OK- I need help getting rid of freshwater fish

[orionduck]

Ok I need help,. currently I have like a 55 gallon fresh water, plant goldfish and 1 40 gallon breeder tank with plant and goldfish--- The goldfish are having bladder problem. My question is what is the benefit of having a salt water fish tank,. does the salt water fish only tank would have any problem.

No disease from the salt water? I am planning on only keeping fish only-- I might replace anoterh 29 gallon into salt fish only-- thinking of having 2 clown fish for each tank...

 

[orionduck]

or I can retired some of the fresh water fish tank or plant only---

 

[orionduck]

tired of having goldfish bladder problem the poor thing-- i got like 12 to 16 of the lionhead goldfish.

 

[Mini4x]

I don't know much about goldfish but you could always switch to some other type of fish? I run a planted tank in my cube at work with mostly guppies and platies.

Not to disuade you from going reef, but it's a fun option.

 

[lisa foster]

Go saltwater. It is a really fun hobby but requires quite a bit more work than saltwater especially in the beginning but it is totally worh it.I started out with a fish only but within a month of looking at everyone's reef tank I had to go with a reef tank.

 

[redpaulhus]

tired of having goldfish bladder problem the poor thing-- i got like 12 to 16 of the lionhead goldfish.

personally - I think that might be the problem.

I've always found the secret to healthy goldfish to be giving them at least 30 gallons per fish - ie 2 fish in a 55g tank, 1 in a 40g tank.

12 to 16 goldfish that each grow to the size of a grapefruit (and that's only about half of the adult size) would need much much more space OR massive daily water changes (or both).
I wouldn't put 16 goldfish in a 250 gallon tank and expect them to stay healthy.

Cut your stocking levels way back and change about half your tank water every week (or a quarter every few days) and make sure you are starting with high quality stock (and feed good quality foods including peas and no flakes ) and you should not see health problems, and your goldfish should live decades (and reach almost volleyball size).

 

[Arthur1]

Red, but they're so cute lol. You pretty much put it into perspective. Goldfish do get large and they produce a lot of waste and should have a lot of O2 in the water. They're a cold water fish and when you see them cooled down compared to even a room temp you can see a swing in the health and activity of the fish. Also make sure that they get a high veggie matter within their diet.

 

[orionduck]

well I have like close to 8 in each tank.. they were purchased when they are small. I used a heater in there at like 75... don't know if this is good or not---

 

[DoctaQ]

thats a little warm i think most goldfish would do fine at about 70
and yes, goldfish arent really a good choice for most people who tend to buy them. you should try to sell them
the floating issue is from thier diet, boiled shelled peas will do the trick

 

[sw300galma]

Ok I need help,. currently I have like a 55 gallon fresh water, plant goldfish and 1 40 gallon breeder tank with plant and goldfish--- The goldfish are having bladder problem. My question is what is the benefit of having a salt water fish tank,. does the salt water fish only tank would have any problem.

No disease from the salt water? I am planning on only keeping fish only-- I might replace anoterh 29 gallon into salt fish only-- thinking of having 2 clown fish for each tank...

Saltwater is 10x harder and more expensive than fresh water in EVERYWAY.
So if you are having problems with fresh water, then Salt will be worse.

And the fish that die will be from $20-$600 each.

Not to mention the equitpment and cost for salt and instruments needs to keep your water perfect.

If I were you, I'd master fresh water first then once you can keep a fresh water tank for a year or so, then move on to salt.

Just remeber $$$$$ lots. for saltwater.

 

[sw300galma]

well I have like close to 8 in each tank.. they were purchased when they are small. I used a heater in there at like 75... don't know if this is good or not---

When you are not sure...look it up on google.com
Don't just guess.

 

[orionduck]

different people have different way of keeping the fish at 75 temp. then again- I will try the boil pea and see how it goes. I had this 2 tank for 2 year now.... I read that lionhead when they glow older they have this problem.. you guy could be right.. 1 lionhead and 1 big oranda is in the hospital tank right now. they are getting better.

