coldwater fish....help

mez

mez

Pillar o' t' Community
Tackler
just bought a fish tank .... now then ...i need some fish, i would like some nice fishies, the tank is 18" x 10" now how many should i get for a tank of that size.... they must be coldwater fish..not into all the messing with tropical , but i don't just want GOLDFISH.... HELP & ADVICE NEEDED PLEASE
 
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Goldfish are dirty fish, can be really beautiful but poo a lot :(. I would suggest about 4/5 goldfish and one loach too keep the glass clean. A really good pump is essential...

Goldfish dont have too look like you are thinking,

Bristol shubinkins are really beautiful goldfish, a good one will have a blue body and red and white patch's(getting close to marine fish colours)

You can get some nice yellow goldfish, or a chocolate coloured oranda, a black Moor, or a real post box red goldfish.

Mixing other types of fish in cold water is sometimes a bit tricky, but goldfish can be really nice colours and shapes and are almost indestructable.

Barlows aquatics in accy are good, but see if you can talk to Giles as he is very informed. Pat Prices place on haslingden ind est is a good place to get quality fish, and good advice if you get the right person, many good breaders sell to Pat Prices.

I am a member of the British Goldfish keepers Society (Sad puppy) and to go to one of there shows is an eye opener, fantastic fish, and you get to buy some top breaders fish :)

Dont believe everthing someone in 1 shop tells ya, ask a few.

If I can find any usefull links I will post them....
 
My mum use to breed fish when we lived up church, both Tropical and Fresh Water. I use to love Black Moor's.......I also have vivid memories my dad bring a catfish home one day that had a face full of whiskers, it looked like it had eaten an octopus, my mother couldn’t stand the look of it and ended up cutting it whiskers off…..it live on for quite a while and end up being flushed down the bog…….
 
:eek: Cutting its whiskers off???????

Oh I'd forgotten that we had a black moor once too. It was a daft thing. Used to jump out of the tank. If we found it quick enough it was OK but one day it jumped out when we were out and that was the end of it. We found it dead on the floor.

Now somebody will tell me we should have had a top on the tank.:(
 
Flushed down the bog :(:( Dead I hope... NOT alive :(

Catfish will generally eat anything that will fit in there huge mouths fish included I lost a lot of small fish after I inherited a strange catfish of Neil :( Soon ended up at Barlows Aquatics :) Catfish feed at night when your little fish are dozzing...

My Brother has had some catfish that ended up so BIG the only people that would take them where Chester Zoo.......
 
WillowTheWhisp said:
:eek: Cutting its whiskers off???????

Oh I'd forgotten that we had a black moor once too. It was a daft thing. Used to jump out of the tank. If we found it quick enough it was OK but one day it jumped out when we were out and that was the end of it. We found it dead on the floor.

Now somebody will tell me we should have had a top on the tank.:(
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Yep, whiskers off……….I had one that would do that Willow. He ended up down the bog an all…..
 
thanks for the advice & help all of you, i saw the fish you have mentioned simon on the site doug gave me & was quite taken by the loverly goldfish types .....might swing that way........got a pump in the tank ..a flavel 2, tank set up had pump running for 1/2 hr
seems ok..... just need some fish ....was actually told about the one in haslingden mmmmm feel a car trip tomoz morning . thanks again guys o & gal.
 
Mez you need your tank set up and pump running for a good few days before you put fish in.. the most important thing in a tank is Bacteria in the pump and it takes a while too build up, you can put some in out of bottles, but time is best, NEVER let any soap/chemicals anywhere near your tank, they will kill the bacteria and then your fish :( even if you have washed your hands in anti-bacterial soap and then put your finger in the water....POORLY fish...

Your pump will be a Fluvel 2, which are TOP pumps, a little pump with carbon filters in it would be good as an extra. Carbon 'polishes' the water and makes it really clear..

Enjoy.
 
I remember many happy hours watching them Mez, I don’t care what people say but some do develop characters of there own. Lot’s of sad lonely nights waiting net in hand ready to rescue fry before they got to the bottom or worse “eaten”………I last had fish about 20 years ago when I lived in Fleetwood. Lots of happy memories brought to life tonight. Thanks for that. Best of luck Mez, enjoy.

PS. Can we have Photos when your set up.......:)
 
Oh yes and 30% water change every week, using a water conditioner with the new water to cancel out harmful metals/chemicals...
 
will still be asking advice simon even when set up, will try for pics doug & will of course name my little fishes .
 
I'd try the place on the haslingden ind estate, I used to use them when I had the marine tank, great choice and good advice, great harwood used to be good till it got taken over then went downhill a bit but might be Ok again now.
1 warning though for you, do you use shake and vac? dont if you have a fish tank, the pump sucks the fumes in and pumps it into the water and kills everything as I found out and lost over £300 of fish, invertebrates and corals
 
by the wat i wouldnt advise great harwoods arquarium my dad has a tank and only buys them from the on in blackburn cause everytime he bought from the great harwood one they either died v quickly or developed deases and the died!
 
K.S.H said:
1 warning though for you, do you use shake and vac? dont if you have a fish tank, the pump sucks the fumes in and pumps it into the water and kills everything as I found out and lost over £300 of fish, invertebrates and corals
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Not in my house it wouldn't. I had the pump outside in a waterproof enclosure so I did not have to listen to it inside :D

@ Simon :lol: :lol: - Did my little catfish eat all your fish? :rofl38:
 
i went to the shop in haslingden & bought 2 goldfish.with fan type tails . they are gert & bert..... also got 5 minnows..... eeney, meeney minie mo, & so.... then i bought a japanese loach type cleaner fish... no loach in shop .its name is .less .cos it sleeps a lot & has got a beard he he he , i was helped with 2 gentlemen .well mick & entwisi came with me to advise me ...mick was a great help ...ian just wanted fish & chips ...not realising we were going for the swimming kind .so he got pie & peas whilst mick set tank up with me ........hovering he he ...will post some pics tomoz ....just too exicted at min & been busy. thanks for all the help & advice once more.....mez & co.
 
Neil said:
Not in my house it wouldn't. I had the pump outside in a waterproof enclosure so I did not have to listen to it inside :D

@ Simon :lol: :lol: - Did my little catfish eat all your fish? :rofl38:
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I had one of those rotating piston type pumps that are almost silent, bit expensive but worth it as the noise from pumps can really get on your nerves, mind you I had 13 tanks at the time :-)
 
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