Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wen Growth
The wen - the head-growth on an Oranda goldfish - to me, is the reason why Oranda's are so beautiful. Who wouldn't want to squeesh that cute little head when it gets pushed into the palm of your hand looking for food.
What's the best way then to sustain a well developed growth? A higher protein diet fed to a young goldfish in the first 2 years of its life.
Well that's the theory, which i'll be putting to the test and documenting. Of course genetics plays a role in the development of the wen too, in fact, quite a big role. Some goldfish might never develop a wen, while others will need surgery to cut the overly large growth away from their eyes in order for them to see properly (not kidding!).
So, to start the project off, i have obtained photos of my two volunteers:
Contestant No 1: Gabby is a beautiful 8 month old Oranda goldy.
An avid swimmer, she dislikes lazy fishes and fruit. A thin layer
of wen growth can be seen on the top of her head.
Contestant No 2: Franny is a 1 year+ old Calico Oranda. She has a
lovely nature and striking tail. She loves bloodworms, hanging out
and meeting new friends.. uumm.. fishies. Her wen has already
started developing, however, new growth is progressing slowly.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Things to ponder
Fish tanks are for fishes, not decorations. Keep the deco at a minimum, your fishies will be safer and happier that way!
Once your bio-media is on track and your tank is established, don't go poking around too much! The tank will mini-cycle every time. Don't fix what's not broken!
Don't remove too much gravel at one time - bad.. bad idea! You will go through a mini-cycle blip if you do, instead remove a handful or too with each water change.
Once your bio-media is on track and your tank is established, don't go poking around too much! The tank will mini-cycle every time. Don't fix what's not broken!
Don't remove too much gravel at one time - bad.. bad idea! You will go through a mini-cycle blip if you do, instead remove a handful or too with each water change.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
How to disinfect plants
I bought a couple of plants today and thought i would share my experience with disinfecting plants in order to get rid of any unwanted parasites (like Ich that can hitchhike on the little bit of water droplets attached to a plant). Even if the tank you bought the plants from does not contain fish, snails or snail eggs can travel on plants, which in turn, can have parasites.
Required: Potassium Permanganate (PP) - also called Condy Crystals, purchased from most any chemist. Apparently they used PP to disinfect lettuce back in the day :)
To Make A Stock Solution (courtesy my forum at thegab.com):
"Thoroughly wash and dry a 1 liter coke (or other) bottle.
Fill the bottle half full of hot tap water.
Add two and one-half (2-1/2) LEVEL TEAspoons (about 15 grams) of PP to the bottle.
Cap the bottle and shake very well for one minute.
Let the resulting purple-black solution stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Shake occasionally.
Invert the bottle and inspect the bottom and sides for any PP crystals which have not dissolved. Continue shaking until all have dissolved.
Top-off the bottle with additional tap water (hot, cold, warm... no matter) and shake once more to mix.
The resulting "stock solution" contains 15 grams of potassium permanganate per liter (15g/L of KMnO4 or a 1.5% dilution).
Then using that stock solution:
1 ppm = 0.25 mL of stock solution per US Gallon.
Then you use the stock solution at the following doses to get the ppm you want to use.
1 ppm = 0.25 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
2 ppm = 0.50 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
3 ppm = 0.75 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
4 ppm = 1.0 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
5 ppm = 1.25 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
6 ppm = 1.5 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
...
10ppm = 2.5 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
So if you have a 10 gallon tank and want a 3ppm concentration, You'd add 7.5 ml."
I used an 8L plastic bucket, filled it with cold water and added a 5ml concentration to it (since 1US g = about 4L) (tsp used = 0.625ml x 8)
Soak the plants overnight (not just 30 minutes). Drain and add fresh water. Stir in some water conditioner/dechlorinator which will neutralise the PP. Double the dosage on the dechlorinator. Rinse plants again. Add to tank
Required: Potassium Permanganate (PP) - also called Condy Crystals, purchased from most any chemist. Apparently they used PP to disinfect lettuce back in the day :)
To Make A Stock Solution (courtesy my forum at thegab.com):
"Thoroughly wash and dry a 1 liter coke (or other) bottle.
