Question, just got a 1 gallon tank for kids.?

Question

I got a young plecos and 2 goldfish. By reading information online on how to care for fish, I got the impression that they will probably die soon.

I'm planning on cleaning the tank about once or twice a week. I'm also planning on getting some algea pellets for my plecos since the tank is so small. It does have a filtration system, not the best one in my opinion but I did only buy it for the kids.

so how can I keep my fish living for longer than 2 weeks?

Answer 1

That's a toughie. The problem you have is mainly one of filtration. Sure, the plecos are tropical water fish, but they will still live in unheated water.

The goldfish particularly need the filtration, because they make so much waste. The plecos don't make too much waste, but it is important not to overfeed either one of them -- more food makes more waste.

Use the filter -- one gallon isn't much but the first few weeks could be tough, because although you have a filter, it isn't biologically ready yet. Ideally, you'd get some rocks from the pet store, or even some filter media from them, so you can "seed" the new one with the proper bacteria that make the filter work.

If you don't have enough of these bacteris, they have to grow themselves, but it takes a couple/few weeks. This means that wastes build up in the tank until the bacteria reach hgh levels. The first inclination would be to keep changing the water to reduce the waste, but it doesn't work very well. That and the drastic/frequent water changes can cause trouble (as in shock) with the fish and the new bacteria.

What you'll see is cloudy water -- this is part of the process of the bacteria occupying your tank and filter. They are very important.

Your other alternative is to just run the filter and keep changing the water every 3-5 days. This will work, but gets to be a pain. WIth the proper bacteria, water changes can be done every 3-4 weeks.. If you decide to frequently change water, get the junk out of the bottom, but try not to distrub things too much. And don't change more than 2/3 of the water at a time. Make sure to dechlorinate the water and equalize the temperature before replacing.

Lastly, your next problem is one of size. Goldfish typically live between 20-30 years and reach about 1 to 2 feet in length. Plecostomus live for at least 10+ years, and reach 3+ feet long. That's a problem in a 1 gallon tank -- they do not grow to the size of the tank like the old wive's myth.

Hope this wasn't too long winded, and helps you out!

Answer 2

Plecos can grow up to a foot in length and should be housed in a 50 gallon plus aquarium. Goldfish are very messy and produce a lot of waste, and it is often recommended that one small goldfish be kept in a 10 gallon aquarium with an excellent filter system and weekly 50% water changes. So, a 1 gallon is WAY too small for the fish you have! And goldfish shouldn't be housed with other freshwater fish. I know they are only fish, but they don't deserve to suffer and die a horrible death.
I would get a larger tank, or give the fish away. Maybe a Betta fish would be better for your 1 gallon, but they have some special needs as well. See www.bettatalk.com for more info.

Answer 3

what you need to do is one of two things. either get a much bigger tank for the pleco, who will grow to over a foot in length, and get a much bigger tank for the goldfish, who will also get very big. it is a bad idea to keep this fish together. they will survive, but you will need a huge tank to accomadate them and they naturally come from very different environments. the other thing you can do, if you want to avoid the big expense of keeping bigger tanks, is take those fish back and get either a betta, which i think are boring, or try just a single, baby, goldfish. he will eventually get to big as well, but then you can just take him back to the pet store and get another baby. that may be tough as well, because if the tank is for your kids they may get to attached =to the fish.

my advice is actually this. go to the petstore and get a bigger tank. you can buy a kit complete with 20 gal tank, filter, heater, hood, lights, chemicals, even food, for about 60-80 dollars. this really is not a bad investment and your kids will have a lot of fun with it. all you need to buy after that is gravel, decorations, and fish!! that wont even cost much because a 20 gal tank is still small and you only need about 20-25 lbs of gravel and a few rocks and plants. as far as fish go, stay away from goldfish. go tropical and have some fun. the biggest thing is to make sure that you dont overstock the tank. i wouldnt reccomend more than 5 fish in a 20 gal tank, provided they are not aggressive or territorial. just ask at the petstore and they will be able to help. they may tell you however that a good rule is one inch of fish for every gallon of water, which is ridiculous. i mean, is a 20 inch pacu going to be happy in a 20 gal tank?? i dont think so. a better rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish for every 3-4 gals of water. you can get some interesting fish if you go to some of the smaller family owned places, and they may be able to order fish for you.

i think that this would be a great investment for your kids and the rest of your family. it wont take up too much space and is easy to maintain. oh and by the way, another good idea would be to buy a good book or do some research online and educate yourself about the basics of fish keeping. hope i helped!!!!!!!

