I just inhereted a few new goldfish. They are VERY cute, two orandas and one ryukin. However, I have a 50 gallon tank! And I am afraid to upgrade until I move in a bit. How long can 9!! goldfish live in a 50 gallon, if they are tiny babies? Is it safe for me to consider a second 50 gallon in a second story apartment? I love these guys and I can't give them up, but this is a big problem! What would you do? I have nursed the new ones to health and am attached. .. would love a bigger aquarium but if they can hang out in 50 until its safe to go big that would be good (I dont mind daily changes, I am doing that now). I also can get a second tank, and put it elsewhere, if that is a good alternative. Help lol!
2007-05-31 17:58:12 · 6 answers · asked by boncarles 5 in Pets ➔ Fish
Ps, how do you determine floor stoods? I was told they go the opposite directions of all the doors in this apartment, but I cant tell for sure..
2007-05-31 19:23:12 · update #1
If the fish are small enough and they're not causing major water quality problems for you, You could keep them together until after you move (and possibly a while afterward). A 50 gallon tank with water, gravel, and decor would probably weigh around 450-500 lbs. As I've seen other on the forum say, this would be about the weight of two people on a loveseat. Hopefully your floor would be able to handle that (if not, you'd better be looking for another place to live!). The outside walls are the ones that bear the most weight, so try and position the tank(s) against an outside wall. You could probably keep two tanks if they were placed so they aren't directly side by side.
You should contact your landlord about this as well if you're renting - some places have restrictions on how large of a tank you can have on upper floors, regardless of the ability of the floor to hold them. There's also the consideration of a tank leaking water into the apartment below, and smaller tanks = less water to cause damage.
2007-05-31 18:44:23 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Hi, I can offer some suggestions about the structure as I have a similar location, a first floor flat. I live in the UK so the building standards may be different elsewhere but generally the joists go at right angles to the floorboards & in my particular case they are located at 17" intervals so with larger tanks it's best to have them across as many joists as possible & always next to load bearing wall (one that is made of brick & goes right through the building to the floor). rather than a hollow partition wall.
Another thing to bear in mind when considering large tanks on upper floors is to go for long rather than tall ones-that way you can have a much larger volume of water spread across a bigger area so the stress on the floor at any one point is less. I currently have a 40 gallon long & am soon upgrading to a custom built 80 (or more) gallon long which may be 6 or 7 feet long but as described above will be absolutely sound.
Good luck with your babies & yes, as several others have said they will be fine in a 50 gallon for quite a while!
2007-06-01 09:00:07 · answer #2 · answered by John 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, when are you moving? As long as your water chemistry is good and the tank isn't overcrowded, they should be fine for a while since they're still small.
When you do move, I'd just keep the 50-gallon and get another tank in addition to it, and run them both. I just find two smaller tanks to be more practical than one large one, unless you're handy enough to deal with floor supports and such.
A 50-gallon might be a bad idea for a second-story apartment, but it might not be. Someone better versed in physics and engineering would be more able to answer that for you. =)
2007-06-01 01:20:19 · answer #3 · answered by xnikki118x 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How large are the fish now? If they're tiny, you'll be fine for the moment. The problem isn't really the size of the fish so much as the amount of waste they produce. Goldfish release a lot of amonia (urine) into the water as well as being messy eaters.
As for the question of putting in a second tank, it would depend on your building. I would recommend talking to the property manager and seeing what they say. As long as it's structurally sound, you should have a problem.
2007-06-01 01:10:06 · answer #4 · answered by petlady5 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Frequent water changes of 10% of the water every other day will keep them safe. You are probably already doing this. Just make sure your declorinator has a ammonia remover also, so your not adding any ammonia from tap water supply.
Get the ammonia test kit to be sure. $5 to save $50 or so worth of fish is worth it.
In regards to placing a 2nd tank in a two story I would suggest placing the tank oppisite of the floorstuds.
2007-06-01 02:11:01 · answer #5 · answered by Cammy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How tiny?
An inch to 2 inches should be OK in one tank for a few months
Any bigger, get another tank.
Tanks are heavy, so put if on a different wall in a different room if you can. It should be fine as long as they aren't close to each other.
2007-06-01 01:10:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