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i always dump the filter if it isnt going to be used for longer than 5 min, and then i keep it in some tank water, and before i put it back i gently rinse it i tryed to keep the goldfish and corys in the 30 but she insists that they return she rely doent care about the fish i think and i think the algea came from the window, she wont move it either i tryed to put up a background to keep out as much light as i could for now, eventually when she gos to college i am taking the tank, returning most of the fish, and putting the remaining in the 100 gallon im getting, i think its best, but for not i tryed to substitute by adding like 5 very small plattys maybe a few centimters long, i returned the buenos eres tetra, and a few others i kept the male cherry barb, the female platty, and i think another fish, i tryed to kepps fish i thought she wouldent knotice were gone, seeing how she killed a desent looking male sword, and all she noticed was that the tank "looked a little diffrent" i wish she never got a tank, or she atleast needs a bigger tank, like a 20-29 atleast

Ohh, okay, I was worried you were talking about a wild pond. Well, hope you can get him into a new home okay

3-4 feet? That would make goldfish bigger than koi LOL

they do get quite large tho, reaching a foot is not uncommon.

no its dosent run into anything, it is a man made pond on their land, i think there might even be other fish in the pond but i have to ask, dont worry,

Errrm, when you say "pond", are you referring to -wild- ponds? It sounds like it... fish must NEVER be released into wild ecosystems. It's illegal, and dangerous to the ecosystem.

wow r u sure they gey get that big? well could he live in a pond with snapping turtles? its the only pond i can think off on the top of my head hmm there is a frog pond down the road, its like 4ft deep in the parts i had dared to go, full of frogs and dragonfly larvey, thee is also a nesting pair of birds in the reeds, would that work?

No, a 90 gallon pond will not be enough for a Comet. One of the larger of the goldfish they can reach 3-4 feet fairly quickly.
I think he would probably need a pond 180+ gallons and at least 4-6 feet deep so it doesnt freeze in the winter.



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no offense but i have tryed to get her here, but she still refuses, she dosent want to become a fish "freak" although we wear the name proud and i am already looking around for somone nearby who has a pond or large tank who can take him, otherwise i may have to turn him in to a fish store where he may become food, i i wonder, could i get a 90 gallon pond for him? i would like to keep it outside, but i would probly have to buy a little building to go over it for the winter, would that work? and i had tested her water before i did the tear down, i dont remember what the numbers were but they were in the safe part (dip test)

Sounds to me like you have good intentions (at least you feel sorry for the fish) but just need a little more information. I studied this website for a whole year before I bought my first tank. I am still learning, but I sure was well-armed with info when I started out. That tank is way too small, and that goldfish has no business being in there either. When your sister noticed the "tank looked a little different" that is a bad sign. Get her into this forum and learn a little about our fine gilled friends. Good luck.......I think you have potential in the aquarium hobby

She's keeping a goldfish in that 10 gallon? Good grief . The nitrates have to be astronomical. Not to mention that a goldfish is not a community fish. It's meant for a species tank.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 12-Feb-2005 18:22

well i was cleaning out my sisters HORRIBLE tank so in the mean time i put her fish in my 30 gallon those fish include: 1-buenos ares tetra (now 1-female swordtail 1-bleeding heart tetra 5- bronze corys 1-commet 1-sizortail rasbora 1-male cherry barb and 1-male betta, whell i found out that the betta loves caves and he wnt into a cave that was home to the crawfish and sadly he got smacked THEN!! he went into a pvc piping cave that i thought noone owned but apparently eventhough the rainbow shark owned the large shell well the betta went into the piping cave and that shark came speeding out from the shell (so fast i dident see him do it then i see a bunch of sand being kicked up, i knew it was a fight, but i thought it wat between 2 corys then i see red, then betta fins, so i throw the ophone and grab ahold of the cave and i tear it up to stopp the shark i saw the poor betta being shook around like a dog would a toy then his head was in his mouth so i grab the bettaand i rush him upstairs to my sisters freshly cleaned tankand i let him out of my hand, his fins are torn realy bad and i will try and get a pic later on, but i feel so bad what should i do? the shark HAS TO GO!!! he has attacked too many fish for him to be in my care anymore i just cant take on such a rescue as him if i wasnt there at that time i may have been picking out a dead betta what should i do? i am going to place an add in the classifieds to see if anyone had a place for an aggressive rainbow shark

and if you can take a cheesecloth or nylon full of gravel from your tank and plop it inside of your sisters tank, that will help the cycle.

Another alternative to his is to slip the handful of gravel into the bag media, if it is that type of filter. Whispers have activated carbon bags that can be opened and I gently take gravel from the top and drop it into the bag with or without the carbon. Then I dose the filter with cycle, along with the tank.

Whatever conditions caused the BGA in the first place, could come back.

