Confused here!!!

Thanks loads for your reply... THAT makes sense!!!

I'll keep an eye on the water quality. I had it checked a couple of weeks
ago (2 months into it's existence) and the levels etc were perfect... but
I'll make sure I regularly change 1/4 of the water... how often do you
recommend? Weekly? Fortnightly? Monthly?

The situation is basically that I have the tank that I have... and nothing
can change about it... so I'm having to work with what I've got!

I'm happy to work at it... and the kids in my class enjoy looking after
tham, so things are going well!!!

I'll keep you informed as to when you can all stick your tongue out at me
and say 'Told you so!!!'

Thanks again,

Jon


"Donald Kerns" <kernsdSPAMLIGHTNINGROD.TakeThisOut@aol.com> wrote in message
news:bogqoh0263m@enews2.newsguy.com...
> Akomic wrote:
>
> > People are telling me that I am overstocked... but when I bought the
> > tank (from a very good fish place), I was informed that the tank would
> > easily support 2 or 3 fish.
> >
> > Now, I was given an equation to work out... I forget the details
> > unfortunatley... but it was something like 1 ltr per cm of fish...?
> >
> > My fish are currently small, and I am aware that they will grow
> > fairly large and require re-tanking... but can someone please explain
> > why 3 little fish (no more than 12 cm total cumulitive length) are not
> > able to live in my £60+ tank???
>
> Goldfish are considerably dirtier (meaning they produce more poop ) than
> other fish.
>
> The typically quoted rule of thumb around here is 10 gallons per
> (gold)fish. I like 10 gallons per fish or 3 gallons per inch whichever
> is larger. (You can even poke about and find people who want 40 or 100
> gallons per fish for "natural conditions.")
>
> Several people here (myself included) have kept goldfish at 5
> gallons/fish and lower. At least Gunther and myself have noticed that
> our personal work AND problems with the goldfish are much less at 10
> gal/fish.
>
> Bottom line, 12 cm is roughly 5 inches, which would be 30 gallons at the
> high end or 15 gallons (~60L) at the low end. So your fish will
> survive, but you'll be working harder (more water changes) and your
> fish won't be as healthy as they should/could be. But it may allow you
> time to save pennies to buy a 30 gallon before they grow too much...
>
> Not advocating keeping the fish in your current conditions, just trying
> to tell it like it is...
>
> -D
> --
> "Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving
> that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the
> proof." -Galbraith's Law
 >> Stay informed about: Confused here!!! 

Akomic wrote:

> I'll keep an eye on the water quality. I had it checked a couple of
> weeks ago (2 months into it's existence) and the levels etc were
> perfect...

At this point in the aquarium's existance your primary two parameters to
check should be nitrATEs and perhaps pH.

You should adapt your water change regieme so that the nitrAtes stay
under (a religious number here) say 20 ppm.

(Everybody will agree that lower than 20 is healthy, some will go much
higher than that)

If you check the nitrates every week and they are climbing, do more
frequent water changes.

This could make a neat little science project depending on the grade
level...

> but I'll make sure I regularly change 1/4 of the water...
> how often do you
> recommend? Weekly? Fortnightly? Monthly?

25% per week should make for happy fish. If you're in a classroom
situation, perhaps you could charge some of your students with being
"fish monitors."

> The situation is basically that I have the tank that I have... and
> nothing can change about it... so I'm having to work with what I've
> got!

If things get bad, you could send one of the fish home with a student...

> I'm happy to work at it... and the kids in my class enjoy looking
> after tham, so things are going well!!!

Beware of overfeeding. Extra food will make the tank even dirtier. About
as much as the fish can eat in 3 minutes, twice a day.

>
> I'll keep you informed as to when you can all stick your tongue out at
> me and say 'Told you so!!!'

Keep in mind that the audience are all levels from amateur to near
professional (and some professional) fishkeepers. We care about the
critters.

Most of the folks here get REALLY frustrated. We care about the fish and
there are a lot of folks/pet shops/TV shows that have goldfish in 1
gallon bowls. And they people wonder why they need new fish every
couple of weeks...

-D
--
"There is nothing so strong as gentleness, and there is nothing so
gentle as real strength." St. Francis de Sales
 >> Stay informed about: Confused here!!!