# im new to fish



## lizliz710 (Aug 15, 2006)

ok so i just got my 10 gallon running. I put a few goldfish in there to get it going, so i can put other fish in there. How long do you think i ahve to wait before getting different fish?


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

Plenty of info just Google cycling or search this forum for it.

I hesitate to ask, what do people do with the Goldfish after they use them for cycling?


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## Gump (Aug 2, 2006)

You can take them back to the fish store and usally get your money back if you say you used them to cycle your tank. 

Id probally wait about 2 weeks depending on what type of fish you are going to put in. if there sensitive id wait another 2 weeks.

also welcome to the hobby. well it starts out as a hobby. im more of an addict.


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

What type of fish you putting in? Just seach for fish cycling.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

The best method is called the fishless cycle. There is a good article about it here that you might want to check out. 

If you're determined to keep the fish in there for the cycle, as has already been said, you can usually bring back the survivors to your local pet store.

If you don't have a water testing kit, I would recommend getting one. This will tell you for sure when your cycle is complete, as the time tends to vary from one tank to the next. If you can't get a test kit, a pet store will usually test the water for you for free. If not, I'd say give it at least a month.


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## Bear (Jun 8, 2006)

Dr_House said:


> The best method is called the fishless cycle. There is a good article about it here that you might want to check out.
> 
> If you're determined to keep the fish in there for the cycle, as has already been said, you can usually bring back the survivors to your local pet store.
> 
> If you don't have a water testing kit, I would recommend getting one. This will tell you for sure when your cycle is complete, as the time tends to vary from one tank to the next. If you can't get a test kit, a pet store will usually test the water for you for free. If not, I'd say give it at least a month.



there is no need to scare someone by saying that you can return the "survivors". 

You just have to keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite in the tank and if they are getinng too high then do a water change. Keep watching them until they disappear and when the nitrate rises, it is all good. I would wait a week after the cycle is done to make sure that the tank is establish and then in one day swap a couple of fish you want in there for the gold fish so that the ammonia source doesnt change too drastically. Wait another week or two and then add a couple more fish and continue until you are completely stocked.

I cycled with 4 of my cichlids and they were perfect the entire way through and still are to this day (they have gorwn much in the last month). I did do daily water changes to make sure that the chemicals did not reach toxic levels, but if you pay close attention there will be no problems with doing a fish cycle.


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

A 10g is way to small for goldfish even though your just using them to cycle the tank. Most places won't take the fish back unless its under the guarentine but they most likley won't take it back unless its under the guarentine and is dead. 

What are you going to do when they say that they won't take it back? 
You should have gotten some danios instead.


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## Bear (Jun 8, 2006)

^^^I agree, danios would have been better, but that was before you had people to help you...so what u can do is try and give them away or sell them urself.

Most places will take a fish back even if it is out of their guarantee, they just wont pay u for it


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## PaulInKingston (Dec 4, 2005)

A ten gallon is a nice for a quaratine tank. Maybe you could could cycle it then move the fish to a larger tank and seed the large tank with some baterica from the 10 gallon.


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

But that depends on how many goldfish they have, if they have 4 or 5 they would need at least a 55g


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Personally, I'd be really pissed if I went to a store and bought a fish, only to find out later that someone had used it for cycling their tank. Cycling can cause all sorts of long term health damage and shorten the natural lifespan of a fish. Oh yes, I'd be extremely pissed!


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2006)

I would to as it could shorten their maxium length and make them die early like boxermom said.


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## Gump (Aug 2, 2006)

id asume they bought feeder goldies which it woudlnt matter how long they live since there food fish and i dont know of a pet store that wouldtn take a free small fish (unless its illegal or a pacu/id shark).


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## Bear (Jun 8, 2006)

Boxermom said:


> Personally, I'd be really pissed if I went to a store and bought a fish, only to find out later that someone had used it for cycling their tank. Cycling can cause all sorts of long term health damage and shorten the natural lifespan of a fish. Oh yes, I'd be extremely pissed!



I know that the LFS I go to has seperate tanks for such things (animals that come back for whatever reason). They check them out for a little while and if they know of or see anything that is not right, then...well all I know is that they dont mix them in with the others.

Oh and sorry for being off topic but...boxermom.....WERE GETTIN' THE DP's!!!!


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

I saw, Bear. Grats!


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

> there is no need to scare someone by saying that you can return the "survivors".


If this scared anyone, feel free to send me the bill for the counseling required to pull you through the emotional trauma I have inflicted.


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## Bear (Jun 8, 2006)

^^^ur such a good person


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

It comes naturally. What can I say?


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Dr. House is right... as grim as it may be... "survivors" is probably the best term you can give to fish that went through the nitrogen cycle and came out alive. 

More than likely I'd just cut my losses and whoever makes it makes it... the cycle gets prolonged and stretched out if you do water changes every day... and it could take more than 3 months to completely cycle that tank.


