Ok so I have a 20 gallon tank I want to make this my new fish tank, how much gravel should I put in the tank, how long should I let the water set before I start putting fish in? What is the maximum amount of oranda goldfish I should put in this 20 gallon? how many props should I get for this tank, add in some other details that will help my fish live the best lives they possibly can ... thanx so
put like 3 inches of gravel in
let it sit for lie 30 mins
but like stuff that would blend with the fishes envirment
if your fish are happy with what u have done than u did a good job
ive had fish before (:
If you're going with gravel 1/2 an inch. It really doesn't matter. It's personal preference - basically enough to nicely cover the bottom of the tank. You might want to make sure it's large enough so the fish can't swallow or choke on it. You can go with river rock or a bare tank bottom too.
As far as decorations and props, again, personal preference. I like plants in my oranda tank (silk) they will snack on live plants. Gives them places to hide and explore
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
20 gallons will house one oranda with preferably double the filtration As far as how long before you put the fish in the tank - as soon as the nitrogen cycle is complete.
Basic care - diligent on weekly water changes because they're very messy fish
Preferably sinking pellets so they're not taking in air as they feed
Vegetable matter in their diet is good for their health. Cooked shelled peas, steamed broccoli, zucchini are a few they seem to really like. For protein an occasional snack of frozen blood worms and brine shrimp if you want.
They're gluttons and should only be fed once or twice a day in small amounts
No heater is necessary. I keep my fancies tanks at room temp
how much gravel?
As little or as much as you want, or none. Doesn't matter.
how long should I let the water set before I start putting fish in?
Read this:
http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Fishless-Cyc ... pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
What is the maximum amount of oranda goldfish I should put in this 20 gallon?
Only 1 will be healthy in a 20G. Add 10G for each new one. Goldfish are really messy fish. Also make sure you have ATLEAST 40G or more rated filtration.
how many props should I get for this tank?
As many as you like as long as nothing is sharp. Orandas get cut up really badly on a regular basis if you have anything sharp in the tank. That includes pants and rocks.
2-3 inches of gravel, the water should run through a filter for 2 days, then buy danios or another hardy fish to live in the tank for 3 weeks to start cycling it (or you can buy the bacteria that starts cycling the tank instantly, then add your fish right away) no more than 2 orandas and make sure you dont have anything too sharp in your tank like a pointy rock
i wouldnt worry too much about the gravel, let it sit for at least a week with a running filter. unless u used water conditioner than you must WAIT.
You will want to get the gravel to fill at least 3/4 to one inch thick at the bottom. Make sure that the gravel makes a slope where the thinnest of gravel is at the front and the thickest is at the back. this is to hid anything such as a air stone and to give the fish a sense of direction. The water should "cyle" for about two to four weeks so that the water can be purified and the nitryfying bacteria can start to produce and help in keeping clean the tank. You should probrably only keep one because of the size that they can get to. Most of them reach at least 6 to 7 inches while some can get bigger! You should get about 6 props so that the tank isnt overcrowded and that the fish can move around. If the tank looks bare then maybe buying one or two more wouldnt hurt. Also make sure that the ph is between 6.0 to 8.0 and that the water hardness should be between 15-19 dgh . If you decide to get any other type of fish remember that the oranda goldfish is not a fast swimmer like the common goldfish, the comet goldfish, or the shibukin. These types of fish are scavengers are also omnivores so supplement their diet with solid food pills and a mixture of freeze dried worms and shrimp with flakes if you do not decide to feed solid food pills. Also if the fish lives into the winter time make sure they have a heater!!!! These fish do not do well at all in cold water in fact they will go into shock and die! Also getting an air stone as i mentioned above will help keep the water areated because fish also like humans need air (i found this interesting and weird too:)) Make sure you also have a testing kit for the ph of the water and the alkalinity. Mardel makes a mini master testing kit that is much cheaper than the regular master test kits. This type of kit not only checks for ph and hardness but alkalintiy, ammonia (wich is really important), nitrate, and nitrite. It seems that keeping fish is water chemistry rather than keeping a pet but once you have a schedule down it becomes really easy. Also talking to employees at pet stores can help some and also looking at fish forums can help alot because you get people that have had fish forever. Also buying a book on fish medical disease would be very very beneficial and researching alot on the conditions of your fish will help (which im sure you have because you know the name of the fish you want, so that shows responsibilty already!) So I hope this helps and good luck with your fish!
