It's been a long time since I last fooled around with aquariums. I noticed that the fish in my poppop's pond have spawned a lot of babies, and given the condition of his health, I'm not sure how much longer that pond will be cared for by our family. We've raised fish from his pond (Goldfish by the way) in aquariums before, but it's been a long time.

He has a rather large aquarium he gave me just for this purpose, and I'm about to set it up, but I'm not really sure what I ought to do with respect to the filter, or even transporting some of the fish from the pond to the aquarium (My house is about a mile from his house).

The filter he gave me is called a "Biolife" but beyond that I'm not sure how it works, and he can't remember where the manual is.

Furthermore, how many fish can I fit? I'm not sure how many gallons the aquarium is, but it's 26"x16x12. I also have an additional 10-gallon one which I know how to operate.

 

 

I think thats a 20 gallon tank, it's not a standard size..

 

http://www.hagen.com/pdf/aquatic/FluvalBioLife.pdf

 

Transporting fish... use the pond water and use a large clear bag.. those large food twisty tie bags from the grocery store work well.. fill it half way leaving the other half for air and tie the bag.. you need air in the bag! i wouldn;t even worry about 1 mile, i routinely used to transport them in 30minute incremints this way with no issues. size of the fish determins how many to put in the bag, i would do no more then 1 fish if they are over 4in. when you put them in the new tank... puncture the bag at the water line and place it in the aquarium and let the fish acclimate to the new water for a few hours.. the pond water will also bring into your aquarium all the good bacteria needed and will cut down on tank cycling.

 

Need to be careful with the bioload in the tank.. typically aim for every inch of fish = 1 gallon... so you could safely use a totaly of 20inch of fish.. if the fish are 2inches each you could have 10 in the tank... but this isnt always the case.. depending on if you have live plants in the tank and other factors. The best idea is to undershoot the amount of fish you want to end up with... so go with a low number at first, if you go for max load before you have enough beneficial bacteria you will have too much toxic waste.. once it's cycled the bacteria will be pletiful to convert all that waste into usable nitrogen which is not harmful in moderate levels..

 

A properly set up aquarium requires little maintenance. I clean my tank once a year and filter every 6 months, and replace water as needed. It's all about balance, before the tank was cycled properly i was cleaning it every other month, and doing water changes every month.

Also be known, as the water gets "conditioned" in a new tank...you will lose some fish. 

I've never messed with live plants before honestly. How do you get living plants in there? I used to read about a lot of this stuff, but it's been years and I forget all about it honestly.

 

As for the filter, it's been unused for a while, so i have no clue if the bacteria in it are good, or even how to work it. I may try and get another one, but don't want to break the bank if I don't have to. Any recommendations on good filters?

if you are only moving the fish a mile then just put them in a bucket and move them and be done with it. The important thing is to have the tank you are moving them to ready to go that means cycled to the load that you are about to put in the tank.

 

The filter is the most important part of the system. If the filter is the one that is in the manual that was linked above then it is most likely plenty of filtration for a 20g tank. When I used to set up Gold fish tanks an under gravel filter or even a small internal box filter was all that was used, now this was a long time ago and things have change in the aquarium hobby, but for Goldfish it's pretty straight forward.

 

If these fish are coming out of an established pond or tank or bowl it doesn't matter you need to get some of the bacterial filtration out of the existing tank and put it in the new one. There are a few ways to do this but that depends on the existing setup, what type of filtration does the existing system have on it? If it has some sort of canister filter or external on it I would open it up and take a piece of the existing mechanical filtration out and put it in the new filter. The mechanical filtration could be filter bag, floss, bio-balls you won't know until you open it up or you can take some water out of the existing setup for the new setup.

 

Once you have a piece of the bio filter from the existing tank you can put it in the stage 2 compartment of the new filter. There are no set rules on how many fish you can put in a tank it depends on how much you feed, what type of fish and how well you maintain the tank. I wouldn't mess around with live plants in a 20gal tank you need to have the proper lighting for them and they can be harder to keep than the fish. You need to get an ammonia test kit for fresh water and make sure you never have any ammonia in the tank after the initial cycle and if ammonia is present you need to change water with clean ammonia free water (about 2 gals at a time depending on levels).

 

I used to run an aquarium maintenance company many years ago and worked in pet shops when I was younger. I have had many different tanks over the years. I have had two different 90g reef tanks both with ozone, Co2 wet/dry filters. protein skimmers every gadget that was available 20 years ago. I have had small 30 gal seahorse and invert tanks and up to 180gal marine fish tanks. I have maintained tanks over 300g for customers. The hardest tank I have ever had to work on was a 30gal freshwater plant tank that had a clay substrate and Co2 injected into it.

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You just need to plan your steps and get as much biological filtration from the existing tank as possible without hurting the existing tank. You can take the aquarium hobby to the extremes or just enough to keep a few fish alive so you can have a stress free environment for them and you. I find watching fish very peaceful!! So good luck with the proper steps you will have no issues.