Fill the bottle half full of hot tap water.
Add two and one-half (2-1/2) LEVEL TEAspoons (about 15 grams) of PP to the bottle.
Cap the bottle and shake very well for one minute.
Let the resulting purple-black solution stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Shake occasionally.
Invert the bottle and inspect the bottom and sides for any PP crystals which have not dissolved. Continue shaking until all have dissolved.
Top-off the bottle with additional tap water (hot, cold, warm... no matter) and shake once more to mix.
The resulting "stock solution" contains 15 grams of potassium permanganate per liter (15g/L of KMnO4 or a 1.5% dilution).
Then using that stock solution:
1 ppm = 0.25 mL of stock solution per US Gallon.
Then you use the stock solution at the following doses to get the ppm you want to use.
1 ppm = 0.25 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
2 ppm = 0.50 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
3 ppm = 0.75 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
4 ppm = 1.0 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
5 ppm = 1.25 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
6 ppm = 1.5 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
...
10ppm = 2.5 mL of stock solution per US Gallon
So if you have a 10 gallon tank and want a 3ppm concentration, You'd add 7.5 ml."
I used an 8L plastic bucket, filled it with cold water and added a 5ml concentration to it (since 1US g = about 4L) (tsp used = 0.625ml x 8)
Soak the plants overnight (not just 30 minutes). Drain and add fresh water. Stir in some water conditioner/dechlorinator which will neutralise the PP. Double the dosage on the dechlorinator. Rinse plants again. Add to tank
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Quarantine Blog
This post will be used to document Franny's quarantine process. The plan is to quarantine her for 30 days to observe for any illness. Days flow from newest to oldest.
Acronyms used: NH3 = ammonia, NO2 = nitrIte, NO4 = nitrAte, QT = quarantine tank, WC = water change.
Day 22, 29 July 2008
Made a conscious decision to move Franny from quarantine and into the main tank. This is 8 days short of her intended schedule, i know, but the water parameters are not looking good, even with frequent water changes. B.T.W a high ammonia level is far more dangerous to a fish than any parasite! So there, decision made!
Day 21, 28 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0.5, NO2 = 1
NO4 = 10
20% WC
Keeping those water changes up is all i can do at this stage.
Day 20, 27 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0.5, NO2 = 1
20% WC
Eek! NO2 at 1ppm - that's not good, so i promptly did a water change and added 1tsp of salt /gallon to the tank. Looks like the bio-media in the corner tank is taking a while to catch up.
Tip of the day: once your bio-media is on track and your tank is established, don't go poking around too much! The tank will mini-cycle every time. Don't fix what's not broken :(
Day 16, 23 July 2008
Tank Stats
pH = 7.8, NH3 = 0.25
NO2 = 0.25, NO4 = 10
20% WC
Tank stats on the rise again. No doubt due to the fact that the filter wool was replaced in the main filter. I thought it would be ok considering i have a suspending stocking with gravel hanging over the filter and the corner filter has filter wool in as well. Guess you need all the bugs you can get!
To combat NitrIte build-up, i added 7tsps salt. Another dose of Prazi was also added today to keep up with the scedule.
Dosing Schedule: Day 14 - normal partial water change, then add prazi.
Interesting Observation: the tank is going through some cloudy water stage. This is due to a bacterial bloom (which explains the rise in NH3 and NO2). Once the bio-bugs catch up, the water should clear again. A series of water changes can be performed to help with both the bacterial bloom and the cloudiness, if your tank stats increase.
Day 10, 17 July 2008
Tank Stats
pH = 7.8, NH3 = 0.1
NO2 = 0, NO4 = 10
20% WC
Dosing Schedule: Day 8 -- normal partial water change with vacuuming
A normal partial water change with vacuuming was carried out today. Tank stats looking good. I replaced the filter wool in the main filter as it was very dirty.
