Help, I'm new to the fishy world!!!!!!!?

Question

I've just bought 2 Orandas for my 30l tank, I'm starting slowly as advised and am adding new fish slowly but what should I get next, I'd love some aquatic frogs but can I keep these together?

Aww Gary, didn't mean to upset you I know its work tomorrow but you can still smile :o)
If cycled is filtered, yes it is although it's only a coldwater tank just now hence the boring fish. I did this deliberately as I'm not an experienced fish keeper and thought it was better not to get ahead of myself and pick the most colourful, energetic breeds and end up killing lot's of poor animals unnecessarily. I was advised by the pet shop that my tank was large enough for 5/6 smallish fish and they would only grow to the environment they were kept in. I have a planted aquarium and was advised on the type of plants I bought having strong stems and small leaves so that the fish can just nibble at them and not trash the whole plant although I do daily remove any fallen leaves.
It's a shame that I'm not up to your high fishy standards but I'm trying to be a responsible pet owner.
Right, any constructive suggestions for easy to care for fish that just eat and poop?

Thanks everyone for your good info, I have to say I'm very sad that there is a chance my wee fish may die but I will battle on to ensure that isn't the case and have already started the cycling process thanks Joe & Copper.
They do seem very happy just now and zip around the tank together which is quite funny so wish me luck ;o)

Answer 1

A 30L tank? I'm assuming you mean a 30 gallon long and not a 30 litre tank. Goldfish require about 10 gallons each. So you could grab another group 2 goldfish (another oranda, a fantail, a black moor, etc)
If you're looking for something different than goldfish, a weather loach can tolerate the cooler temperatures required by goldfish. The African dwarf frogs only get to about 1 1/2 " and they're very difficult to feed, especially with scavenger goldfish who eat off the bottom as well. The albino African clawed frogs get to be 5" and they will eat any fish big enough to fit in their mouths.
Other tankmates can include a butterfly loach, a bristlenose pleco, an apple snail, white cloud minnows.
Make sure to use a filter used for the next higher up tank size. Goldfish are messy eaters and put a VERY heavy bioload (exhalations and waste materials) into the water and need extra filtration.
If you DID mean a 30 litre tank, you're already 3 x the load. That's just a little more than 7 gallons and each fish requires a minimum of 10 gallons.
As for your comment about growing to the size of the tank. The shopkeeper is mainly correct. It would be like you putting a 6 month old human baby in a dog cage. It will not be able to outgrow the confines of the cage. However, internal organs will be damaged, and lifespan greatly reduced. When you add in the factor that not only is the fish being stunted due to space, as it gets bigger, you're also running out of available water for it to breathe in. There is a very loosely held rule of 1 gallon per 1 inch of fish. This only holds true for the 5 or 6 little fish the shopkeeper advised: neon tetras, etc. You could keep 6 fish that grown to no more than 1" in a 30 litre (7 gallon) tank. But obviously you could not hold a 10" long HUGE Oscar in a tiny 10 gallon tank without doing him a LOT of harm.
I appreciate you researching. It's sad that shopkeepers don't inform more and more accurately. Messy fish like goldfish, plecos and cichlids require MUCH more space just for the waste they excrete and the bulk of the fish itself.
Hope this helps :)

Answer 2

If I read correctly you said you have a 30 liter tank? If so, that tank won;t hold 2 fancy goldfish once they grow up. i's a very common misconception that a fish can only grow to it's environment and be healthy. It may stop growing on the outside, but it's organs will continue to grow and become deformed and unable to work properly and lead to a very early death. There are a variety of small fish that will work very well in your tank either as a cold water tank or as a tropical tank. For cold water the most commonly available small fish is the white cloud. It's a very pretty active little fish and could be called the neon of cold water tanks. A heater for your size tank is commonly available and quite inexpensive and that would open the door to many, many smaller tetras, live bearers, small gourami, dwarf cichlids and smaller catfishes that are all tropical fishes.

I wouldn't recommend you add any fish to your tank based on it being 30 liters, but instead plan to remove the goldfish as they grow a bit larger and replace them with smaller species that can live long healthy lives in that sized tank.

MM

Answer 3

Please please please dont put any more fish in that tank! its crampt enough for 2!

I fell into the same trap you have, eager to get a fish tank aet up and fill it with lots of different fish, but you need to take a step back and work on the two you have before you go any further! I dont want to sound like a bore but i had 2 common goldfish in a 20 litre tank and i thought all was fine but because its a small tank its hard to keep on top of health problems!

Make sure you have a water testing kit and visit www.koivet.com and read some of the posts on the forum, their are loads of people with experience who can help you and its a great source of information!

Remember its a myth that fish will only grow to the size of the tank you keep them in! If looked after properly they can grow at an alarming rate and for a long time. my black moor started of an inch long and is now 8inches! and she is only 5!

Answer 4

You are at your max for 30 gallons as far as goldfish go. Orandas are fancy goldfish.

You technically should have 20 gallons PER oranda but you'll probably do fine with 30 gallons as long as you keep the tank and water clean and maintain the filter well.

You could add 3 cory catfish to eat dropped food, but beyond that I would seriously stick with the 2 orandas.

I know it's tempting to get more fish when you're new at it, but you'll have a much healthier tank and longer lasting fish if you are moderate in your aquisitions.

Consider putting plants in your tank... the fish will eat them but they're replaceable and they look cool.

Answer 5

30 liters is nearly 8 US gallons. One gold fish at maturity is going to need 10-20 gallons EACH, depending on variety. I'd say you have more than enough in there now, you should concentrate on keeping them alive in the new uncycled tank, then finding a tank appropriate for them if they survive. Hate to be a downer, but I wouldn't bet on either surviving a week in that tank. I'm sure we'll hear from you later... start doing 10% water changes every day, starting now, with a gravel vacuum.

Answer 6

Lol... why does everyone who buys a 30 gallon tank decide to stuff it with goldfish. Look heres the deal.. most people who buy a tank for the first time want to put in 5 or 6 goldfish that are pretty large for goldfish standards. but ask yourself this
1-is your tank large enough for so many goldfish that make a lot of waste
2-is your tank even cycled
3-do you have the time to dedicate to so many goldfish
4-if you buy more goldfish, do you realize that all the fun fish out there will regard your goldfish as food

If i were you i would remove your goldfish and buy a little more exotic fish. but if you must have your goldfish you can buy a pleco, snails, and some other goldfish. Other then that most fish will not be happy with your goldfish. Also know that with goldfish you cant have a planted aquarium because they will rip the plants up. If you were to lose the goldfish you could have any of the following
1-a planted aquarium with tetras
2-catfish
3-cichlids
4-arrowana
5-bettas
and hundreds of other fun fish that dont just eat and poop like a goldfish

Answer 7

Just a comment on your edit - no, filtered isn't the same as cycled: http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

Frogs are tropicals, goldfish aren't.

goldfish care:
http://thegab.org/Articles/
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/

Answer 8

Probably not but, I'm not sure because I don't know about fishes.