I am getting a 10gal tank and I already have a feeder goldfish. She is the only one that...?

Question

survived after my last ordeal. I bought some rocks and decor and I cleaned the rocks out like you would not believe and all died except her. I pulled her out of the tank as soon as I seen it and she lived. I think the paint was coming off of the rocks. I am afraid to get decor because I donot want her to die along with the new babies I get. Is there anyhing I should do,how long should I let the tank run before I add the fish. Right now she is just in a fishbowl btw. Help and thanks.

Answer 1

you need to cycle the aquarium for atleast a month

feeders need 50 gallons minimum

Answer 2

Well, it's best to get a natural gravel, not the brightly colored stuff. It's better for the fish because there's no artificial colorings or chemicals, and it's closer to their natural environment. Brightly colored gravel can also stress some fish out. You also have to keep in mind that feeder goldfish are not very well taken care of at pet stores, so there most likely not in the best of health when you bring them home. You might be better off getting goldfish that aren't meant to be feeders. You also may end up with giant goldfish because a lot of them are really baby Koi that are sold as feeders because they aren't valuable.  You should always cycle the tank for at least 7 days before adding any fish.

Answer 3

Wow... She's a born survivor.

It's best to get her out of the bowl and into the tank quickly. Use Tetra Aqua Safe... it matures your tank within 2 days. Your fish should be fine in this water after this period. Remember to regularly check ammonia and nitrite parameters, just in case.

As for your ornaments... ALWAYS buy your ornaments from a REPUTABLE pet store. A large chain like PetSmart (USA) and PetsAtHome (UK). Never use cheap rocks and gravel used for other uses.

Also, ALWAYS perform 20% water changes every week to get rid of any toxins (should there be any).

As always, continue good feeding, water checks and regular practices.

Good luck!

Answer 4

the aquarium water needs to cycle before any fish will be able to live in it successfully.

buy some "cycle" from your local pet store, or let your water run with the filter for a week or so.

you need to put your goldfish into running water, it will sufocate in just a fish bowl, or will overly pollute the water with nitrogen which will poison her.

your best bet is to get the cycle, start it right away in your running tank, put her back in ASAP and do 25% water changes everyday until the nitrogen levels go down. don't get too many goldfish for such a small tank, they are VERY dirty fish and pollute their water VERY fast.

so unless you have a large filter you will need to continue doing water changes to avoid poisoning all your fishies.

good luck hun!

Answer 5

not to mention that a 10 gallon isn't big enough for even fancy goldfish which get to about half the size of the feeders..

so i would only get fancy goldfish and i would get a larger tank 20 gallons or more

ammonia poisoning is a serious issue when a tank is overstocked, underfiltered and uncycled

BTW 'cycle' does very little to nothing for a cycling tank except to provide ammonia, a cocktail shrimp or a few peices a fish food a day will do the same and cost less