what to use in my filter

J

JoeHemey

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Jan 1, 2003
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i keep hearing you dont need the carbon in the filter is it ok if i just use the sponge and thats it i have three things in there now the sponge carbon and something else......and my heater make my water to hot even when its on the lowest setting its a 50w on a 10 gallon tank and about how long do i have before my fantail goldfish get to big for my tank they are about 1 1/2 inches long now.......i have never done any test like nitrate and all that what are the most important to tests to do.....any help is appreciated thanks all so far so good though on the tank it got cloudy for a couple days now its clear but white stuff is everywhere........and is the product cycle any good or important......thanx!!!!!:confused:
 
Hello.

For starters, you don't need that heater with a goldfish. Goldfish prefer much colder water than what you are getting. You probably risk BOILING the darn thing :)

Seriously though, take the heater out PRONTO.

The carbon filters garbage out, so I personally would leave that in too. Especially with goldfish. They tend to produce a lot of poo. I am not sure of the ratio of goldfish to gallons. Someone else will help you there. Actually, you may want to try the coldwater forum for a better answer on all this. SOrry I am rambling but it's awful late.

Test for ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites, Nitrates, Ph. Water should be changed about 20% every week to keep it clean.

Good Luck!

DrD
 
Ok....I have read that with fancy goldfish it helps to keep desease away by using a heater. And I have always used them. You'll have to check on the correct temps. I had Orandas before I went tropical. I gave them to my sister. I kept my temps at 78. Buy a new heater...throw that one away. I have a "Proquactics"....instead of adjusting the heat with a light it has a red line that moves and you adjust it from that. Also old heaters will get bad sometimes. The "Sponge" not only is better way to go eco wise but it is more "Money Wise" to use also. Since all you have to do is take it out and rinse it well. It lasts a long long time. I rinse mine out and scrub it together to clean it. I too used those cartridges at first. And got tired of buying them. Make sure the sponge is bigger than the cartidge area....so it'll stay. Also...if you have problems finding the right size it can be cut. Carbon they say draw out meds, bad stuff, etc. Some are for it some are not. I use it. And it is also more money wise to buy a box of carbon and put it in a lil nylon net baggie......I bought a box of carbon {which will last me forever} and a little net baggie I saw at my lfs. Put some carbon in it and stick it in the water in the power filter. I just rinse it from time to time. 1/4 water change weekly as you vacuum. Re-adding water same temp as tank water. Adding a little Non-Iodized table salt helps also. Or aquarium salt from your lfs. I buy Morton's non iodized salt. You don't keep adding it after the first time...... Help stops "desease" and "nitrate problems". Never feed gold fish dry foods. Pre-wet them first so that you don't get swim bladder desease. Plus don't overfeed them..... Here's a good site....for goldfish info....

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/toc.html

Good luck!

:)
 
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Two things -

1. I'm not sure of the reasoning behind using salt with goldfish
2. Iodised or non-iodised is irrelevant.
 
Many fish are sensitive to iodine, so yes, Iodized/non-iodized is important.

Also, I will disagree about only adding the salt once, and never again. If you're going to use salt in your tank, you'll have to add it back periodically. Water changes (not adding water, which is just topping off the tank, but actually taking water out and replacing it) dilute out the salt over time. Every few months it is a good idea to add more, if you want to keep salt in your tank. I don't think it's anything more than personal preference to do so, however. Salt is a good partner with medications, but I've not seen a difference in the livelihood of my fish with salt versus without. There are trace amounts of electrolytes (usually salt) in tap water to begin with, unless you use distilled water (and who could afford to...besides, it's not good for your fish unless it's the ONLY alternative to non-potable water).

As far as heaters go, if you have a goldie-only tank, take the heater out. You're just wasting watts. They don't require heat (unless your house just gets SUPER cold at night or something). Room temperature suits them beautifully, although they will do okay in warmer environments.

Oh, carbon is a personal choice as well. I use it to clear meds, when I first start a tank (to clear any chems from the water).... Activated carbon is only active for a day or two, but after that it serves as a good bacterial farm, so leaving it in is not a bad idea (unless you're treating your fish for something, carbon will still pull some chemicals even if it's not still fizzy and active...)

Lots of good questions!

Hope this helps!

PS: the warmer water will make your fish grow faster, so you'll have to get a bigger tank soon if you keep the heater going. They'll outgrow it in less than a year as it stands, if all goes well...
 
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Many fish are sensitive to iodine, so yes, Iodized/non-iodized is important.
Click to expand...

No it isn't. Which fish? What studies found the levels of iodine present in the levels of salt used in freshwater aquaria were toxic to them?

It's a myth, and I'm fed up with its apparent refusal to disappear. It's even refuted in the very document Twilight references.
 
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