Day 9, 16 July 2008
Added another dose of Prazi. Dosing schedule so far as follows:
Day 1 -- remove carbon, perform water change with vacuuming, and add Prazi to tank
Day 2 -- add Prazi
Day 3 -- do nothing
Day 4 -- do nothing
Day 5 -- do nothing
Day 6 -- add Prazi
Day 7 -- add Prazi
Day 5-6, 12-13 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0, NO2 = 0
NO4 = 10
6% WC
Things are going well, cycling is on track again. The 6% WC keeps the water clean from poop, don't want ammonia building up in such a small tank! I added 1tsp of salt back to the 4.5 liters that was taken out.
Day 8, 15 July 2008
Tank Stats
Temp 24.5C or 76F
After waiting 3 days, another dose of Prazi was added to the tank. Did not check tank stats today.
Day 4, 11 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0.1, NO2 = 0.25
Added 2nd dose of Prazi today - 1.1ml + 9 tsps salt, which brings the salt treatment to 0.3%. Franny's dorsal fin was flying high today! She ate well - Kiwi for lunch and 4 pellets for supper.
I also started the 1st dose of Prazi in my main tank, since Vinni and Gabby have not been treated for parasites either. Prazi does not affect your bio-filter, so it is safe to use. The only downside is i had to remove the carbon from the tank.
Day 3, 10 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0.25, NO2 = 0.25
20% WC
Salt treatment = 5tsps salt (2tsps didn't dissolve properly, so will add that tomorrow). Also, with every WC i top up the salt treatment, i.e. if i remove 4.5 liters of water, i add back 1 tsp salt.
Franny didn't seem as active today as yesterday, however she ate well. Fed her 1.5 peas for breakfast, a thin cucumber slice for lunch, and 2 pellets for supper.
Noticed an interesting thing this evening - she pooped out little green pieces of pea - clearly not broken down or absorbed properly. This is usually an indication of a digestive problem caused by intestinal parasites or worms. Treatment = Tremazol or Droncit which contains praziquantel which is exactly what i want to treat her with in the first place.
Tip: always examine your fish poop - as with humans, its a good indication of overall health.
I decided to treat with Tremazol (made by Sera) straight away, by following the Praziquantel instructions on my forum, rather than the pamphlet.
Prazi Treatment, Step 1: remove carbon, perform water change with vacuuming, and add Prazi (2.5 milligrams per liter of water) to tank. For me this works out to 1.1mg in my 32 liter tank.
How i measured: the composition on the bottle says for every 100ml, it contains 7.47g prazi. So, 1ml/100ml x 7.47g = 0.0747g x 1000 (converting from grammes to mg) = 74.7mg. Then, because i need 2.5mg per liter of water, which works out to 80mg (32 x 2.5), i then do my final calculation: 80mg / 74.7 = 1.07ml of prazi to add to the QT. Phew!
Final note: Franny's dorsal fin is a bit down tonight, not much, just a little, hope the worm treatment will help.
Day 2, 9 July 2008
Tank Stats
pH = 7.8, NH3 = 0.25
NO2 = 0.1, NO4 = 10
20% WC
Clearly the ammonia and nitrIte is increasing again - Franny is double the size Gabby is, so the filter media will need time to adjust to the new "load". With that in mind i want to make sure to only feed veggies and to limit the amount of food given until the bio-media catches up. After doing a water change i added a 0.1% solution (1 teaspoon of salt per gallon (4.5 liters)) of salt, dissolved in tank water. The idea is to increase the salt concentration to 0.3% (3 teaspoons of salt per gallon) over 3 days, and then keeping the salt level up for at least 7 days.
Tip: this reduces and eliminates some parasites.
Franny nibbled on my hand during the entire WC process, she's just the cutest, friendliest fishy by far! I gave her 1.5 peas for breakfast, but felt sorry for her during mid afternoon when i was feeding the other guys, she seemed to stare at me and them like she knew they were being fed and she wasn't. Felt so sorry for her that i gave her a tiny piece of the shrimp *blush*. She seems even more active today than yesterday!
Day 1, 8 July 2008 - The Arrival
Tank Stats
pH = 7.8, NH3 = 0
NO2 = 0, NO4 = 10
After arriving home with Franny, i emptied the bag with water into my 8L plastic container. To acclimatise her to my water parameters without inducing severe shock to her immune system, i connected a piece of plastic tubing from my quarantine tank to the plastic container, and allowed the water from QT to slowly drip into the container. After the water in the container tripled, i scooped her out gently with my (clean) hands and placed her in QT.
