New Family Members

[eob]

Got a couple of new additions to the clan.





Staggered in drunk from a golf day a couple of weeks ago and spotted a goldfish bowl on the dining table with two goldfish in it. Next morning asks Mrs OB what thats all about. Of course it was pets for the boys. Informs her that goldfish are actually a lot of work and that you need to keep the water clean as they produce alot of ammonia blah blah (I kept goldfish when Iweralad).
No no, it'll be fine! Sure enough, a week later they were sideways surface skimming.
Okay, let that be a lesson. Three boys are enough to look after. (The eldest took it quiet well for a 4 yo).
Anyway, next day she arrives with this aquarium. Only a little 21 litre one mind. I did a bit of reasearch on the web and people are saying that 1 goldfish should have about 40 litres to itself. I think thats a bit much mind!
So I says, right, if we are doing this we are going to do it right.
And after two weeks cycling the water, we now have two wee fishes.
The boy picked two black moor fantails. Tried to explain that they were exactly the same but he still named them. Starry and Moon. Lively little blighters.
I'm actually getting quite into it again. Looking at bigger tanks already.

Any fish fanciers in the forum?

[Dave]

Aye I've kept cool fresh water, tropical fresh water, cool salt water, fish only salt water and reefs. On occasion almost all at once. Spent thousands had my house semi replumbed and rewired to accomodate too. Just mammals at the moment though plans are afoot for a reef of epic proportions

That fish you have is prone to swim bladder infection, be careful to note if it ever swims on it's side or worse on it's back.

If you need any help gie's a shout

[eob]

Nice one.
I've been monitoring the water regularly and all parameters are okay. Carbonate Hardness is high but apparently this is typical of new tanks.
Nitrates are barely reading yet, so I was going to maybe do a 25% water change at the weekend but I was advised to hold off and let the ammonia levels increase to allow the bugs to breed.
Wadda'ya reckon?

[Dave]

With the water changes remember 100% all at once is never an option. 25% is fine regularly remember fish in the wild have a constant water change but the water hasn't been tampered with. If you are using tap water allow it to stand for a minimum for 24hours before doing the change. If you purify your water airate it at the same time.

You might see some minor benefit in marking your top level and just topping up with a bottle of preprepared water every once in a while.

You don't have much in there to go wrong so do some research and ask some questions, Water World on Paisley Road West are probably the best for overall knowledge that I have experienced though the others are worth a try. If you are going bigger think about a custom setup, one you might be able to adapt as your interest develops. I've spent thousands replacing tanks when one good setup would have handled the lot at varying stages given a few tweaks.

I'll be about. Happy to advise of a few quality dedicated forums too.

EDIT: Just reread the bit regarding surface skimming on side. Get to LFS and buy swimbladder cure, follow instruction.

[eob]

Just reread the bit regarding surface skimming on side. Get to LFS and buy swimbladder cure, follow instruction.

Ah the first two were deeid when we came down the stair.
You reckon that the swimbladder cure would help them if caught in time?

[Dave]

Ah the first two were deeid when we came down the stair.
You reckon that the swimbladder cure would help them if caught in time?

Swimbladder is not a life threatening thing if treated quickly, 3 months without treatment in health water will result in death. Did you leave the tank fish free for a week or so before the fish or was this a fish in water straight oot the tap straight oot the bag type scenario

[eob]

Yeah, the first two were, as you say, bag to tap water. And it was a goldfish bowl too. No filtration whatsoever. I wasn't here like I said, but she wouldn't have listened anyway.
This wee tank has a proper filter and an air pump for good measure.
I let the water cycle for two weeks before getting the fish two days ago. Did it proper, kept them in the dark on the way home, let the bag float closed, then open, then slowly intorduced my tank water to the bag over a period of about 45 minutes.
They seem to be doing okay and as I've said, I think I've got the bug again.

