Fresh-Water Newbie

[King]

just got a 55gal freshwater setup, haven't had an aquarium since i was an early teen, wish me luck LOL.. it came with a huge pleco, 2 angel fish, 2 big gold fish, and some little small fish. i plan on getting more fish and putting a background on the tank and a different light. doesnt look bad for just finishing setting it up 2hrs ago.

 

[pompeydaz]

Did you do a fishless cycle? If not enjoy plenty of water changes everyday for the next month or so.

 

[Randi]

Sorry to disappoint, but that tank sounds like trouble. Goldfish are coldwater fish while angels and plecos are tropicals. Also, be prepared for your pleco to get over a foot long. I know the tank came with the fish, but I think you'll have to take some back to the fish store.

 

[KittyKat]

And be prepared for the goldfish to get over 1 ft too.

So, here are the steps you should take..
1) set the water temperature to 18 C (it is a compromise for both species)
2) get a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH
3) read the beginners resource centre
4) decide if you want to go coldwater or tropical
5) sell or swap the fish you decide to *not* keep

 

[King]

thank you for the advice. i have to go to the store today and buy some things. i bought this from a family that was moving, they have had all of these fish in here together for years apparently, i also noticed once i got home that they do not even have a thermometer or any means of controlling the water temp! i guess it was just whatever temp their house was, so that tells me these fish are resilient lol. they gave me all of their supplies and im not seeing any kind of "test mediums" either. i drained 3/4 of the water for transport then refilled 1 gallon at a time over a few hours with a suitable temp water with conditioner in it. i dont really care about the gold fish personally but i would like them to live whether i keep them or not, they are about fist sized right now. i am researching fish also, i plan to get a couple more big plecos, and i like the "columbian sharks", they look cool and get big but havent studied up on them. just got this thing yesterday so i know i have my work cutout for me. a good friend of mine told me this was the site to be on when i started my tank so here i am

this has 2 big whisper filters and they had them both on one side, should they be one on each side??

 

[Rynofasho]

This sounds like danger already. For a 55 gallon, I would definitely rehome a common plec. You can get plenty of species of plec that stay 4-6". Also, Angels should have a heater and the goldfish do sound a bit out of place.

 

[KittyKat]

thank you for the advice. i have to go to the store today and buy some things. i bought this from a family that was moving, they have had all of these fish in here together for years apparently, i also noticed once i got home that they do not even have a thermometer or any means of controlling the water temp! i guess it was just whatever temp their house was, so that tells me these fish are resilient lol.

Either that, or the family managed to already kill of plenty of other fish before. Things like incorrect temperature tend to shorten the life span of the fish, sometimes by years, and make them more susceptible to diseases.

i dont really care about the gold fish personally but i would like them to live whether i keep them or not, they are about fist sized right now.

Then, your best option would be to try and find someone with a large enough tank or a pond (if you do not live anywhere particularly cold) which will take the goldfish. Advertise them on here and a few other places maybe?

i am researching fish also, i plan to get a couple more big plecos, and i like the "columbian sharks", they look cool and get big but havent studied up on them. just got this thing yesterday so i know i have my work cutout for me. a good friend of mine told me this was the site to be on when i started my tank so here i am

24" and 40", respectively. You've got your work cut out for you, as you say, and have fun getting a tank bit enough for them! I will envy you, when you do.. I've only just made it to 5 ft, two months ago, and that took me 16 odd years >.<

this has 2 big whisper filters and they had them both on one side, should they be one on each side??

However you like, experiment with what gives you best surface movement and circulation.

 

[King]

i figured the angels needed a more constant temp but they are big and seem healthy and have been in there forever. i am going to get a thermo/heater prob today. also why get rid of this pleco? i dont really care about the gold fish, and i noticed one of them has some scales missing and that kind worries me. but everything seems healthy/happy in there. so far, so good. like i said i am new to this and taking in everyones input because you all have way more experience. i have to research fish and their temp/PH/temperment to get this where i want it. i have been looking at alot of different stuff but not gonna "jump" into throwing a bunch of random fish in here. i want it to be a beautiful, healthy, tank if i can make this one work out properly then in the future i would like to get a bigger one.

if i do end up getting rid of any of these fish what should i do with them? i want them to live and be healthy, id hate to have them get traumatized or messed up and end up dying. judging by the size i would say they are pretty old already. they are about as big as a womans fist. the pleco is prob 7-8" long and pretty fat. the angels are about as big as the palm of a womans hand. seeing how these people cared for their tank and just threw random fish in here im surprised how well they have done lol.

 

[King]

thanks Kat, i am still researching everything. my tank is 4' long, its just a 55gal but one day id like to do a 150gal and put it in the wall separating 2 rooms. i am buying land and building a new house in the next couple years. figured this one would get me prepared. they might have killed fish by not knowing anything but the ones that ARE IN THERE are pretty big lol. who knows. but i want to make it a healthy environment for them. thats why i am here! i love all animals and dont want to see even fish suffer

also what about the gold fish that has scales missing? is this bad or normal? i dont want any of the fish to get sick..

 

[KittyKat]

Scales are probably missing because fish fight sometimes.

4 ft tank is perfectly fine for the size fish you have.

Hand measurement.. confusing! Angels look about 15cm tall, including fins, which is small.. but if you meant body is palm sized, then that's a nice size.

OP mentioned common pleco (is yours a common?) because they are tank busters, they grow to 2 ft and can smash the glass if they get spooked.

Generally, the best option is to find another experienced fishkeeper via a local club or a forum, or someone whose tanks you know are well looked after. Goldfish are much harder to get rid of though, than anything else, because unless you live somewhere which doesn't freeze over winter, they will need to live indoors.. and indoors means a 5-6*2*2 ft tank, which most people don't dedicate to coldwater fish.

 

[King]

i live in VA so i cant just dump them in a pond. i think the angels bodies are about as big as big around as a womans palm. they arent MASSIVE but they are bigger than alot of them i have seen. im not hung up on keeping them either honestly. im not sure what the pleco is, i will have to catch him out tonight and take a pic for you.

 

[KittyKat]

Think about the angels, they are lovely fish.. and the two you have do look healthy from the outside.

 

[King]

im still planning what to do. reading up on temps, PH, and aggressiveness of different fish. so far despite what i read on various sites about them everyone on here shoots down every fish i talk about. apparently according to "fishforums.net" users nothing can co-habitate in the same tank LOLOL..

 

[KittyKat]

Oh dear, what have you been asking about? ..I can only imagine that happening if you want only large and aggressive fish..

 

[KittyKat]

Ok, I can see their point. There are reasons you are getting shouted down and all of those fish are fine on their own, but not combined. You might want to consider something like..
* 1* 10" pleco (they are quite territorial) or 3-5 smaller plecos
* 2* angels
* 20-30 tetras or something like that, of one species
* 2m 4f swordtails
* some snails, although snails could be a problem with plecos

Snails pretty much must have pH over 7.5, which the angels and tetras won't like.. so if you go for snails, I would recommend rasboras and a pair of keyholes instead. Clams and lobsters are not cool with fish. Clams propagate in a parasitic way, lobsters will eat fish. Any large fish (plecos kinda excluded), will eat any small fish.