Just got a new tank, how do i cycle it (for a goldfish). Fish is in a gallon bowl so i am in a hurry:S?

Question

I just got a ten gallon tank and am really eager to get my poor fish into a bigger environment but I dont want to rush and wind up hurting him. What I would like to know is what exactly I need to do before transferring him to the new tank. It was a tank kit and the only special equipment i have is a thermometer and a ph testing kit. Since he is in such a small bowl i feel like its really important to transfer him soon. He has been in the bowl for three days. So just what do i need to do to ensure that the tank will be safe for him and what equipment do i need to do that? Thanks so much for your help.

Oh and by the way, the goldfish is a small ryukin.

Instead of getting gravel from the petstore would it work to put some of the gravel from his bowl in for bacteria...he has been in it only three days. Its just that the pet store is in the next town.

Answer 1

Well, you could do a fishless cycle, but then the goldfish would be stuck in the bowl for the next 6 weeks or so. This would be the safest way for you to cycle a tank. You shouldn't have gotten the fish until you were ready. Since you are stuck with the fish, the second best option would be to get some dirty filter media from a pre-existing tank for the bacteria. You could also add some gravel from that tank as well. Another, but less sucessful method IMO is the bacteria in a bottle that you will find at any pet or fish store. If possible, I'd take it back and get another one when you are ready.

Answer 2

Ten gallon tank should be right for him for now but depending on what sort of goldfish he is he may grow up to 8 inches, I have a friend who has one this size. You need to buy a good filter firstly, If you take him out of his enviroment and put him into a bigger tank with no filter and no good bacteria he will surely die. I have a guppy tankl and a tropical tank ( for 2 yrs now) and I have recently set up a new goldfish tank a few weeks ago, I have a heater - 55 watt, a filter 220 litres per hour, and an airstone, 2 inches of black gravel and alot of plants. Fish need to live in an airated tank, it also helps the cycling of the tank, I would set the new tank up but not add the fish yet, He will die. Set the tank up, make sure you wash gravel really well through a strainer with only water. Then add the water and the filter, a heater is important even for goldfish, depending on where you live, they like to be around 18-22 degrees. sudden temp changes in an indoor aquarium may also kill him, even tho goldfish can stand nearly freezing conditions outdoors, the ones from the pet shops are often big sooks! Add a couple of inexspensive fish (guppies etc) and do water changes of 25 % daily, make sure you use a good quality water conditioner to remove the harmfull chemicals in the tap water, also some aquarium minerals (get them from your local pet store) would go down well. It also helps if you have a friend who has a tank already set up to scoop a handfull of their gravel and place it in your new tank, providing their tank is a healthy one! this will help the good bacteria start happening, if you put your new fish in a new tank too soon he will get stressed and contract fin rot or any other desease. Alot of extra things are needed to keep fish not just a tank and water, you need to get yourself a nitrite and amonnia test kit, when you tank has finished cycling your amonnia reading should be zero or close enough to it, it all sounds a bit tedious but it's worth the wait, a good cycle can take anywhere up to two months or longer, but the longer you can resist changing his home the better he will be! also do NOT over-feed him, this will put too much waste into the tank which will upset your cycle, just once a day is enough and no more than he will eat in 5 mins. If I were you I would ask the local pet shop to babysit him for a while which in some cases they do, or do you have a friend that keeps goldfish and already has a set-up? How lond have you had him for? there are alot of things to be considered here. I have a really good site here that should help you about cycling, I hope I've helped you and good luck!

Answer 3

Hi,
I had goldfish for years, all thru my sons growing up and even took the ones from school for summer breaks. First of all wash and rinse out the inside of your new tank making sure no soap resedue is left inside, rinse all gravel purchased from the store, (but do not rinse the gravel that you will be adding from the bowl, that has some beneficial bacteria that will help the fish aclimate) and bottom ornaments, filter, hoses and equipment. Next fill your tank 3/4 full with regular tepid tap water and add your drops to dechlorinate the water...activate your air filter and let that run for about two hours. This will oxygenate the water, and bring everything to a level temp. Some people take their fish and put some of the water that they were in into a baggie and place the fish into that, twist the top and then set the baggie into the water for a while so the fish can aclimate and destress into its new environment, but believe me, I just never found that necessary unless you were bringing them home from the pet store. Never touch your fish for that will destroy the protective slime coating they have to protect them from disease. Just take your clean fish net scoop and gently transfer your little buddy into its new environment, then add your fresh aquarium plants and let them just float on the top of the water, this will give your fish a secure hideing place and adds nutrition as well. You might want to add a screen to the top as those fish are sometimes inclined to actually jump and if you have other creatures in the house, this provides an extra safety measure. Then kick back and enjoy...fish are cool and with a 10 gallon tank you can add some friends - just remember 1 fish per gallon of water, they can grow to be quite large when given the right environment.
~Blessings~

Answer 4

Add a bacteria starter like Seachem Stability, or Hagen Cycle. You may also want to Pick up Seachem Prime, or Kordon Amquel+. This will help detoxify and remove some ammonia and nitrites. There are a couple different ways to cycle a tank without fish but requires a little research. You could add ammonia to the tank by adding fish food and letting it rot or add a dead fish or shrimp.

Answer 5

If its as small as a ten gallon tank. You need to have all the chemicals in(ie water conditoner, bacteria supplement) and the filter(if there is one) running for at least 24 hours to 2 days before you put the fish in.

Answer 6

Since you already have the goldish and want to move it soon, you can use the old gravel. If it doesn't match what you have for the 10 gallon, you can add the old gravel to a old stocking and place this in the tank or filter.

Answer 7

buy some cycle from your local pet store....goldfish are notorious for producing high levels of ammonia...one capful of cycle on a weekly basis reduces the amount of amonia in the water...a good filtration system...preferably a triple system like penguin that uses a bio wheel to keep beneficial bacteria in the water,and then filters the water through a rough mesh system to trap un eaten food and waste from the fish ,and finally filters it through a carbon or charcoal filter to absorb any excessive nitrates....but if you want to go cheaper buy a bottle of cycle and at least a carbon filtration system and your fish will be fine.

Answer 8

They are very hardy usualy just plop them in