Hi all, I am new to this forum. I know this may sound a bit bizzare, but my son was given three goldfish and a 10 gallon tank by my mother (not the bizzare part). After many water changes, about one a day, and sick fish to begin with, unfortunately, all three fish passed on to the great lake in the sky. So I told my son that he could get some new fish after the tank was ready for them, ie cycled.

I went out and grabbed some anacharis, and have added them to the tank. I want to get the plants well established before the tank is cycled for best chance for the goldfish, singular. I have not looked much into a CO2 bubbler, and I was wondering in the mean time (bizzare part) if I could just throw some yeast and sugar into the tank to generate the CO2? It is probably a bad idea, but I figured I would ask anyway. Most of the water will be changed out when the new goldfish finally arrives, but I am unsure of any possible dangers the yeast may present to the goldfish. Does anyone have any idea on this one?

The anacharis will absolutely fine without CO2, and I'm not so sure throwing yeast and sugar in the tank will help. Good for you for fishless cycling!

Thanks.

I have been cycling the tank without fish and noticed that there was a small snail that hitched a ride along with the plants. Will this snail be an issue when the goldfish get put in the tank, or should I not worry about it?

Thanks

It's probably just a pest snail, happens all the time. They breed like crazy, so it's best to take care of the problem while it's still so early. Unless you just want them. Larger goldfish will eat them, but I am assuming since you have a 10 gallon you will be getting one fancy gf? Goldfish will try to eat anything that will fit in their mouths. What kind of fish are you looking into? I get so excited when I am doing something new with a tank or getting a new fishy friend!

Hi, and welcome to Koko's. I know it can all seem overwhelming - you want to do the best you can, but there is sooooo much to do.

It sounds like you have started in the right direction. I do not know how much reading you have been doing, but I thought I might recommend an article that is really good for covering the basics....

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...showtopic=11275

LAdy D is right - that is almost guaranteededly a pest snail. They can take over a tank and really be a mess, so I would recommend getting rid of the thing. I am fighting snails and have been for years in one of my tanks. The fish do not eat them (they never read the book that tells them they are supposed to! ) and the snails leave messy egg sacks everywhere....

Anacharis is an extraordinarily hearty plant. It can grow with low light and little care. The one thing that it cannot withstand is a hungry goldfish - and they loooooove that plant - it is like candy to them. My goldies can strip a huge anacharis plant in 2 hours flat.

Cycling your tank is wonderful. I am assuming you are following the directions for a fishless cycle? The plant will actually help things along - and it will be just fine with the ammonia.

One goldie will do splendidly in that 10 gallon tank.

Thank you very much for the feedback.

As for reading stuff on the site, yes I have read quite a bit, especially when I was trying to keep my boy's 3 fish alive. I was doing the water changes and everything trying not to let the ammonia get up over .5 ppm. Either way, it was sad that none of them made it through. So I decided that it would best to try to get the tank to finish cycling without the stress of dying fish and the associated trauma.

So I have been going with the fishless cycle, and grab some anacharis. I added a tiny bit of nitrates to the water to help them along while the tank cycles. Anyway, the snail showed up a week or 10 days after putting the plants in. So, since these snails are considered pests, (since I imagine they just reproduce like rabbits?) what is the best way to get rid of them?

BTW the plants have been doing very well sending off shoots and roots. I figure we will get one fish, at least for the time being with this tank, and my boys will have to agree on one, although the oldest seems to prefer black moors... Is there a way to keep enough plants in a 10 gal tank for one fish so that I do not have to go buy new plants every week to keep the fish satisfied? ie are there types of plants the the goldfish will not go on a ravenous feeding frenzy over that are still safe for the fish? I seem to think that I read somewhere about java moss was one that they do not readily eat, but I have not seen it at a pet store yet, not that I have inquired at all the ones in the area.

I have also not been able to find any Bio-Spira available here, but one store said that they had Bacrivital (sp?). Does anyone have any information on that? My boys are very anxious to get fish in the tank, but their mean dad will not let them until "the tank is ready"...

This site is a great source of information and thanks again for your replies.

We now have a reasonably planted tank and our 4 fancies have not chowed down on anything so far. And we have a wide variety of plants in there.
Though they do like to check out and nibble on the roots if one of the rooted plants comes up



and another view

Lovely tank Trudy!