What to do with Goldfish

[vinodhv]

Hello there,

I've set up my 55gal with 6 goldfish and 1 'sucker' fish. I really want to keep tropical fish but don't know what to do with the goldfish. I've got 2 big ponds in the back that are currently empty. If I put them in there, would I require a pump/filter?

also, i was thinking of giving them to a local pet store. is that acceptable?

 

[OCCFan023]

Id say you need to havea filter in the pond. There pretty dirty fish so theyll need a filter even if there in a pond.

If you could give them away to a lfs thatd be great if you didnt want them, itd be perfectly acceptable/

 

[Fish Friend]

yeh... you need a filter treat the pond like you would with a tank.. it needs to cycle and be cleaned regulary... if your tropical tank is big enough and has loooads of room and brilliant filtration you could put the goldfish in there... just a thought

 

[vinodhv]

thanks for the advice guys. i'm going to be cleaning the pond in the back but will probably turn the fish in to a LFS. I always thought that goldfish are not compatible with tropical fish. my tank is a 55g - is that enough room for the two to coexist?
i think i'm overcrowding right now too. 6 goldies in a 55 gal - read somewhere that you need 10gal per fish. That might explain the dirty water - i changed the filter cartridge yesterday and did a 20% water change but its still not very clean. hmmm

 

[Fish Friend]

so in your filter you replaced everything ?? so like all new filter media ??? and what do you mean by 'turn the fish in to a LFS' how can u turn a fish into a lfs ???? lol or do you mean like give the fish to a lfs ??

 

[vinodhv]

Yeah i meant giving them to a LFS.

I changed the cartridge on my filter. The old one had holes in it (i got my tank second hand).

In the future, should i change the cartridge or simply rinse it?

 

[GoldLenny]

Your pond filter does not have to be as sophisticated as an aquarium filter. Look in my blog for an article on a simple pond filter that you can build for $10.00 that works with the little pump/fountain kits that you can buy pretty cheap too. Your tank is too small for 6 goldfish anyhow since they grow to over 8" for round bodied types and over 12" for long bodied types. If you decide to keep your golds in your pond, keep this thread going and I'll help you through it. I have ponds too... with plenty of Golds.

Your pond probably already has a decent nitrifying bacteria colony growing from the decaying detritus in the pond and depending on how big the pond is, 6 small goldfish will not cause it to "cycle" like it does in a small tank.

 

[vinodhv]

thanks lenny.
i'm looking at the blog. any input on changing filter cartridges?

 

[FroggyFox]

Generally you just need to rinse your filter cartridge in tank water (not chlorinated water) and then maybe 2 or 3 times a year change the cartridge to a new cartridge.

I dont think a 55 is large enough for coldwater and warmwater fish to coexist...If you're going to keep goldies, keep them, if you want tropicals...then do tropicals. Most LFS's will take your fish in, just make some visits and see if any of them have indoor ponds and sell goldfish to people who wants ponds etc. Those are the best ones to give them to IMO. Most commercial chains like petsmart etc aren't allowed to take fish in and put them in their tanks...so look for a privately owned place.

 

[Fish Friend]

if you got rid of the old cartrige and but a new one it.. then it will start to cycle again... and you may loose some fish

 

[GoldLenny]

Your pond is easier to maintain than a tank. Of course you want clear water but you don't expect it to be crystal clear like your tank so the filtration is less demanding. The pre-filter in my blog is mostly mechanical and keeps the big stuff out of your pump and fountain lines and also doubles as a biological filter. If you decide to go with the pond for your golds, I can refer you to some other pond sites and even a pond yahoogroup at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ponds_and_plants.

I agree with FroggyFox about filters. I know the manufacturers tell you to change them monthly but they are just trying to sell filters. You should only change the actual filter pads/sponge when they are about to fall apart. Prior to that, put a new filter pad in your HOB for a few weeks so it can grow a good nitrifying bacteria colony so when you throw the old one away, you will not cause your tank to cycle again.

 

[vinodhv]

made a rookie mistake. I'm going to check the water stats daily to see if there are any spikes.
I think i'm going to give the goldfish to a store and start a tropical tank

 

[FroggyFox]

Well it also depends on the filter...seeing as many filters have more than just the cartridge to colonize bacteria on. Most of my filters I could up and change the entire cartridge w/o any seeding (even though I try to seed some anyway) because there are pads or ceramic disks in them that NEVER get changed or even rinsed.

 

[Fish Friend]

I have a sequence of sponges in my filter system (juwel filter system)

 

[discus4everGrl]

In my smaller tanks that take those filter sleeves with carbon in them, I empty the carbon out and replace it with as many of those ceramic discs that will fit in that you can buy so when I need to change the floss I can empty the ceramic discs into the new floss sleeve without worrying about a new cycle.