Cycling with goldfish

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lowelean

AC Members
Apr 29, 2005
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My kids got 2 goldfish and an Eclipse 6 as a present. I have checked the ammonia and nitrite levels this past week. It is ammona -1ppm and nitrate 0.1ppm on day 14. My question is, is this dangerous levels?? Do I do daily water changes and how much?? Also, one of the fish look alittle weak. Can I move this fish to another tank and make daily water changes to keep the poor guy from dying?

Thanks for any help :idea2:
 
You should keep your ammonia and nitrite levels below 0.25ppm. Try doing a 50% water change and test your water in about an hour. If readings are still above 0.25ppm do another 50% water change. When my tank was cycling I had to do 60% water change every day and sometimes twice a day to keep everything below 0.25ppm. Good Luck with your fish and keep in myind that if they make it through the cycle you will have to get them a bigger tank very soon as they grow very quickly. I think people here would recommend at least 30g to house 2 goldfish.
 
Goldfish are known ammonia factories. I'd do 50% water changes twice a day or more and keep checking. How are your nitrite readings? Any ammonia is not good but do what you can to keep it down.

If you can move them to another tank that would be great, but not with tropical fish though. You do realize that you will need about 60 gallons (some will say more) to house just 2 goldfish properly, or they will never be really healthy.
 
Hi
Thanks for the info. So I do a daily water change to keep the levels at 0.25 is this correct?? and another newbie question. How long will it take for the cycle process to go thru?? Well I also see a nitrite and nitrate increase and what level is dangerous? At this point nitirite is 0.1 and nitrate is 0

Thanks so much for your responses
 
when i was a kid and knew nothing about fish keeping i had 2 goldfish i kept in a 2 gallon fsh bowl with no filter or chemicals, just did 100% water changes twice a week with arrowhead drinking water and they lived 7 years and go huge. im sure the eclipse 6 will be fine. cycling usually takes a couple weeks.
 
There isn't a magic answer as to how long the cycle will take. My 10g took almost eight weeks. You should keep your nitrites below 0.25ppm as well. If it takes doing water changes daily to keep the levels below 0.25 then go for it. Your nitrites will go higher than what they are now. Around that time you should have 0 ammonia readings. The nitrites will be high longer than what the ammonia will. It takes longer for the bacteria that convert nitrites to nitrates to build up. When you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites for a few consecutive days your cycle should be complete. Then just moniter your nitrate and don't let it go over 20ppm. If so do a water change.
With respect to goldfish living 7 years in a 2 gallon fish bowl that isn't a long life. Goldfish can live to be 15 years old with the correct diet and housing.
 
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