NEWBIE COMIN THROUGH

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SchauS

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 28, 2008
9
0
0
canada
ok guys, im sort of new to fish keeping and have 2x 4inch orscars, 3 goldfish that live with them(around 2.5-3 inches) and a pleco(5 inches)

they are in a 20 gallon tank (will be upgraded soon)

gravel : natural substrate
filtration : whisper power filter 20, and an elite 802 air pump
decorations : 2x 12inch plastic weeds, driftwood, and a few rocks

what i feed them : goldfish (sometimes), shrimp, cichlid gold medium sized pellets, rosy reds, lettace, the odd mealworm

the tank is always dirty, as i have heard oscars are messy, but this is REALLY messy,


also, i was wondering if i can change my substrate to sand, just because it looks nicer and im assuming it will be easier to maintain
 
ceeej31

ceeej31

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Feb 13, 2008
4,256
17
68
31
New England
:welcome:
for the fish you have i would say that your upgrade will need to be atleast 75 gallons
 
S

SchauS

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 28, 2008
9
0
0
canada
yah thats around what i was planning on, the downside though, im only 16 and my mom doesn't really want me to have a big tank, cuz my room isn't all that big, and with a 13 year old brother and some friends who are out of control if i put it anywhere else in the house it would probably end up getting smashed, im gonna see what i can do though
 
S

SchauS

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 28, 2008
9
0
0
canada
oh, well with 900 gallons you must not be short of any space, im gonna keep trying though, and my question about the sand, do u think it would be better?
 
C

cmoazz

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 24, 2008
110
0
0
Homestead, FL
Im new here but I made the same mistake. I dont think anything matters in that small of a tank, theyre natural waste is going to dirty that tank up in no time. If you cant get a bigger tank I suggest you get rid of the fish, your water quality must be horrible in there.

As far as your question goes, sand isnt going to make it cleaner. You need to probably do daily water changes and treat the water very well, even then... with a 20g and all those fish I doubt it helps.
 
S

SchauS

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 28, 2008
9
0
0
canada
but i don't entirely know if it will work out, but for 1 oscar does the tank really have to be 50 gallons or can i have like a 35 or 40?
 
B

benito1188

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 22, 2008
411
0
0
los angeles, california
im in the same process of looking for a bigger tank. i dont look for gallons, i check the measurements. since im also not really able to get a big tank cause of the space i have, im looking for the widest length my space can accomodate, and look for a tall tank. ex. you can get a 36x21ish which is a 40-50ish gal, or you can get a 36x29ish which is a 70. know what i mean?

and sand looks alot cooler
 
soggysandwich

soggysandwich

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jun 28, 2006
1,688
0
66
34
Chicago, IL
few suggestions. with 2 oscars the smallest tank i would get would be about 100gal. 75 is good for 1 oscar. i had my oscar in a 75 and he still looked cramped. as far as sand, with sand the waste tends to stay on top of the sand instead of sinking into it like it does with gravel. so i just suggest upgrading your filter and getting a much bigger tank. the amount of waste being produced by 2 goldfish is more than that filter can handle. and you have 3 goldfish, 2 oscars, which need a 55g tank minimum each, and a pleco. so yeah, your best bet is getting a bigger tank asap or getting rid of the fish till you can get a bigger tank. but in the mean time upgrade your filter. i would add a aqua clear 30 or something bigger.
 
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