# new tank and filter question help



## newfishboy (May 21, 2013)

Hi Guys,

i have just purchased 1 fantail goldfish and a 20 gallon tank. the filter that i have is a qd-1900f and it has a couple of settings of how powerful the water stream can shoot out.


what im not sure about is what settings should i have it on? i dont want the fish to struggle but also want to make sure the pump is doing its job. right now i have it on the very lowest setting but im not sure if thats right?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Turn it up all the way!450L/H is about 100gph or a 5 time turn over.Watch your fish and see if it struggles.If it is having a hard time turn it down a little ,but eventually you'll want it(the filter) to be 100% for your goldd fish.
Enjoy!(Hope you cycled?)


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## newfishboy (May 21, 2013)

coralbandit said:


> Turn it up all the way!450L/H is about 100gph or a 5 time turn over.Watch your fish and see if it struggles.If it is having a hard time turn it down a little ,but eventually you'll want it(the filter) to be 100% for your goldd fish.
> Enjoy!(Hope you cycled?)


thanks for the tip. i had him in a bowl for a week and now moved him i cycled the tank before moving him across.

he seems to enjoy swimming into the current the stronger the current the more often him swims in to it.. is that normal? also to what extent should he be struggling to swim around?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

If he is swimming in it your good.If he is seeking shelter from the current then possibly turn it down a little.


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## newfishboy (May 21, 2013)

coralbandit said:


> If he is swimming in it your good.If he is seeking shelter from the current then possibly turn it down a little.



*i just realized my tank is actually 5 gallons which is 20 liters.. does that change anything?
*
ye he seems to enjoy swimming into it.


do you think i should add a air stone or a tube on the end of the filter to disperse the water? or shall i leave everything how it is?

only thing i think i need is some more ornaments? i have one real plant is that enough?

iv attached a picture if anyone can provide some input?

i think i have positioned the pump in a good spot? or should it be facing the other way long ways/?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ixsiebwx5e1svrq/IMG_20130521_114053.jpg?v=0rw--

any other tips would be great


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Looks good ,but goldfish will quickly out grow the tank you have him in.Make sure you do weekly(if not more often) waterchanges!Tank looks nice.


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## DigitalBuddha (May 25, 2013)

Since your tank is 5 gal not 20 gal you could turn it down a bit, but if your fish is diggin the current then I'd say leave it high. The more filtration the better! 5 gal will likely do alright for a little while depending on how big the fish already is, but you may want to consider jumping up to a 10 or 20 gal down the road. I've had good success with a gold fish in a 10 gallon but some types do get very large, they're cousins of the koi! Got any pictures?

EDIT: Oops I see the pics now, nice, you'll be good in that tank for a bit


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## newfishboy (May 21, 2013)

DigitalBuddha said:


> Since your tank is 5 gal not 20 gal you could turn it down a bit, but if your fish is diggin the current then I'd say leave it high. The more filtration the better! 5 gal will likely do alright for a little while depending on how big the fish already is, but you may want to consider jumping up to a 10 or 20 gal down the road. I've had good success with a gold fish in a 10 gallon but some types do get very large, they're cousins of the koi! Got any pictures?
> 
> EDIT: Oops I see the pics now, nice, you'll be good in that tank for a bit


thanks his really small.

he has been doing some weird things like sitting in the plants for long periods of time without moving i have had the water tested and its come back fine. other times he is very active but then others it looks like he is dead? i have fed him a pea just in case but overall it seems ok?

im not sure if its normal for it to sometimes sit in the corner and not move then others he is swimming into filter and playing swimming really fast

new pic is here https://www.dropbox.com/s/8diym6o038tt9v6/IMG_20130527_203338.jpg?v=0rc-s


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## DigitalBuddha (May 25, 2013)

I remember my gold fish tank, I had two fish in there. A black moor and a little white goldfish. The little white one would act like yours is acting, sitting on the bottom for long periods of time. Eventually that fish started swimming upside down and three days later it died. Good idea treating it for swim bladder with the pea. Maybe you caught it early enough to avoid the same fate as my old fish.


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## newfishboy (May 21, 2013)

DigitalBuddha said:


> I remember my gold fish tank, I had two fish in there. A black moor and a little white goldfish. The little white one would act like yours is acting, sitting on the bottom for long periods of time. Eventually that fish started swimming upside down and three days later it died. Good idea treating it for swim bladder with the pea. Maybe you caught it early enough to avoid the same fate as my old fish.


well iv fed the pea twice now however he still sits hidden behind a plan for long periods of time but then other times his swimming around... its been like this for a week now dont think there is much else i can do now im doing regular water changes had water checked.

could it be that this is just how this fish is? or does it have to indicate something is wrong?


