View Full Version : Need advice to help a friends aquarium
So i have this friend who completely neglects his tank. Since the time he has had his tank up theres been little to no water changes until i came along and finally did them for him. The filter is a small p.o.s. that bearly gets new media. And he had an undergravel filter with an airstone that you could just see all the waste building up on the bottom of his tank. Needless to say he would constantly loose fish one after another probally from the ammonia levels being so high. And to top it all off he mixes about 7-8 goldfish with tropical fish.
I've been trying to slowly help his tank by doing water changes, plus i completely removed his undergravel filter so all that waste could be gravel vac'd. Well ive been trying to convince him now to get rid of the goldfish and stick with tropical fishes or just goldfish. But he argues with me that they can live together and doesnt listen to what i say. I make the points that ones a freshwater fish and the other is a coldwater. I make the point that they require different needs and do not coexist well. But he makes the point they all are living fine now and obviously they are fine.
Anyone have any advice on what else i can say to convience him that he is doing things wrong? and in the well being of the fish he needs to change.
Kasakato
06-15-2005, 5:09 PM
Give him a link to this site?
lol, he wouldnt check it out. He likes to believe everything on the internet is fake and to trust people in the petstore.
I guess more specifically im looking for is there any thing that plagues goldfish and tropical fish being together? other than the water temperatures.
Dangerdoll
06-15-2005, 7:00 PM
you could mention that the typical life of a goldfish is well over 20 years and to lose any younger than that is not displaying the optimum requirements of that fish. What kind of tropicals are being kept with the goldies?
Watcher74
06-15-2005, 7:59 PM
Lock him in a medium sized closet with about 6 Great Danes for a month. Make sure the closet is air tight with a small vent for air. Use a thick plexi-glass insert in the door, and every day throw in about 10 pounds of dry dog food for all of them to eat. Be sure and turn the lights on and off every day, and spend at least 30 minutes every day tapping on the plexi-glass while you smile and laugh at their antics.
Then release him at the end of the month and ask him how he liked it.
you could mention that the typical life of a goldfish is well over 20 years and to lose any younger than that is not displaying the optimum requirements of that fish. What kind of tropicals are being kept with the goldies?
2 goruami's. 6 mollies, and a couple of smaller tropical fish, not sure what kind. He has lost numerous plecos and and 4-5 other mollies.
Dangerdoll
06-16-2005, 8:42 AM
what size tank is it?
cyberbeer65
06-16-2005, 5:24 PM
Lock him in a medium sized closet with about 6 Great Danes for a month. Make sure the closet is air tight with a small vent for air. Use a thick plexi-glass insert in the door, and every day throw in about 10 pounds of dry dog food for all of them to eat. Be sure and turn the lights on and off every day, and spend at least 30 minutes every day tapping on the plexi-glass while you smile and laugh at their antics.
Then release him at the end of the month and ask him how he liked it.
Laughing out loud here!!!! :laugh:
Dangerdoll
06-16-2005, 6:29 PM
7-8 goldfish in a 55 gallon PLUS other fish.... wow, that's quite a bio-load there. I can just imagine the gravel! Has he ever done water tests for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, etc? You could get him a test, I'm assuming he doesn't have one nor will buy one himself, and bet him on the skyrocketing levels going on in the tank. How long have the golfish survived?
sky.eyes.woman
06-16-2005, 6:47 PM
Unfortunately I have the 'pleasure' of dealing with people like your friend almost every day. Many times I can only barely resist the urge to :rant2: them a new orifice. If your friend absolutely will not listen to any good advice and keeps killing fish, try and 'convince' him to sell you the tank once he gives up in frustration. When he sees it set up and flourishing at your house, it will maybe open the door for you to re-school him on how to keep fish.
ashdavid
06-16-2005, 8:02 PM
Lock him in a medium sized closet with about 6 Great Danes for a month. Make sure the closet is air tight with a small vent for air. Use a thick plexi-glass insert in the door, and every day throw in about 10 pounds of dry dog food for all of them to eat. Be sure and turn the lights on and off every day, and spend at least 30 minutes every day tapping on the plexi-glass while you smile and laugh at their antics.
Then release him at the end of the month and ask him how he liked it.
Lol! Very good, but you forgot to mention to turn the heat right down as well. ;)
7-8 goldfish in a 55 gallon PLUS other fish.... wow, that's quite a bio-load there. I can just imagine the gravel! Has he ever done water tests for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, etc? You could get him a test, I'm assuming he doesn't have one nor will buy one himself, and bet him on the skyrocketing levels going on in the tank. How long have the golfish survived?
I actually took my test kit over there one day just to see how bag his tank really was. I was completely shocked at his ammonia levels!!!! I dont recall the exact number but i know it was EXTREMELY high. I couldnt believe all his fish were not dead. Alot of this goldfish have black color in their skin, not sure if thats natural but ive read about it possibly being ammonia burn which would make sense.
When he sees it set up and flourishing at your house, it will maybe open the door for you to re-school him on how to keep fish.
Since he has seen my tank grow he is trusting me alot more to help me redo his tank but still wont dish out money for a new filter, or new media. Id love to take his tank from him or just one day steal his fish to give them a better place to live. Ive told him numerous times to let me have the goldfish to put in my pond and just keep his tropical fish but he doesnt want to get rid of them nor does he want to get rid of the tropical fish. He is trying to get the best of both worlds here and it frustrates me on the quality of the water.
Funniest thing is now he is sort of taking competion with me due to the way im getting my new tank to look so he is all talking about wanting to build a better tank to compete with me. He claims his tank is out of date and no reason to upgrade it. Honestly though he is saying it because its an older 55gallon perfecto that has oak trim and not black trim. I invite him to compete with me hoping it would get him up to caring for his fish better as long as he doesnt go down the same road again.
One thing i have got him to do is cut back on feeding. He used to feed his fish 4 times a day!!! and im not talking in small amounts, im talking about food floating everywhere and covering the gravel. He has been doing alot better since i vaccumed his gravel and he saw all his food coming back up in a pure black storm.
He has been doing alot better since i vaccumed his gravel and he saw all his food coming back up in a pure black storm.
LOL ! I can just imagine !! :laugh: Keep up the good work there Sivic...I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later... ;)
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