Tip: this method equalizes all water conditions, including temperature, between the aquarium and shop water.
She started swimming around straight away. I let her be and after a couple of hours fed her 4 Hikari Lionhead sinking pellets. She ate with vigor! After another couple of hours i did not notice any pooping, i then suspected she might be constipated, so i fed her a defrosted raw pea. She seems very active and alert, no signs of bottom-sitting, floating or sinking.
Acronyms used: NH3 = ammonia, NO2 = nitrIte, NO4 = nitrAte, QT = quarantine tank, WC = water change.
Day 22, 29 July 2008
Made a conscious decision to move Franny from quarantine and into the main tank. This is 8 days short of her intended schedule, i know, but the water parameters are not looking good, even with frequent water changes. B.T.W a high ammonia level is far more dangerous to a fish than any parasite! So there, decision made!
Day 21, 28 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0.5, NO2 = 1
NO4 = 10
20% WC
Keeping those water changes up is all i can do at this stage.
Day 20, 27 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0.5, NO2 = 1
20% WC
Eek! NO2 at 1ppm - that's not good, so i promptly did a water change and added 1tsp of salt /gallon to the tank. Looks like the bio-media in the corner tank is taking a while to catch up.
Tip of the day: once your bio-media is on track and your tank is established, don't go poking around too much! The tank will mini-cycle every time. Don't fix what's not broken :(
Day 16, 23 July 2008
Tank Stats
pH = 7.8, NH3 = 0.25
NO2 = 0.25, NO4 = 10
20% WC
Tank stats on the rise again. No doubt due to the fact that the filter wool was replaced in the main filter. I thought it would be ok considering i have a suspending stocking with gravel hanging over the filter and the corner filter has filter wool in as well. Guess you need all the bugs you can get!
To combat NitrIte build-up, i added 7tsps salt. Another dose of Prazi was also added today to keep up with the scedule.
Dosing Schedule: Day 14 - normal partial water change, then add prazi.
Interesting Observation: the tank is going through some cloudy water stage. This is due to a bacterial bloom (which explains the rise in NH3 and NO2). Once the bio-bugs catch up, the water should clear again. A series of water changes can be performed to help with both the bacterial bloom and the cloudiness, if your tank stats increase.
Day 10, 17 July 2008
Tank Stats
pH = 7.8, NH3 = 0.1
NO2 = 0, NO4 = 10
20% WC
Dosing Schedule: Day 8 -- normal partial water change with vacuuming
A normal partial water change with vacuuming was carried out today. Tank stats looking good. I replaced the filter wool in the main filter as it was very dirty.
Day 9, 16 July 2008
Added another dose of Prazi. Dosing schedule so far as follows:
Day 1 -- remove carbon, perform water change with vacuuming, and add Prazi to tank
Day 2 -- add Prazi
Day 3 -- do nothing
Day 4 -- do nothing
Day 5 -- do nothing
Day 6 -- add Prazi
Day 7 -- add Prazi
Day 5-6, 12-13 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0, NO2 = 0
NO4 = 10
6% WC
Things are going well, cycling is on track again. The 6% WC keeps the water clean from poop, don't want ammonia building up in such a small tank! I added 1tsp of salt back to the 4.5 liters that was taken out.
Day 8, 15 July 2008
Tank Stats
Temp 24.5C or 76F
After waiting 3 days, another dose of Prazi was added to the tank. Did not check tank stats today.
Day 4, 11 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0.1, NO2 = 0.25
Added 2nd dose of Prazi today - 1.1ml + 9 tsps salt, which brings the salt treatment to 0.3%. Franny's dorsal fin was flying high today! She ate well - Kiwi for lunch and 4 pellets for supper.
I also started the 1st dose of Prazi in my main tank, since Vinni and Gabby have not been treated for parasites either. Prazi does not affect your bio-filter, so it is safe to use. The only downside is i had to remove the carbon from the tank.
