My Kinda New 10 gallson Tank.

mickeymouselvr

mickeymouselvr

Small Fish
#1
Aug 3, 2006
32
0
0
#1
*ALL* Ok kinda new means I think I am on my fifth batch of fish. I CANT keep any of them alive!! Right Now I have a
1. Black Moor
2. Fantail Goldfish
3. Common little Goldfish
4. Calico Golfish
5. Male guppie
First of all How many fish can I put in a 10 gallon tank without it being overcrowded?
Second, I have heard I am not suppose to but a guppie with my goldfish, is this true?
Third, I thought goldfish were the easy to keep alive, But all my fish seem to keep dying. I have a airerator, and a filter.
Finally, I want to get those mickey mouse fish *SUPERSMIL (of course) with the mickey mouse head on there tail, but PETCO told me I couldn't put them with my goldfish, will they kill each other ? What is up with that??
 

mickeymouselvr

mickeymouselvr

Small Fish
#3
Aug 3, 2006
32
0
0
#3
ok if i am what do i do?

So I am overstocked? The only two big ones are really the Moor, and the gold fantail. Them two together proabably equal 8 inches. I did have 17 fish OH yes I know way way too many. So If I want about 5 fish that grow no more than two inches in length, what would those be?
 

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F

FishGeek

Elite Fish
#4
May 13, 2005
4,294
5
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38
South Carolina
#4
How many fish really depends on how big the fish are gonna be. If you went with only Guppies Id say 6-8. The thing is with Guppies they are livebearers meaning they dont lay eggs but give live birth. This enables them to breed VERY often. Before you know it will have babies that are having babies. :p If this is the route that you want to go maybe you should get a another (5G would do) tank to house the fry till they are large enough that your pet store will take them. Usually they dont give you store credit for Guppies but at least they are gonna go to new homes. Good Luck and I reccomend snooping around here and gather up some more info.
 

seastaar88

seastaar88

Superstar Fish
#5
Feb 1, 2004
1,705
1
0
42
middletown, CT
#5
i think the best option for you might be to return the goldies. goldies produce a LOT of waste, and will foul your water very quickly. the rough rule of thumb for goldies is 20G for the first goldie and an additional 10G for each subsequent goldie.

also, guppies are tropical fish, goldies are cold-water fish. IMHO i dont like to mix the temperature types.

what do you have for equipment for your tank? heater? filter? we just want to make sure youre off to the right start. read through the stickies at the top of teh beginners forum: http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/fre...eshwater-beginner-stickies-read-me-first.html they should help answer a lot of your questions, such as cycling, stocking, etc.

IMO you may want to look into adding 4-5 white cloud minnows or black skirt tetras.. and maybe an otto for algae... these are hardy fish and will help you build confidence wtih fishkeeping as they are pretty forgiving.

good luck :) :) :)
 

J

JWright

Superstar Fish
#7
Oct 22, 2002
2,192
7
0
40
Snowy Upstate New York
www.cnytheater.com
#7
seastaar88 said:
IMO you may want to look into adding 4-5 white cloud minnows or black skirt tetras.. and maybe an otto for algae... these are hardy fish and will help you build confidence wtih fishkeeping as they are pretty forgiving.
Click to expand...
Just to clarify though... don't add _anything_ to your tank. Your tank is already the equivalent of 5 very messy people living in a studio apartment.

Your fish are dying due to ammonia poisioning. Fish produce ammonia like we produce urine. In an established tank, there are bacteria that live in the filter that turn that ammonia into nitrite, and then some other bacteria turn that nitrite into nitrate. It takes a few weeks for those bacteria to setup shop, and during that time the ammonia really builds up (becuase nothing is there to get rid of it).

Your goldfish produce a _lot_ of ammonia. The number of fish you have in that tank would be better suited for a 55 gallon. That's why your ammonia is climbing so quickly and killing your fish.

If possible, your best bet would be to return the goldies (they're just going to be really unhappy in that small a tank anyway) and see if you can get some of the fish seastaar posted (maybe not the otto.. they're pretty easy to kill).

You also need to read up on things like the "nitrogen cycle" in freshwater aquariums, water changes, and things like that.

One more project... Buy some test kits from your LFS (Local Fish Store) to find out what your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are. If buying the kits isn't an option, take a cup of water to your LFS, they'll usually test it for you.

Welcome to the world of keeping fish! Don't loose heart at early mistakes, we all went through them, and you'll do fine if you just do a little research and keep up with your water changes. ;)

~JW
 

THUNDER

THUNDER

Banned
#8
Jul 22, 2006
567
4
0
#8
Mickey, the tank is overcrowded. If you want Goldfish, then the limit is 2 for your 10G tank. The maximum for each Goldfish is 5G. Goldfish do not require heater, because they like cooler water and Guppies are a tropical fish, thus they require a heater to warm up the water. Goldfish produces excessive Ammonia from their waste, so the tank will require more care. Also, you need to let your tank cycle for a few days to few weeks, depending on your tank setup. You can expect to lose more fishes until the cycle is completed and until you gain more knowledge. What is a cycle? Time for the good bacterias to develop to combact the Ammonia and Nitrite, which the Nitrate is the ending stage and to get rid of the Nitrate is with water changes and optional real plants. Yes, you need to buy water test kits, but in liquid form, because they are most reliable and accurate. I highly recommend you choose any filter with a BioWheel. It will take several weeks for the good bacterias to form on the BioWheel. The BioWheel never need replacing and they should never be rinsed under tap water, because it will kill off the good bacterias. I highly suggest you get Black Skirt tetras and Sepre tetras for your tank. They are very easy to care for. Try to get the darkest color possible. It is okay that your fishes loose their colors the first day or two, until they are established comfortably.