 

 

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/converter/volume-calculator.php

The filters don't even come with bacteria. U can buy it seperate but the pond water will have enough to get a good colony started. The filter just gives them a place to grow. Live plants are simple, a couple small plants will cut down on nitrogen and increase oxygen in the water. You just need a light but u should have one anyway with or with out plants. You don't even need many plants. For filters, fluval is a good brand, and the more gph the better. U want to cycle the water at least once an hour, so min 20gph, but I would do something around 40 or 60.

My buddy is really good with aquariums, so he helped me figure out how to set the filter up. It's working quite well now.

 

He Also showed me what stuff to get to de-chlorinate tap water, as well as get it started. I'm not 100% sure how to introduce bacterial colonies from the pond to the new tank, I was thinking I'd just add water from the pond into my tank.

 

My friend also suggested getting 10 cheap feeder fish and putting them into the tank to get it started. So those are swimming around in there now. He claims they'll likely die off, but so far they seem to be doing pretty well, so I'm not sure what to do with those fish when I move the pond-fish in. He also suggested getting a catfish and ONE (he stressed one) snail later on. I know he's done very well with his salt-water tanks in the past, so I figure he'll be able to help with the freshwater one I have.

Also, currently I have nothing in my tank in the way of shelter, or whatever. Any guys know of any cool little structures to put  in? Maybe a little battle-ship looking thing?

 

Careful with goldfish-varieties.  They tend to make a mess and you'll need to vacuum the bottom more often than with a Cichlid or Community fish, inch for inch.  I wouldn't put too many in such a small tank.

 

If you go to PetSmart or any local fish store (becoming rarer by the week), they will have a test kit to check the Ammonia level, and they'll have some plants and fake hiding structures and such.

 

The bait fish you have in there will establish the right bacteria, just give it some time and run the test kit.

 

You can find a nice large tank on Craigslist from time to time for really cheap.  That little tank will be too small once your pond fish grow up.

 

Planting is an interesting art.  I've had a number of live plants over the years.  The problem is some of my fish would strip the plants bare in a day or two, and then the special grow-bulb would just encourage algae to grow on everything like a carpet.  I gave up on the concept.

I'm interested in getting more into having fish/larger tank. My kids each got a fish. My youngest got a regular goldfish and a small bowl. Her's died after about 4 months. The bowl needed cleaning every 5-7 days. After the fish died we were told goldfish ARE NOT a good starter fish. We were told you really need a 5 gallon tank for 1 fish.

 

My oldest daighter got a Beta fish. She has a small square tank. Not sure what size but def larger than the 1 gallon bowl the goldfish was in. The Beta fish is much cleaner, has lasted over a year now and I only clean the tank about once every 2-3 weeks.

 

Neither tank has a filter. I would like to get a larger tank and have a few different fish. The Beta fish is beautiful but from the little reading I've done they don't get along with many other fish. Two males in the same tank will attack and kill each other.

 

Any good sites anyone can recommend with good information for the novice? I need to start searching Craigslist for tanks and stands.

Fish tanks are fun but can become addictive. I always liked Xiphophorus species -- swordtails and platys. Started one tank with wild green swordtails that I ordered from a guy in Texas who catches them in the Yucatan. Then I got some pygmy swords from the same guy for a 2nd 20 gallon tank. Then I got a third tank for montezuma swords. Then a fourth tank for some other subspecies I forget. All except for the pygs bred quite prolifically, so before I knew it I was spending 2-3 hours a day on this hobby. Aside from cleaning, vacuuming, changing water, replacing dead plants, I was feeding them home-grown brine shrimp (when babies were present) and other exotic foods. I frequently had to give a bunch of fish away. Luckily a local shop eagerly traded supplies for my exotic swordtails. 

 

Eventually it overwhelmed me and I got rid of everything. Was thinking of perhaps getting one 20-gallon tank for my attic office...just one.

Newt,  I bought a pair of what they called Blood Parrot fish when the local store had them on sale.  I put them in my 55-gallon tank with some other smaller varieties.  In the dead of night, they would eat the other fish whole.  I can't imagine where else they would go in a tank with a full lid.  Eventually, I decided to stop buying more fish.  The female eventually died, but the male is still going after many years.  He is pretty large now and bites your arm hard if you reach in to adjust the filter or some such.  Leaves a bloody wound like a piranha.

 

I'll just let him live until...  before restocking the tank.  I also have a Convict in there who hides in the holes.  I see him come out to feed once in a great while.

 

In the beginning,  I had a thriving community of barbs, gouramis and other species.  Then I found out the hard way that some need salty water and others die in that environment.  And the algae eaters are mostly useless.

Can't you just eat them? I pay over $30 a year for a fishing license and they always goat me into the trout stamp even though I never trout fish.

My wife hates trout for some reason, probably because it's one of the few "brand" fish that I like. So no trout stamp this year or last. In fact no license at all because I don't know what I'm doing.

 

If I had to feed my family on the basis of my fishing skills you'd have read about us in the NY Post long ago. On the obituary page.

 

This autumn I will definitely learn to fish like an f-ing man. 

My poppop just passed last Saturday. He has a 55 gallon in his basement, but I don't think I have the space for it. (Actually, I do, but since I'm still a live-at-home college student, I don't think my mom would like such a large tank lol). 

