# Starting A Coldwater Tank...Need Help!!



## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Ok, So I've just bought a 15 gallon rectangular tank and want it to be a coldwater tank. I wondered what the best type of goldfish would be to put in there?? Or is there any other coldwater fish I could add??
Also, I wanted to add a few live plants but i have no knowledge on plants so which would be the best aquatic plant to add to this tank?? Preferably a small plant.

Nathan


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Someone Answer Please...


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

With 15 gallons you are rather limited. You could do 1 fancy goldfish in a 15G, maybe 2 if you cleaned it every few days. I would suggest starting with a Black Moor or a Red Cap Oranda as they are relatively hardy. All the fish in my signature that are in gold are what I have in my goldfish community tank. They tend to do well with Golden Dojo Loaches (also called Weather Loaches), Black Kuhli Loaches, and about any type of Pleco.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Yeah, I was thinking of a Black moor even though I quite like weather loaches but I figured they would work out a bit small for a 15g.

Thanks


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

You could do 2 Golden Dojo Loaches and 1 Goldfish in a 15G, but that's about it. You would still need something for algae. If you have to have the loaches you could try: 1 Golden Dojo Loach, 1 Bristlenose Pleco (max out at 4"), and 1 Fancy Goldfish.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Yes, that would be great. I would prefer a Black Moor instead..would this work out ok?


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

Yeah I believe so.
1 Black Moor (can live up to 25 years) and find the smallest one you can because the bigger they get the more waste they give off. I had one live for over 5 years when I was a kid.
1 Golden Dojo Loach and make sure he gets sinking pellets and algae discs
1 Bristlenose Pleco


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

IMO a Black Moor gets too big for a 15, much less a 15 hex (smaller footprint) Try a school of White Cloud Mountain Minnows.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Its a rectangular tank trashion...I dont really like minnows, they dont have a personality but thanks anyway.

As for GhostKnife...That's a long time for a fish to live! Yes and thank-you


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## bluegerbil (Mar 12, 2008)

A black moor will never live 25 years in a 15 gallon tank. It'll die of pollution/stunting/unstable water conditions within a relatively short space of time. 

All goldfish breeds get too big for anything below a 50gal, even the fancy varieties end up looking like grapefruit if allowed to develop properly. 

If you don't like white clouds, then there really isn't much you can do with such a small coldwater tank. I know it's not what you want to hear, but there's no way around it. A full size dojo/weather loach would be barely able to turn around in there, and a bristlenose pleco wouldn't really be able to move at all  .


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Im not planning on keeping them in there on a long term basis but just for starters. Even when a black moor does reach full size it will be a long time because they are slow growers, My auntie has a black moor that lives in a goldfish bowl and he's been alive for 6 years...im not saying a goldfish bowl is ok but a 15 gallon tank will be ok until it reaches a certain size.

The bristlenose would only be added if i was struggling to get rid of algae and none of them would be in that tank for a long time, as soon as they reach a certain size i would move them.


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## bluegerbil (Mar 12, 2008)

> a 15 gallon tank will be ok until it reaches a certain size.


True, but it kinda defeats the point of having a coldwater 15gal. What sort of tank/pond were you thinking of keeping the fish in later?


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Well, My nan has a few tanks and one of hers is a 75 gallon coldwater...at the moment she has 4 red cap oranda's, 2 black moor's and 1 pearlscale in there. So im hoping that will be their home when they get bigger!


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

Nate- It's not going to be worth the aggravation or the stress on the animals to do a 15 gallon goldfish tank. And if you're concerned about personality, in that setup you could have max 2 fish like described above (Black Moor and Red Cap Oranda). They'd be two miserable, sluggish, unhealthy fish and would most likely just float in the same spot all the time. I wouldn't consider goldfish for anything less than a 55 gallon tank, and then, there are so many more interesting and lower-maintenance options.

Also, goldfish are pretty much incompatible with live plants. They will eat them and pull them up.

Five years, or even 25 for that matter, is nothing for a goldfish. Some of them live for 100 years.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

I actually agree with you now, thanks for talking sense into me. What do you suggest I should use the tank for then or what fish should go in it??


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## FishHead (Nov 16, 2006)

I'd use the tank for a quarantine/hospital tank.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

I already have a quarantine/hospital tank...a 7 gallon. Any other ideas?


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

You could really increase your options by throwing a 5-15G compatible heater on the back of the tank wall. You could put a large school of just about any tropical community fish. Tetras, Guppies, Mollies, and Swords. I wouldb't mix mollies and swords but you can mix the rest of the species together.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Yeh, That way I have more options!