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## Vermifugert (Jun 15, 2006)

I’m sorry but this whole “best method” is a load of BS. I used some comets to cycle my 55 and it worked beautifully. And I’ll point out that every comet survived. When I was done my friend took them to cycle his tank. Want to take a guess how many survived? Once again they all survived.

Healthy comets’ ? Or just a bunch of over politically correct BS? 

I’m going to go with the BS. All the fish were returned to the same LFS where I am sure they were sold as feeders. I’m sure that Oscar didn’t care what health those comets were in when they were plopped into the tank.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

I agree with Vermifugert. Those darn fish-huggin' hippies need to just get a job already. His/her "comments" were fine after cycling both his/her tank and his/her friend's tank. 

Furthermore, it's not like we're here to promote the methods that are best for the fish in our care. And even if we were, Vermifugert's fish were fine immediately after cycling _two_ different tanks.

Oh wait, did someone say "_long-term_" health of the fish? Blast...

Well, I may not have any good reasons for thinking this, other than that it is convenient for me, but fishless cycling is still P.C. and B.S. and any other negative acronym I can think of!


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2006)

Well just because your comets cycled two tanks that does not mean that they will live for 20 years or more like they are supposed to because of them having to cycle two tanks.


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## Vermifugert (Jun 15, 2006)

Dr_House said:


> I agree with Vermifugert. Those darn fish-huggin' hippies need to just get a job already. His/her "comments" were fine after cycling both his/her tank and his/her friend's tank.
> 
> Furthermore, it's not like we're here to promote the methods that are best for the fish in our care. And even if we were, Vermifugert's fish were fine immediately after cycling _two_ different tanks.
> 
> ...


Long term heath? I’m sure they lived long enough to serve their purpose; Filling the belly of some larger fish.

As far as “comments” goes, blame it on clippy. MS Word auto correct to what it though the next best thing was.


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## Vermifugert (Jun 15, 2006)

Durbkat said:


> Well just because your comets cycled two tanks that does not mean that they will live for 20 years or more like they are supposed to because of them having to cycle two tanks.


I don't expect them too. they came out of the feeder tank and got to live an extra two months thanks to me. They were proptly returned todeath row.


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

Dr House... that was sarcasm, yes?

I can't say I agree with using fish to cycle tanks. Just because a fish is intended to be eaten, doesn't mean it should go through the pain and distress and fish would go through when being used to cycle - especially if there are other, better methods available.

I wouldn't want to think of myself a tree-hugging hippy  but I can't stand the thought of any animal being in pain, if it can be so easily prevented.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

Yes, Zoe. I'm glad you picked up on it. I should have put a big ol' :lol: at the end of that.


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## Vermifugert (Jun 15, 2006)

Dr_House said:


> Yes, Zoe. I'm glad you picked up on it. I should have put a big ol' :lol: at the end of that.


You can edit your post if you feel you have made a mistake. We’re only human.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

> You can edit your post if you feel you have made a mistake. We’re only human.


Oh, is that why it says that I have already edited that post? Darn! I thought I was Superman. :lol:

It could be my recently acquired status of "human", but it seems silly to edit a post to which others have already replied. 

I hope I didn't miss any smilies that time. :lol:


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## Vermifugert (Jun 15, 2006)

Dr_House said:


> Oh, is that why it says that I have already edited that post? Darn! I thought I was Superman. :lol:
> 
> It could be my recently acquired status of "human", but it seems silly to edit a post to which others have already replied.
> 
> I hope I didn't miss any smilies that time. :lol:


Just what are you trying to prove?


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2006)

Dr_House said:


> Oh, is that why it says that I have already edited that post? Darn! I thought I was Superman. :lol:
> 
> It could be my recently acquired status of "human", but it seems silly to edit a post to which others have already replied.
> 
> I hope I didn't miss any smilies that time. :lol:


Is that you Michael? :lol:


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Surviving and thriving fish are two very different things. Do you KNOW they were sold as feeders? No, likely not. Aside from which a lot of people buy feeders to raise as regular fish, not to feed to other fish. Comets can live for decades when properly cared for. Using fish to cycle a tank will almost certainly shorten their life span by quite a lot and can also cause long-term health problems. That, to me, means its inhumane to cycle a tank with fish. ANY fish.


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2006)

Well said boxermom.


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## Vermifugert (Jun 15, 2006)

Boxermom said:


> Surviving and thriving fish are two very different things. Do you KNOW they were sold as feeders? No, likely not. Aside from which a lot of people buy feeders to raise as regular fish, not to feed to other fish. Comets can live for decades when properly cared for. Using fish to cycle a tank will almost certainly shorten their life span by quite a lot and can also cause long-term health problems. That, to me, means its inhumane to cycle a tank with fish. ANY fish.


They went right into the tank that said "Large feeders 12 for $1"

I'm sure people looking for a pet were smart enough to look else ware.


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