Keeping Carp

[NewRoc84]

Hi there,

I would like to keep carp in a tank, only small ones, ive got a tank but not sure what i need next, ive kept exotic fish before but never freshwater, not sure wether i can have a light in there is it going to heat up the water too much, if i have got a few carp in the water are they going to keep the tank clean or will i need a filter, how much oxygen am i going to need to put in the water, really anyone who can help to give me some ideas.

Many thanks

Rich

 

[frankenfish]

how big is your tank and what kind of carp are you thinking of keeping? most koi carp (which are the typical garden pond variety) can get pretty massive. the wild ones can get even bigger. i hooked one in the CT river and it actually straightened out the bass hook i was using. and yes you will definitely need good filtration. typical fishtank hood lights don't throw much heat and goldfish are pretty adaptable so don't worry about heat. the most important thing for a carp tank IMO is adequate filtration. goldfish are notoriously poopy and messy

 

[NewRoc84]

a Friend of mine does keep carp, as in mirror and common, he has them in his tank at home, for some reason they have never got any bigger than the size he put in there, which would kind of be good for me, i dont want anything big in my tank as its not a very big tank, its about 2ft all the way round, i was just thinking of getting a very small common or mirror carp and a few rudd and roach, just something pretty for the kids to look at, and plus i know more about them fish then what i do tropical.
ive been reading other posts about carp and a lot of people have said they can get very big very fast, but as far as i knew carp will only get as big as there surroundings.

 

[frankenfish]

mirror carp grow upwards of 60 pounds. yes the will only grow to the size of their enviroment but their insides will continue to grow. they wont be as healthy and will have a much shorter life span than if they are allowed to grow naturally. if you can give your tank dimensions we can help you find some fish that will be better suited for your tank

wild caught mirror carp:

 

[IThinkTherefore]

Yeah, if your tank is over twenty gallons you could have a fancy goldfish which is a carp species and wouldn't outgrow the tank *thumbsup2

 

[misterking]

Yeah, fancy goldfish are about all that'd work in there. Carp as we know them (koi, mirror, common etc) all grow far too big for any home tank unfortunately. They need ponds.

 

[pateceramics]

Whoa, Frankenfish! Did you catch that one?

 

[frankenfish]

Whoa, Frankenfish! Did you catch that one?

hahaha. na thats not me. ive hooked a few that big bass fishing but never landed em. wasn't using the right gear for a fish that big*twirlysmi