Hey Orion,
Actually I'm not really religious with my gravel vacuuming; I didn't even consider the possibility that most of the stuff is falling into the gravel and therefore not being sucked into the media...
Filter Media Never Really "Dirty"...Problem?
- Thread starter Kaskade10729
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Actually I'm not really religious with my gravel vacuuming; I didn't even consider the possibility that most of the stuff is falling into the gravel and therefore not being sucked into the media...
Thanks Auth,
But the thing is I'm not cleaning them WEEKLY -- more time than THAT goes by that I'm not seeing all that much discoloration...
AC sponges don't trap a lot of fine particles, they're pretty porous. I often, but not always, use floss or batting to trap more "stuff". It does clog up faster but it's easy to rinse or toss the floss every week or 3. I also vacuum with water changes.
The sponges in my Aquaclear 30's don't get very dirty either, especially the one in my 10g. They can easily go over a month between cleanings. I've got a piece of AC sponge over the intake and run two sponges in the AC 30 on my heavily planted 10g.
Like fishorama said, I think these coarse sponges let a lot of small stuff right through, thus the high flow-rates on AquaClears.
Like fishorama said, I think these coarse sponges let a lot of small stuff right through, thus the high flow-rates on AquaClears.
Three small goldfish in a 60g tank. Frequent water changes and not over feeding.
The bioload right now is not much. When they get up to the 7-8" size then your filters will usually be dirty.
When I had goldfish I ran two mag350's and a C-360 on the tank and still had to do monthly filter cleanouts on my 125. I did have seven 8" comets and a 16" pleco in there.
The bioload right now is not much. When they get up to the 7-8" size then your filters will usually be dirty.
When I had goldfish I ran two mag350's and a C-360 on the tank and still had to do monthly filter cleanouts on my 125. I did have seven 8" comets and a 16" pleco in there.
But what about my other HOB's media...the carbon cartridges in the Aqueon? THOSE also aren't really showing much discoloration...
Correct. Because I didn't want to overcrowd in the case they actually grow.
True.
Embarassingly, not true...
I was HOPING this was why I wasn't seeing much waste in my media; thanks...
Wow; yeah, all I have right now are my common fantail, Red Cap Oranda and Gold/Silver Ryukin, all of which are growing but steadily...
Not over feeding goldfish is a relative term. They are little piggies and always beg for more. Giving them small amounts constantly through the day will make them very happy. When I was home mine always got 5-6 small meals per day.
If you haven't already start feeding a sinking pellet & mix in some veggies a couple times per week. I grew duckweed when I had the goldy's. They ate it like candy. It does a great job of keeping them from blocking up. I also used to toss in frozen peas directly from the package (still frozen). They loved them as well.
BTW: Anubis & Echinoduras bleherii both do well with goldfish if you want to add a little greenery that won't be eaten.
If you haven't already start feeding a sinking pellet & mix in some veggies a couple times per week. I grew duckweed when I had the goldy's. They ate it like candy. It does a great job of keeping them from blocking up. I also used to toss in frozen peas directly from the package (still frozen). They loved them as well.
BTW: Anubis & Echinoduras bleherii both do well with goldfish if you want to add a little greenery that won't be eaten.
Indeed, I've heard this; I restrict my feeding to one or two medium-to-large portions a day with fasting sometimes during some weeks...on the days I do water changes, I don't feed for that morning meal after I do the change so the water has some time to "stay clean"...
However, I have also heard and read so many various, conflicting opinions on this subject (as seems to dominate this entire hobby) in that the goldfish should be fed just once per day, NO more and that the "frequent small feedings" as you suggest should be avoided, et al...
Yes -- right now, I mix up their feedings between Omega One Goldish Flakes (they absolutely prefer flakes) and New Life Spectrum Small Formula Goldfish Pellets. I have seen an improvement in their stool color and growth (I believe) since switching from foods like Tetra and Aqueon to the Omega One and New Life (which I was advised were more premium brands) but the fish seem to go more crazy for the flakes, easily digesting them and not "fighting" over the food like they do in the gravel with the pellets...
I also do feed cooked frozen peas from time to time because the Ryukin suffers from prepetual swim bloat since the day we got him, and the peas definitely make him feel and act better; strangely, he shows no other signs of sickness and is actually growing and thriving in the tank despite his constant recurring bloat. But, yes, we do feed peas from time to time when it seems like he's suffering from the bloat symptoms...
Let me ask this while we're on the topic: Being that my goldfish tend to steer towards flakes, would it be alright if I fed the New Life Spectrum "General Freshwater" Flakes? I have been told these would be fine for any freshwater species -- including fancy goldfish...
You mean these would be plants for aesthetic purpose?
Young fish do better with constant smaller amounts of food. Older fish do better with only being feed once or twice a day. Flakes are generally not good for goldfish because there really isn't much food per bite. It generally turns into a mess as the fish start to get bigger. They do a lot better with sinking foods especially with one that has swim bladder issues already.
Feeding peas and other veggies should be a regular scheduled thing. A little bit 3-4 times per week is a good idea. I've tossed some lettuce in the tank before and they shredded it quite happily.
I also tried about 20 different species of plants trying to do the impossible "planted goldfish tank" I finally hit on the two species above that work. Having some plants in the tank help with the water quality for these monsters once they get big... provided they don't eat them. I needed this because my job back then required a least one international trip per year. Now I have the Low tech planted setup (no goldfish) as I've got 6-7 international trips scheduled this next year and about the same amount cross-country domestic ones.
Feeding peas and other veggies should be a regular scheduled thing. A little bit 3-4 times per week is a good idea. I've tossed some lettuce in the tank before and they shredded it quite happily.
I also tried about 20 different species of plants trying to do the impossible "planted goldfish tank" I finally hit on the two species above that work. Having some plants in the tank help with the water quality for these monsters once they get big... provided they don't eat them. I needed this because my job back then required a least one international trip per year. Now I have the Low tech planted setup (no goldfish) as I've got 6-7 international trips scheduled this next year and about the same amount cross-country domestic ones.