Day 3, 10 July 2008
Tank Stats
NH3 = 0.25, NO2 = 0.25
20% WC
Salt treatment = 5tsps salt (2tsps didn't dissolve properly, so will add that tomorrow). Also, with every WC i top up the salt treatment, i.e. if i remove 4.5 liters of water, i add back 1 tsp salt.
Franny didn't seem as active today as yesterday, however she ate well. Fed her 1.5 peas for breakfast, a thin cucumber slice for lunch, and 2 pellets for supper.
Noticed an interesting thing this evening - she pooped out little green pieces of pea - clearly not broken down or absorbed properly. This is usually an indication of a digestive problem caused by intestinal parasites or worms. Treatment = Tremazol or Droncit which contains praziquantel which is exactly what i want to treat her with in the first place.
Tip: always examine your fish poop - as with humans, its a good indication of overall health.
I decided to treat with Tremazol (made by Sera) straight away, by following the Praziquantel instructions on my forum, rather than the pamphlet.
Prazi Treatment, Step 1: remove carbon, perform water change with vacuuming, and add Prazi (2.5 milligrams per liter of water) to tank. For me this works out to 1.1mg in my 32 liter tank.
How i measured: the composition on the bottle says for every 100ml, it contains 7.47g prazi. So, 1ml/100ml x 7.47g = 0.0747g x 1000 (converting from grammes to mg) = 74.7mg. Then, because i need 2.5mg per liter of water, which works out to 80mg (32 x 2.5), i then do my final calculation: 80mg / 74.7 = 1.07ml of prazi to add to the QT. Phew!
Final note: Franny's dorsal fin is a bit down tonight, not much, just a little, hope the worm treatment will help.
Day 2, 9 July 2008
Tank Stats
pH = 7.8, NH3 = 0.25
NO2 = 0.1, NO4 = 10
20% WC
Clearly the ammonia and nitrIte is increasing again - Franny is double the size Gabby is, so the filter media will need time to adjust to the new "load". With that in mind i want to make sure to only feed veggies and to limit the amount of food given until the bio-media catches up. After doing a water change i added a 0.1% solution (1 teaspoon of salt per gallon (4.5 liters)) of salt, dissolved in tank water. The idea is to increase the salt concentration to 0.3% (3 teaspoons of salt per gallon) over 3 days, and then keeping the salt level up for at least 7 days.
Tip: this reduces and eliminates some parasites.
Franny nibbled on my hand during the entire WC process, she's just the cutest, friendliest fishy by far! I gave her 1.5 peas for breakfast, but felt sorry for her during mid afternoon when i was feeding the other guys, she seemed to stare at me and them like she knew they were being fed and she wasn't. Felt so sorry for her that i gave her a tiny piece of the shrimp *blush*. She seems even more active today than yesterday!
Day 1, 8 July 2008 - The Arrival
Tank Stats
pH = 7.8, NH3 = 0
NO2 = 0, NO4 = 10
After arriving home with Franny, i emptied the bag with water into my 8L plastic container. To acclimatise her to my water parameters without inducing severe shock to her immune system, i connected a piece of plastic tubing from my quarantine tank to the plastic container, and allowed the water from QT to slowly drip into the container. After the water in the container tripled, i scooped her out gently with my (clean) hands and placed her in QT.
Tip: this method equalizes all water conditions, including temperature, between the aquarium and shop water.
She started swimming around straight away. I let her be and after a couple of hours fed her 4 Hikari Lionhead sinking pellets. She ate with vigor! After another couple of hours i did not notice any pooping, i then suspected she might be constipated, so i fed her a defrosted raw pea. She seems very active and alert, no signs of bottom-sitting, floating or sinking.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Francesca
Bought "Franny" today at Pet Masters in Boksburg. What a cutie! She is 7cm (2.75") long, full of freckles with a face any mother can be proud of! She is so friendly she ate right out of my hand!
Just the two of us..
