Reccomend a coldwater tank filter please

showtime

hi there,

i have a small tank with 3 goldfish. I have a Fluval U1 filter for a few months but it just got weaker and weaker until it eventually just stopped.

I'm gonna buy a new filter, any advice on brands and models ? don't want to spend a huge amount around €30ish like what i paid for the fluval.

all advice appreciated, thanks

Nody

How small of a tank seeing as gold fish need about 120L per fish and are very dirty fishes (i.e. your filter will work over time and you need to change waters often)?

showtime

120L per fish ????

i think it's a 50L tank (?) but they've been in it for months now and it's only starting to get dirty now cos the filter is broke

kylith

Common goldfish are massive waste producers and will grow to about a foot in length. When you say it's only starting to get dirty now, you've been changing at least 50% of the water on a weekly basis, yeah?

I'd usually recommend finding someone with a pond who can take them and get some tetras or a betta for the smaller tank.

showtime

look im pretty much a novice at this , when i say "goldfish" i suppose i didn't mean actual goldfish.

well, one of them is goldy coloured and one is black with big stick out eyes and the other is kinda multi-orange coloured

i'd say i was only changing half the water maybe once a month and using the quick start and the stress coat in the water

kylith

Are the orangey ones what you'd call 'normal' goldfish shape, or are they fat, bug eyed types?

Have a look around your local petshop or online and get a filter that is rated for a tank at least twice the size of yours. Assuming these are young, small fish you have time to plan what you will do with them in the future before it becomes a pressing issue.

showtime

the orangey ones are normal goldfish looking ones i suppose, the kinda multi-colouored orange one has one black eye and the black one has those bug eyes

kylith

Ok, so you seem to have one Comet goldfish, one shubunkin (which is essentially a colour variant of a comet), and one black moor. You're looking at eventual sizes of up to 30cm for the comet and shubunkin and around 20cm for the moor.

Firstly, don't feel too bad; we have all done exactly the same thing, and sometimes even worse (goldfish bowls, for example).

Secondly, you have time to decide what you want to do. You can look at either upgrading your tank, you'll need at least 250L for that.
You can rehome the goldfish to someone with a pond when spring rolls around. I don't think moors are recommended for ponds because they're a 'fancy' type and less hardy and their eyes are also prone to damage, so you could keep that one in a tank of about 120L. You can pick up second hand tanks on Adverts of DoneDeal for not too much money.
Or you could also see if any local pet shops would take them or swap them for something more suited to your tank size. Generally you have more options if you go with tropical fish, and they're really no more work. If you did you could certainly get a nice school of tetras or rasboras (minimum of 6), or a betta. If you want to stay cold water then you could get some White Cloud Mountain Minnows.

Aqadvisor.com is a good resource for determining stocking levels.

Thirdly, your main priority at the moment is getting a filter - the main thing is to get one that is rated for a tank twice the size. When you put it in cram the sponge from the old filter into it for a couple of weeks. The good bacteria that break down waste live in the sponge so you never change sponge or rinse it in tap water, if you have to rinse gunk out use tank water. Also, increase the frequency of your water changes and use a dechlorinator.