Goldfish present - Help!!!

TigerTim

Hi All,

My 6 year old daughter got a present of 2 Goldfish, a tank(plastic with lid), stones etc at the weekend - not my idea:mad:. Now I know sweet FA about fish so I need some help. We got the tap water up to room temp in the tank, added stones, plant & something that looks like a white fish tablet - think it neutralises the water.
Have fed them for 2 mins the last 2 mornings. The water looks cloudy this morning - is that a problem?. She was told to change the water once a week. Obviously the new water needs to be left in the same room to bring it up to temp but do I just remove some of the old water & add in the new. Does the tank need to be cleaned regularly.

Any help appreciated,

Tim

Pimp Ninja

Hi Tim

You dont mention if there is a filter in the tank ?

What size is the tank ?
Approx Litres or dimensions will give an idea.
Did the fish go straight into tap water with the tablet ?

-Dan

ValerieR

Hi Tim,
This is a present which is going to put you on a steep learning curve ! :-) Welcome to the fish-keeping world!
If the tank doesn't include a filter, I'd advise you to get one as soon as possible. Internal filters are available at your nearest LFS (Live Fish Shop) and shouldn't be too expensive.
You should also get a product to dechlorinate the water before you add it to the tank. Such a product will also be available in your nearest LFS.
If you wanted to bring up the water to room temperature, you can also add a little hot water from your kettle (not from your hot water tap) - this will shorten the water changing process for you rather than standing the water for 24 hours.
Once you are up and running, do a daily water change (at least 15%) every day in order to allow the rest of the water to mature without making your fish suffer too much in polluted water. After 5 or 6 weeks, you can do a 30% weekly water change as your filter will have matured and the nitrogen cycle will have started.
For the rest of the tank maintenance, once a month, rinse the sponge in your filter in old tank water (not tap water) and you should be ok.
Goldfish are kinda messy - you might also want to get yourself a 'hoover' for aquariums which will help you cleaning the bottom of the tank.
It would be advisable to get a testing kit so that you can measure ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in the tank. The 2 first ones are very toxic to the fish and their level should be zero (hence the frequent water changes to start with).
Good luck with your new project.
ValerieR
www.irishfishkeepers.com

ValerieR

Tim,

Meant to add that you shouldn't feed the fish too much and especially at the moment as the tank/water is new. You can feed your fish every 2nd day - they will be fine.

ValerieR
www.irishfishkeepers.com

TigerTim

Thanks for your detailed reply ValerieR & also Dan. Took your advice re boiled water. Left it go cool & changed a little of the water tonight. Will check out the filter at my local pet shop. Not sure what the tablet was that we put in the tank - maybe it was for dechlorinating the water. Will check when I am in the shop. Do the coloured stones ever need to be taken out & the stones & tank washed?

Again, Many Thanks,

Tim

ValerieR

Hi Tim,
I might be wrong - the tablet could be a food tablet that you can put in the tank if you were to go away for a few days. But it could be a product to dechlorinate the water. It might be better you check.
The coloured stones and decorations don't really need to be cleaned unless they get really dirty. In this case, your best bet is to brush them. Do not use soap or any detergent/bleach.
To remove the fish waste, you can get an aquarium hoover which you hover over the gravel while removing water from your tank.
I hope this helps.
ValerieR
www.irishfishkeepers.com

Pimp Ninja

What ValerieR has said so far is correct. Theres not much else to add to it.

I would suggest that you keep the water changes daily and closer to the 20% mark while there is no filter in the tank.

Have a look at the sites in either My or Valeries signatures. Theres loads of articles help and advice available on both. (Of course Im going to say that our one is better :P )

ValerieR

@ Pimp Ninja,



ValerieR
www.irishfishkeepers.com