I just saw a tank that totally blows my mind!!!
I just don't get it!! A co-worker has 5 goldies (3 commons and 2 shubunkins) in a 10 gallon tank. (She doesn't even know what she has except that they are goldfish) They were put in her tank in September, on the same day that I got my fish at school. She does absolutely nothing except feed them. She does not do water changes. She doesn't test the water. I don't think she has even changed the filter material. About once a month she adds water to raise the water level back to the top. Until I advised her to block the sunlight, the tank was in afternoon sun every day. Right now, the water level is almost 2 inches down from evaporation.

The tank is loaded with algae - you have to look very hard to even see the fish!!!

They are alive and as far as I can see they are healthy!!!!

This does not make sense!!!!!

i guess some fish can just get used to unhealthy surroundings if it happens gradually. shame for the fish though, it's like living in a filthy house and surviving, rather than a clean hygenic house and thriving.

It makes perfect sense... Read up on keeping goldfish in "green Water"

I am pretty positive that they aren't healthy, eventually time will catch up with them. Goldfish are healthy but I am willing to bet they will be horrably stunted and die long before their 20+ year potensial lifespan has ended.

What does keeping goldfish in green water mean?

Hey, that afternoon sun may have been keeping her fish healthy by growing all that algae. If she isn't going to change her fishkeeping ways please advise her to move the tank back into the sunlight. Even though her tank has developed it's own little ecosystem she should still change her water sometimes. Otherwise it will inevitably become toxic, have a pH crash or something. It will just take longer with all that algae.

Goldfish like green water and lots of algae as they eat it. The algae also recycles the nitrAtes so they won't climb as quickly.

I've read a little about the green water method, but in her tank you can't even see the fish. Why bother keeping an aquarium in a classroom if the kids can't even see the fish. Even when the light is on in the aquarium and in the room, all you can see is what looks like shadows. Her fish are the same age as mine and most are much smaller than mine. My tank is clear and beautiful. I test daily and do water changes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

I can see doing a green water set-up in a pond or barrel arrangement, but, this little 10-gallon aquarium really looks icky. (Sorry - just my opinion) I am trying to show students that raising fish is a responsibility just like owning a dog or cat, and that even though there is work involved, it can be interesting and fun. They know to soak the food, test and change the water, give them light and darkness, avoid startling them, feed them peas and other veggies. They even know that you can give sick fish medicine when they are sick.

This gal wouldn't listen to me if her clothes were on fire, so trying to give advice is not a good idea. I just wanted to know how these poor little fish were still alive. I read about everyone here doing everything right and still sometimes fish get sick. I guess she's really lucky that she accidently produced an environment that allows them to survive. We only have 20 more school days, and she's planning to adopt out the fish before summer vacation.

The huge looming problem that is going to occur with these fish is whoever gets them will most likely give the tank a really good cleaning. They will scub it clean and change all the filters and everything.

The tank will look bright and shiney and clean and the fish will look wonderful.

The tank's cycle will crash. Ich and other oppotunistic nasties will strike and a catastrophic ending will, unfortunately, be the result.

Can you print up some "care" sheets for the lucky recipient of the fish/tank? Explain how to preserve the cycle and the fish as the tank is cleaned and moved?

Good idea Daryl>

YUP! (hey Annette )
got to agree there, the green water and algae are the only things suporting the poor fish!!
And as Daryl says if that changes without proper care there will be a crash and sick fish

I promote algae growth in all my tanks..for asetic reasons I remove it from the front panel..( so we can see them) but I keep it on the sides and back and on the plants and rocks. It is really good for the fish


I guess the best thing you can do in this situation is inform the new owners of how to take care of them and when moving the fish to make sure they try to duplicate the water as close as possible. This wont help with the green water but they can at least:
Make sure PH is the same
make sure temp is the same
make sure they do NOT clean out the filter in tap water!!!!!!!!!!!! Do it in the old tank water to keep the good bugs alive
Hopefully the fish will survive the transformation with less stress.

Same here, Luvmuhfred, I have a black background on my tank at school, so I leave the algae alone on the back of the tank. I also have a chocolate albino placo that does a great job of keeping the algae in control without eliminating it completely. There is just enough on the plants, decorations, glass and gravel to make it look natural and provide some yummy stuff for the fish.

Daryl, I'm planning to do what you suggested. It's a great idea.

I don't think she's planning to give away the tank - just the fish. I can just see these fish going to different homes in little plastic bags with no information! Ugh! I'm going to try to prevent that if I can. I'm also going to include this web site in great big bold print!!! Soooo if you see a bunch of newbies in here with fish brought home from school, you'll know where they came from.

By the way, we had Kindergarten orientation last night for next year's class - the parents and kids loved the tank. My fish now have multiple names.

One of the other teachers was so impressed with my tank that she might get one for her class. She asked about the work involved and I offered to help her through the cycling and testing process. And... I'm sure she will appear in this site as well.

It's always great to know about someone getting started with fishkeeping that wants to do it right, not just shove four baby goldies in a five gallon tank and watch them swim.

Good news on the fish adoption! One family got all 6 fish that had been living in the 10 gallon tank. They are experienced fish keepers, and are building a new pond just for these fish!!!!

I couldn't be more excited!


I didn't get a chance to talk to the parents, but even the 3rd grade boy knows the fish should have been in a much bigger tank, and said they took most of the original water, gravel, and plants for the temporary tank. He said his job will be to test the water every day, which is his job on the tanks they already have.

Wow! That sounds like a "happily ever after" story.

Well a Happy ending for these fish ! At least it sounds like it anyway.
It always makes me happy when you hear these kinds of stories.
Maybe the family can update you on the caring of them,so that you can pass it along to us.
Also good to hear that you're teaching the Teacher's.I remember when I was in the school system that most Teacher's who had tanks,really didn't have the knowledge of what goes with them. Keep Teaching!!!

I think sometimes it is that ignorance is bliss! I had a goldfish and a betta in a bowl (1 gal maybe) from middle school through high school (8 years about) and did a 100% water change with tap water and no additives about once every few months. No air, no filter, no nothing and the buggers lived until I went to college and my mother forgot to feed them for a while!!!!! Now that I know better and have multiple 50 plus tanks with everything they need, the fish get sick!! Funny how that works huh? Glad to hear the fish got a great home!