New Here, Thought I'd Share

[ThatGuy]

Hello all. My name is Brian. I've been fiddling around with a 2 and a 3 gallon aquarium for the past year and i just purchased a 6.6 gallon bookshelf aquarium. The 6.6 sits right above my computer so i can watch them while i "work". i believe the measurements of the tank are 23"x8"x8.5" somewhere around that to give you a visual concept. the tank currently houses 7 fish, none more than an inch. i also have 2 fiddler crabs to help clean up the bottom a bit and they seem to do they job quite well. my fish list includes: 3 glofish (orange, green, and pink), a mickey mouse platy, a sunburst wag, an all yellow variatus? and another platy that i cannot remember the name of. the tank has minor decorations and is not planted with live plants. i am considering getting real plants when i move into my new apartment in august. but do not want to do that now because i have to move back home for the summer and then move back now here for school in august. i will try to post pics of all the fish and the tank when i get a chance. thanks for all the great info. i will probably start asking a bunch of questions very soon


EDIT: oh and in my 3 gallon tank i currently have 2 goldfish...lol

 

[lil.guppy]

Hi and welcome! Sounds like you have a good starter set up going on.

 

[nudzy]

Hi

To one newbie from another, you will get great advice and valuable info on here.

Welcome

 

[Gazoo]

Welcome to the forum Brian. With all the great advice that members offer, you will gain a ton of knowledge. Be prepared for some constructive criticism with your current setup.

 

[ThatGuy]

really? i didnt think there was anyhting wrong with my current setup... whats wrong with it?

 

[Mikaila31]

Goldfish get very big and are very messy. If they are fancy goldfish they will need a 30gal tank, if they are commons or feeder goldfish they basically need a pond.

the 6 gal tank is way overstocked. The dainos(glofish) are too active for such a small tank. You might be able to fit a trio of platies in there depending on the filtration. The fiddler crabs need to be able to get out of the water, and I'm surprised they haven't tried to go after the fish. They are not fish friendly so I suggest removing them too.

 

[ThatGuy]

so in a 6.6 gallon tank i can only have 3 fish?

 

[Esfa]

so in a 6.6 gallon tank i can only have 3 fish?

Depends what fish really... you could have 1 dwarf puffer, but upto 10 bumblebee gobies in a tank that size.

 

[Mikaila31]

It all depends on the type of fish. Platys would be the best option and you could only fit 3 in their if the filtration is adequate. A 6.6 gal is a very small tank, there are not many fish that can fit in there. So your options are really limited. All the fish you listed will get to be about 2" each.

 

[ALEXF]

Welcome... I to am new here. I really liked the look of the bookcase aquarium and almost bought it as well until i was informed of the 1 inch of fish to 1 gallon of water rule. I think its a helpful rule and helps from over stocking. Well good luck and welcome once again.

 

[vinylman]

so in a 6.6 gallon tank i can only have 3 fish?

Hi Brian and welcome. The problem with small tanks is that you have to be very careful choosing your fish. Always research before buying fish you like the look of; their EVENTUAL adult size is the most important thing, along with how active any particular type is. As has been said, Danios are very lively fish, and , as such need a fair bit of swimming space; in that case the length of tank is probably most important. Any fish that gets too big for a tank is probably going to produce a lot of waste, too, leading to water problems. I know it doesn't sound logical, but it's easier to look after a larger tank than a smaller one, due to the larger amount of water. Do you have room for a 30 gallon tank ?. There's always someone lurking here day and night, so ask anything you like; if no one asked questions, we'd still be living in caves.

 

[ThatGuy]

well i am currently size restricted to 20 gallon max since i am living on campus for the next month. after that i will be able to upgrade to a larger size if need be come august. being in college and owning a large fish tank is kinda difficult. the danios are very active. i have noticed that. and i don't have nearly as much experience as you guys do, but all the fish seem to be in good health, for now i suppose. the fiddler crabs do have access to the air via 2 of the plants. i fully understand the larger tank easier to clean concept because my roommate has a 20 gallon tank that he rarely has to clean (he tests the water and everything, the thing just stays pristene somehow)

so i now ask. what should i do with the fish i have in there?


oh and what is LFS?

 

[vinylman]

You may not like this, but if possible I think you should try to get someone to take the Goldfish; 3 Gallons is just nowhere near enough, even if they're still small at the moment; they simply pump out too much waste for a tank that size, and you'd have no chance of finding a filter to cope with them in a tank that small. Could you find a shop that would let you trade them in for a Betta (if you REALLY want to keep the 3 Gallon)?. As for the Platy(s), I wouldn't keep them in a 6 Gallon, as with Goldfish, they really are messy; every time I look at mine, they seem to be laying a cable. As you won't be there much longer, maybe you could swap both the Danios and the Platys for 5-6 Neon Tetras, then start afresh when you get back home with the 20G?. Sorry, your head must be spinning by now!.

 

[ThatGuy]

i would like to go with a bigger tank, but i feel like every living situation is so temporary, i don't want to disrupt something with a move once i have gotten it started. finances are also a large factor due to the fact that i am a college student who does not current hold a job. i think that for the time being, my 6.6 gallon tank will be the larges i go with until i live in a place for more than a year. should i let this tank run till it's run out and just enjoy it while it lasts? (morbid i know) i feel it would be a waste of money to take them back to the store. what i would really like to do with the tank, if possible, would be to do something small and planted with just a few fish and some sand (although the place i bought the fish told me sand was more of a hassle than its worth and a gravel vac wont work for it, are they just wrong?) would that be possible with a move or two thrown in there? how do plants fare with a move? keep in mind my parents home where i stay over the summer, is 4 hours away.


The gold fish in the 3 gallon tank are just over a year old. will they be getting much bigger? and i keep up their tank quite well so i want to think they're ok. i could be wrong though.

 

[vinylman]

As long as you can keep live plants at least damp while you move them, there's no problem. IMO, there's no way around the Goldfish problem. They get very big and very messy; it's really not fair to keep them in a tank that small, sadly. Not the first time I've said this, but you want your fish to thrive, not just survive.