switching tank from goldfish to...??

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kelley

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We had goldfish...now we have an empty tank, and we'd like to get small fish that won't grow anymore. What do I need to do to get this tank ready for new fish? Filter change? Completely scrub the rocks, etc? If so, what would I use to clean it all?
I'm guessing after cleaning it I would need to cycle the tank and wait, right? Do I get rid of the old filter guts and put in brand-new?

Thanks...and I hope I put this post in the right area!

kelley
 
If the media has dried, it won't contain the beneficial bacteria any longer, so replacing it will prevent the introduction of waste. Ditto for substrate--though a good cleaning would also work, just be a PITA. The tank will need to be cycled before adding fish.

Otherwise, the filter itself should be fine to use, as should other decorations. I'd clean the tank with oxyclean-safe for fish, easy to rinse out.

Any ideas for the fish yet?
 
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My tank is a whopping ten gallons...I know:( ...everytime I get ready to upgrade, something major happens..this time it's a $1700 expander for my kids jaw! ouch..anyway, we love fish but felt awful watching our goldfish get bigger and bigger in the 10g. We just gave them up for adoption:) to a really cool fish store.

The water is still in the tank- just turned it all off. I haven't touched anything as I was waiting for you all to give me words of wisdom.

Fish?? I dunno! That's where we'd like some help. Something that doesn't get huge or produce massive amounts of ammonia!!

Suggestions??

Thanks! Kelley
 
Yeah, Goldfish definately weren't good for such a tank. It's good that you had the knowledge to know they needed a better home...if only more fishkeepers were like you. ;)

Anyway, your tank is going to need to be recycled since everything is turned off and there is no source of ammonia. Do that first, and then we can talk serious fish!

Here are some links to fishless cycling:
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/startover/fishless.shtml

http://www.fish-disease.com/articles.htm

And as for fish...you have many options. Livebearers always seem to do well, and are generally hardy fish. Swortails, platies, mollies, or even guppies if you so wish to keep them. They would all work.

Danios would be cool....you could have a nice school in there.

As for a bottom level fish, corydoras always work provided the tank is regularly kept up and not overstocked.

You have many options. :)
 
okay, now I'm really confused!

Okay...so turning off the tank was bad::confused:

I have to admit that after reading the link you posted, I'm a bit overwhelmed with what exactly I need to do. I think my brain does well with really direct instructions. I'm not about to pee in the tank:)! Ha!!! That was funny, though...

Is there some post-it or whatever that says:

Take "..." much water out
Rinse plants, rocks etc...in " "
Add " " much of " " chemical.
Change the filter pad??
Run the filter, etc...for " " many days.
Temp. should be " "

Add fish after "x" amount of days.:)

Also- do I need the undergravel filter?! Will the one filter I have be sufficient? There isn't a whole lotta space left up on top of the tank to stick anything else!

The only chemical I own is that generic stuff you dump (a teaspoon per 10 gallons) to rid tap water of stuff that can mess with fish.

I really have read as many posts as I possibly can on cycling and all that, and I hate to admit that it still overwhelms me! I don't know if it's all the chemical levels mentioned, or how much opinions vary....??

again, thanks for the help and putting up with my stupidity!

By the way..the fish we gave up was the "take home birthday party fish" from last summer. The little guy got up to nearly four inches long!
 
Unfortunately, there is no simple answer that works for everyone, because there is such variety in the FW world.

Here is what *I* would do in your situation, but it's just my personal opinion, and I won't get upset if you or anyone else disagrees.

1) Drain all of the water out, remove gravel into a collander, remove decorations.
2) Wash thoroughly gravel under warm tap water. Rinse decorations, and clean using an old toothbrush to get off tougher stains. If the water is not working well enough, I would use a mild mixture of warm water and oxyclean. Never use soap on aquarium products.
3) Empty out filter, clean the inside of the intake tubes and near the impeller. Throw out the old media, start with a fresh packet. Do not use carbon in your filter, although it is good to have on hand for removing medicine if your fish get sick.
4) Rinse everything again. Rinse, rinse, and rinse some more! Then add everything back to your tank and fill with water. Set heater to desired level, depending on what fish you want (75*F is a good average temp).
5) Start filter.

From this point on, your two best options would be the fishless cycle or BioSpira. There is a lot about these two subjects on this forum, use the search feature and read the Stickies.

After cycling, begin to add fish. I think 1 male platy, 2 females platies and 3 small cories would be wonderful, but that part is really up to you.

Edit: I forgot, don't forget to add water conditioner! Kind of an important step!
 
one last question...I think...why leave out the charcoal in the filter?! Do I just stick the baggie that holds it in there? Huh...you got me on this one.

Kelley

but other than that, thank you for being really clear!
 
Charcoal is not necessary 95% of the time. It is only effective for a few days, after which the carbon has absorbed all that it ever will. This means that if you wanted active carbon in your filter all the time, you would be changing it about every week (and disturbing the good bacteria in your filter as a consequence).

The only time you ever really need carbon is when you need to remove medicine or chemicals from the water. Otherwise it is an expensive gimmick that the filter companies use to get you to spend more money.

It's the same way with filter cartridges. They can last indefinitely, but the companies want you to believe you must buy new filter media every month. Just rinse it out in non-chlorinated water (this preserves the bacteria in the filter media) when it gets gunked up.
 
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