[Dave]

Right well although a bum skelping is in order you weren;t to blame for the demise. Tap water has chlorine in it (well at least the cooncil stuff does, mines I have to watch for cryptosporidium as it's straight from a spring).

Would you throw a fish in a council pool?

Start again, take it easy. Get some buckets of water set out. Fish husbandry is very enjoyable but you need to build it up piece by piece. It's great for kids too but beware of getting carried away.

[eob]

Start again, take it easy. Get some buckets of water set out. Fish husbandry is very enjoyable but you need to build it up piece by piece. It's great for kids too but beware of getting carried away.

How far in advance would you make up buckets for water changes and leave sitting with added dechlorinator?

[Dave]

Minimum 2 days. Just take it slow, you can be really tempted for the big final show piece but seriously build it up bit by bit. Have a plan, think of ideas, look at picture, have an end point in mind but just take it slow. Especially if you aren't used to it.

Personally if it were me setting up - Water in tank (nae fish) 2 days minimum. Introduce some real plants - further 3 days, add some tiddly goldfish wait a week. remove goldfish to glass bowl out of direct sunlight, with water from tank. Do 25-30% water change with water which has sat for 2 days. Start adding desired species a few at a time. 20% water changes once a week you can let it go a few weeks without. Prepare for water changes mid week and do the change at the weekends.

Thats what i would do but I'm sure HG will have a few other members with alternate advice which you may also want to consider. Also books and shop keeper advice should stand you in good stead.

Take time and you'll have hours of delight. Rush it and you'll have hours of trauma watching you money flap about until it's dead. Not ideal for the kids

If you plan to keep tropical fish then you can introduce a heater to most cold water goldfish and they can adjust to tolerate the temperature. Again notch it up slowly so as not to stress the fish.

[eob]

Minimum 2 days. Just take it slow, you can be really tempted for the big final show piece but seriously build it up bit by bit. Have a plan, think of ideas, look at picture, have an end point in mind but just take it slow. Especially if you aren't used to it.

Personally if it were me setting up - Water in tank (nae fish) 2 days minimum. Introduce some real plants - further 3 days, add some tiddly goldfish wait a week. remove goldfish to glass bowl out of direct sunlight, with water from tank. Do 25-30% water change with water which has sat for 2 days. Start adding desired species a few at a time. 20% water changes once a week you can let it go a few weeks without. Prepare for water changes mid week and do the change at the weekends.

Thats what i would do but I'm sure HG will have a few other members with alternate advice which you may also want to consider. Also books and shop keeper advice should stand you in good stead.

Take time and you'll have hours of delight. Rush it and you'll have hours of trauma watching you money flap about until it's dead. Not ideal for the kids

If you plan to keep tropical fish then you can introduce a heater to most cold water goldfish and they can adjust to tolerate the temperature. Again notch it up slowly so as not to stress the fish.

Cool,
I'll let you know how I get on.

[BrigitDoon]

The Rose and Portcullis is a pub in the village of Butleigh, Somerset, not far from Glastonbury.

In my day, it was home to the local rugby club and a large tank of tropical fish. The rugby lads had had some shenanigans with a goldfish won from a local fairground and tipped the poor thing into a cattle trough. I'm told it survived the winter in there and the lads were suitably encouraged to get up to some more mischief. A piranha was ordered from somewhere-or-other on the basis that it would liven up the pub's fishtank...

I'm not sure who paid to restock the tank, but the rugby team continued to use the premises to unwind after a game for some time after.

[eob]

The brunswick cellars on sauchiehall street used to keep piranha fish.

[Squigster]

Whilst staying in student halls, I set up a large tank and left it running fishless for a week to get the water settled. Needless to say I had a party in my room and wound people up that the tank was full of barely visable fish, it was amazing the amount of people that seen the fish
I used to work in the pet shop that was below Central Station Bridge (beside Tower records), and ordered for my self 6 piranha - No matter what feeding strategy I used, I couldn't get then to stop eating each other. In the end I ended up with one large fish