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Posted by Steve Bilton on June 30, 2006, 5:57 pm
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We are novices and need help... the children were given a 15ltr tank
for Christmas. We've got 4 fish - one for each child. There's a Black
moor, Sarassa Comet, an Oranda? and a plain "Goldfish"!
The tank has an under gravel filter and air stone. The water is
changed, gravel washed once a month as directed by our local fish
supplier and has the cold water weed replaced monthly. Previously, when
the water was changed, the fresh conditioned water was slighty cloudy
initially then cleared.
I changed the water a week ago, and it was cloudy but never cleared. I
replaced half of the water after a few days and that has gone cloudy,
and the fish spend most of the time around the air pipe. A lack of
oxygen I guess?
Could the problem be the warmer weather? Or a lack of weed as the fish
shop didn't have any in. Other than that what could be the problem.
Don't know if it makes any difference but we've changed food from
general flakes to a sinking dry food for "Fancy Goldfish."
Any advice will be gratefully received.
Cheers
Steve B
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Posted by Marksfish on June 30, 2006, 7:12 pm
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> The tank has an under gravel filter and air stone. The water is
> changed, gravel washed once a month as directed by our local fish
> supplier and has the cold water weed replaced monthly. Previously, when
> the water was changed, the fresh conditioned water was slighty cloudy
> initially then cleared.
>
>
If you are cleaning the gravel by washing once a month, your tank will never
become stable. The way an undergravel filter works is that the waste
products are drawn into the gravel. Once there, bacteria get to work to
break down the waste products from ammonia, thru nitrite to nitrate. By
cleaning the gravel by washing, you will be killing off the bacteria that
have colonised and in effect will have a "new" tank every month. Buy
yourself a gravel cleaner so that you clean the gravel whilst it is still in
the tank, and don't clean it too thoroughly. Better still, change it for a
internal power filter, or add one for additional filtration.
Why are you replacing the plants monthly? Very expensive way to go about it.
What sort of lighting does the tank have? Most coldwater plants grow very
quickly without large lighting requirements and by doing so, help remove
excess nutrients from the water column. As most coldwater plants are stems
rather than rooted, once the plant has grown too big, you simply cut the top
off an replant in the gravel discarding the rest and therefore permanently
removing the nutrients from the tank. I would check that the plants your
local shop is selling you are the right plants for the tank, unfortunately
many will sell you stuff which isn't suited to being submerged in the hope
you will return to keep buying new.
>We are novices and need help... the children were given a 15ltr tank
>for Christmas. We've got 4 fish - one for each child. There's a Black
>moor, Sarassa Comet, an Oranda? and a plain "Goldfish"!
>
>
Goldfish are notoriously messy fish and need a lot of filtration. I would
also say that 4 goldfish in a 15 litre tank is overstocked which will also
be contributing to the water problems and if they aren't now, they soon will
be!! Buying a bigger tank should help you to overcome the water quality
problems you are experiencing. Also consider upping your water changes to at
least 25% per week.
Regards
Mark
www.marksfish.me.uk
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Posted by Glob on July 8, 2006, 12:51 pm
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Marksfish wrote:
> > The tank has an under gravel filter and air stone. The water is
> > changed, gravel washed once a month as directed by our local fish
> > supplier and has the cold water weed replaced monthly. Previously, when
> > the water was changed, the fresh conditioned water was slighty cloudy
> > initially then cleared.
> >
> >
> If you are cleaning the gravel by washing once a month, your tank will never
> become stable. The way an undergravel filter works is that the waste
> products are drawn into the gravel. Once there, bacteria get to work to
> break down the waste products from ammonia, thru nitrite to nitrate. By
> cleaning the gravel by washing, you will be killing off the bacteria that
> have colonised and in effect will have a "new" tank every month. Buy
> yourself a gravel cleaner so that you clean the gravel whilst it is still in
> the tank, and don't clean it too thoroughly. Better still, change it for a
> internal power filter, or add one for additional filtration.
>
> Why are you replacing the plants monthly? Very expensive way to go about it.
> What sort of lighting does the tank have? Most coldwater plants grow very
> quickly without large lighting requirements and by doing so, help remove
> excess nutrients from the water column. As most coldwater plants are stems
> rather than rooted, once the plant has grown too big, you simply cut the top
> off an replant in the gravel discarding the rest and therefore permanently
> removing the nutrients from the tank. I would check that the plants your
> local shop is selling you are the right plants for the tank, unfortunately
> many will sell you stuff which isn't suited to being submerged in the hope
> you will return to keep buying new.
>
>
> >We are novices and need help... the children were given a 15ltr tank
> >for Christmas. We've got 4 fish - one for each child. There's a Black
> >moor, Sarassa Comet, an Oranda? and a plain "Goldfish"!
> >
> >
> Goldfish are notoriously messy fish and need a lot of filtration. I would
> also say that 4 goldfish in a 15 litre tank is overstocked which will also
> be contributing to the water problems and if they aren't now, they soon will
> be!! Buying a bigger tank should help you to overcome the water quality
> problems you are experiencing. Also consider upping your water changes to at
> least 25% per week.
