So many times i see people that go to the store and buy a goldfish and a "goldfish bowl" for their kid. they put a handful of rocks in the bottom, pour in some water, plop the fish in and expect to feed it once a day and it will be just fine.
But the next day, the fish is dead and the kid is in tears. All in all, that's just not a good situation, FOR ANYONE.
They come to me, and ask me why their fish is dead. So, let me explain:
1) WATER CONDITIONER. Many people have city water, which means it goes through a water treating plant, and they put lots of chemicals in it to kill/remove any living stuff in the water. well if it has stuff in it that kills off living things, why wouldnt you expect it to kill your fish? using water conditioner will get usually take care of that, and its readily available at any place that fish are sold. sometimes they're called "dechlorinators"
2)POTENTIAL SIZE. Most common 25cent goldfish will reach almost a foot long, assuming they are healthy and dont die first. Yes, those little tiny 1 inch fish will get that big if they're healthy. Beleive it or not, a 12 inch fish will NOT fit in that little tiny fishbowl. "Yeah well, I heard that fish only grow to the size of their environment" Yes, thats partially true. However, its mainly just the outsides of a fish that stop growing when the tank or bowl has gotten to small. The organs of the fish at least TRY to keep getting bigger. the result is a slow painful death. Usually beginners hear that there should be a maximum of "one inch of fish per gallon of water", but thats not entirely accurate. First of all, when this statement is made, it is referring to ADULT SIZE (which for a common 25cent 1inch long comet goldfish would be about 12 adult inches to 12 gallons)But think of it this way. i know some people that are over 6 feet tall, and i know some people that are 5 feet tall. How can i look at a random baby in a nursery and say "That kid is gonna grow up to be 5ft 8 inches tall." Each individual is different, just like with fish. Its better to overestimate how big the fish might get to be than to underestimate. Regardless, the term "Goldfish bowl" is a lie. Secondly, it doesnt take into account the temperament of the fish. Once again, we can compare this to humans. Some people like small busy spaces, city life, apartment living. Others, like huge open spaces, farms, pastures where your closest neighbor is a mile away. Some people like "loafing around" while others are more active and athletic. And, there's everything in between. Similarly, there is a broad range in the activity levels, as well as what my sister likes to call "grumpy levels" of fish. Fortunately with fish, we can pretty well predict the temperament of a fish depending on the kind.
3) WASTE. Tell me where is the bathroom in a fishbowl?ANSWER: EVERYWHERE. this is one of the main reasons fish die. Beginner fish owners somehow expect that all of that waste matter will just dissapear into thin air. Actually, more often than not, the subject of waste never even crosses their minds. Unfortunately, waste matter does not dissappear into thin air, there has to be some way of getting rid of the wastes in the water. For one, there needs to be filtration for any kind of fish, usually for anytank under 60 gallons a HOB "hang on back" filter is perfectly fine, just be sure to read the labels to make sure you have the right filter for the size of tank you're using. However, there needs to also be something in the tank that will absorb or "EAT" the fish waste products, and turn them into something less toxic. This is where things get complicated, unfortunately, the complicated part is also the most important.
It's called the Nitrogen cycle. To put it simply, its the "food chain" in your fishtank. A fish eats fishfood, lets say for the sake of simplicity, the fish eats plants. the result of that is fishwaste. the main ingredient in fish waste is ammonia, and the only way to get rid of ammonia is to EITHER spend lots of money on ammonia detoxyfiers that get put in a tank once a day or more in very small doses, (trust me, this is a PAIN on both the fish, the personal life, and the wallet. no one in their right mind would/should do this) OR to establish good bacteria colonies that will eat the ammonia (but not hurt your fish)
FANTASTIC! You've gotten the correct size tank, and filled it with conditioned water and now we have a way of cleaning up after messy fish! except one thing: how do we get this "nitrogen cycle" started?
the process of getting it started is called "Cycling"
There are basically 3 methods of cycling.
1) FISHY CYCLING (the usual way) - you buy a few small "feeder" goldfish for 12 cents or so. and let them swim around in the tank and release their waste products (ammonia)into the tank. also, you get some gravel, or filter material, or some other porous thing out of an already established tank (one that has been up for a long time, preferably without any diseased fish in it)and you put that stuff in the new tank because it has the bacteria that will "eat" the ammonia. However, since the bacteria is not completely established, it takes a while for it to "kick in" so to speak, and start "eating" a significant amount of ammonia. As a result, the ammonia levels get dangerously high, and can kill some if not all of the fish. those that survive the cycling process will not live their full expected life span (which in goldfish is about 10 years). Everytime you add a fish after this point, you should only do one every week or two until you're reached ful capacity, this way, the bacteria can get used to the new amount of fishwaste it has to eat (this is called the bioload). THE FISHY CYCLE PROCESS TAKES 4 TO 6 WEEKS ON AVERAGE
2) FISHLESS CYCLING (my personal favorite) - Basically, instead of cycling the tank with fish in it, you cycle it BEFORE you put any fish in it. this means no dead or shortlived fish. But since there are no fish in it, the ammonia has to come from some other source, which means you get to put it in there. The positive sides are:
A fishless cycle allows for the development of beneficial bacteria colonies without exposing fish to the toxic levels of ammonia and nitrites common in a cycling tank. (see link above for details) In addition, you can usually put all of your fish in at once in stead of one at a time.
THE FISHLESS CYCLE TAKES TWO WEEKS OR MORE ON AVERAGE
3) SILENT CYCLING (for PLANTED aquariums) - THIS METHOD IS FOR PLANTED AQUARIUMS ONLY. Meaning, plants are free rooted in the aquarium substrate (not in pots or similarly fashioned containers)I havent had a chance to try this method, but it seems to be very effective if you're willing to keep up with the effort it takes to keep plants in an aquarium alive and healthy. This method basically begins by putting plants in the aquarium wait a day or so for the plants to get "really hungry" and for their roots to start spreading out. Then add fertilizers evey day to get the plant healthy and growing well, then when you put your fish in, the plants will suck the ammonia right out of the water!
THE SILENT CYCLE TAKES JUST OVER 2 WEEKS
Soft water: Water that has a very low calcium and mag- nesium content (water hardness)
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How could anyone find fish so interesting?
