What else do I need?

Question

Just got myself a 10 gallon aquarium kit at Wal-mart. Put the little rocks and decorations in....fake plants, a castle with holes in it and a dragon. Kit included a filter and heater so I put those in. Added the water...saleslady told I had to put some drops in so the fish could breathe. She said to wait awhile before I put in the six goldfish I just bought, which I did. Plugged everything in...now what? Fish look happy swimming around chasing each other.

Oh yeah...I did get a little container of food. The kit came with a cover where you can flip the lid...and it did have a light.

The lady told me that goldfish liked to be in schools...that's why I got six. I can't afford a bigger one plus I don't have room for it.

Answer 1

You put six goldfish ina 10 gallon tank??

First you will be needing a larger tank. Second gold fish let off a lot of ammonia so do a small water change at least every other day with that many in such a small tank.

I have three in a 20 gal established tank and still have to do water changes once a week.

Answer 2

Ok, this is the best I can do for you as far as advice is concerned-

1: Don't listen to people at the store. It's hard enough to find somebody who knows what they're talking about at a real fish store, at walmart it's flat out impossible. Do your own research first!

2: Goldfish grow huge - the smallest types 8 inches long, the common goldfish well over a foot. They also are among the messiest fish we can keep.

3: Goldfish do fine in smaller groups. Get rid of 4 of them and just keep 2 of them.

4. Your tank came with a heater, which godlfish don't need. The wisest thing you can do is forget about goldfish altogether and go for a tropical community tank. There are hundreds of species you can choose from that stay small and actually suit a 10 gallon tank. It's your choice whether you want to learn how to take care of them properly or just keep them till they die.

4. If you do the wise thing and do this, then make sure you research 'cycling an aquarium' - if you fully stock your tank you'll end up killing the fish with ammonia. As it is, I won't be surprised if the golfish don't last long because so many were introduced to such a small tank at once.

5. That stuff you used to 'allow fish to breath' should be water conditioner, which neutralizes chlorine. This is the only additive you need if you maintain the tank properly. The store will tell people funny things to sell more consumables, but you don't need it. Not even salt (these are freshwater fish after all)

Answer 3

Should I get in my 2 cents worth or just settle for voting? A lot of good answers.
For anyone thinking about getting fish, research the fish you want and their needs. This is easy to do on the internet.
You want a nice fish in a 10 gallon heated aquarium? Guppies or killifish. Or 6-8 neon/cardinal tetras (or a different small variety). Add a couple kuhli or yoyo loaches and a small plecostamus (bristlenose should be okay). Then sit back and enjoy. They're actually easier to care for than goldfish. Unless the goldfish are outside in a pond with good filtration.

Answer 4

Hi Xyzzy, Unfortunately the vast majority of pet store employees have absolutely no idea what they are talking about when advising new fishkeepers & most of the remainder are unscrupulous liars out for your money with scant regard for the poor fish-or the poor person who buys them in good faith only to watch them die within a few days.

This such a shame as those little fish can grow over a foot long & live tens of years if properly housed & cared for. I strongly advise you to return 4 of these fish to the store immediately & get your money back, otherwise you risk loosing all 6 due to severe overstocking-they will literally suffocate on their own waste in such a small tank.

The First Tank Guide in Mrs Crabs reply above is an excellent resource for first time fish keepers & the one I've attached below explains fishless cycling if you decide to return all of them & start again from scratch.

Looking at these replies you may think this is some kind of conspiracy against you but I assure you we are telling you the truth & want you to be happy & your fish to thrive. Check any Goldfish forum, library or website & you will see the same advice about stocking levels & tank sizes.

Answer 5

I assume the drops were a water conditioner, if not you should definitely get some of those. Its a good idea also to add some Stress Coat each time you do a water change to prevent injury.

Like some of the other commenters I should mention that the goldfish will probably outgrow the tank quickly. Goldfish can grow to 10+ inches so it may start to get very crowded in that tank. Also, goldfish are naturally dirty and with six you will need to do very frequent water changes.

Answer 6

Ok ok ok, so people have so obviously told you that there are too many goldfish (even if they fit comfy now, they won't, they get BIG). So, the question is now, how to fix it. First off, you do not need a heater, take it out. They are cold water fish. Second: You have not cycled your tank, I would suggest you read up on it...you may lose your fish just because of this. Check this link out for plain english instructions on both cycling with fish, or the now preferred method of fishless cycling. This is VERY important if you want to keep any fish alive. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Basic_Aquarium_Principles.html and http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php
Ok, THIRD: 6 goldfish will die relatively quickly, and I am NOT trying to be mean. You have 2 things working against you. An uncycled tank and too many fish. Goldfish are misunderstood, and pet shops worsen that by selling these poor fish to wrong conditions. They are very very messy fish, and create a LOT of waste, which musses up your water quality VERY fast, and in a blink your fish are dead from ammonia levels among other things. You need at LEAST a 30 gallon tank for the amount of fish you have. Here is a link to back me up: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Proper_goldfish_feeding.html You need to keep your water VERY VERY clean in order for the other fish to survive. This means being religious in tank care...cleaning it and doing maintenance and water changes once per week. Purchase a good water testing kit so you can keep an eye on your water parameters, and at the very least, get an ammonia test kit. This will most likely be the culprit. Watch your fish closely for any signs of illness...watch for at least 5 minutes a day to get to know them and what is "normal" for them.
Here is what I would do (my opinion): Take back at the very least 3 goldfish. 3 would be ok for now, and maybe as they are getting bigger you can save for a bigger tank. You can return them, don't let them tell you differently. Tell them the lady misled you and you do not have enough room for 6, only 3. Walmart does not have a good reputation on fish anyway, so please bear in mind that you are already running a risk of losing fish by buying them from there.
When I got back home, I would hop online and read up all I can on caring for these fish. The more educated you are, the better off you and your fish will be.

I hope this helps in some way. Good luck!! ;o)

Answer 7

sounds like everything is ok but you have too many fish. you can expect some losses. when you have an overcrowded tank they kind of play survivor -- the fish that can live with the most poop win. this will go on until you have one or two left. please don't buy replacements until you run out of fish completely. goldfish are social but they don't require schools. you don't need the heater for goldfish. save it if you decide to change to another type of fish. most other fresh water fish need a heater.

i would do water changes of about 1/3 of the water every 3 or 4 days to keep the fish somewhat happy. you need a gravel vaccuum and a bucket. just gravel vac until 1/3 of the water is gone and then replace the water. its a little time consuming but not that hard and it will keep your fish healthier.

Answer 8

You definately don't need a heater for goldfish, there temperatures should be around 65-72*F at all times, if they get exposed to long to higher temperatures you will make them sick

as for the space, other people told you already that it's way to small, you might get away for maybe 6 months but no more then that, you need to upgrade

Don't feed them more then they will eat in under 2 min twice a day

leave the light on for 10-12 hours during the day, and turn it off for 12 - 14 hours at night
http://www.fishlesscycling.com/articles/caring_for_your_goldfish.html



Hope that helps
Good luck



EB

Answer 9

first of all a 10 gallon is way too small for 6 goldfish I have one goldfish and he is in a 29 gallon, with that many goldfish you need at least a 55 gallon tank, they get up to 14 inches a piece , you also need chlorine reducer , aquarium salt,

Answer 10

well short of fish food (which i assume you did get) enjoy your fish....