I need help i am a new to petting fish...plz help me?

Question

i just had my 10 gallon fish tank yesterday and as well as fishes i brought 2 gold fishes one is a midiumish small size and other is small with a red cap on the top.... :)

the guy at the shop said that just put the fishes and feed em only 2 flakes once in 3 days so... i just fed em yesterday and today... the water water is cloudy so i was reading forums about that every one said its normal.. and today morning i was watching fish te small red capped fish was staying at the top i dont know why but recently say a thread saying if u see the fish at the top change 25% i did... is it any thing i am doing wrong... i didnt know what.. if i would know about the cycle i would not have bought the fishes.. my question is should i keep the fish insiide thank and change 25% water every week..?

and i put 10 drops of chlorin 1 drop per gallon

Should i do 25% WATER CHANGE

Answer 1

First of all, the guy at the petstore was completely WRONG, and he's an idiot as well

2. your tank is way to small to support these 2 fish, these goldfish are cute but you will stunt their growth if you keep them in there, here is a link you should read through very carefully
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Anuc3S1JVLGgIiVNuwJm6JHsy6IX?qid=20070726130634AA1AwnJ

3. Your tank is going through cycling, there aren't many fish that are hardy enough to go through that process, but there are some of them, here is a site that explains it in detail
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cloudywater.php
It's absolutely not recommended doing cycling with goldfish

4. you have to get yourself an ammonia, nitrite, pH and nitrate test kit (the fluid ones, they are more accurate)
If your nitrite and ammonia levels are at '0' your tank is ready for more fish, the nitrite changes into nitrate so your readings of the nitrate should be somewhere under 10ppm

5. Also, if you really want to keep goldfish, get yourself at least a 30 gallon tank, because most of them can get up to 1 foot long

6. Your tank is definately to small to accomodate 2 goldfish of that size, you will kill them

7. when you do the cycling with fish you have to keep up with daily waterchanges, after your tank is ready you are suppose to keep up with partial waterchanges of 25% weekly with a gravel siphon without taking your fish out

8. and you're suppose to feed your fish up to 2 times a day, as much as they will eat in a period of 3-5 minutes, if there is food left after 5 minutes you have to net it out

9. also, leave your light only for 10-12 hours on during the day, and turn it off at night for 12-14 hours, a timer is very helpful with that

Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 2

Your tank is going through the cycling process. Changing 25% of the water weekly is a good way to keep down the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. If the goldfish is swimming at the top, it doesn't mean that you have to change 25% of the water. He's probably exploring his new home. Visit this website to learn more about cycling: http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

As for feeding the fish, I'd feed goldfish every other day. Don't feed them too much though, because they don't know when to stop eating and they'll explode if they eat too much.

Keep up the good work with your tank!

EDIT-Yes, weekly 25% water changes are recommended.

~ZTM

Answer 3

Sounds like your new tank is going through a cycle. The nitrites are probably quite high. Test your water for nitrates, nitrites and ammonia. If it is high (or present in the case of nitrites or ammonia), do a 25-50% water change and test the water again in 24 hours.

Also, ,if you don't have a filter or an air pump, there may not be enough dissolved oxygen in the water for your fish to breathe.

Answer 4

Get a cycle going, start with bacteria. You can get these 3 ways. Either add drops like StressZyme every week or start with water from another tank that is successfully cycling or start with gravel that has been transferred from another successfully cycling tank. You still want to add enzyme (bacteria) drops weekly. (They are seeds for the bacteria garden that will form in your gravel and in the floss of your filter and in your bio-wheel.) Then to keep the bacteria colony from dying you want to do 4 things. 1. Stay consistent. add bacteria on time. 2. Don't overstock your tank suddenly or overfeed. 3. Avoid "clarifiers" which bind the food that the bacteria needs to survive and form a colony 4. Avoid extreme water changes. This means stick to no more than 25% water change (Using a gravel vac) no more than 1 time per 30 to 45 days. Keep fish in tank during these water changes. Most fish loss happens in uncyled tanks. It is called new-tank-syndrome. I must say though, I want to tell you so much more than what you asked, so keep asking Q's as you have them. Keep learning and good luck.

Answer 5

the guy told you to feed them every three days?! i feed my fish every day, at least once. sometimes twice if they are swimming around the top! do you have a filter? if so, the water should clear up fast. if they stay at the top he might be hungry. put a few flakes in and see if he eats them. if he gobbles them up, he was hungry. if he leisurely eats them, he may not be as hungry, just needs oxygen or bored.

hope this helps!

Answer 6

hes wrong