heuring@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU (10/17/85)
I don't keep goldfish but can verify that you shouldn't need a heater to keep them. The price of $40 for a 5 gallon setup doesn't seem too out of line with what I would expect to pay for one here but then I'm not sure what all it includes. Assuming this is your first aquarium I would suspect you would want the following items: o the tank. o gravel. o some sort of filter (this may or may not require an air pump). o a hood. (not always necessary but probably a good thing for a beginner to have) o somplace to put the aquarium or a stand. o miscelaneous articles ( food, ornaments, plants, etc...) The goldfish that die so quickly were probably "feeder" and not "breeder" goldfish, these are usually not terribly healthy fish and that explains why they usually live shorter lives. I would also suggest that you check out 10 gallon tanks, these are approximately the same price as 5's in my area (in fact they are cheaper at some stores). Hope this helped, Jerry Heuring
agg@mhuxm.UUCP (gross a g) (10/18/85)
> "Fancier" fish are many times NOT as hardy as the "common" variety. > When a new trait appears, you may only have a few fish with that > trait to use as breeders. You may find that you are passing > down undesirable traits along with the new traits to the following > generations. Keeping a variety strong is one of the challenges of > breeding fish for new traits. > > Some varieties of goldfish have their own special problems. Long > fins and bubble eyes are easier to damage and thus more prone to > infection. > > Don't let this discourage you from buying fancy goldfish, but don't > spend the extra money if you like the common varieties as much as > the fancier varieties. > > I would only put two or three in a five gallon tank and I would > change 10 to 20% of the water every week or so. (Would you rather > take a short bath every day or a long bath once a week? Same > principle. :-) ) Cool water fish need more room than tropicals. > > Good luck, > > > -- > ihnp4 \ > Terry Gold AT&T ISL --- druil!gold > Denver, Colorado allegra / (303) 538-1135 *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** This is an addendum to my previous posting. Re: feeding I neglected to mention that one feeding per day is generally ample unless you are pushing for growth or conditioning for breeding. I do neither of these. Also the fish will survive several days without feeding with no ill effects. Re: water You should start out with aged water - tap water that has been in an open receptacle for a couple of days to clear chlorine and other dissolved gases. You can speed up the process by starting with warm or hot tap water. When it is cool it is generally safe. Another short cut - tap water can be used for PARTIAL water changes. I change 20% with no difficulty at all. I would not try over 50%. The nose and the eye are good gauges of water quality. If the color is off - green, yellow, or cloudy, its time for a change. Obvious debris - uneaten food, feces, etc should be promptly removed with a siphon. The fish will also let you know. If they are gathered at the surface and appear to be trying to breath atmospheric air through their mouths, you can bet that the water is BAD and quick action is required. I really am not in favor of "goldfish bowls" which I interpret as smallish containers without filtration. They present a small environment which can be VERY sensitive to quick temperature changes and require much more attention to water quality that a larger tank. art gross ihnp4!mhuxm!agg
gold@druil.UUCP (G. Terry Gold) (10/23/85)
"Fancier" fish are many times NOT as hardy as the "common" variety.
When a new trait appears, you may only have a few fish with that
trait to use as breeders. You may find that you are passing
down undesirable traits along with the new traits to the following
generations. Keeping a variety strong is one of the challenges of
breeding fish for new traits.
Some varieties of goldfish have their own special problems. Long
fins and bubble eyes are easier to damage and thus more prone to
infection.
Don't let this discourage you from buying fancy goldfish, but don't
spend the extra money if you like the common varieties as much as
the fancier varieties.
I would only put two or three in a five gallon tank and I would
change 10 to 20% of the water every week or so. (Would you rather
take a short bath every day or a long bath once a week? Same
principle. :-) ) Cool water fish need more room than tropicals.
Good luck,
--
ihnp4 \
Terry Gold AT&T ISL --- druil!gold
Denver, Colorado allegra / (303) 538-1135