Stay on this thread to continue asking us more questions. Just ask any questions and we will help you the best we can. Also, ask questions to your local pet store that specialize in Fish. Its true, we all go thru the same thing. The very first time, I've had Goldfishes and Tropical fishes all together and my Black Moor managed to stay alive for several good weeks. Ill never forget the error of placing a real seashell in my first tank. It was quite funny at the time, because mom and I was joking that the fishes went into the shell to die, because when they enter, they never exit. We all have gone thru many mistakes and we still do on new things.

Thunder
 

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FreshwaterJeff

FreshwaterJeff

Superstar Fish
#9
Mar 28, 2006
1,261
3
0
42
Chicago, IL
#9
But, what would be a good fit for your 10g aquarium is a small school of the mickey mouse platies you said you wanted, with perhaps 3-4 cory cats for the bottom.

That is, of course, assuming you (a) return all the fish you currently have, except the guppy if you want to hang onto it, and (b) make sure you cycle your tank and can keep it at an appropriate temperature...
 

THUNDER

THUNDER

Banned
#10
Jul 22, 2006
567
4
0
#10
The WalMart store I work at, they have Mickey Mouse platies. I'm tempted to get some, but I got 8 Cherry Barbs instead. I'm still tempted to get the platies.

Thunder
 

romeoharvey

romeoharvey

Medium Fish
#11
Jun 20, 2005
72
1
0
37
Southeastern Michigan
#11
I suggest (like some others have) you give up on coldwater fish, especailly if this is your first tank. Go for some really hardy tropical fish, I've found that if room temp. holds steady (tank isn't near any doors, hallways, or open windows and such) you may not even need a heater, but it helps the quality of life for your fish.

Do partial water changes every two days, and don't overfeed.
 

Lonewolfblue

Lonewolfblue

Superstar Fish
#12
Jun 5, 2006
1,283
8
0
57
Wenatchee, WA
www.nw-wolf.com
#12
Here's a few options.....

A small school of platies and 3 cories
A small school of rasboras and some cories or otos
A small school of smaller tetras and some cories or otos
A small school of cherry barbs and some cories
And my last option, a pair of German Blue Rams :)

With all these options, you will need a heater.
 

seastaar88

seastaar88

Superstar Fish
#13
Feb 1, 2004
1,705
1
0
42
middletown, CT
#13
i'm so mad, i just wrote a pretty long reply and my boss came into my office and i x'd out the window.. haha. oh well.

check out this thread:
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/freshwater-general-discussion/35368-what-have-you-learned.html
you can read about some of our first experiences and what we learned through the years of fishkeeping.

don't give up. i think if you "start over," so to speak, and follow our advice, you'll gain more confidence and appreciatino for the hobby instead of getting frustrated. read over teh stickies at the top of the beginners forum and cycle yoru tank (iggy's recipe for a fishless cycle).

get a gravel vac at the LFS (if you dont already have one) and a bucket you can dedicate to fishkeeping, one free of any cleaning agents. i don't agree with doing partial w/cs every two days. a 25% w/c once per week is plenty. everyone has their own opinion on how much and how often. your test results will usually dictate what your schedule will be.
 

homebunnyj

homebunnyj

Superstar Fish
#16
Jul 13, 2005
1,299
4
0
Western NC
#16
THUNDER said:
If you want Goldfish, then the limit is 2 for your 10G tank.
Click to expand...
Still overstocked. A 10g really isn't good for goldies. I tried that scenario in my noob days; results in a perpetually dirty tank and high nitrates. Not pleasant. Seleya has tons of goldfish experience.

THUNDER said:
Yes, you need to buy water test kits, but in liquid form, because they are most reliable and accurate. .... The BioWheel never need replacing and they should never be rinsed under tap water, because it will kill off the good bacterias.
Click to expand...
Good advice here.

THUNDER said:
Also, ask questions to your local pet store that specialize in Fish.
Click to expand...
Take their (lfs) advice with a grain of salt. Many really don't know what they're talking about. And if they know about one type of fish, they may not necessarily know about another. As you gain experience you'll be able to pick out the ones who do know their stuff. Until then, it's wise to run their advice by experienced aquarists, such as the ones you'll find here at mft.
 

cinlnk

cinlnk

Large Fish
#17
Sep 10, 2005
805
1
18
118
Who said anything about living? I merely EXIST!!!
#17
mickeymouselvr said:
*ALL* Ok kinda new means I think I am on my fifth batch of fish. I CANT keep any of them alive!! Right Now I have a
1. Black Moor
2. Fantail Goldfish
3. Common little Goldfish
4. Calico Golfish
5. Male guppie
First of all How many fish can I put in a 10 gallon tank without it being overcrowded?
Second, I have heard I am not suppose to but a guppie with my goldfish, is this true?
Third, I thought goldfish were the easy to keep alive, But all my fish seem to keep dying. I have a airerator, and a filter.
Finally, I want to get those mickey mouse fish *SUPERSMIL (of course) with the mickey mouse head on there tail, but PETCO told me I couldn't put them with my goldfish, will they kill each other ? What is up with that??
Click to expand...
Definiton of overstocking and incompatibility of an Aquarium: Please read above!!!!!!
Hey Mickey....PLEASE READ THE STICKIES IN THE BEGINNER'S FORUM. And after you are done, READ THEM AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

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