Need Help for moving from 2 gallon to 10 gallon

J

jplmruss

Amy
Oct 8, 2004
16
0
0
Need Help moving from 2 gallon to 10 gallon

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

;)
~hc
 
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.
 
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.
 
jplmruss said:
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.
Click to expand...

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