 

I used to be pretty good with them, but I forgot all the stuff I know. So far only one of the baitfish has died, but I think the water quality is bad. It's becoming cloudy. I added some plants from my grandfather's pond into it, and a fellow biology major friend of mine who runs something like 6 tanks has some plants for me. (He harvests species he knows are hardy from local ponds and things, he's had good luck with them). So I'll probably try putting them in Monday. I need to figure out what would be a good "Clean-up fish" to help keep stuff clean. My friend got that filter running, but I'm not 100% sure where to put in the activated carbon packet in order to clear the water. It's aerating it pretty well though, and does seem to create a good water flow.

 

Oh, and for a fish-hide, I bought a sunken battleship haha. I thought it would look cooler than the standard "Fish tank castle" you see.

I had good luck cleaning cloudy water with a 3-part filter - basically a plastic tray that holds a course sponge as one layer, plus a second layer with a charcoal mesh baggie in the middle, and then another mesh baggie that holds some white rock material.  All in all, it handled a high fish load with an owner who hated actually vacuuming the muck from the bottom.  I think it was an aquaclear brand sized for up to a 60-gallon tank.  Sort of a pain to run out and buy more of the various baggie units pretty often.

 

Now I use something like this one and it keeps the water crystal clean and doesn't need much cleaning:

 

http://www.petsmart.com/fish/filters/marineland-penguin-350b-power-filter-zid36-5089892/cat-36-catid-300088;pgid=3jh0cDFn5R5SRpeGkJSCB38m0000c3CR1UbR;sid=I2SQu5zbaySmu8jMdtTTv6zRZhjHqdmndHZCWNrg?_t=pfm%3Dcategory

Yeah, it seemed to be a temporary bacterial bloom. It's since cleared up nicely. Now I'm trying to figure out what plants, another structure, and what other creatures i ought to put in to the ecosystem.

My friend who runs a lot of tanks has some plants, it's just a matter of getting them from him.

 

But I think I need some detritus eaters, and maybe some other stuff in there to help the community. Not sure what to go with though.

If you want I have a bunch of marine grade activated carbon that will clear that tank with no problem. I have no use for it and you are welcome to it. I am near CJ and will be shooting the 3 gun match at OB on the 28th if you want it.

 

All you need to do is pass water through the carbon so put it in the filter and let it run. You could do a 20% water change just make sure you let the water sit over night and get it to the right ph before you do. A;so I wouldn't put anything else in the tank until you get the water straight.

Yeah, it seemed to be a temporary bacterial bloom. It's since cleared up nicely. Now I'm trying to figure out what plants, another structure, and what other creatures i ought to put in to the ecosystem.

My friend who runs a lot of tanks has some plants, it's just a matter of getting them from him.

 

But I think I need some detritus eaters, and maybe some other stuff in there to help the community. Not sure what to go with though.

 

I tried Plecos (they look like catfish), which are billed as algae eaters until they get fairly large and then stop doing their job for some reason.  But even when small and eating constantly, they couldn't keep up with the mess that the plant grow light encouraged.  I suppose more of them would have made a difference, but the S. American Cichlids found them to be a tasty meal in the dark of night.

There was another one I tried that seemed to work pretty hard, although I can't recall the name...a long skinny guy sold in the community fish section at Petsmart.

I tried Plecos (they look like catfish), which are billed as algae eaters until they get fairly large and then stop doing their job for some reason.  But even when small and eating constantly, they couldn't keep up with the mess that the plant grow light encouraged.  I suppose more of them would have made a difference, but the S. American Cichlids found them to be a tasty meal in the dark of night.

There was another one I tried that seemed to work pretty hard, although I can't recall the name...a long skinny guy sold in the community fish section at Petsmart.

Long skinny guy? An Algae Eater?

 

I remember I had an algae eater that worked great, until one of my goldfish ate him. That was years ago. That goldfish got huge, and eventually I just put it in my poppop's pond because it kept eating everything.

 

I also was wondering, what would you guys recommend to clean out the gravel? I think my poppop left me a device, but i'm not sure if that's what it is (or how it works), basically looks like a tube with a cloth-sack attached to the side.

They sell the plastic tube vacuum at any pet store.  The way I do it is to grab a Home Depot bucket (you know, the orange ones) or any 5 gallon clean paint bucket.  Put it on the floor next to the tank stand.  Then put the tube into the water and make it go up and down a few times to get the suction going.  Once the water reaches the skinny exit hose, the water will gravity flow into your bucket.  Then you suction as much of the bottom as you can until the bucket is getting full.  Stop the flow by removing the plastic tube end and dump the dirty water outside or in a sink.

Then repeat until you think all of the gravel is more or less cleaned.  And of course add back fresh water using a chlorine killer if you are using a normal sink to fill the bucket (the treatment is a capfull of liquid per 5 gallons and neutralizes the normal tapwater chlorine if you have city water in the house.

 

These simple tubes are designed to suck up the fluffy old fish poo while letting the heavier gravel sink back down.