bought my baby sis a twenty gal tank and a couple of goldfish...tank is DIRTY...ideas to keep water clear?

Question

she is 13 and has never had goldfish before...she asked me if I would get her a couple when I asked her what she wanted for her late b-day present (I haven't seen her since october and her b-day was in december)...so I took her to the store and she picked out a twenty gal tank, black gravel and blue pebbles, a live bamboo plant, and a skeleton pirate tank decor---it looks awesome! to go in the tank she picked out a white mystery snail, and two black goldfish (the breed escapes me...we bought a book on them...starts with an "M" and has bubble eyes...I'll check the book later) right now the fish are only 1 and 1/2 inch long -to- 2 inches long each so there is room to grow-
anyway the tank means alot to her and she did a great job making it look really cool and naming the fish to match the theme (large fish=boot strap bill, small fish=captain tiny fin, and the snail=first mate eat poop)
is there a way to keep the water clear w/out a filter?
OR
what kind of filter is best for this tank?

btw...the tank water was dirty the day after we got them! I just want it to be clear!

yes...I checked the book and they are called black moor goldfish...thanks for all your answers!

I have a gravel siphon for my tanks that we used on hers after the first week of having it (it's been ten days)...and we got the fish we got because she has been fond of moor goldfish for years (just as I have been fond of bettas since I was a little girl and now own my first one) who am I to tell her she can't have the fish she likes the most...and goldfish growing fast is why we got the smallest ones and a twenty gal tank-we'll upgrade as needed

we live in WI USA if that helps with filter brands

thanks again!

Answer 1

Yes, you certainly do need a filter for your goldfish (they are Black Moors btw). Not knowing what part of the world you are in makes it tough to recommend a particular brand of filter, but if they are available to you I personally like whisper power filters. What will be important is for it to be easy to care for and easy to get filter materials. Whisper fits that bill in my area. Just pick a brand that seems easy to use for you, look around to be sure the store has filter cartridges for it readily available and pick a model that is rated for at least a 20 gallon tank. Usually they come in ranges, 10-20 gallon tanks, 2-40 gallon etc. Buy the largest one for your 20 gallon tank, not the smallest.

In addition to a filter you will need a gravel siphon. Not to worry, those are really cheap. You need to use it to clean the gravel and remove about 20-25% of the water once a week and replace it with fresh water.

Here's a helpful link that has loads of excellent info for you and your sis to take a look at together.

She's lucky, you are obviously a caring and kind big sister! Good job and good followup :)

http://www.firsttankguide.net/

MM

Answer 2

There are algae eating shrimp, and of course plants are good for keeping tanks clean. My son is really into this. I'll check and see what kind of filter he has. Kits usually have lousy parts that fail soon so buying separate is best. We use a brush from the store to scrub the glass. Change a third of the water every week if u don't get a filter. Let the water stand over night in a juice container(s) to let out chlorine if it's in the water, and rise to room temp. Of course scoop out water first with another one. I'll get more info to u later. Nite. Nice gift. And a point here, these fish love to die, so expect it.

Later, Dustin uses a charcoal filter that hangs on the edge of the tank. The light of the tank heats it and is crucial for stopping growth. Special color. Need thermometer too. Turn off at nite. Hope this does it. Xo!

Answer 3

The water is probably going to be cloudy for a while because of bacterial blooms that happen at the beginning of a cycle.

You NEED

1) A good filter. I would recommend an AquaClear 30. AC's keep all the media separate instead of all in one bag, so it's much more versatile and easy to clean rather than waste money and risk mini-cycles replacing entire cartridges.

2) Regular water changes. Until you get a filter, you should help her change 30% of the water every other day or so while the tank cycles. This is necessary in order to keep the ammonia and nitrites from burning your goldies' gills so badly they can't breathe properly anymore. Once you get the filter and the tank is cycled, you can do 25-30% a week instead.

Answer 4

Water being clear just takes time, but one thing to consider is that just because the water is clear, doesn't mean the water is good. Ammonia and nitrites that from when a tank is still setteling the nitrogen cycle can have clear water but fish dying off because the ammonia and nitrites are off the chart. Keeping your feedings to what your fish will eat entirely within a couple minutes is a good way to help your water and your water chemistry at the same time. Doing weekly water changes also helps. The wate may be a little cloudy after you get done, but with future changes, it should become that way less and less. You really need to stay on top of it to keep it in good condition. Goldfish are very dirty fish, meaning they produce alot of waste, so you really need to stay on top of water changes with them. I believe the species you are looking for is called Moors. I don't really keep goldfish myself, but if you keep your feedings down, and change the water out at least weekly, you should be just fine.

JV

Answer 5

Green water is a water born algae outbreak. This is almost always a result of poor water quality from over feeding. It's possible that your tap water has high nitrates and phosphates which are also used as food sources for the algae. I would get your tap water checked for those chemicals ASAP. If they are high then you'll need to look into another source of water for your changes. If they aren't high then you need to figure out why the water has enough food source for the algae to bloom. Other things that are contributors to this problem are direct sunlight, or having too much light on the tank for too long a period.

Answer 6

Visit pet store & get advice.

There's all kinds of things you can do, different expense ... consider how fast it gets used up.

I had goldfish tank when I was a kid. I arranged the pebbles to kind of slope so I could see the fish less likely to be hidden from me, but I had lots of ferns for them to swim thru.

I remember I had a problem with a kind of green slime that grew on the inside of the tank that made it more and more difficult to see through the glass. There was a special brush to clean the inside, without disturbing the water much. There was an issue about not changing the water much, because gotta keep it pretty much same temperature.

There's also an issue with pregnant fish ... they can eat their babies soon after they get born, so you have to watch for when they get born & separate them from the adult fish.

I now have a water bed & there's a chemical I put in it to stop algae from growing there.

Answer 7

you should defininately GET a undergravel filter, the go under the gravel of your tank and those thing help alot with the cleaning i have 3 tank of goldfish and each is 50 gallon and i use 3 undergravel filter for each of them and i dont have to ever clean the tank in a year, soo i know you should get it and save your sis, so she dont have to do water changes=) i help you get the undergravel filter. you'll get a very good result out of it=)

Answer 8

Simple, get rid of the Goldfish. Invest in something like tetras or barbs. Goldfish are commonly bought for small 10 gallons and such, but some will easily outgrow the tank, not to mention the waste they produce matches some of the biggest fish out there :|

Answer 9

you need a filter to keep it clean. goldfish can make the tank really dirty also the filter can give more oxygen

Answer 10

A filter is needed to clean the water and also to oxygenate it. Overfeeding is another cause of the water not being clear.