I want a tank!!?

Question

I have never owned a tank all on my own, I want it for goldfish! I want like 3-5 goldfish, and i know each one need at least 2 gallond per inch. so im thinking a 40 gallon!!

I want to get a canister filter because i dont like the look of filters that hang on the side. and i hear they are better since goldfish are so dirty the need a good filter and i dont want it to be dirty ever!!

so i have ?s can i put sand in it? and if i want real plants what is the best kind of sand? and can i put plants right in front of the tubes so you wont be ale to see them or will that stop the filter from working??

i think im gonna get an acrylic tank with a black back and later i will get a stand and all that!!

I am talking about fancy goldfish not commets!! sorry!!

Answer 1

Hi Nicole, Nice to see someone prepared to invest money as well as time in preparing a proper home for Goldfish. I see most of your questions have been answered but regarding gravel I would recommend you steer clear of pea sized gravel at all costs & especially the rough, irregular types as this poses a very real hazard & can get stuck in their mouths & cause choking.

There are plenty of other options-small 2 to 3mm rounded gravel, sometimes resin coated which comes in a huge variety of colours as well as natural is fine & they will have a great time sifting through it. This is often called Dorset or Roman gravel in the UK but may be called something different in the US.

Other options are the large, flat polished river rocks two or three inches in diameter or the 1" rounded coloured pebbles both types available at many garden centres but make sure they are specified 'pond safe'. Another fairly radical but very hygienic method is to have no substrate at all & simply have a bare glass floor-no more food getting hidden under gravel-they will spot every crumb & the smooth floor will streamline most of the debris into the filter. Plants can then simply be potted up & arranged how you like.

I can't comment on other makes but I have 2 Eheim 2026 canisters running either end of a 40 gallon long & they are great!

Answer 2

Canister filters are not the best choice for Goldfish. They are more difficult and time consuming to maintain and the ugly outside filters are much easier to take care of and don't plug up if neglected. Well,they do plug up,but that doesn't burn out the motor like it does with a canister.
Gravel is a better substrate for plant than sand,but it won't matter too much because Goldfish are vegetarians and will eat most plants. There are two plants that are too tough for Goldfish to eat and neither one should be buried in the substrate. They are "Java Fern" and "Anubius barterii". They grow attached to drift wood or rocks and can be very attractive.
Also be sure you have a very solid stand for the tank(40 gallons of water weighs about 320#!

Answer 3

First, sand isn't usually a good idea with Goldfish because they often pick it up and spit it out. This means that a bunch of sand is going to get sucked up your filter, that is really hard on a filter. So gravel is your best bet (but you can still have plants in gravel). Second, are you getting Fancy Goldfish or the normal kind. You could keep 3-4 Fancy Goldfish (Oranda, Lion's Head and others) in a 40 U.S. gallon tank, but only one of the Common Goldfish. Fancy Goldfish get 8-10 inches long, but Common Goldfish can get up to 2 feet long. Fish don't grow to the size of their tank, that is stunting, which means the fish dies young. A canister filter is a good idea because Goldfish are extremely messy. You will still need to vacuum the gravel every week though. Plants like Java Moss, Java Ferns, and Elodea/Anacharis are the best plants for coldwater tanks like yours. Java Moss and Ferns should not be planted in the gravel, rather, they should be tied to driftwood or rocks or other decorations. After a couple weeks, the Javas will grow rhizoids that will attatch it to the decoration/wood/gravel. The Elodea/Anacharis can be planted, but does just as well as a floating plant. Java Moss is perfect to tie to your filter tubes to hide them, just don't cover the intake, for that, you can plant Elodea/Anacharis about 6 inches in front of the filter intake. Be sure to have all the materials (including the stand) before you add water and fish to the tank. As long as you keep up with weekly maintenance, you shouldn't have any problems. Email me at [e-mail] if you have any questions. Good luck!

Nosoop4u

Good site to help you start-http://www.firsttankguide.net/.
Read the entire thing before buying fish.

Nosoop4u

Answer 4

With a 40 gallon, I would not get more than 4 goldfish. Canisters are great, but you will want to add an air pump and air stone. I like the Rena XP series. Mine was very easy to assemble, it was color coded and had color step by step instructions. You should go with gravel for your substrate. I would only recommend sand in a freshwater tank to a more experienced fishkeeper. Goldfish will eat most kinds of plants, but you should be able to keep anubias and java fern. The intake to the canister will suck up any plants if they are near. The tubes really don't show up that much, especially if you have a bit of algae growing on them. Email me if you have any specific questions.

Answer 5

No the ' 1-2 inch per gal isnt true so dont go buy it, Goldfish belive it or not require 55 gallons of water each as they are pond fish, Go for tropical fish they dont requite alot of watter, Well tetras,livebearers dont,

Good luck

~ GG

Answer 6

You should search around in classifieds in the pets section and I sometime see them there when people try to give there tanks away.