# No Cover.



## Niki2105 (Apr 12, 2005)

My grandmother gave me an old 15 gallon tank the other day but it has no cover or anything. Do I need a cover or would it be ok to leave the tank open. Im gonna get a filter and some sort of light to put over it and if i have too ill just make a cover out of mesh and wood so that the fish cant jump out. I plan on having 3 - 4 fantail goldfish in it so eventually I will need to upgrade the tank anyway but do you think they would jump out of the tank if there was no cover on it.


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## blb (Feb 7, 2005)

As to your question, yes it would be a good idea to have a top. I don't know if they 'jump' out but they might get excited and you would hate to come home to find a dead goldfish. 

I would like to say that 15 g is too small for the amount of goldfish you want. The general rule with goldfish is 15 gallons for the first, then 10 gallons after. One goldfish would be fine in it but goldfish do like to have a companion. Have you thought of putting something else in the 15 g and getting a bigger tank for goldfish?


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

You can get a fairly cheap light and hood, and I recommend it... I also suggest you find something else for your tank.... otherwise 2 goldfish and thats it, even that is kinda pushing it


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Guys she already said she was going to upgrade in time.... and you don't need a cover "immediately" for your tank... Fancy goldfish don't really "jump" out of tanks... they are genetically breed to have an unstreamlined tail, thus making it hard for them to get any kind of umph behind them to push their bodies out of the water. Comets however I would always have a cover... I've had many go suicidal at petsmart and I've only been working there two weeks. If you forget to put the peice of plastic back on the comet tank, then you will find one or two that jumped out during the coarse of the day.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

you can go to a hardware store and get the glass cut and top made for less than ten bucks


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## Niki2105 (Apr 12, 2005)

blb, Lexus, I know that 15 gallons is too small for 3 - 4 goldfish and i will upgrade to a bigger tank but right now i cant afford to get one. I plan on having a 30 or 40 gallon for my fantails but untill then a 15 will have to do. I think I will try it without a hood if i think there is a problem i will buy a hood or get something made. When I first got my current Fantail she was in a bowl and i never had any problems with her trying to jump out of it and i do not plan on getting comets not that they aint nice looking i just like the Fantails better and from what i have read fantails are smaller and are not as fast as swimmers so can live in a smaller tank.


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## blb (Feb 7, 2005)

Sorry, I read the post wrong. I have covers also because of my cats and dogs. I still think a cover would be a good idea. What if something happened? 

Since you are going to upgrade why don't you get 2fantails now for the 15 gallon? I have 2 goldfish in a 20 gallon and they do well. They would keep each other company plus you wouldn't have to worry about the bio-load until they get big. When you upgrade you can get more. 

Good luck!


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## Niki2105 (Apr 12, 2005)

I dont have cats, my dogs are not allowed im my room so pets bothering them is not a problem. I know Kisses will not jump out because she never attempted to do it when she lived in the bowl and i usually had the water almost to the top. If i do have a misshap and someone jumps out then i will gain that knoldge and be able to tell anyone else that may ask the question that a cover is needed for Fantails. I will probally just have 2 or 3 in the 15 gallon depending on when i think i will be able to get a new tankso Kisses has a friend then get one or two more when i upgrade.


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

so how will you see them good if theres no light?


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## Niki2105 (Apr 12, 2005)

I plan on getting one or two lights that i can mount on the wall above the tank for lighting. Or i saw some cool lights on ebay that go right in the tank but i dont know how bright they would be so i might not bother with them.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

You honestly could use something as simple as thin piece of wood with some holes cut into it for oxygen and your equipment, and size it to fit in the inset of the tank that the hood normally would go on (for temporary purposes). My cousin did that for a couple of months and the fish seemed fine and dandy.
Edit: He cut it to where it was barely large enough to sit down in the tank because it will expand a bit due to moisture.


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## Niki2105 (Apr 12, 2005)

If I think my fish might jump out then i will make a cover like a screen so that lots of light and air can get in, an the fish cant get out. Ill use wood for the frame and get a piece of material like toul or something for the screen.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

toul would work great...any kind of netting that would allow oxygen into the surface water would be appropriate. My fish honestly have never tried to jump, but I know plenty of people's whose "well behaved" fish end up on the ground. Another option is to keep the water a few inches lower than the top of the tank...like 3 or 4. I think that would end most fishs' attempt at being high-jumper


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

Fishfirst said:


> Guys she already said she was going to upgrade in time.... and you don't need a cover "immediately" for your tank... Fancy goldfish don't really "jump" out of tanks... they are genetically breed to have an unstreamlined tail, thus making it hard for them to get any kind of umph behind them to push their bodies out of the water. Comets however I would always have a cover... I've had many go suicidal at petsmart and I've only been working there two weeks. If you forget to put the peice of plastic back on the comet tank, then you will find one or two that jumped out during the coarse of the day.


Tell that to all the goldfish i've ever found dried up on the floor in the morning. 
They can flop out of some amazingly small holes. They aren't usually inclined to jump, but they can and do, especially if the water quality is sub-par.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

another simple solution is to use the light diffuser panels for flourcent lights


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## Niki2105 (Apr 12, 2005)

We are gonna make a hood out of wood so i can mount the light inside above the tank.untill then i just have an old window screen over it so that they dont jump out.


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