Would a shoal of say 8 Harlequin rasbora's along with a centerpiece fish work?

Also, What would be the best centerpiece fish be, preferably a cichlid??


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

nathanbarry said:


> Yeh, That way I have more options!
> 
> Would a shoal of say 8 Harlequin rasbora's along with a centerpiece fish work?
> 
> Also, What would be the best centerpiece fish be, preferably a cichlid??


8 would be a bit much. I would go with 6 of the Rasboras. I also would not mix Cichlids with semi-aggressive tropicals. Cichlids also need A LOT of space and a 15 just wouldn't cut it. I would go with a single Blue Paradise Gourami as your centerpiece.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Yes, I do agree with you!

I like that idea and thats a nice choice of fish...how about a hillstream loach for the algae only ive heard they dont grow very big??


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

nathanbarry said:


> Yes, I do agree with you!
> 
> I like that idea and thats a nice choice of fish...how about a hillstream loach for the algae only ive heard they dont grow very big??


Honestly I would just go with 1 medium or 2 small Apple Snails because they do the best job for algae. I also am assuming that your 15G has been cycled?


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

I dont really like apple snails..Ive heard they never stop reproducing.

Yes, Well its been cycling for about 2 weeks and so i'm going to test the water...to see how its doing then ill see.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

nathanbarry said:


> I dont really like apple snails..Ive heard they never stop reproducing.
> 
> Yes, Well its been cycling for about 2 weeks and so i'm going to test the water...to see how its doing then ill see.


Not true at all. I have had Apple Snails for months without any reproducing. Now Ramshorns are the ones you are probably thinking of as they reproduce asexually and end up taking over a tank if you're not careful. As far as cycling make sure your ammonia is 0 and nitrates should be in the very low range.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Okay, Thanks!

Ive just tested my water and my ammonia is 0.2 and my nitrates are .10.

Any good?


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

You could do 10 to 15 Harlequin or Porkchop rasboras and a smaller, bottom-dwelling cichlid like a krib. The rasboras are about an inch at full size and razor thin. You could throw in some shrimp but the cichlid will try to eat some.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

nathanbarry said:


> Okay, Thanks!
> 
> Ive just tested my water and my ammonia is 0.2 and my nitrates are .10.
> 
> Any good?


I'd give it another week just to be safe or until your ammonia is complete zero (0.0).


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

Nate: take some dirty filter media from your most well-established tank, place it in a pouch (available at any fish store), and stick it in the filter for your new tank so that the water flow hits it first and then the new filter media. You will be ready for fish in a few hours or at worst overnight. Leave that setup for about a month.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Cool! Thanks for the tips...I can soon have fish!!

I was going to try the filter media thing but instead i took a handful of gravel from my established tank and put that in. Will that work?
Also, I think i'm going to stick with the blue paradise gourami but am considering a gold or bolivian ram instead, seeing as I prefer cichlids...will either a gold or bolivian ram work along with 6-8 harlequin's??


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

nathanbarry said:


> Cool! Thanks for the tips...I can soon have fish!!
> 
> I was going to try the filter media thing but instead i took a handful of gravel from my established tank and put that in. Will that work?
> Also, I think i'm going to stick with the blue paradise gourami but am considering a gold or bolivian ram instead, seeing as I prefer cichlids...will either a gold or bolivian ram work along with 6-8 harlequin's??


Got me on that one. Cichlids are the one type of aquarium fish that I haven't kept myself.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Hehe, You shall have to setup more tanks and try out the different types of fish!


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2008)

bluegerbil said:


> A black moor will never live 25 years in a 15 gallon tank. It'll die of pollution/stunting/unstable water conditions within a relatively short space of time.
> 
> All goldfish breeds get too big for anything below a 50gal, even the fancy varieties end up looking like grapefruit if allowed to develop properly.
> 
> If you don't like white clouds, then there really isn't much you can do with such a small coldwater tank. I know it's not what you want to hear, but there's no way around it. A full size dojo/weather loach would be barely able to turn around in there, and a bristlenose pleco wouldn't really be able to move at all  .


