank
| | and gravel in the bath.
| |
| | The tank is probably too small to bother with a filter, but is there
any
| | other way to keep the water clean without changing it every week? Are
| there
| | any small water creatures I can get that will keep it cleaner for
| example?
| | I've also read somewhere about some sort of 'water hoover,' would that
| be
| | any good for what I'm talking about?
| |
| | Thanks for any advice.
| |
| | Regards,
| |
| | Stephen
| |
| |
|
|
|
|

Hi Stephen,

You could probably hide the filter with a few plants or a couple of
rocks.

As for the light, you should turn it off at night. I have mine on
timers so that I don't have to think about them. As a general rule,
depending on the type of fish, wattage of lamps and whether you have
plants, the lights only need to be on 10-12 hours per day. My goldfish
lights go on for 10 hours, from noon to 10 pm, when I most want to
watch them.

Good luck!
Vicky

_____________________
Vicky Taylor-Hood
fibre artist * quilter
St. John's, NF, Canada

http://www3.nf.sympatico.ca/vickyth/