>
> Regards
>
> Mark
> www.marksfish.me.uk
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Posted by Glob on July 8, 2006, 12:57 pm
Please log in for more thread options
Marksfish wrote:
> > The tank has an under gravel filter and air stone. The water is
> > changed, gravel washed once a month as directed by our local fish
> > supplier and has the cold water weed replaced monthly. Previously, when
> > the water was changed, the fresh conditioned water was slighty cloudy
> > initially then cleared.
> >
> >
> If you are cleaning the gravel by washing once a month, your tank will never
> become stable. The way an undergravel filter works is that the waste
> products are drawn into the gravel. Once there, bacteria get to work to
> break down the waste products from ammonia, thru nitrite to nitrate. By
> cleaning the gravel by washing, you will be killing off the bacteria that
> have colonised and in effect will have a "new" tank every month. Buy
> yourself a gravel cleaner so that you clean the gravel whilst it is still in
> the tank, and don't clean it too thoroughly. Better still, change it for a
> internal power filter, or add one for additional filtration.
>
> Why are you replacing the plants monthly? Very expensive way to go about it.
> What sort of lighting does the tank have? Most coldwater plants grow very
> quickly without large lighting requirements and by doing so, help remove
> excess nutrients from the water column. As most coldwater plants are stems
> rather than rooted, once the plant has grown too big, you simply cut the top
> off an replant in the gravel discarding the rest and therefore permanently
> removing the nutrients from the tank. I would check that the plants your
> local shop is selling you are the right plants for the tank, unfortunately
> many will sell you stuff which isn't suited to being submerged in the hope
> you will return to keep buying new.
>
>
> >We are novices and need help... the children were given a 15ltr tank
> >for Christmas. We've got 4 fish - one for each child. There's a Black
> >moor, Sarassa Comet, an Oranda? and a plain "Goldfish"!
> >
> >
> Goldfish are notoriously messy fish and need a lot of filtration. I would
> also say that 4 goldfish in a 15 litre tank is overstocked which will also
> be contributing to the water problems and if they aren't now, they soon will
> be!! Buying a bigger tank should help you to overcome the water quality
> problems you are experiencing. Also consider upping your water changes to at
> least 25% per week.
>
> Regards
>
> Mark
> www.marksfish.me.uk
Regarding your cloudy water, How long did you have the tank before
introducing the fish you should first set up yor tank and let it settle
for three weeks before you put the fish in.
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Posted by Glob on July 8, 2006, 1:07 pm
Please log in for more thread options
Marksfish wrote:
> > The tank has an under gravel filter and air stone. The water is
> > changed, gravel washed once a month as directed by our local fish
> > supplier and has the cold water weed replaced monthly. Previously, when
> > the water was changed, the fresh conditioned water was slighty cloudy
> > initially then cleared.
> >
> >
> If you are cleaning the gravel by washing once a month, your tank will never
> become stable. The way an undergravel filter works is that the waste
> products are drawn into the gravel. Once there, bacteria get to work to
> break down the waste products from ammonia, thru nitrite to nitrate. By
> cleaning the gravel by washing, you will be killing off the bacteria that
> have colonised and in effect will have a "new" tank every month. Buy
> yourself a gravel cleaner so that you clean the gravel whilst it is still in
> the tank, and don't clean it too thoroughly. Better still, change it for a
> internal power filter, or add one for additional filtration.
>
> Why are you replacing the plants monthly? Very expensive way to go about it.
> What sort of lighting does the tank have? Most coldwater plants grow very
> quickly without large lighting requirements and by doing so, help remove
> excess nutrients from the water column. As most coldwater plants are stems
> rather than rooted, once the plant has grown too big, you simply cut the top
> off an replant in the gravel discarding the rest and therefore permanently
> removing the nutrients from the tank. I would check that the plants your
> local shop is selling you are the right plants for the tank, unfortunately
> many will sell you stuff which isn't suited to being submerged in the hope
> you will return to keep buying new.
>
>
> >We are novices and need help... the children were given a 15ltr tank
> >for Christmas. We've got 4 fish - one for each child. There's a Black
> >moor, Sarassa Comet, an Oranda? and a plain "Goldfish"!
> >
> >
> Goldfish are notoriously messy fish and need a lot of filtration. I would
> also say that 4 goldfish in a 15 litre tank is overstocked which will also
> be contributing to the water problems and if they aren't now, they soon will
> be!! Buying a bigger tank should help you to overcome the water quality
> problems you are experiencing. Also consider upping your water changes to at
> least 25% per week.
>
> Regards
>
> Mark
> www.marksfish.me.uk
Regarding your cloudy water, How long did you have the tank before
introducing the fish you should first set up yor tank and let it settle
for three weeks before you put the fish in.
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> changed, gravel washed once a month as directed by our local fish
> supplier and has the cold water weed replaced monthly. Previously, when
> the water was changed, the fresh conditioned water was slighty cloudy
> initially then cleared.
>
>