Stock Question

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

Sonicblast12

AC Members
Aug 9, 2006
239
0
0
Kinda doing this backwards. I've been a saltwater guy, used to 30x water turnover and heavy protein skimming and over-filtration. I've never had a freshwater tank where I knew what I was doing, thinking back now I can't believe anything lived in the tiny freshwater tanks I had when I was younger. Obviously I'm more aware now considering the investment and nuances of saltwater tanks.

Anyway, I'll cut to it. 75 gallon, cycled for freshwater but I wasn't sure what to do with it. Decided on coldwater, fancy goldfish specifically. Picked up a ryukin, oranda, and plucked a nice comet out of the feeder tank.

Stocked?

Overstocked?

Understocked?
 

Lupin

Registered Member
Sep 21, 2006
21,430
13
0
Lupin Information Super Highway/Goldfish Informati
thegab.org
Real Name
Paul
Hi Sonicblast,

This will be a bit overwhelming so please bear with me!

With goldfish, they need plenty of space to swim around and the space is also important in greatly diluting the toxicity of the wastes being produced by the fish. Considering goldfish themselves do not stay small (which is why fishbowls are impractical nowadays) at 8-24 inches range, a general guideline for fancy types should be 15 gallons per fish with 10g per additional fish whereas pond types need 20 gallons per fish. This does not mean the use of individual 15 to 20 gallon tanks is feasible. Those tanks are still very limited and you cannot keep goldfish in isolation as these are sociable by nature and unlikely to thrive for a long time if deprived of their company. With the number of goldfish suggested at two as the possible minimum, a 55g would be a best starting point for fancy goldfish whereas 75g would be the minimum for at least 2-3 pond types.

In my experience which varies I am sure with others, I can never keep my orandas successfully with feisty varieties such as ryukins and comets. I prefer not to mix the pond types (comprising of hibunas, comets, shubs, wakins, watonais and jikins) with fancy types with the exception of ryukins and fantails who can handle themselves very well with the pond types especially when it comes to feeding time.

Be very careful with the varieties you mix. Not all varieties can mix well. Bubble eyes and celestials for instance are extremely delicate fish. With their rather obscured eyesight due to the genetic modification done to their eyes, they tend to be less competitive and are unable to get their fair share of foods when mixed with the more aggressive varieties.

I keep mostly orandas currently. They are kept with the ranchus and lionhead in my 75g tank and have been coexisting very well without problems so far. The ryukins, watonais, comet and shubunkin on the other hand, have been moved to my pond as they were outcompeting the others for food. Hopefully your ryukin and oranda may balance each other's share of food because unlike others, I did not have much luck with that combination. If you opt to add more varieties, avoid the pond types. You could try more orandas or for additional variety, ranchus and lionheads may work just fine with you.

Avoid the pearlscales if possible. They tend to be a little slower due to their rounder body shape which incapacitates their ability to swim with agility thus the ryukin may end up several steps ahead of the pearlies.

Hope this helps!
 

Ichthius

AC Members
Dec 2, 2008
207
0
16
Sounds like your in the right track. Do you have a wet dry trickle?

Do large 50%+ water changes frequently and pick either fancies or pond fish and keep your ph up to keep your filter running.
 

Sonicblast12

AC Members
Aug 9, 2006
239
0
0
Lupin,

Just the type of all-encompassing answer I was looking for, thanks. I thought one comet was pushing it in a 75, wouldn't think of adding another. But you're saying the size could support another fancy? What about a black moor? I'd assume that kind of bioload would need some significant filtration.

My experience with surgeonfish slashing the daylights out of any new tank mate has me quite familiar with aggression. I paid close attention to the personalities of the fish before purchase, shooing away the pushy pet store employee trying to make a sale. It doesn't take a marine biologist to see which fish may possibly get out-competed and pinned to the corner of the tank, especially with these clumsy fancy goldfish.

The ryukin and oranda were tankmates along with about five other fancies, and the oranda ran the show, jostling the others out of the way despite being smaller than most of the others. I didn't realize that was uncommon. I think he'll do fine, the ryukin and oranda have been inseperable since being introduced to the tank together and the grumpy oranda is still the boss at feeding time.

The comet was introduced a week later and is much smaller than the first two. Fears them, clearly third on the pecking order which is just where I want the biggest/fastest fish to remain. Who knows how long that will last.

Eh, maybe the moor's poor eyesight is a bad fit for this tank.
 

Sonicblast12

AC Members
Aug 9, 2006
239
0
0
Sounds like your in the right track. Do you have a wet dry trickle?

Do large 50%+ water changes frequently and pick either fancies or pond fish and keep your ph up to keep your filter running.

No, I have a couple of old HOB's right now which I had laying around. (And can't find parts for.) About 400 gph total, which was enough to cycle but probably not enough to keep up with these waste monsters. I'm looking to double that turnover soon, so I'm currently hitting the water changes pretty hard.
 

Lupin

Registered Member
Sep 21, 2006
21,430
13
0
Lupin Information Super Highway/Goldfish Informati
thegab.org
Real Name
Paul
The black moors are much feistier than the celestials and bubble eyes. A black moor will do just fine in your tank. I'd replace the comet with a black moor.:)
 

Ichthius

AC Members
Dec 2, 2008
207
0
16
By cycled do youean you added ammonia and took the cycle through to nitrates?

If not keep a close eye on ammonia and get set up to safely do large water change. Cloramx is great to have on hand as it treats ammonia chlorine/amines so it protects he fish from waste and large water changes.

I treat all new fish with salt for ich and prazi for flukes. Salt is also protective against nitrites if you do indeed have a cycle ahead of you.
 

Sonicblast12

AC Members
Aug 9, 2006
239
0
0
Decided to do something a little unique. Bare bottom with some tacky glass decorations I had laying around. I like it better than the gravel/fake tree setup I had before, but keeping a close eye on the water parameters after removing the substrate. I like the bare bottom better, there's enough flow in the tank to keep waste and food suspended so there is no waste trapped anywhere other than the filters.

These goldies are tough, I was doing a w/c with the python and heard the suction stop. Didn't really register right away, but a couple minutes later I looked in the tank and saw the oranda trying his best to get sucked out of the tank, wedged inside the tube right against the connection. Grabbed the nozzle, pulled it apart and he plopped in the water and wiggled away like nothing happened. Walked away with a red hickey on his wen and a lesson learned.

I'm pretty sure the black moor is blind.

Excuse the scratches and debris, pictures taken shortly after feeding time.





 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store