New Aquarium Advice.

[BikiniBottomBaby]

Hi all,
new here, first post and all that.
I need some advice on my new tank, I have had lots of conflicting answers on how long to leave it before I put my Calico Shubunkin in.
Its a 35 ltr tank and so far we only have one fish. He belongs to my four yr old so I dont want to put him in too early. We do plan on getting another fish but only when the time is right.
The water has been treated with Aqua Plus tap water conditioner and Nutrafin Cycle.
A quick reply would be appreciated.

 

[JenCliBee]

hi and welcome 2 tff

firstly 30 ltr tank is far 2 small for goldfish etc etc secondly there is a pinned topic on fishless cycling HERE which is very informative and should explain most things for you

hope this helps


jen

 

[BikiniBottomBaby]

35 ltrs is too small? Even for one or two fish? I know they grow but surely it will do while we still only have one fish.
We bought the tank from Pets at Home and they have a good reputation. I cant believe we spent £50 on a tank that is too small.

Oh and thanks for the link

 

[JenCliBee]

P@H have a fair from good reputation m8 they havent got a clue well most if not all anyways and they arnt interested in fish health as for the tank yes 30 ltr will last you the matter of weeks before it needs replacing what filter system are you going to use for this tank also goldfish are extreamly big waste producers and need a extreamly big water turnover to keep the water in the condition its has 2 be in. goldfish are recommended 2 be keep in at least a 20 gallon tank and then 10-20 gallon there after for each additional fish your tank works out at around 6 gallon ish i think so yes your tank is way to small

jen

 

[helterskelter]

The problem is the fish will be fine few a short period. Then sadly it will be inhumane to the fish, but many 1000's of fish are kept this way and this is why. We try to warn people now before they have the problems.

What happens is the fish produce toxins in the wast material which over time builds up and in a small tank this can become lethal in day's. This would mean you have to do daily water changes just to keep the water in a liveable condition.

 

[BikiniBottomBaby]

The filter is an Elite Stingray 10 and it came with the tank.

I'm gutted.

 

[helterskelter]

Their simple filters and have a good flow rate, but i would be inclined to replace the carbon (the black stuff) with them weekly with goldfish as the toxins built up quickly and the carbon will remove them at least. How ever they don't last long.

 

[BikiniBottomBaby]

I am really gutted, we are not in the best position to buy another tank. I have already set the new tank up so I doubt the shop would take it back. We have had our little fish since August and I have been very good with not over feeding him and changing the water in his tank.

 

[pippoodle]

I am really gutted, we are not in the best position to buy another tank. I have already set the new tank up so I doubt the shop would take it back. We have had our little fish since August and I have been very good with not over feeding him and changing the water in his tank.

Ok hun here's some extra info on the shubunkin

Shubunkin
Alternative Name(s):
Scientific Name(s): Carassius auratus
Category: Coldwater
Difficulty:
Maximum Size: 15cms
Minimum Tank Volume: 100 litres
Minimum Tank Size: 3ft
Water Temperature Range: 18-24°C
Water pH Range: 6.5-8.5
Water Hardness Range: 0-0 dGH

WHAT you should do is print out the information on this page <a href="http/www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/cares...?caresheetID=78" target="_blank">http/www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/cares...?caresheetID=78</a>
take it to pets at home with your tank and receipt - Ask to speak to the manager but dont tell the person who goes to get him or her what it's about
When the manager comes tell him you got the tank for the shubunkin but you have found out its too small to keep it in , see what he says if he says its suitable then show him the print out (DONT show him the printout before this) , it might be worth getting printouts from more than one site .

He really should give you a refund then cos the tank was sold to you under false pretences and is not suitable for the fish you have , if he doesn't give you a refund then tell him you are going to report them to the RSPCA for giving very bad advice on fishkeeping and not selling suitable tanks to house the fish , if he still refuses a refund explain you are going to citizens advice and that you are entitled to a refund .

Maybe in time you can save enough money to get a big enough tank for the shubunkin or even a safe garden pond (my grandad has a wood framed perspex thingy with padlocks on his pond so that when the kids go round he can padlock it on and they can play safely , you can still see the fish in the pond but the kids are safe)

Your other option is to find someone with a pond and put him in where he will be much happier and maybe add a 50w heater to the 35 litre and then set up with a few shrimps an apple snail and and 2 guppys (if you dont want babies get all male or all female) and maybe 3 small corys . My children love watching the snails , corys and shrimps they are 5 and 3 so i'm sure your 4 year old will appreciate them

Take care sorry its not great news
Sarah xx

 

[Jazzzz]

sorry 2 goldfish will need about 260L when grown between them and you will need an external power filter.

