Algae Eaters? Please help!

[Lupin]

1. Panda Cories are not coldwater fish.

74-75 degrees Fahrenheit isn't coldwater, it is just a mid range called subtropical and pandas do better in subtropical conditions. This will work fine but the issue turns to competition over food. Goldfish are gluttons. I would expect the poor cories struggle to get their share of food. Cories aren't algae eaters as previously mentioned so they're not the answer more than a suggestion as additional stocks.

 

[dogyluver]

Plecos are nocturnal so feeding when lights are out helps I feed mine sinking veggie rounds and zuccini, and they so just fine don't rely on algea from the tank for prmary food source, good filtration and frequent water changes and a magfloat are a must and will keep algea in check

 

[JenniferLynn]

For your proplem with algae you could try a few plants rather than an algae eater. I have plants in my tank with my goldies, Anubias nana and a java fern, that have been doing a very good job at not allowing algae to grow. They haven't done anything to the anubias besides swim in it which is cute and the java fern is too soon to tell but from what I've been told does well with goldfish. You could also see if increasing your filtration would help. I upgraded to a filter with a bio-wheel and it did wonders for my tank along with the plants that I started adding right after. Before I made the changes in my tank I had stuff growing on the walls by mid-week and now I have maybe one little spot everyother week that I get off with the long handled scrubber someone else mentioned.

 

[lovejonesx]

I vote for the MAG-FLOAT & if they don't have that species of "pleco", then I'd certainly get the algae scrapper.

As bad as that might sound, It's certainly true with goldfish & that sized tank.

ljx

 

[wataugachicken]

try 50% changes a week for a month or so and see if that makes the difference. adding some java fern may also help you. it's low-light, low-maintenance and the fish shouldn't nibble on it.

 

[THE V]

First off for 5 goldfish you need at least a 70 gallon tank. A 29 gallon will fit 1 fancy goldfish and some MTS or one Brig snail.

Your algae problem is caused by too many fish in too small of a tank.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD ANY MORE FISH TO THE TANK!

 

[standardbyker63]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. I now have some good ideas that will hopefully lead to some answers after some more research.

First off for 5 goldfish you need at least a 70 gallon tank. A 29 gallon will fit 1 fancy goldfish and some MTS or one Brig snail.

Your algae problem is caused by too many fish in too small of a tank.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD ANY MORE FISH TO THE TANK!

I don't understand why it is that goldfish require so much more water per fish than most other types of fish. I read about it everywhere and am very aware that I have too many fish in the tank (truthfully a newbie mistake on my behalf) and no more will be added, but I don't understand why. They are fed only 2, sometimes 3, times per week, they aren't fed much, and I make sure there isn't any left over food in the tank . I have a white sand bottom so it is very easy to see the waste they produce and quite frankly, it's hardly noticeable if at all. Is the "goldfish are messy fish and require significantly larger amounts of water" rule a rule or just something that has become common place among the enthusiasts? I guess I'm just searching for more of a reason as to why this is. I understand that while the fish are all very small right now they will grow larger, or at least they should and the limited space presents a problem and can, at times, be viewed as inhumane. But other than that, is there actually an ecological reason? Sorry for the long post, but everyone has been great at posting quick, informative responses. Thanks again!

 

[JenniferLynn]

A goldfish can survive in a 1 gallon bowel…for a time but it’s not going to be a happy, healthy fish. So from a reasonable amount and up in amount of space required per goldfish is really a personal belief in what is going to provide a healthy, happy living environment for a goldfish. When I started searching for info about goldfish I was reading any where from 8gal to 20gal per fish. What I have figured so far is many people who have had experience with goldfish have come up with # of gal per fish based on size of fish, swim room required, waste produced, and maintenance schedules that have allowed their fish to thrive. Goldfish that thrive are going to be huge fish. It’s comparing the size yard needed for a lap dog or a greyhound.

If a goldfish needs 20gal per fish as a rule and a person wants to keep 1 common goldfish a 20gal tank won’t work because the fish could end up being 16 inches long and would have no where to swim but the rule works if keeping 4-5 fish in a 100gal because the tank is so much longer and they get to share the room to swim.

I have 3 fancies that I am upgrading my tank to be able to keep. My fish are not full grown yet so I am able to keep up with their current needs in a smaller tank until I can get the big tank…over filtration, plants, and water changes sometimes more than weekly are making up for not enough space but would be hard to keep up with long term. I took a long hard look at the 55gal tank that everyone here said I could use as a min size. While looking down at this tank I mentally pictured 3 10 inch fish swimming around in it and to me it felt like locking them in a coat closet because the tank wasn’t wide enough to keep me happy. Just imagine having a bedroom only as wide as the bed. So for me the minimum size tank I’m going to keep more than 2 fancies is a 75gal, that’s what I believe is going to keep my fish happy, healthy and give the guys some turning room in the way of depth if I manage to get my fish 10 inches long. Best of all it’s going to keep me happy and I'll probably be able to add a 4th fish. I’m not going to hold anyone else to my new idea but when you look at the full grown size of goldfish bigger tanks are better because they’ll have enough room to still swim. So the reason for all the different amounts is personal beliefs, type of goldfish, cleaning habits, plants or no plants, types and amounts of food feed, filtration are all going to be factors that will lead individuals to come up with different number of gallons per fish.

 

[leeser28]

T
I don't understand why it is that goldfish require so much more water per fish than most other types of fish. I read about it everywhere and am very aware that I have too many fish in the tank (truthfully a newbie mistake on my behalf) and no more will be added, but I don't understand why. They are fed only 2, sometimes 3, times per week, they aren't fed much, and I make sure there isn't any left over food in the tank . I have a white sand bottom so it is very easy to see the waste they produce and quite frankly, it's hardly noticeable if at all. Is the "goldfish are messy fish and require significantly larger amounts of water" rule a rule or just something that has become common place among the enthusiasts? I guess I'm just searching for more of a reason as to why this is.

My understanding is that one reason that goldfish require more water is because they are cold water fish that use more oxygen than tropical fish. So, according to the book I have, the extra water is for breathing, not needed for cleanliness. Maybe others have heard the same.

 

[THE V]

Well answered Jennifer.

Leeser - colder water actually holds more oxygen than warmer water. There oxygen needs are exactly the same as the tropicals by mass.

The reason that goldfish are spoken of as being messy is because of their body depth. The more mass the fish has for it's length the higher food requirements they have. If you look up fish of a similar average adult mass the food requirements are the same.

Now as to the size of the tank. 10 gallons of water properly filtered is actually enough to accommodate the biological breakdown of the waste produced by the fish. However putting a 12" fish in a tank only 10" wide is not a recipe for a long life. The major reason for the higher recommendation is to allow for the fish to turn around and swim. The small space causes the fish stress and can weaken the immune system. It also greatly increases the chances of injury attempting to turn around.

Now as to your feeding schedule. You are underfeeding them. The fish can survive of of this little amount of food but they cannot grow properly. Goldfish in their first 2 years gain the majority of their size. I have 5 fish in my tank right now that are a year old. The largest is at 5 inches and the smallest is 4. I got them all at less than 2 inches. In this next year I expect them all to double in size. This takes a lot of food. I am feeding them twice daily and doing very large biweekly water changes to keep the water quality high. After year two they will slow down in their growth and I will reduce their feeding to once a day 4-5 times per week.

If you do not feed them enough during the early part of their lives they will develop not grow to there potential and develop malnutrition disorders. This will happen to any species and usually causes multiple health issues and a drastically shortened lifespan. Remember the oldest known goldfish lived to be 41 years old but the a good estimate for healthy well kept fish is around 20 years.