Sand Suckers?

[dorkfish21]

Ok, got my 55 gal set up, cycled, and my 4 black moors added. I am new to gold fish/koi. I have sand in the tank, my first time using sand, those little moors are hoovering(read vacuuming) the sand up and spitting it back out. My guess is that they are just doing what they do and looking for goodies.

Here is my question(s):

Is this normal behavior?

What other behaviors from these guys?

The lady at my LFS told me I need no heater in the tank because these little guys are cold water fishes, I did lots of research on these little swimmers, I realize they do not mind cool water, but do they need heat at all?

Thanks all.

 

[misterking]

This is absolutely normal behaviour, all goldfish and their various strains sift through the sand looking for bits of uneaten food.

And unless your house gets cold, (below 10 celcius), they won't need a heater IMO.

Just like all goldfish, black moores eat a lot and therefore put a lot of waste into the water. They need good filtration to stop harmful substances building up, but I'm guessing by the fact that you said you cycled your tank you have a filter

 

[dorkfish21]

Yes tank is filtered.

Also, the current in my tank seems kind of strong, the water output of my filter is about 1/3 way down into the tank, should I move this closer to the surface?

How often should I be feeding my little ones? They quickly devour the majority of the food I give them, been feeding them twice a day, not very much each time, just want the little sand suckers to be happy and healthy.

 

[misterking]

That sounds like a good ammount to feed them, goldfish will continually ask for food even when they've eaten, not because they've "forgotten" they've been fed but because they're greedy little things. My pond fish do the same! You don't want to feed too much to avoid fouling the water either by uneaten fish food or their own waste.

Unless the fish are fighting with the current I don't see it as too much of an issue, but if you're worried, is there something on the filter to regulate the current? I had a fluval filter which had a sliding tab to increase or decrease the current. You could always try diverting it so it hits the wall of the tank first, taking some of the energy out.

 

[dorkfish21]

Thanks misterking.

I am able to regulate the current and it is at its lowest flow. I will try directing it at the wall of the tank and see how that goes.