Answer 4

40% water changes daily.

Getting a larger tank ASAP. Both of those kind of fish will quickly grow far too large for anything less than a 40-gallon, though that pleco will get big enough that he should be put in at least a 55-gallon eventually.

Don't overfeed. Feed only what they can eat in two minutes. For a tank this small, I wouldn't even feed them daily. Try feeding every other day.

And the most important, plecos are tropical (warm-water) fish, whereas goldfish are cold-water fish. Tropical fish require temperatures of at least 75 degrees, and cold-water fish prefer their temps at around 65 degrees or less. One of your fish is not going to be a happy camper, and may succumb to illness and possibly pass on.

Good luck!

Answer 5

If you want the fish to live longer then 2 weeks then IMMEDIATLY return the fish that you have back to the store and get a single male betta. That is the only fish that can live in that size tank. If you do not you are showing your kids that animals are disposible and that its ok to abuse them, because puitting the goldfish and the pleco in that tank is ANIMAL CRUELTY.

Goldfish need a minimum of 10 gallons PER baby/juvenile fat fancy goldfish, and a minimum of 20 gallons PER baby/juvenile commet/common/shubunkin goldfish. Adults need a minimum of 50 gallons PER goldfish. Goldfish excrete ALOT of ammonia and need heavy filtration.

Common plecos grow to be 2 feet in length and need supplementation with algae wafers, spirulina flakes, cucumber, zuccini, broccoli, and drift wood for fiber aswell as any algae that grows. If you do not supplement them then once the algea gets depleted they will either starve to death or eat your fish. You are not going to have any algae growing in that size tank because you need to clean it every day until you give those fish back to the store, or once a week if you get a single male betta to replace the goldfish and pleco.

Answer 6

for newbie, you better get a larger tank for the fish. The bigger the tank, the easier it is o maintain. Change the water 30% every week and don't overfeed the fish. Even the goldfish can eat all the time, just feed the fish as much as they can eat in 5 minutes and feed them twice a day.

Answer 7

thats too many fish for a one gallon aquarium. 1 gold fish alone needs 3 gallons of water! I sugest getting rid of one goldfish ang the plecos. Or just getting a bigger aquarium. they have kits out there up to 10 gallons that come with the works (filters, food, nets, a plant, air pump, ect) for around 50 or 60 dollars.A small tank makes their life span shorter and stunts their growth, youll also need to clean out the tank more since goldfish are the dirtiest fish out there! good luck =)

Answer 8

Get a very good filtration system. Goldfish are notorious for gucking tanks up, they're not a very clean fish. Limit how often you feed them, excess food can harm the fish and dirty the tank more. Invest in a heating element and air supply for the tank as well.

Answer 9

certainly they will die b/c you are way overstocked.

a common pleco will reach over 24 inches and goldfish will reach about 28 inches(feederfish)

please go to www.forums.petlovers.com and BettaChris in the fish section will be happy to answer any possible fish questions that you have.

but it is important to upgrade your tank asap. really a 125 is the good size for what you have but i dont think that you are willing to jump in right away.

my best advise is to return the fish and get a betta.

and contact bettachris at www.forums.petlovers.com and he will be happy to help you.

Answer 10

Buy minnows or buy a bigger tank and put catfish/perch/bluegill or something like that in it... or even one of those catfish sized gold fish cause all of these fish I just mentioned lives for years... if your lucky and take good care of 'em...