After nearly 3 weeks of quarantine, Gabby finally had a chance to meet Vinni. When they saw each other, Gabby started chasing Vinni straight away. Vinni swam like hell to get away from her, he was so scared! After about an hour, he seemed to calm down and before you knew it, he was chasing her! Needless to say, a couple of nips and bumps later and the two seem to be getting on just fine now :)
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Fin Rot
On 10th June, Vinni showed signs of fin rot. I increased the temperature and added a 0.1% salt solution. Vinni's tail has recovered beautifully in the interim. In light of that, i thought it useful to add a few helpful tips on preventing fin rot/fin loss.
Fin Rot Facts
Very common in new tank setups or when cycling a tank. Harmful toxins such as ammonia and nitrite can affect fish health - causing stress and weakening immune systems - they become less resistant to bacterial infections.
Fin Loss Facts
Can be caused by sharp edges on tank decor, such as rocks, driftwood and plastic plants.
How do you know if your tank decor is too sharp? By running a pair of women's pantyhose over the top of the decor. If the pantyhose rip or snag, you need to either remove the offending items or file down the sharp parts. Using live plants rather than plastic ones will also help.
Check for fin-nipping - when one fish bytes the fins of another. Fins that are nipped by other fish are susceptible to infection!
Keep the water clean - crystal clean. This will help heal the fin very quickly without the need for added medications. A 0.1% salt solution (1tsp/4.5 liters water) will help heal many ailments. This will prevent infections from developing in the first place.
For more information on treating fin rot, click here.
Fin Rot Facts
Very common in new tank setups or when cycling a tank. Harmful toxins such as ammonia and nitrite can affect fish health - causing stress and weakening immune systems - they become less resistant to bacterial infections.
Fin Loss Facts
Can be caused by sharp edges on tank decor, such as rocks, driftwood and plastic plants.
How do you know if your tank decor is too sharp? By running a pair of women's pantyhose over the top of the decor. If the pantyhose rip or snag, you need to either remove the offending items or file down the sharp parts. Using live plants rather than plastic ones will also help.
Check for fin-nipping - when one fish bytes the fins of another. Fins that are nipped by other fish are susceptible to infection!
Keep the water clean - crystal clean. This will help heal the fin very quickly without the need for added medications. A 0.1% salt solution (1tsp/4.5 liters water) will help heal many ailments. This will prevent infections from developing in the first place.
For more information on treating fin rot, click here.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Latest Addition to the Family
Say helloooooo to Gabby! She's a 6 month old (4cm/1.6" without the tail) baby Oranda goldfish - the reason for my addiction :). Got her yesterday from Q&A Reptiles in Cresta. She's as cute as a button!
She's currently in my quarantine tank just to make sure she's not carrying any parasites or anything.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Well, my tank's been up and running for 10 days now. I don't know how, but my ammonia remained very low, never reaching above the 0.25 mark! Great news for little Vinnie no doubt. At first i thought my tank is never going to cycle because aren't you suppose to see ammonia levels rising, which mine wasn't doing at all. Then, to my surprise, i tested the water again yesterday, using my API Mater Test Kit (awesome!) that i bought at this shop in Hillfox - Animal Kingdom. The results were as follows:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0.25
PH = 7.8
Nitrate = 0
Notice the nitrite now rising and the ammonia zero - this means my tank is CYCLING heeehaaa. Don't know how i missed the ammonia spike or why, don't care either! :)
Gonna do a water change this weekend, for the first time, and then salt the tank for nitrite poisoning.
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0.25
PH = 7.8
Nitrate = 0
Notice the nitrite now rising and the ammonia zero - this means my tank is CYCLING heeehaaa
Gonna do a water change this weekend, for the first time, and then salt the tank for nitrite poisoning.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Test Kits
Whatever you do, don't buy test STRIPS. Useless! I paid a fortune for it and its not even accurate grrrr... Off tomorrow to get the drop test kits. Found a great link that allows you to keep an update of your water parameters, especially when cycling your tank. "It has alerts if your readings are toxic or dangerous and also has an overall comparison graph in addition to individual graphs for each of the tests, which could be useful for identifying trends. It updates automatically each time you enter data." Check it out at the bottom of my page under my Links tab. Oh, and here's a pic of my new tank..
You can actually see little Vinnie (Fantail Goldie) in the bottom right-hand corner.
You can actually see little Vinnie (Fantail Goldie) in the bottom right-hand corner.
