Buying fish and a tank

juliebunny

Froglet wrote: »

Julie,you are right in that goldfish need large tanks but wrong about fish dying in the beginning.Yes they do,but only if fishless cycling isn't carried out.And guppies are not hardy,they are so inbred these days that they are quite sensitive.If the tank is set up properly then no fish needs to die,or be a hardy fish just to cycle the tank.

What is fishless cycling? Cycling the tank? Off to google.....I have imagines of Victoria Pendleton in my fish tank now!

I've also got a pond in the garden, I adore the baby froglets. Have hedgehogs too...hope they don't feed on them....:cool:

My new fishies are doing well thankfully. Er not sure if they are cycling, looked more like triathlon

Idiophreak

juliebunny wrote: »

What is fishless cycling?

...the opposite of this?

Froglet

juliebunny wrote: »

What is fishless cycling? Cycling the tank? Off to google.....I have imagines of Victoria Pendleton in my fish tank now!

I've also got a pond in the garden, I adore the baby froglets. Have hedgehogs too...hope they don't feed on them....:cool:

My new fishies are doing well thankfully. Er not sure if they are cycling, looked more like triathlon

I did give a link before, at the beginning of this thread but here it is again,explained very well.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=2491

It is the only humane way these days.Ponds aren't as important as you have a large body of water in them which dilutes the ammonia and nitrate which is so poisonous to fish.

Mankysteve

juliebunny wrote: »

Tropical aquariums are really hard work and once your son (not sure how old he is?) gets bored of it, it will become a bind. Also, they die a lot, especially in the beginning, so start with just a couple of tougher ones (guppy or something.)

You can get some quite pretty cold water fish. I got some yesterday - they have lovely gold tails, are very small, and I enjoy watching them just pootle around (as do the cats - solid lid required!). Most home tanks are NOT big enough for goldfish as they grow so big. Mine are about an inch long. I just keep the filter running and feed them every day, add a few plants for interest and extra food, change some of the water now and then and clean the filter. Low maintenance but nice.

A simple tropical set up is no harder than coldwater fish to keep. The only difference in maintenance is that there a heater put that you set once and then check the temp every so often.

The reason why people loose fish at the start is that they don't fishless cycle then add too many fish.

Larger is better as the tank water chemistry and temperature is more stable and ebay is your friend. So many get fish expect them to be really easy work, don't fish cycle/wash the filter sponges in tap water then wonder why there fish die and give up

juliebunny

Nice to see that people are so passionate about caring for their fishies (although a couple of the posts do feel like we are getting told off by a teacher...;)). It breaks my heart when you see poor goldfish in tiny tanks with NOTHING to do all all day, not even a plant for company.:o

As a vegetarian I can never understand how anyone can eat these gorgeous creatures! And the people who are 'vegetarian but eat fish' !!! :eek: Nothing with a face, that's my rule!

VoucherMan

juliebunny wrote: »

As a vegetarian I can never understand how anyone can eat these gorgeous creatures!

Usually with chips & gravy.

Froglet

juliebunny wrote: »

Nice to see that people are so passionate about caring for their fishies (although a couple of the posts do feel like we are getting told off by a teacher...;)). It breaks my heart when you see poor goldfish in tiny tanks with NOTHING to do all all day, not even a plant for company.:o

As a vegetarian I can never understand how anyone can eat these gorgeous creatures! And the people who are 'vegetarian but eat fish' !!! :eek: Nothing with a face, that's my rule!

I agree with you,Julie.I am a vegetarian also,those who eat fish are not,however much they argue.In my mind it is not so much they have a face but that mostly it is the way they are kept and farmed intensively and also suffer when they are killed.I have been much healthier since becoming a vegetarian 25 years ago.

Regarding goldfish,why shouldn't they have room to swim and a companion,with plants to nibble and hide in? Small tanks and worse still,bowls,mean they are swimming in their own waste as there is generally no room for decent filtration .

Idiophreak

Froglet wrote: »

Regarding goldfish,why shouldn't they have room to swim and a companion,with plants to nibble and hide in? Small tanks and worse still,bowls,mean they are swimming in their own waste as there is generally no room for decent filtration .

But shouldn't the plants really have somewhere nice and spacious that they can grow and prosper without being nibbled by fish?

To be honest, I don't regard a fish as thinking on any higher level than a plant...I kept fish for years and loved them dearly, but honestly find my basil plant I keep at the moment to have just as much personality.

Froglet

Idiophreak wrote: »

But shouldn't the plants really have somewhere nice and spacious that they can grow and prosper without being nibbled by fish?

To be honest, I don't regard a fish as thinking on any higher level than a plant...I kept fish for years and loved them dearly, but honestly find my basil plant I keep at the moment to have just as much personality.

Please tell me you are trying to wind me up and don't seriously believe that?

Otherwise i am inclined to believe you have as much intelligence as a plant! How on earth can you compare a plant being nibbled to a living breathing creature that suffers if not kept in the correct conditions ?

Idiophreak

Froglet wrote: »

Please tell me you are trying to wind me up and don't seriously believe that?

Otherwise i am inclined to believe you have as much intelligence as a plant! How on earth can you compare a plant being nibbled to a living breathing creature that suffers if not kept in the correct conditions ?

Plants live and breathe and I'm not convinced that fish "suffer" in the sense you mean it. I think they "suffer" in the sense that they get sick and die, but I don't believe they're overly aware of that suffering - or at least any moreso than my basil plant is aware that it's "suffering" from some kind of insect infestation and occasional over-watering.

I'm sorry you're inclined to insult me because of this.