Hi! I need some stocking help!

[Hollandthebetta]

Hi I am new to this forum and I need a bit of stocking help ( I also need some advice on my friends fish but we will get to that later ) So I currently have 6 very small comet goldfish in a 10 gallon tank, I recently had to put one down because of dropsy. I don't really want to keep my goldfish anymore and I want to get something that does not produce as much ammonia and is more colorful. I would like some ideas on some good fish to keep in the tank. I don't want saltwater fish, angelfish, redfin sharks, or rummy nosed tetras ( because I have not had good experience with them. I used to had a redfin shark named deadpool who jumped out of the quarantine tank he was in, I had 2 rummy nosed tetras who got stuck in the filter and died, and an angelfish who died from stress of moving him to a new tank. So if you have any ideas I would love to hear them! Now on to my friends fish, she has....I think 8 goldfish, a 5 inch long suckerfish, and a 3 inch long redfin shark all in a 5 gallon tank, at one point she had two of her biggest goldfish in a 1.5 gallon tank with no filter...I keep telling her that she needs to get a betta, or something that does not grow to be the size of a koi...she keeps telling me I don't know what I am talking about and I need to leave her alone so I did until she got her brother a .5 gallon little bowl thingie with a goldfish and one the same size for her sister with an adult betta and 2 fake plants that take up half of the space in the little bowl...every time she does water changes, she takes all the water out of the 5g and just scoops the goldfish out of the bowl that she puts them in while changing water back into the tank. I really need some advice to give to her that will make her get rid of the goldfish! I know this was super long but I wanted to be as detailed as I could so bye!!

 

[Byron]

Welcome to TFF.

I am going to dismiss your friend's issue very briefly; none of those bowls or tanks are anywhere near sufficient size for one goldfish. Her 5 gallon tank is to be honest fish cruelty. End of that.

Your 10 gallon tank is very small for fish, and obviously the six comet goldfish need to have a much larger tank, but you appear to be doing that by finding them a new home, very good. There are some small-size fish that will work in a 10g, but first we need to know the water parameters of your source water.

Parameters refers to the GH (general or total hardness) and pH; there is also KH (carbonate hardness or Alkalinity) but we can skip that for now. And temperature is the fourth parameter but that is easily controlled once we know the fish species to be in the tank. The GH and pH of your tap water is what you need to know, so check the website of your municipal water authority if you are on city water.

Goldfish can manage with more adaptability than many tropical fish, and the small species suited to this small of a tank will often be wild caught so the parameters can be very important.

 

[Hollandthebetta]

Welcome to TFF.

I am going to dismiss your friend's issue very briefly; none of those bowls or tanks are anywhere near sufficient size for one goldfish. Her 5 gallon tank is to be honest fish cruelty. End of that.

Your 10 gallon tank is very small for fish, and obviously the six comet goldfish need to have a much larger tank, but you appear to be doing that by finding them a new home, very good. There are some small-size fish that will work in a 10g, but first we need to know the water parameters of your source water.

Parameters refers to the GH (general or total hardness) and pH; there is also KH (carbonate hardness or Alkalinity) but we can skip that for now. And temperature is the fourth parameter but that is easily controlled once we know the fish species to be in the tank. The GH and pH of your tap water is what you need to know, so check the website of your municipal water authority if you are on city water.

Goldfish can manage with more adaptability than many tropical fish, and the small species suited to this small of a tank will often be wild caught so the parameters can be very important.

Yes, that is why I am finding them a new home I know that the 10g is way to small even for them being very small. I don't have a test kit nor the money to buy one so what could I do to get it tested?

 

[Byron]

Yes, that is why I am finding them a new home I know that the 10g is way to small even for them being very small. I don't have a test kit nor the money to buy one so what could I do to get it tested?

See if your water authority has a website; many do, and data can include the GH and pH. Or call them. You want the general hardness, with the measurement unit they use (there are many). And the pH. The source water parameters will not normally change much if at all in the aquarium. The pH might lower, depending what the GH is.

 

[Hollandthebetta]

See if your water authority has a website; many do, and data can include the GH and pH. Or call them. You want the general hardness, with the measurement unit they use (there are many). And the pH. The source water parameters will not normally change much if at all in the aquarium. The pH might lower, depending what the GH is.

I have found their website but I cannot find the parameters, here is a link if you want to look
https://www.catoosautility.com/

 

[Byron]

I have found their website but I cannot find the parameters, here is a link if you want to look
https://www.catoosautility.com/

I found the report, but it does not include GH, Alkalinity or pH. They are primarily concerned with toxic substances. They do mention nitrate being near zero, so that is worth knowing. You will have to call them; there is a contact name on that report.

 

[Hollandthebetta]

I found the report, but it does not include GH, Alkalinity or pH. They are primarily concerned with toxic substances. They do mention nitrate being near zero, so that is worth knowing. You will have to call them; there is a contact name on that report, here's the direct link:
http://www.gemgrp.com/eReports/CNGA004464-1Y18.pdf

Ok

 

[Discus-Tang]

How about you get the API Master Freshwater test kit and the API GH/KH kit to test your water. Some good stocking ideas could include:

A single betta
Ember or green neon tetras
Asian Stone catfish (not with bettas)
Shrimp/Snails (you'd probably need a TDS meter)
Killifish
CPDs
ADFs (probably not with bettas)
Sparkling Gourami (definitely not with bettas)

There's a bunch of other options, but most of these ones should be pretty easy to handle.

 

[Hollandthebetta]

How about you get the API Master Freshwater test kit and the API GH/KH kit to test your water. Some good stocking ideas could include:

A single betta
Ember or green neon tetras
Asian Stone catfish (not with bettas)
Shrimp/Snails (you'd probably need a TDS meter)
Killifish
CPDs
ADFs (probably not with bettas)
Sparkling Gourami (definitely not with bettas)

There's a bunch of other options, but most of these ones should be pretty easy to handle.

What is a TDS meter, CPD and an ADF? I dont really want a betta because I already have one (as you can see in my profile pic)

 

[trash.binh91]

What is a TDS meter, CPD and an ADF? I dont really want a betta because I already have one (as you can see in my profile pic)

A CPD is a Celestial Pearl Danio, also known as a Galaxy Rasbora, and an ADF is an African Dwarf Frog.

 

[Hollandthebetta]

A CPD is a Celestial Pearl Danio, also known as a Galaxy Rasbora, and an ADF is an African Dwarf Frog.

Oh lol thx, I don't think I can get a frog tho....sadly, I might just get a few newts!!

 

[seangee]

What about shrimp?

 

[Hollandthebetta]

What about shrimp?

I might get some of those and aquascape the tank...

 

[Discus-Tang]

A TDS meter measures the level of total dissolved solids in the tank.