# Questions from a beginner



## 428pm (Dec 5, 2009)

This past summer, my 4yr old asked for a goldfish, so we went to the pet store to see what was needed...They told us a bowl.

We got said bowl, and I noticed within a few days, the little guy seemed to not swim well, and he was smelly (ew). SO I went to a different store, and asked, and they set me straight!

I acquired (my cousin gave it to me) a 20 gallon, and asked around and decided to get a few more fish.

I noticed ich on all the new fish, and treated with some blue stuff called NOX-ICH. One of these fish died the next day, but everyone else is ok.

Last week, I did my first water change and the next day after that, my son saw a teeny tiny calico fantail at my work, (I work in a large petstore) so, I got it for him along with a pleco. I noticed a few days later I had ich again  In all but the new additions.

I treated, and all seems well, but Im nervous. My son cried when the orange fantail died, Im afraid it was something preventable that I did to cause these issues...Im kinda flying by the seat of my pants here.

Also...The fish are constantly looking for food at the top of the water...Even after I feed them? Am I feeding them enough? How much do 4 fish need? The new guy is the size of a Canadian quarter if that, but the other are much bigger. 

Ok, and one more thing...When I do feed, the comet bumps the little calico and gobbles up all the food...What should I do? He doesnt bother the others at all other than this.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Ok, I suppose that I should start by telling you about quarantine tanks.
these are little tanks that you put new fish in for awhile before you put them into your main tank. This helps prevent diseases from getting to your main tank. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, either.
If you are buying fish from a store that would sell you a pleco for a goldfish tank, it's a very safe bet that all of the fish in that store are diseased, since disease is a common symptom of incompetence, and so is selling plecos for goldfish tanks. You'll need a quarantine tank to defend yourself and save your fish. Treat the new fish for ick in that little hospital tank, and when they are looking good a couple of weeks later you can move them.

I'm guessing that you don't work in the fish section of your store? Stick with us and maybe you'll be running that department someday.

As you probably gathered by now, plecos do not belong in goldfish tanks. Plecos and goldfish are both very messy and both grow to huge size. They also have very different preferences for temperature and water chemistry, so it's impossible to keep them both happy at the same time.

Goldfish are accomplished beggars, and the temptation to keep feeding them is strong. A fish's stomach is roughly the same size as it's eyeball, so you can guess how much food they really need. Overfeeding is a very common mistake, and it leads to many problems. If you see one fish isn't getting any food, try to feed him specifically. You could even block the others from him for a minute while he eats.


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## ~DnA~ (Oct 19, 2009)

Firstly congrats on your new fish. Old Sat hit it well on advising you about quarantine tanks. A filter, air bubbler, and maybe... some gravel for it are all that are needed. Learn about the best ways to acclimate your fish into new waters as well, and make sure that any diseases you are treating for are thoroughly cured before introducing new fish into your main tank. Also I'm curious as to how many goldfish you actually have in your tanks... you said it's 20 gallons? About 1-2 goldfish will be enough for that... any more and when they get bigger you will have to change tanks... I also have a 20 gallon and only one fish in it... at some point I plan on increasing the size of the tank... you previously mentioned that you have a calico.. is it a fantail? More or less does it have a dorsal fin?(the top fin on its back) Some goldfish (comets for example) don't have this fin, and will be at a disadvantage in grabbing food due to swimming speeds. For now your comet is bumping the other one out of the way... however, when the little guy gets to be bigger, you may notice the tides will change and the comet will struggle. (assuming the little guy has a dorsal fin). Now this doesn't necessarily happen all the time, but it's something to keep an eye on.


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## 428pm (Dec 5, 2009)

*thanks for the advice!*

I dont work in the fish section actually, lol....Not by a longshot!

I wasnt aware of the pleco thing...I was having an issue with algae and my co-worker suggested the pleco. The fish are all rather small at this point. I do plan on getting a bigger tank eventually. Im moving in March, and I plan on getting a better tank delivered to the new place (big tank!)

dorsal fin is the top fin right? They all, comet and fantail, have one of those...So Im not quite understanding the point on that one 

I think that I am feeding them enough...I feed a pinch per fish, and I spread it out across the top f the water. I only feed once a day, my co worker said that was wrong, and I was buying too expensive food, but now I am worried about his advice, lol.

So is once a day enough? And I feed them wardly goldfish flakes, although, I was thinking of switching (will that make them sick btw?) to pellets, so I can better judge feeding accuracy.

I feed my platys tropical food flakes, and I was told that they can simply eat goldfish flakes...

There is a lot of misinformation about goldfish out there, so it makes it difficult to learn about them. Since getting the tank though, I have fallen in love. My son and I looked at all the different fish, and we both agree, goldfish are the most beautiful of them all.

I also REALLY like mollies...So I was thinking after I get my big tank for the goldfish, I could use the 20g for that (maybe)

oh...and about the quaranteen tank...I DO have one, just wasnt sure how to go about using it! So NEW fish go there BEFORE the main tank?


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