Need Help for moving from 2 gallon to 10 gallon

[jplmruss]

Hello,

I need help to properly transfer my 2 inch goldfish from the current 2 gallon tank to a new 10 gallon tank. I know that this tank is still too small for him/her ( I have no idea what sex it is), but I have a space restriction and can only upgrade him to a 10 gallon tank at this time.

I was told to do the following by the sales person at the local pet store:
1. Rinse the new tank and gravel
2. Add the under gravel filter
3. Add gravel to the bottom (5 pound bag came with the kit)
3. Add water halfway
4. Decorate the tank (plastic plants and a small turtle cave thing)
5. Add the rest of the water
6. Add the water conditioner, salt and cycle
7. Start the filter
8. Add some of the water from the current tank into the new tank
8. Wait two days and put my goldfish in the tank

I did this, but my goldfish doesn't seem happy in his/he new space. It doesn't even come up for food when I feed it.

I just added the plastic plants and the gravel from the old tank today to the new tank to see if this will improve the situation. I have also changed the carbon and filter fiber since it looks a bit grayish and about 50% of the water. When I changed the water, I added some more water conditioner (2 capful) , salt (2 tablespoons) and cycle (2 capful).

He/she seems to be moving around a bit more, but still looks very depressing. Is there something else I should be doing? Are any of the things I did bad for the fish?

Should I add live plants to the tank or is this bad idea? If live plants would be good for him, what would you recommend?

Finally, I know this tank is already not going to be big enough for him, but he looks soooo depressed in it. Can I add another fish to the tank to keep him company? If so what kind of fish would you recommend? I would like it to stay relatively small if possible since I don't know when I will be able to upgrade to a larger tank.

Thank you for all your help.

[Silver Surfer]

Just give it time...your goldfish should be ok...your tank is still cycling.... just don't overfeed during this time even if it looks like he isn't eating.

[hcgirl80]

I am pretty sure goldfish eat most live plants..I thought I heard that somewhere.
What have you been feeding the goldfish?

;)
~hc

[jplmruss]

I have been feeding it goldfish flakes about 2x a day, but it doesn't seem to be interested. Since I don't want to over feed it, I was thinking about putting in some live plants for it to eat. He can eat whenever he feels like it and I won't be poluting the water with extra goldfish flakes.

I also have another question. Since I am starting a new tank. How often should I change the water? And how much each time? Should I vacuum the gravel as well or should I leave it alone to grow the good bacteria? Thanks.

[happychem]

Your tank wasn't cycled. Check your NH3 and NO2 levels.

Adding old tank water doesn't do anything useful, despite its wide recomendation the benefits of it are just one more myth that refuses to die.

[jplmruss]

How often should I change the water? And how much should I take out each time? Should I change the carbon and filter fiber each time I change the water? Should I keep adding cycle, water conditioner and salt every time I change the water?

Thanks for all you help.

[schigara]

How often should I change the water? And how much should I take out each time? Should I change the carbon and filter fiber each time I change the water? Should I keep adding cycle, water conditioner and salt every time I change the water?

Thanks for all you help.

You should change about 25-30% of the water every day while it is cycling. Do not change the filter. If it is really clogged and not flowing well, shake it out in the water you take out of the tank during water changes. Your filter media is your biological filtration and if you put in a new filter, you will lose all the beneficial bacteria that has started to grow in the filter.

I dont think you should be adding much or any salt for goldfish. Get a product called stress coat. When you change your water each day, add the recommended amount to the water you are putting back in. I think it is a teaspoon per 10 gallons.

[happychem]

Daily while cycling. 30-50%. weekly 50% thereafter. No. No. Yes. Never. How's that?

Stress coat calls for 5mL per 10g to dechlorinate. I've used it, it worked fine, but so did the inexpensive dechlorinator. On that basis I don't recommend it. There's nothing wrong with Stress Coat, but I've yet to be convinced of the benefits of aloe vera on healthy fish. If they were injured, I could see it, but otherwise it's just one more unnecessary additive.

[jplmruss]

Thank you all for the helpful information. I will keep you posted of the condition of my precious goldfish.

[jplmruss]

Another question. Should I vacuum the gravel surface to get rid of the waste when doing these daily water changes or should I leave them alone? Would vacuuming disrupt the production of the beneficial bacteria process? Thanks.

[happychem]

Yes, vacuum it up. No, it won't affect the development of beneficial bacteria.

[jplmruss]

Just changed my water and vacuumed up some of the waste. When I was vacuuming, I didn't noticed much waste. I got some. But when I added the new water which caused some disturbance to the gravel, I saw more waste floating around.

I have three questions:
1. Should I stir the gravel a little bit to bring up the waste next time I vacuum or will this be too stressful for the poor fish?

2. Water conditioner (Aqua plus - got it at the local fish store when I got the new 10 gallon tank.) was added to the tap water before I put it in the tank. Is there a certain amount of time I need to wait for the conditioner to work on the tap water before I put it into the tank or is it ok to pour it into the tank right away?

3. I wanted the temperature of the new water to be similar to the temperature of the water in the tank so I used both hot and cold to make it warm (70 degree). Is it ok to use hot tap water in the mix or is hot tap water not good for the fish?

Thank you for all your help.

[happychem]

Use the gravel vac to get down to the bottom of the substrate.

Add it either to the new water, if using buckets, or directly to the tank if using a python.

It's fine. Some folks don't like it because of the potential for heavy metals, I've measured tap water and not found a significant amount. That said, it wasn't your tap water that I was analysing, but most folks haven't had problems using tap water.

Edit: Although I should add that it all comes down to how much turn over your water tank has. If you've been away for a while, it's always best to run your taps for a while to get out any build up. Same goes for your hot water tank. If yours sits with the same water for days on end, then it may be an issue, if you run through a lot of hot water, then its not going to matter.

[jplmruss]

We live in an apartment complex with 261 apartments so we run through a lot of hot water everyday. I guess our hot water should be ok. Thanks.

[jplmruss]

Also, does anyone know if live plants are a good option when to comes to cycling a new tank? I have been feeding it goldfish flakes about 2x a day, but it doesn't seem to be interested. Since I don't want to over feed it, I was thinking about putting in some live plants for it to eat. He can eat whenever he feels like it and I won't be poluting the water with extra goldfish flakes.