 

[seamay]

Fresh water is cool...salt is a...well ...an addiction, obsession, and a homewrecker...sorry, I got a bit carried away. Seriously though; even for 55 gal, plan on an initial $1000 to convert to a salt water tank that you will surely not be satisfied with in ~2 ,months and then you sell the family dog to get a bigger tank/sump/skimmer/cal reactor/ozone...ect...oh...then you need to stock it...different thread there.

 

[orionduck]

LOL ------- Currently I have
120 gallon salt water fish only,,
14g nano for the coral frag---
55 gallon fresh water ---
40 gallon fresh water and
29 gallon fresh water.

That is 5 tank in all--- I want to weight the benefit of having the fresh water due to disease and taking cared of it. Thinking of getting like 2 265 gallon IBC to used as a sump for all the fish tank---- once again I am thinking of the easy way to maintain all of this tank without breaking my piggy bank. And the most important factor (((( COST ))))

and so if this work out, I might end up using 2 265 gallon IBC for freshwater and salt water---- make 1 fish room that will be tie in with the heating system for winter and if that is done I don't have to use indivdual heating system for each tank and tie into all of the freshwater and salt water.

Don't laugh but my budget are like under maybe $500 the most for everything.. plumbing, 2 IBC (looking for used one) and once again not to piss off everybody the t5 light for all the fish tank----

 

[orionduck]

Here is the 12x16 room

this is the fish room that I have plan to built the 2 sump system--- i will start the DIY soon with the T5 Lighting system DIY thread. Here is the 12x16 fish room--

 

[redpaulhus]

2 year old goldfishes are still babys.
But they should be close to grapefruit size by that age - for 8 of those I would recommend at least 180g, with weekly 50% water changes (twice a week would be even better). Better yet if you are keeping acutely "round" varieties would be a wide shallow custom tank - maybe 6'x4'x1' (l x w x d) - increasing surface area (and oxygen exchange) while reducing the affect of genetic swim bladder issues (which ryunkin and oranda are very likely to have).

Goldfish are one of the few FW fishes that I think can be harder to keep healthy than a "low-tech" carefully managed marine tank. (ie a fowlr or a simple tank with zoa's and shrooms, a very light fishload, a refugium full of cheato, and weekly water changes).

About 95% of the people I've met who keep goldfish never get them to live half of their expected livespans, because they refuse to give them enough space and/or change water frequently enough.
The other 5% have incredibly gorgeous huge fish who are practially aquatic puppies begging for attention.
A geneticly sound goldfish (admittedly hard to find, part of why I avoid most of the more extremely mutated strains) should easily go 15-20 years totally disease free if the environment is sound.

 

[tigerslacrosse4]

i think you needa chill with the tanks... 5 tanks is alot on your shoulders. I personally have a 10 gal nano mixed and a 38 gal FW with some south american chiclids and i find it hard to keep both in check between school work and all my other activities its alot. and the stock on your goldfish is very high. you should dial it back and try that...

 

[joelg]

If I were you I would loose the heaters you do not need them. Goldfish are cold water fish I keep 8 in a 300 gallon pond outside year round with no losses or disease.and have been doing this for years without issue

 

[orionduck]

The heater --- I read alot of online site that they keep them around 75' give or take.. even the book said 75' .....around 75' --- all of the goldfish now are like 1.5" .. therefore they are small not big enough for the larger tank. I can't blame my wife she keep on insisting 8 or 9 for lucky sake. So far my 120 gallon salt water fish only tank are doing wonder(this tank have like a 4" hippo tang, 3 damsel and 3 clown fish) one of the clown fish are trap in the overflow--.. and the 14 gallon are doing wonder.. 2 clown fish in the 14 gallon. I thank you for all the input-- I am thinking of moving the 40gallon into the salt water system then the 55gallon fresh into the salt water as well.

Then I might the 265 gallon for all the goldfish in the fish room. don't know if this will work but I am planning on how to do all of this-----

 

[joelg]

mine survive all winter under the ice with a air exchange hole kept open by a pump
I stop feeding in November and start feeding in April and like i said before I never have any issue with diseases or losses very healthy fish