I'm a noob with lots of fish!

35 posts • Page 1 of 4

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


Stampede
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:30 pm

I'm a noob with lots of fish!

by Stampede

So here'es the deal. I just recently bought a house with a "pond" in the back yard filled with fish. It's really just a hole in the ground that has a liner and about 4 inches of fish poop and debris along the bottom. The hole itself holds somewhere around 600+ gallons of water.
Initially I was thinking that I would remove the fish temporarily and redo this monstronsity by using researched info and some trial and error, but have recently decided to scrap the whole thing. I did however borrow a 55 gallon tank already, so I decided to move the fish and ready the whole for a nice filling of dirt :).
So, I started three days ago by setting up the tank (I'll have to get specs on gear when I get home from work). I waited a day after I treated the water before I ventured out back with my net and bucket. Long story short; I moved three fish into the tank for a "trial" period to make sure they didn't die, and they lived!
So last night I went out back and caught the remaining 14 fish and moved them into the tank. Today, everything still seems to be ok....other than the fact that I have what is probably a hugely over populated tank filled with what I'm thinking are koi ranging in size from around 6" - 2". I could be wrong, but then again I really don't know what the heck I'm talking about.
Anyway, hello all, and here are some pics!
a770f-fish2.jpg
45fd3-fish3.jpg
8148a-fish.jpg


natalie265
Site Admin
 
Posts: 746
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

by natalie265

Oh boy. You should have cycled your tank before moving all of the fish into it. If you haven't read up on cycling, i suggest you do so. You will need a kit to test your water parameters. Without any beneficial bacteria, in what i am assuming is your brand new filter, your ammonia etc will quickly skyrocket in that over stocked tank. Meanwhile, you should be doing large, frequent (like daily) water changes. Whether those are goldfish or koi, they will get too big for your tank. Too bad the pond didn't work out. That would have been the best place for them. Best of luck to you!


Stampede
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:30 pm

by Stampede

.....so I guess those are pictures of my soon to be dead fish.....If anything I guess its better that they die in clear water rather than the cesspool of feces they were getting ready to die in out back.

I guess I moved a little too quick in trying to get them out before it got too cold. I had gone to my local pet store, which apparently was my first mistake, and they advised me to buy some water conditioner, bio-boost agent, and aquarium salt....follow the directions, wait a bit, and voila you have a fish tank.

After reading the section on this site about cycling I guess I'm in for a fun couple of weeks.....figures. Try to save some fish just to end up killing them.

I have a question about water changes though. Am i to basically just remove up to 50% of the water and just putting back fresh without any type of conditioning. Like, if I already used conditioner, bio-boost, and whatever the hell this salt is....do i need to reapply? Or do i just refill with tap water and let the filter do the rest??

I had no idea things were going to get this complicated....I should have stayed in an apartment. :(


Stampede
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:30 pm

by Stampede

So in checking out some other threads I realize that I'm a little late to the party. I'll just browse some of the other threads and hope for the best.


esparzar1
 
Posts: 164
Joined: Fri Jan 30, 2009 5:31 pm

by esparzar1

Stampede,

Although you should have "cycled" your tank first, you still might be in luck. Usually the one exception to cycling a fish tank are goldfish. If fact, some people will actually use goldfish to cycle their tanks. I'm not saying your fish will survive but you might be able to keep those fish alive if you do the water changes. Goldfish are very, very hardy fish (hence, that's why some people will keep them in ponds) I would still take natalies advice with the water changes and test kit! Don't give up just yet, hopefully everything will turn out okay. Let us know what happens


Stampede
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:30 pm

by Stampede

Thanks to you both for the insight. I will keep you posted for sure esparzar. I really hope this works out for me and the fish. It's only been a couple of days, but it feels therapeutic already. I'm thinking this could grow to be a really cool hobby for me and possibly the family. Thanks again!


Stampede
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:30 pm

by Stampede

Did a 50% water change last night. Added some plastic plants. Went hunting for drift wood along the banks of the Ohio river with my 3 year old. I'll probably give it 2 days or so, and then I'll take a water sample up to the local shop for a reading. I haven't bought a test kit for myself yet....need to pay some bills first. Fish seem to be cool so far......we'll see *crosses fingers*


natalie265
Site Admin
 
Posts: 746
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

by natalie265

Glad you are taking an interest in the hobby that was sort of thrust upon you. Congratulations on the new house, btw.

I agree with esparzar that goldfish are very forgiving, sometimes to their own detriment. This is also why they are often kept in unfilter bowls. They might do okay if you're diligent with the water changes.

You should add water conditioner to all new water being added to the tank. As for bio-boost, from what i've heard it's pretty useless. Some people swear by salt, some people think it's pointless. I'm in the pointless camp, but to each his own.


Stampede
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:30 pm

by Stampede

Thanks natalie. I added conditioner to all of the new water, as well as salt, but I didn't let it sit for very long at all. From what I've gathered some people let the water sit anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple of days to let the conditioner do its thing.....I was a little impatient and craving beer that I couldn't buy so I just mixed the stuff up in a bucket and dumped it in.

I did add salt to each 5 gallon bucket as well....1 tablespoon per. I can see this becoming kind of expensive so maybe I will hold off on that addition.

The fish were a little freaked out by my fumbling around with the water change, but they really seemed to dig the minimal plastic growth. I hope to be able to build something up as cool as I've seen on this site eventually.

I have a pretty good feeling that as long as I can keep up with the water changes and all that jazz, that these fish might just make it. I'll post some pictures of the hole in my back yard to give an idea of what they lived through for the last 5 or 6 years. It's amazing they all don't have three eyes and little wrinkled legs.

I guess the plan now is to run some wire channel across my ceiling and to the back of the tank (I have outlets on the ceiling in my basement), keep changing water every couple of days, learn how to make driftwood sink, and talk my wife into letting me buy another tank so I can seperate my population somewhat. This time I will attempt to learn the cycling process. I saw a nice 55 gallon starter kit at petsmart that seems to be ok....I already have a stand that I can use for it. Or maybe I'll go with a 20 gallon for the practice.

Oh yeah....I have an aquaclear 70 power filter for this tank....I read that its recommended to have 10x the gph filtration, so I guess I'll buy another one of those and get it going while I'm at it.

Lots to do and learn, but I'm a busy body that has nothing to do at night when my son goes to sleep....so I might as well do something productive instead of getting drunk and playing my xbox!


christofrontosa
 
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:41 pm

by christofrontosa

i would stick to just 15 to 20 percent water changes probably once or twice a week. you have to remember by cycling your tank you are adding beneficial bacteria. removing 50 percent of the water is just to much. will it kill your fish? probably not. but your best bet is small frequent water changes with a good cleaning once a month. less work for you to. just one mans opinion. i have 10 aquariums going and this is what i have done for years with great success .good luck

I'm a noob with lots of fish!

35 posts • Page 1 of 4

1234
Display posts from previous: Sort by: