having no gravel is safer and easier to clean. goldfish will eat any live plants you put in, but there are fake plants that have a weighted down
bottom that you can get at walmart for like 4 something for a 3 pack. and
you need to do waterchanges every week not every 2 weeks. test your water regularly for ammonia nitrite nitrate and it would be better if you cycled
the tank before you got fish
http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html you can use store bought ammonia (make sure it doesnt have any fragrances or stuff added to it)
instead of using fish.

"Syadwad Jain" <jain.61@osu.edu> wrote in message news:cmdkl2$jq1$1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu...

Hi,
I have been reading the group for quite a while, but haven't posted
anything yet. So here it goes:
I have a 20 gallon tank which is replacing my 10 gallon. I am also
acquiring couple of golf fish. So, i wanted to know if I should keep
gravel or not? If not, how am i going to plant it? Also, is there any special care to be taken except like water changes every 2 weeks.
Any suggestions would be useful.
Thanks
SJ

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"Syadwad Jain" <jain.61@osu.edu> wrote in message news:cmdkl2$jq1$1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu...

Hi,
I have been reading the group for quite a while, but haven't posted
anything yet. So here it goes:
I have a 20 gallon tank which is replacing my 10 gallon. I am also

acquiring

couple of golf fish. So, i wanted to know if I should keep gravel or not?

If

not, how am i going to plant it? Also, is there any special care to be

taken

except like water changes every 2 weeks.
Any suggestions would be useful.

http://puregold.aquaria.net/pg/care/care1.htm#essentials


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/goldfish.htm
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* RIMEGate(tm)V10.2ß * RelayNet(tm) NNTP Gateway * MoonDog BBS
* RgateImp.MoonDog.BBS at 11/4/04 9:58:03 PM
* Origin: MoonDog BBS, Brooklyn,NY, 718 692-2498, 1:278/230 (1:278/230)

Syadwad Jain wrote:

Hi,
I have been reading the group for quite a while, but haven't posted
anything yet. So here it goes:
I have a 20 gallon tank which is replacing my 10 gallon. I am also acquiring couple of golf fish. So, i wanted to know if I should keep gravel or not? If not, how am i going to plant it? Also, is there any special care to be taken except like water changes every 2 weeks.
Any suggestions would be useful.
Thanks
SJ

SJ,

You want to be doing about 25% water changes per WEEK, but
it really depends how high your nitrates go, I always do
a 25-40% change every week, no matter how low the nitrate
levels may be.

I'd advise against gravel as goldies tend to suck them in and
can get them stuck (and even die from swallowing them).
Use some pots to plant and put large stones to hold them in.

For my tank I have a few large pebble stones just to give it
a good look, its much easier cleaning than with gravel too.
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* RIMEGate(tm)V10.2ß * RelayNet(tm) NNTP Gateway * MoonDog BBS
* RgateImp.MoonDog.BBS at 11/5/04 7:43:15 AM
* Origin: MoonDog BBS, Brooklyn,NY, 718 692-2498, 1:278/230 (1:278/230)

Howdy,

OK, #1, I would not recommend more than two goldfish in the 20 gallon tank.
It is said that for every inch of fish, you should have one gallon of water. However, when it comes to goldfish, they typically say 10 gallons per fish.

The reason for this is because goldfish are seen as 'dirty' fish and produce
A LOT of waste. Because of this, you may have some issues with water
clarity and algae breakouts.

Regarding keeping gravel or not, since you are a 'beginner' I'm assuming, I would say to not put in any rock. If you want to put in a few big 2-6" sized-rocks, that would be fine. The reason I say not to use gravel is
because all of the fish crap and extra food will get caught down in the
rocks and make it hard to get. Goldfish will also like the idea of not
having gravel because any uneaten food that falls to the bottom, they can easily suck up and eat.

Water Changes.... when you do water changes, make sure you get a siphon and
run it along the bottom very good to pick up fish waste and any uneaten
food. This is the #1 problem in goldfish tanks; this stuff stays down there and causes algae and other problems in the water. You will want to change,
on average, about 20%, or around 5 gallons of water every week.

Lastly, there is an aquarium 'cycling' period which can be up to 8 weeks.
This sets up your biological filter as it is called. With goldfish, I would HIGHLY recommend that you purchase the Penguin 170 in your 20 gallon tank
that has a Bio-Wheel. This Bio-wheel will host all of the good bacteria
that will remove nutrients from the water. Again, it takes about 8 weeks
for this filter to setup.

If you ever tear down your aquarium and clean it good, make sure that you
put the bio-wheel in a small container of dechlorinated water so that at
least some of the bacteria will stay alive and you don't have to start the 8-week cycle all over again.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

Brian S.
"Syadwad Jain" <jain.61@osu.edu> wrote in message news:cmdkl2$jq1$1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu...

Hi,
I have been reading the group for quite a while, but haven't posted
anything yet. So here it goes:
I have a 20 gallon tank which is replacing my 10 gallon. I am also

acquiring

couple of golf fish. So, i wanted to know if I should keep gravel or not?

If

not, how am i going to plant it? Also, is there any special care to be

taken

except like water changes every 2 weeks.
Any suggestions would be useful.
Thanks
SJ

---
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* RIMEGate(tm)V10.2ß * RelayNet(tm) NNTP Gateway * MoonDog BBS
* RgateImp.MoonDog.BBS at 11/6/04 9:58:52 PM
* Origin: MoonDog BBS, Brooklyn,NY, 718 692-2498, 1:278/230 (1:278/230)

I have gravel in my 10 gallon with my goldfish (she's still quite young). A lot of people swear by bare bottom tanks for goldfish, etc. It's really a matter of personal preference. Sand is rather hard to clean, so I like
gravel. However, goldfish don't do too well with live plants (or so I read). Seems they get a little onery (esp later on) with their tank and tear it all up to their liking anyway. You'll want to cycle it, etc... nothing different than the 10 gallon I would think. Just keep an eye on levels and be really careful about overstocking w/goldfish. If you don't have anything else in there though, you should be fine.

~Elizabeth


"Syadwad Jain" <jain.61@osu.edu> wrote in message news:cmdkl2$jq1$1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu...

Hi,
I have been reading the group for quite a while, but haven't posted
anything yet. So here it goes:
I have a 20 gallon tank which is replacing my 10 gallon. I am also
acquiring couple of golf fish. So, i wanted to know if I should keep
gravel or not? If not, how am i going to plant it? Also, is there any special care to be taken except like water changes every 2 weeks.
Any suggestions would be useful.
Thanks
SJ

---
■ RIMEGate(tm)/RGXPost V1.14 at BBSWORLD * Info@bbsworld.com

---
* RIMEGate(tm)V10.2ß * RelayNet(tm) NNTP Gateway * MoonDog BBS
* RgateImp.MoonDog.BBS at 11/7/04 10:02:21 PM
* Origin: MoonDog BBS, Brooklyn,NY, 718 692-2498, 1:278/230 (1:278/230)