Did you preserve the filter media when you broke it down? If so, how? It may be good.

If you had the filter shut down, hopefully, the stagnant water was dumped. Otherwise, it can spew out toxins and bacteria.

I just dont know if algae is a good reason to tear a tank down. BGA is caused by poor water conditions. If the water conditions improve, the BGA will disappear.
Also, Im sure you have caused that tank to cycle all over again, as 90% of the bacteria lives in the gravel, not in the filter as people think.
For the betta, I would add a little salt to his water to help him with his injury's and maybe a half dose of melafix to help him recover.
The only time one should tear a tank down, is in a severe outbreak of a murderous disease. Not to scold you or anything, but I think most people would agree.
Try not to tear the tank down again, and if you can take a cheesecloth or nylon full of gravel from your tank and plop it inside of your sisters tank, that will help the cycle. Keep an eye on tank readings for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, some of those fish are sensitive to cycling and may not survive this recycle.
Good luck with the betta.

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i had to tear it down because a major algae break out, i tryed scrubbing normally but it wasnt comming off too well, and then there was all this algae in the gravel, not even a good gravel vac could get it out, and the tank and gravel itself was pretty clean, i had just cleaned it like a week ago, so it was just the blue/green algea that was the problem

That betta is still at risk. He may look fine, but if he has scales missing, damaged scales, he is a very strong candidate for body fungus. If he has any missing scales or abrasions he is losing salt from his body and could experience osmotic shock in the coming days.

My question is, why are you tearing down a whole tank? There is no need for that, and when you do, you should put the fish from that tank in their own bucket, as you shouldnt expose your fish to possible pathogens or bacteria from fish from a filthy tank.


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this craw was with them for like a year, he was tiny when i got him, and i have had the betta for some time, i was just letting him strech his fins in the 30 gallon, and im getting a 100 when i find a ride to go and fetch it i put up an ad that says he needs a home 55 or larger, and its not like i had a choice to get the shark he was a rescue from a 10 gallon and the betta is fine now, back in his 10 gallon with all his buddies i will keep an eye on fungus but the water is 100 percent clean (had to do a 100% change and scrub down the shark is back in his shell where he should be, i hope he finds a home soon, as of now, i wouldent trust him in the 100 with my fish]

another thing i see is you should NEVER keep crayfish in a tank w/ bottom feeders, they'll rip them apart
just thought i should point that out

Daka<<<<

The rainbow is only doing what is natural. There are compatibility issues with slow moving fish being in the tank with them, especially a brightly colored one like a betta. You didn't mention what size tank you put the fish in, but if the shark's tank is anything less than a 55g, he will be more aggressive. The larger the tank the more successful it will be with him in the tank. In a smaller tank, inevitably, someone's going to step on his toes....er, fins. He needs territories and in larger tanks, its easier for them to have a spot to themselves that other, compatible fish, learn to comprehend.

As for the betta....shock is probably the first order of business. I don't know where you have him now, but I would put him in a 2 gallon container with water that is identical in pH and temp to what he is in now. The tank these fish came from could have a lower pH than yours if it was neglected and had fewer water changes, therefore, it should be compared.

If he goes into a small world container or other container (a rubbermaid bin for that matter) that has not had chemicals or detergents, you can control the cleanliness of it better. Don't use gravel, but do put some fake, silk plants in there to make him comfortable and yes, they do like caves. Don't put anything in there that could snag a ladies nylon. Any caves you purchase, run your finger along the mold line as there are often sharp edges.

Find a product called Fungus Eliminator. This has some much needed sodium chloride (salt) and an antibiotic. After that attack, I wouldn't leave it to chance. He is likley to run into problems just from the shock and the antibiotic will keep things sterile. This is the one time I would pass on something more benign like melafix.

If you cannot find Fungus Eliminator by Jungle, then you can even use Fungus Clear Tank Buddies, but will need to keep cutting the tablet in half until you get down to an approximate 2 gallon dose (err on the side of too little than too much). Dose freshwater aquarium salt at 1 tsp per gallon. In fact, this should go in ASAP if you have some at home. Don't put it all in at once as it could shock him. Rather, put it in a cup and stir water in it (dechlorinated) and as it dissolves, keep dribbling some in over several hours. To dissolve it fastest, use very hot tap water, then let it cool to room temp. You can put in a small amount of the solution without cooling, but very little so as not to change the water temp.

The salt is highly critical and moreso than any medication when it comes to fishy first aid. They lose electrolytes from stress and from open wounds. The salt helps balance things back out.

Maybe you can put an ad in our classifieds section with your home state in the headline and see if someone lives nearby that will pick up the shark.

Let us know how he does. I hope he makes it - the betta that is. Keep any water changes within 1-1.5F, otherwise you risk ich or other infection.



Last edited by Cory_Di at 11-Feb-2005 19:19