OT:freshwater tank advice

[boozeman]

decided to put this into the OT forum since it isn't reef related..
The idea hit me to set up a small freshwater tank to please my son untill I get the reef all set...so, on sunday we went to the lfs (the large impersonal type) and he picked out a 20gal. tall complete with all the colorfull(think gaudy) accesories! neon pink gravel and plastic plants...and yes an air controlled diver!!(the box says they glow in the dark! )
filtration is a hagen aquaclear rated for a 20 gal. tank...the tank was set up rather quickly (only took me about 2 hrs.)

well, my question is this...how long should it be running before I can add the goldfish?
the employee at the lfs wanted me to buy the fish then and there but I
chose not to...now my son keeps asking when are we getting the fish.

btw...he kept pulling the diver in and out of the tank to play with it and it is
now something that he takes with him to ''bath time''...so no bubbling diver pics

[BoomerD]

Booze, I always ran fw tanks a couple of days to let everything settle before adding livestock. Are you gonna cycle it before adding the goldfish? Shrimp works well here, just as with our reef tanks...


Do I understand right by your "and yes an air controlled diver!!(the box says they glow in the dark! " comment that you DON'T have one of these in your reef tank?
<GASP!> I thought EVERYONE had a diver or treasure chest in their reef tanks...

[Cougra]

A freshwater tank should be completely cycled before adding any fish just like a saltwater tank needs to be. Ammonia and nitrite are both very toxic to freshwater fish so it's very important that these levels are at zero. The good thing is that freshwater fish can handle higher levels of nitrate then saltwater fish though.

Goldfish can grow fairly large and a 20 Gallon tank wont be big enough for a full grown goldfish. The can grow anywhere between 7" to 12" each depending on the variety you get. While goldfish are considered a coldwater fish, they do better with a heater in the tank set between 68-70F. The main benefit to having the temperature in this range is to encourage bacteria. Much colder then that and the bacteria doesn't process the ammonia and nitrite as quickly, nor does the population multiply very fast.

Goldfish are very messy feeders and like a variety of foods ranging from plant material to meaty chunks. It's best to feed goldfish on sinking pellets rather then flake or foods that float on the surface. Goldfish are prone to swimbladder problems which can be exasperated if they are gulping air at the surface while eating.

[Scouter Steve]

If you know any one with a fresh water running steal I mean borrow some of their gravel, place it in a pantyhose or something similar placed at the outflow of your filter will greatly speed your cycle there. If you use enough borrowed gravel you can add fish right away but only one or two little ones. I would warn against goldfish though, as stated they are filthy fish. Think mollies and guppies--their offspring can treat your reef!

Also possible to avoid cycle entirely if you go heavily planted as I do. But neon gravel and plastic divers don't do well in a planted tank.

[BoomerD]

A more appropriate name for goldfish, is goldpigs...they are filthy animals who always want to eat and poop...
I'd vote for playties, swordfish, or mollies...

[Witfull]

Originally Posted by BoomerD

A more appropriate name for goldfish, is goldpigs...they are filthy animals who always want to eat and poop...
I'd vote for playties, swordfish, or mollies...

Ditto~

[boozeman]

Thanks everyone!!
but...the ''king of the house'' has spoken and he wants goldfish.. .. these large ones we saw on sunday (employee said type was ryukin goldfish)..wifey is going to take him this afternoon and getting two or three.
I also asked her to pick up the liquid bacteria booster (cycle) and some more 'stress coat' in case I need to make a water change.

[Witfull]

get them smaller and let them grow~

[iluvzigz]

good luck on that tank booze i agree with the goldpig reference..the tank will get very dirty and you'll have to make sure you clean the filter regularly~

i vote for chiclids...im not sure where the goldies like the ph but i put some crushed coral in with my gravel(the white stuff in the gravel) to help with the ph i have south american chiclids ...the africans run adifferent ph aswell ...ive had my tank established for about 6 years ..they are a breeze compared to my reef i dont touch the tank for months ..actually i never do anything to that tank except add water every month or so and change out my filters heres a couple of pics
the first is a jack dempsy he is about 9 inches


lepareena(sp) chiclid cool lookin fish


black convct chiclid had him about 4 years

[mps9506]

Why's everyone hating on the fancy goldfish???
Ryukins, orandas, etc are pretty cool dudes, but they are messy. You didn't mention if you got a heater or not, but with these guys don't plug in the heater, cooler water is better. I'd just avoid the plants, they will dig them up when they get bigger and anything with soft leaves will get munched on. One or two will be fine in a 20, probably will have to move them in a larger tank in three or four years however.
Just keep up on the water changes and they will make it through the cycle just fine assuming you just put one or two in there. Might want to consider bumping up the filter size though. Makes life easier.

[boozeman]

thanks again everyone....looks like my sons tank has 3 new residents.
an orange lion head, a red cap and a black moore. All seem to be very happy and yeppers eating like pigs.
btw, witt they are aprox. 4'' from mouth to tip of tail and mps, yes they already dug up the plants.
I will get a pic this weekend..thanks again all for stiffling back the laughter, I know this setup is gaudy...but it was done solely for my sons amusement.
I promise my reef setup will be spectacular :

[billyr98]

PICS!!

I still have a freshy tank Booze.. its ok!

I love my african cichlids..

[Charlie97L]

i've got a 40 gallon in my room that i've set up as a FW tank... except i'm going planted.

40 gallon, eheim canister filter, eco-complete, 130w 6500K PCs, and i'm working on frankensteining a c02 setup.

i'm gonna have a load of smaller fish... swords, mollies, tetras, and a few small plecos. there was one other one i saw at the store that i liked... and some japanese FW shrimp. tooo coool.

one thing, FW tanks like RO water too! :0) i used RO on mine, and eco, and within a day, the params were ideal.

the best thing i like about the tank, i have all of the equipment (sans c02) setup, and it is almost completely silent. i can practically hear my reef tank from upstairs, but this one is great. reefs are too loud for the bedroom... unless you do what i'm planning for my 20. muahah.

[happy]

Freshwater tank can also be aquascaped to be captivating.

Showing a pics from the Japanese great master takashi amano planted tank.

[boozeman]

wow..my jaw just dropped!