New Lionhead Hovering in Place
- Thread starter MikeyV
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Lupin
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- Sep 21, 2006
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- Paul
:welcome: to AC!
Mikey, I moved your thread here (after two dull attempts to decide which forum is best...lmao) so you will get better responses for your adorable fish.
A general guideline for fancy goldfish is 15g per fish. If you can get yourself a 30g or better yet a 55g, you can fit 2 just fine or 3-4 for a 55g. LeahK is quite correct in elaborating goldfish are sociable by nature. You wouldn't want a fish sulking in a corner without anybody else to interact with!
Considering lionheads tend to be a little slower as Somervell has already mentioned, you could try another lionhead, pearlscale, celestial, black moor or demekins with them (but only if you are willing to upgrade). All those strains tend to be more sluggish and easily outcompeted for food by the feistier strains with the likes of ryukins.
What test kit do you use? I recommend you use API for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate so you can get accurate readings. This will give you assurance your water conditions are appropriate for the wellbeing of your fish. As for temperature, fancy goldfish prefer their water a bit warmer than most "pond" fish. You could opt to try 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
As far as foods are concerned, yes, I also prefer sinking pellets myself due to the hindrance by floating foods that may cause such as swim bladder disorders but this is more common with strains with more compressed body shape such as pearlscales and I have those myself. If possible, feed the fish slowly as most foods tend to expand inside their stomach which can cause digestive issues to them.
As for your filtration, I'd get the more powerful ones once you upgrade your tank to cope with the wastes they produce. Remember your goldfish is still growing and it is not surprising how big they get as well the amount of poo produced!
If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Mikey, I moved your thread here (after two dull attempts to decide which forum is best...lmao) so you will get better responses for your adorable fish.
A general guideline for fancy goldfish is 15g per fish. If you can get yourself a 30g or better yet a 55g, you can fit 2 just fine or 3-4 for a 55g. LeahK is quite correct in elaborating goldfish are sociable by nature. You wouldn't want a fish sulking in a corner without anybody else to interact with!
Considering lionheads tend to be a little slower as Somervell has already mentioned, you could try another lionhead, pearlscale, celestial, black moor or demekins with them (but only if you are willing to upgrade). All those strains tend to be more sluggish and easily outcompeted for food by the feistier strains with the likes of ryukins.
What test kit do you use? I recommend you use API for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate so you can get accurate readings. This will give you assurance your water conditions are appropriate for the wellbeing of your fish. As for temperature, fancy goldfish prefer their water a bit warmer than most "pond" fish. You could opt to try 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
As far as foods are concerned, yes, I also prefer sinking pellets myself due to the hindrance by floating foods that may cause such as swim bladder disorders but this is more common with strains with more compressed body shape such as pearlscales and I have those myself. If possible, feed the fish slowly as most foods tend to expand inside their stomach which can cause digestive issues to them.
As for your filtration, I'd get the more powerful ones once you upgrade your tank to cope with the wastes they produce. Remember your goldfish is still growing and it is not surprising how big they get as well the amount of poo produced!
If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Welcome Mikey! We're delighted that you (finally!!) decided to join us... and congrats on your new little darling. Your baby lionhead sounds so cute. Do you have any pictures of him yet so we could see him?
As you've seen already from the responses, you should consider this tank really as just a temporary measure and make plans for a very quickly to upgrade as best you can. Ideally, finding room in your home to set up a tank in the 55-75 gallon range would be your best bet. This would give you several stocking options for other goldfish friends to keep with your new lionhead.
Though we recommend a minimum of 15 gallons of water per fancy variety goldfish, the small tank you're using now is really only suitable as a temporary measure as for a hospital or quarantine tank setup when you need to isolate one fish from the others in your (much larger) main tank. This would normally also involve comparatively high maintenance and very close observation on a daily basis (daily/near-daily water changes, for example). The setup you have is also very much underfiltered for goldfish keeping. For the best pricing on large (used) tank setups and equipment, a great source to check on would be your local Craigslist listings.
The ideal temperature range for goldfish is between 70-73 degrees. Definitely avoid temperatures above 75 degrees.
Keep in mind that this very small 2 inch baby goldfish is going to grow very fast and will rapidly outgrow too-small or intermediate sized tank setups very quickly. Since most people aren't going to upgrade their aquariums every few months, the most practical thing to do is set something up that's suitable for your adult sized fish right from the start. Lionheads grow into very large and bulky creatures, attaining a full grown size at around 8-10 inches long. This is a very long-lived fish, as well, when kept under good conditions.
That said, while your baby fish seems to be getting along well with the shrimp you're keeping at the present time, those shrimp will become quite a tasty food source for the lionhead as he gets bigger.
One of the reasons why such a large tank is recommended, besides general stocking requirements, to avoid overcrowding, and to provide adequate space for movement and swimming needs... is that goldfish have very high socializing needs. A single goldfish kept isolated from other goldie friends isn't going to be very happy.
