All of the fish that I have put in the tank with him have mysteriously "disappeared." I would hate to think he's eating them but I really have no other answer as to the other fishes whereabouts. I know they're not jumping out as there is a cover on the tank.
The goldfish is now about 3-inches long and is in a 5-gallon tank. The last fish that was in there with him was an 1.5-inch placo. And that's all I really want in there with my golfish but I'm scared to put another one in there with him.
What should I do?
I'm fine with him being in the tank alone but is that good for cleanliness purposes as I was under the impression that a placo was needed to "clean-up" behind the goldfish. I clean his tank (ie water and filter changes) every three weeks. Am I doing something wrong? Or is my goldfish simply a solitary creature?
2007-01-09 00:32:42 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Also, if I don't leave him in there in solitary confinement, is my only option to move him to a larger tank?
I believe he is done growing so that's why I moved him out of the larger community tank that I have and into the 5 gallon tank as I was told that he would max out his size at between 3 to 4-inches.
2007-01-09 00:44:21 · update #1
If your goldfish is 3 inches long, he is not near full grown. If he a fancy goldfish (pearlscale, oranda, etc)? These can easily grow to 5-6 inches, even 7-9 inches. 3 inches is just a baby.
He needs a large tank to thrive, at LEAST 15 gallons of water to himself. If you want to add other fish to his tank, you must first get a bigger tank. You must keep in mind that he is a coldwater fish, and thus only other coldwater fish can be kept with him because if you put tropical fish in with him (tetras, plecos, gouramis, etc etc etc) the tropical fish will get sick in the unheated water. Goldfish need 68-72F, others need 77-79F. So, your only other choice, really, is more goldfish. If you had a 30 gallon tank, you could have 2 goldfish, or 3 in a 50 gallon tank.
You must also do more frequent water changes while he is in a tank that small. Goldfish are poop machines (so are plecos, actually - they will make more of a mess than they will clean in a tank that small) and produce copious amounts of toxic ammonia. In a 15 gallon tank with proper filtration, water changes should be done at a rate of 30% per week. While he in a 5 gallon tank, you must do more like 50% a week to get rid of all that ammonia.
Also, you must never change the filter. Your filter is where you biological filtration system is. Where all the little good, ntirifying bacteria that neutralize ammonia live. When you replace, you are getting rid of all that is good in your tank. Never, ever replace the filter unless it's falling apart. If it gets gunky, swish it around in some old tank water to get the gunk off without killing the benificial bacteria which are VITAL to your tank, and therefore your fishes', health.
Please know that most people are incorrect when they give fish advice, even petstores. They spread info that they think is right, rumors that they heard, or what they think will sell the most fish. I know you got these fish from a friend and are trying to do the best you can for them. So, in the future, always research the fish you plan on buying before you do so. Research online, buy a fish encyclopedia, or post a question on a specialized fish forum like http://www.fishforums.com
This will ensure that you get all the best information and can make your own conclusions based on the info available.
2007-01-09 02:26:16 · answer #1 · answered by Zoe 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Plecos or plecostumus are algae eaters for the most part. They do scavenge on other materials (sometimes) , but can also be finicky to what they eat. I have owned plecos that have died off due to no available algae , and others that eat flake food. I currently have 2 , one that is over a year old and about 7 inches long.
Good filtration is what is needed to clean up behind goldfish. I have 2 external filters one being a protein skimmer which removes surface grime. (Floaters)
I find goldfish to be a bit boring , and do not have any , I also find them to be a big mess.
You should try tropical fish , but keep in mind that with adequate filtration the general rule for fish is "1 inch of fish per gallon of water".
2007-01-09 00:43:17 · answer #2 · answered by Vincent W 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For a 5 gallon tank you are almost maxed out for space. Goldfish are not like people and do not need a tank mate. Chances are your fish is eating the other fish. I wouldn't worry about a tank mate. For clean up, try a small snail. Sounds like your fish is happy right where he is.
2007-01-09 00:42:26 · answer #3 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My advice would be to get a bigger tank something between 30 and 55 gallons. Put goldy in there. Then buy him some friends of equal size. For example if I were you, I would get an Oscar, they love goldfish. Or a pacu, they are also friends of the goldfish.
2007-01-09 03:49:12 · answer #4 · answered by Lance Carthen 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
an algea eater would be a bad idea because they need warm water and goldfish have coldwater also the goldfish waste is bad for a plecostumus because of its waste. so your best bet would be to give it more goldfish.
2007-01-09 01:58:11 · answer #5 · answered by terrorizer11 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Another fish his size or bigger
2007-01-09 00:40:59 · answer #6 · answered by kherome 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
another gold fish
2007-01-09 07:37:53 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