2 Goldfish, 10g Aquarium Kit, General Care Questions?
February 22, 2010 by admin
Filed under Fishing Kit
Hi All,
I’m on my 3rd day of owning 2 small goldfish (1 comet and 1 fantail). Went through the fishless cycle for about a week and fish are doing well.
On this 3rd day, did the 4 tests (pH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate) and they were a little high. Water is slightly hazy. Did a 10% change as the kit advised, will test and check again tomorrow.
Thinking I should invest in a 20 gallon filter to help keep things in check. I understand that changing the filter after only a week isn’t a good idea. Should I then get one in a month’s time, when I think the cartridge is scheduled to be changed? A 20g tank is not really much of an option due to my own living space restrictions.
Another thing I am interested in is introducing live plants to assist in the filtration process (poop). Have plenty of artificials for comfortable sleeping spaces. Are live plants a good way to go for this purpose? Saw in the pet store “free snail included.” Why would I want this? Give the snail back?
I understand that goldfish are “high maintenance” and accept such responsibility. So any advice can help.
first things first… return the comet. there are a few reasons, comets get too big for a 10g (12″ and sometimes up to 18″), comets and fantails shouldn’t be mixed, and lastly a 10g is the bare minimum for one fancy goldfish. two is way too much.
when returning the comet, get the 20g filter you’ve been thinking about, and just run both of them for a week or two. even with just one goldfish you’ll need stronger filtration.
the free snail isn’t something they should advertise… most people consider them pests but they don’t really do any harm. I’m not sure if plants help with cycling, but I do know a cycling tank is good for plants, so if you want live plants now is a good time to get them.
as for general goldfish care… as long as you take back the comet you should be good. just feed it once a day, do weekly water changes of 10% to 25%, and give treats of blood worms or fruits like orange slices.
here are a few sites you may find helpful:http://www.ehow.com/how_4490179_properly…http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/
Goldfish don’t need frequent water changes. Around 10-15% water change a week. Goldfish have the ability to live in dirty water. They are not high maintenance, they are the easiest fish to keep in the aquarium. And they don’t need live plants. Maybe a few snails would be good due to them being dirty. they don’t really need a filter if theres no hood but theh filter you have is good. hope this helped:)
goldfish tend to mess with live plants and mess them up so I dont think that would b a good idea you can buy a filter put in in the tank with the old one still there too
fantails and comets should not be kept together as the fantail is slow and will not get enough food
if you insist on keeping them together you need a 70gallon minimum over filtered.
One week isn’t enough time for the tank to cycle, which is why you’re seeing cloudy water and high test results. There isn’t much you can do now except cross your fingers and hope the fish survive the cycle. A larger filter wouldn’t hurt. Just run them both together for awhile so that the new one has a chance to mature.
Live plants aren’t necessary for goldfish, they’ll just get eaten. The “free snail” sign is a joke- plants always seem to come with tiny snails attatched. They’re kind of annoying, but you can try to pick them all off.
edit: I can’t believe I forgot to say that 10 gallons is much too small. The rule of thumb is 20 gallons for the first goldfish and another 10 for each additional fish. Comets need even more space because they get to be a foot long. You should upgrade as soon as possible.
a 10g tank is big for 2 gold fish! a 5g tank would do fine!
live plants are a good choice. remember all plants can do is GOOD!
a snail can eat algea to keep your tank clean
if you need any more help email me at: cool13q@gmail.com