In general, the fancy variety goldfish have much higher temperature needs than do the pond varieties. And regardless of variety, any goldfish kept indoors in an aquarium should be kept within the target range (70-73 degrees) as closely as possible. Somervell, your goldies would be better off at temp that's a few degrees warmer. And for lateinningmagic and MikeyV, do watch that your tank temperatures aren't kept too high.
The metabolism of goldfish is directly dependent upon the temperature of their environment. As a consequence, goldfish kept at temps warmer than 75 degrees for sustained periods will function at a very high metabolism on a continual basis. While these fish in such a state will seem (to us) to be healthy, happy, more active, and more gregarious... this is not a healty state for these fish over the long term. A higher metabolism than is normal for this species can lead to hyperactivity and high stress, disruptions in sleeping and rest periods, higher food intake requirements, digestive problems, a weakened immune system, higher risks for disease, and drastically shorter lifespans.
Good advice given here. It usually takes more like 6-8 weeks for a new tank to be cycled. Be sure to get a realiable liquid water test kit (such as API) so you can monitor your water parameters very closely.
Please let us know about other questions you have, Mikey. And tell us more about your fish! Lionheads are very sweet and very attractive pets! Good luck!
This is a really interesting thread.
Kashta- Thanks for the advice re: temps. Better advice would have been "Somervell, get a working thermometer and wear your glasses when you report temps," but there's no way you could have known that-lol, My tank is actually a little over 70, which explains why I don't have shivering goldies, but I DO have a new thermometer
Anyway, good luck with your little lionhead and welcome to the forum!
Kashta- Thanks for the advice re: temps. Better advice would have been "Somervell, get a working thermometer and wear your glasses when you report temps," but there's no way you could have known that-lol, My tank is actually a little over 70, which explains why I don't have shivering goldies, but I DO have a new thermometer
Anyway, good luck with your little lionhead and welcome to the forum!
Wow!
so much good information here! This is awesome, you guys are so helpful!
I'm posting some quick pictures before class, better ones are sure to follow!
For now, an upgrade won't be possible for a couple months, as I am moving down from chicago to missouri. don't worry tho! My friend has a 30 gallon tank and we are figuring out when she can start cycling it so it will be ready for my lionhead (and maybe a pal!) by August. Until then, I usually do a 10-15% water change every afternoon as part of my getting-home-from-work ritual. My testing kit is API, and the nitrates are around 10 while nitrites have been at zero for a day now and are holding steady. my tank is at 71, and ph is 7.2. He has been at a much more normal level of activity the last couple days, and incredibly social for just a week or two in his new home-he isn;t afraid of my hand at all, and doesn't hesitate to swim right up to the top of the water when im around!
The goldfish i have had in the past have been ryukins, and I wasn't prepared for the sheer adoreableness (a word?) of lionheads!! I could spend hours watching him swim around the tank in his awakward little shimmy =). I'll try to get some better pictures up, my internet at home has been a little iffy the last few days.
So far, I've been referring to it as 'him', but does anyone have any information on sexing lionheads? The store owner told me they were a few months old, so Is it still too early to tell?
PS-the glass shrimp, Jon & Kate, were originally purchased as food, but got lucky, and as they're so inexpensive I don't mind keeping them arouns until the lionhead decides he's grown tired of their companionship...lol how morbid
so much good information here! This is awesome, you guys are so helpful!
I'm posting some quick pictures before class, better ones are sure to follow!
For now, an upgrade won't be possible for a couple months, as I am moving down from chicago to missouri. don't worry tho! My friend has a 30 gallon tank and we are figuring out when she can start cycling it so it will be ready for my lionhead (and maybe a pal!) by August. Until then, I usually do a 10-15% water change every afternoon as part of my getting-home-from-work ritual. My testing kit is API, and the nitrates are around 10 while nitrites have been at zero for a day now and are holding steady. my tank is at 71, and ph is 7.2. He has been at a much more normal level of activity the last couple days, and incredibly social for just a week or two in his new home-he isn;t afraid of my hand at all, and doesn't hesitate to swim right up to the top of the water when im around!
The goldfish i have had in the past have been ryukins, and I wasn't prepared for the sheer adoreableness (a word?) of lionheads!! I could spend hours watching him swim around the tank in his awakward little shimmy =). I'll try to get some better pictures up, my internet at home has been a little iffy the last few days.
So far, I've been referring to it as 'him', but does anyone have any information on sexing lionheads? The store owner told me they were a few months old, so Is it still too early to tell?
PS-the glass shrimp, Jon & Kate, were originally purchased as food, but got lucky, and as they're so inexpensive I don't mind keeping them arouns until the lionhead decides he's grown tired of their companionship...lol how morbid
Lupin
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Sexing goldfish is extremely difficult with juveniles. Wait until your goldfish reach sexual maturity, usually a year old or more wherein males will develop white tubercles (pimples) on their gill covers and frontal pectoral fins whereas females will be noticeably rounder and have a large vent than the male.
We have a thread here for indicating sexes. Check it out.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98145