Uh....
I'd have to say I disagree with most of what you said. While I think the 15 gallon is too small for a goldfish tank, I don't think one fancy variety of goldfish needs a 50 gallon tank to thrive. And a bristlenose pleco not being able to move in a 15 gallon? They get about 4 inches long...how exactly would they not be able to move in a tank 24 inches long and 13 inches wide?
Even so, there are plenty of options for a smaller coldwater tank besides goldfish and white clouds. If you look into native fish, you could probably get a couple darters for that tank. Most darters stay fairly small...the rainbow darter, which is very beautiful, gets only about 2 or 3 inches long. Of course, you likely won't see these for sale at an LFS, so you might have to go collecting yourself, if you're near a body of freshwater, or look online. I don't know where you're from, but there are quite a few species of darters all around North American ponds and lakes. If not, some people have access to them, and a member on here (Flamingo) used to collect them and ship and sell them, although I don't believe he does anymore. I'm sure you could find them somehow, though. Check out NANFA.org. I think they have a "for sale" section on the forums.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Thanks for the Information...Ill check out those darters but I think im gonna turn it into another tropical tank now but thanks.


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

You would be fine with any type of ram. And they're really pretty.

As for transferring the gravel, that does very little to help establish bacterial colonies in your new tank, sorry.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Ok, I'm glad to hear about the ram and ill try the filter media tip now...thanks!


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## paul79 (Aug 2, 2008)

Funny about the apple snails not breeding, I bought 6, within a month, they had multiplied to about 56!!!!!


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

paul79 said:


> Funny about the apple snails not breeding, I bought 6, within a month, they had multiplied to about 56!!!!!


You sure you don't mean Ramshorn or another type?


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2008)

ignore ....


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## bluegerbil (Mar 12, 2008)

Scuba Kid said:


> I'd have to say I disagree with most of what you said. While I think the 15 gallon is too small for a goldfish tank, I don't think one fancy variety of goldfish needs a 50 gallon tank to thrive. And a bristlenose pleco not being able to move in a 15 gallon? They get about 4 inches long...how exactly would they not be able to move in a tank 24 inches long and 13 inches wide?


Actually, a fancy goldfish needs more than 50 gallons of space to thrive- as opposed to survive. You could stay at home all your life without dying, but that wouldn't make it a particularly interesting existance. Granted, you're (presumably) not a goldfish, but the principle does still apply. 

A bristlenose could move about, but not very far. I exaggerated  .


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

I think he means ramshorn snails...

As for my tank, I have a spare heater thats never been opened just incase one of the heaters on my tank break so ill use that. Once my tank is finished cycling ill probably get say 4 harlequin's for starters and add the other 4 and the ram when the tank is more established.

Can I ask one question, it has nothing to do with this thread but my friend is mad on clown loaches and wants an answer to his question....he has an all clown loach tank. Its a 55 gallon and at the moment he has 5 clown loaches at about 3 inches in it.

He wants to know how many clowns he can fit in there all together seeing as it is an all clown loach tank??

Thanks


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2008)

bluegerbil said:


> Actually, a fancy goldfish needs more than 50 gallons of space to thrive- as opposed to survive. You could stay at home all your life without dying, but that wouldn't make it a particularly interesting existance. Granted, you're (presumably) not a goldfish, but the principle does still apply.
> 
> A bristlenose could move about, but not very far. I exaggerated  .


I suppose anything trapped in a glass box might not have a very "interesting existance," but that wouldn't stop it from living a healthy life, if the proper conditions were given. I'm all for giving every fish the largest tank possible, but I really don't think someone _needs_ to give one fancy goldfish a 50 gallon tank in order for it to thrive.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Can someone read my last post please?


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

Not all cichlids are aggressive, and there's nothing wrong with mixing a ram or kribensis with mild community fish. 8 Rasboras plus one small cichlid (ram, krib, apisto) would be fine.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

I very much agree and I will be happy with that...


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## bluegerbil (Mar 12, 2008)

Scuba Kid said:


> I'm all for giving every fish the largest tank possible, but I really don't think someone _needs_ to give one fancy goldfish a 50 gallon tank in order for it to thrive.


If you're for giving every fish the largest possible tank, then you presumably understand that they need as much space as possible and the reasons behind this. Therefore, how can a species of fish bred for ponds _thrive_ in such a small space? Fancy goldfish don't need as much space as others, but they're still goldfish, and not best suited to small aquariums.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

I think he means ramshorn snails...

As for my tank, I have a spare heater thats never been opened just incase one of the heaters on my tank break so ill use that. Once my tank is finished cycling ill probably get say 4 harlequin's for starters and add the other 4 and the ram when the tank is more established.

Can I ask one question, it has nothing to do with this thread but my friend is mad on clown loaches and wants an answer to his question....he has an all clown loach tank. Its a 55 gallon and at the moment he has 5 clown loaches at about 3 inches in it.

He wants to know how many clowns he can fit in there all together seeing as it is an all clown loach tank??

Thanks


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