 

[Honeythorn]

As previously mentioned you should ask around and see if anyone near you has a pond that can take him. 35 liters is approx 7 gallons so you could get 3-4 MALE Endlers if you can find somewhere that sells them, they are livebearers like guppies, which is why I say Male, and they are extremely pretty bright little fish. Or alternatively, there's the aforementioned Male guppies, or for a single larger fish ( no companions it's easier) then 7 gals is fine for a Male Betta ( fighting fish ) they are very personable and attractive, and as long as the filter doesn't give out too strong a flow, the current shouldn't bother him. If it does though, then simply get a sponge filter and airpump to power it. Very gentle and great for bettas .

I really would see about getting a refund for the fish or even just go in with the correct info on the Shubunkin and demand to see a manager. Explain that you were deliberately sold a tank that was completely and utterly unsuitable for the fish you were sold, and that your ( I honestly do not mean this in an insulting or condescending way mind you ) lack of knowledge about fish and tank sizes has been preyed upon in order to secure a sale( which is pefectly true ) .

DONT allow them to tell you the fish will be fine in that tank, he will NOT be. A tank that small will stunt his growth and drastically shorten his lifespan. This means his skeleton will stop growing, but his internal organs won't until they have no more room to grow. ( so if your fish ends up about...4 inches long for example, his organs are supposed to fit into a body 2-3 times the size but can't ) . Your fish has an average adult size of at least 12 inches. Shubunkins are somewhat bigger than ordinary goldfish. you can expect him to grow even bigger than that and reach close to 14 inches in a pond or very large tank.

I'm also willing to bet that the store didn't tell you that correctly kept goldfish have a lifespan of around 25-30 years. Sometimes more in certain cases. The reason they didn't say? Well it's a big commitment. Would you have bought the fish if you knew they lived that long? Many people wouldn't, and so the store wouldn't make money out of the fish sales. It's really sad that these store prey on and count on people not knowing these things and the resulting ( very often completely unintentional ) cruelty that results in the fish dying and the people just coming back and getting another.

Basically they have completely lied to you and sold you something you now will either not have room for, or cannot afford the tank for even if you do have space.

In the meantime you can move your fish to a temporary bigger home while you sort out what to do with him. Get a big clear plastic storage tub, the biggest you can get hold of ( I have seen some that hold up to 17 gallons ) and transfer your tankwater, filter , decor, gravel and goldfish into it, and fill the rest up with DECHLORINATED water ( you can get dechlorinator at most fish stores ) . You will need to cut a small notch out of the edge of the tub lid to allow the wire for the filter to come out. Then you can put the lid on properly. You will need to do about 2 water changes a week, about 25% each time. Because that filter is only small and will not be able to cope with the amount of waste a goldfish produces . If you can, then get a bigger filter for the time being A Fluval 2, preferably a 3 at the bare minimum will be better than what you currently have at the moment. But he really does need to be re-homed to a pond.

 

[BikiniBottomBaby]

Hiya,
thanks for all the wonderful advice, I take no offence about being a total noob. I only wish I had found this site before I got our goldfish. I went to my local petshop, its just a little shop and doesnt sell much but the guy said he would take care of 'Finnius' in his tank which is apparently huge and empty. He just needs to cycle it before we let him take it. We will save up for a new tank of the proper size and we will get our fishy back. We cant have a pond because we are in an upstairs flat, we are planning on moving so maybe we could get a pond then.

Again, thank you all very much.

 

[pippoodle]

Hiya,
thanks for all the wonderful advice, I take no offence about being a total noob. I only wish I had found this site before I got our goldfish. I went to my local petshop, its just a little shop and doesnt sell much but the guy said he would take care of 'Finnius' in his tank which is apparently huge and empty. He just needs to cycle it before we let him take it. We will save up for a new tank of the proper size and we will get our fishy back. We cant have a pond because we are in an upstairs flat, we are planning on moving so maybe we could get a pond then.

Again, thank you all very much.

I'm glad its all working out for you and Finnius , and you will get him back it's nice to see someone who cares about their fishie and is willing to give them up for a while till they can house them properly
What are you going to do with your tank now ?

take care Sarah xx