This is the built-in filter.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
If you're in the Johannesburg area, visit the Kenilworth Aquarium Centre. Mel phoned me on Thursday to let me know my fish tank is ready for collection. It took them 2 days to build! Tanks come with a 2 year guarantee + instructions. The service is excellent and well worth a visit.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The R.O. Water debate
Wasn't sure whether to go for tap water (which contains 0.1mm of nitrites - due to city water no doubt) or Reverse Osmosis water. Turns out i can use the tap water as long as i leave it out for 24hrs, use a water conditioner that gets rid of the nitrites, and perhaps salt it. Phew! having to carry all those bags of water from the car to the flat was not going to be pretty! If i go with RO, i will have to add minerals to the RO water as it has no minerals in it that the fish actually need! So, RO is great for drinking but not great for fishies, while tap water is good for fishies but not good for drinking
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Goldfish Facts
Fishbowls are no-nos
Don't believe me? If you've ever had a goldfish in a fishbowl, ask yourself how long they lived before they died - 3 months tops? Now compare this to an average lifespan of 10+ years. The Guinness Book of World Records cites a goldfish named Tish who lived for 43 years after being won at a fair in England in 1956! mmm.. makes you think doesn't it.
Goldfish need oxygen! Without an airpump or surface movement this will not be possible in a fishbowl.
Goldfish are extremely messy, poop turns into ammonia which is very toxic to them, which in turn turns into nitrite, just as toxic.
Basically, your fish dies swimming around in its own waste, nice!
Give me space
Goldfish can get pretty big, they need space and lots of it. Atleast 37 litres (10 gallons) per fish or the water volume to fish ratio must be about 1cm fish per 1.5 litres of water.
Give me variety!
Goldfish are omnivours they need varied food. Pellets, shrimp, bloodworms, veggies are all good. Peas, oranges, kiwi, cucumber are all examples that can be fed to them.
Don't use a net
A net can damage or even rip-off scales, fins or eyes. Use a plastic container or shallow bowl instead to gently lift the fish from water. You can also use your hands, but be sure to wash it thoroughly with warm water and make sure no soap remains!
Don't believe me? If you've ever had a goldfish in a fishbowl, ask yourself how long they lived before they died - 3 months tops? Now compare this to an average lifespan of 10+ years. The Guinness Book of World Records cites a goldfish named Tish who lived for 43 years after being won at a fair in England in 1956! mmm.. makes you think doesn't it.
Goldfish need oxygen! Without an airpump or surface movement this will not be possible in a fishbowl.
Goldfish are extremely messy, poop turns into ammonia which is very toxic to them, which in turn turns into nitrite, just as toxic.
Basically, your fish dies swimming around in its own waste, nice!
Give me space
Goldfish can get pretty big, they need space and lots of it. Atleast 37 litres (10 gallons) per fish or the water volume to fish ratio must be about 1cm fish per 1.5 litres of water.
Give me variety!
Goldfish are omnivours they need varied food. Pellets, shrimp, bloodworms, veggies are all good. Peas, oranges, kiwi, cucumber are all examples that can be fed to them.
Don't use a net
A net can damage or even rip-off scales, fins or eyes. Use a plastic container or shallow bowl instead to gently lift the fish from water. You can also use your hands, but be sure to wash it thoroughly with warm water and make sure no soap remains!
Getting ready..
My first blog and one of many to come as i prepare myself for my first fish tank arriving on saturday! Lets see..
1. read up about goldfish... check
2. order book from amazon.. check
3. buy water test kits.. must still do
4. read up some more about goldfish.. check
5. partner thinking i've gone off my rocker.. check
6. find post-its with scribbles of what to buy.. check
Phew! who new starting a new hobby could be this exciting.. i''m even having sleepless nights over this :)
1. read up about goldfish... check
2. order book from amazon.. check
3. buy water test kits.. must still do
4. read up some more about goldfish.. check
5. partner thinking i've gone off my rocker.. check
6. find post-its with scribbles of what to buy.. check
Phew! who new starting a new hobby could be this exciting.. i''m even having sleepless nights over this :)
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