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## DigitalBuddha (May 25, 2013)

Typically the fish should not be as lethargic as yours seems to be, but it could be the personality of this particular guy. I'm not sure if I have the perfect advice for you but perhaps if you put another goldfish in there it will make your current fish more active. If the new fish starts to do the same thing you will know it is something wrong with the water.


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## newfishboy (May 21, 2013)

well finally my fantail has died.. i tried regular partial water changes feeding peas but nothing seemed to help.


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## xmarcox (May 31, 2013)

sad to hear that... but hope this will not discourage you to continue on this hobby.


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## newfishboy (May 21, 2013)

xmarcox said:


> sad to hear that... but hope this will not discourage you to continue on this hobby.


it is quite sad as i tried everything to get it better. but i also believe where i purchased it from had something to do with the end result. 


today i purchased a 1x zebra danio and a sucker fish and in the next week or two i will purchase a few more danios.

hopefully i wont have anymore unforeseen issues and i can enjoy my fish lol.


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## DeJay126 (Apr 22, 2013)

newfishboy said:


> it is quite sad as i tried everything to get it better. but i also believe where i purchased it from had something to do with the end result.
> 
> 
> today i purchased a 1x zebra danio and a sucker fish and in the next week or two i will purchase a few more danios.
> ...


Zebra danios should be held in schools of AT LEAST 4-5. So consider getting at least 4 today. Also, a great source of information for stocking is AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor check it out and it will help you make sure you have enough filtration, aquarium space, and will tell you if you're under or over stocked.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Your tank has only been set up for aprox.2 weeks.Do you have a test kit to check on levels? I'll bet your mid way through cycling with decently high ammonia or nitrite spike? If no test kit then 50% w/c(maybe daily) should be done.Prime(dechlorinator) will convert ammonia to less toxic form so using 2-3 times recommended dose may help your new fish.If you can test please post levels.
Good luck ,and keep the tank running and stocked,you should get out of cycle woes in a couple more weeks.


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## newfishboy (May 21, 2013)

coralbandit said:


> Your tank has only been set up for aprox.2 weeks.Do you have a test kit to check on levels? I'll bet your mid way through cycling with decently high ammonia or nitrite spike? If no test kit then 50% w/c(maybe daily) should be done.Prime(dechlorinator) will convert ammonia to less toxic form so using 2-3 times recommended dose may help your new fish.If you can test please post levels.
> Good luck ,and keep the tank running and stocked,you should get out of cycle woes in a couple more weeks.


i dont have a kit but i took it into the pet store on two occasions to do tests for me and everything was fine and i had been doing 25% water changes every 3 days. i really think i did everything i could of to stop the fish from being dead.

i was also advised that its not a good id ea to put alot of new fish into the tank that is why i only got one danio and in a week or two was told to purchase the rest.. is that not correct?


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## DeJay126 (Apr 22, 2013)

If you cycled using the fishless cycle, you would be fine to add them all at once. If you're doing the "fish in" cycle then yes, you need to stock slowly.


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## henningc (Apr 17, 2013)

Is the tank cycled? If not YIKES! If the tank is not cycled you will need to go heavy on carbon and speed up the flow. I would also buy a cheap cornor filter of media bag and fill it full of carbon. Make sure to rinse carbon in declorehed water before adding to tank. Actually if that is the case post back or email me.

If the tank has been cycled, then the water must turn over at a rate of no less than 4 times per hour. Keep in mind goldfish come with a huge bio-load. If you just want a gold fish to speed up cycling that is great, but as a first fish in an uncycled tank, well not so great.
[email protected]


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

newfishboy said:


> i dont have a kit but i took it into the pet store on two occasions to do tests for me and everything was fine and i had been doing 25% water changes every 3 days. i really think i did everything i could of to stop the fish from being dead.
> 
> i was also advised that its not a good id ea to put alot of new fish into the tank that is why i only got one danio and in a week or two was told to purchase the rest.. is that not correct?


You were told correctly.Keep one fish,for the next week then add another or two.Go slow so filter can grow with the fish.
I don't think carbon is necessary if you keep up on your waterchanges.


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