[chowder]

Well, my son and his girlfirend moved back from college with 3 fancy goldfish crammed into a tank way too small for them. These poor neglected fish had no filter, no air pump, a green tank, way too many 'toys' and plants, and would go who knows how long before someone remembered to feed them.

So, the kids moved out after a week and promised to take the fish but it's been a month and the fish still live here. Being the animal sucker that I am, I told them that I will not tolerate 'fish abuse' on my property and they wouldnt' get the fish back until they could care for them right. I got the fish a filter, remembered to feed them and have read all I can about fancy goldfish on the internet. The fish have gotten a lot bigger and happier. I took away most of the toys in the tank so they could move and I'm on Craigs list every day trying to find a cheap, bigger tank for them.

But, one of them is sick now. Apparently it's from cheap food with too much grain in it (haha- really!) and lack of oxygen in the small tank. . I had to go out and get him better food and I"m suppose to make him a fresh diet of fresh veggies, fruit, and cocktail shrimp! I got him an air pump, too, and changed half the water in the tank. He can live with it, or recover from it possibly, but he is a $4 fish after all and wasn't mine to start with. My husband and I spent hours yesterday doing fancy goldfish rescue! . The other two fish are fine so far.

I'm starting to think I have gotten in over my head here! I have given these things names (Curly, Larry, Moe), they have little personalities, they are about 5inches big and growing so it's not like they are the tiny fish you had as kids. If Moe doesn't get better, do we have to take him to the vets? It's not like we can flush him....he's pretty big and that would be cruel! What do you do with fish like this when they are sick? Does anyone here have fish experience? I have never had an aquarium in my life.

 

[DaneMama]

This makes me want my fancy goldfish back LOL

Can you tell me what kind of symptoms this fish is showing? That will help me better in helping you! Typically over the counter medications for most types of fish disease you can get at a pet store or a fish specialty store. You might want to call around and see if there is a fish specialty store that has a specialist that can help you. Most vets are not well versed in the health and needs of fish.

Contrary to popular belief, goldfish are far more difficult to take care of than most other types of fish. They are considered a "dirty" fish which means they have a heavier slime coat over their scales which sloughs off more often than other types of fish. This makes the water dirtier faster so water changes are needed more frequently.

When I had my 60 gallon tank I did a 50% water change every month. I just used the hose to fill it up, since they are cold water fish. Of course I would let them acclimate to the new water by putting them in bags with tiny holes in them to let the water slowly flow into and out of the bag. Took about 30 minutes to acclimate them to the new water.

Good filtration is essential with these guys. Since they murk up the water so much filtering it is a great way to keep them healthy. I always used the filters that hang on the outside of the tank which suck water up, filters it and then dumps it back in. Not only do these types of filters clean the water but also aerates the water. I personally don't like the under-gravel types of filters because they are a pain to clean and don't aerate the water, so you have to set up a bubbler.

Food is also important for optimal health. I used to get the frozen, whole foods to feed them and they always did wonderfully on it. It's more expensive than the dry flake foods but much more appropriate for them.

I hope this helps :wink:

 

[chowder]

Thanks for responding!! I feel silly for worrying so much about these little guys but they are little living creatures and I swear they have personalities! The sick one is a black moor goldfish. I am pretty sure he is suffering from 'flipover' or swim bladder disease. He is floating at the top of the tank and swimming around up there. From what I can read, this is like doggie bloat, where they get gas in their systems and they can get it when they eat too much flakes and gulp air. He is the biggest one and very greedy. He was actually throwing up his food the day before which is what I noticed first. My husband put him in a seperate bowl with an air compressor running in it while I ran out and got an air pump for the tank yesterday because we thought it was lack of oxygen for him. He actually got a lot better with the air compressor running. Then I changed their water (there are three of them in a ten gallon tank ......I know...this is WAY too little). We put him back in the tank with the new air pump and he is actually trying to swim, just doing it upside down. The stuff on the internet says to fast him for a day or two and then try to feed him some peas or shrimp to force the gas out of his stomach if that is what his problem is.

I'm reading on line about these people hand feeding their goldfish the rest of their lives while they float upside down and these things live for ten years and I"m not sure this is what I signed up for! He's actually an ugly little thing but he's alive and swimming and I"m a sucker so what can I do, you know.

 

[Unosmom]

wow .. fish, I could never keep them alive, I finally ended up with some throwaway wal-mart fantail that was like 1", well in no time he got to be 5" and of course outgrew the tank, I decided to get him a black moor buddy, but soon he caught up in size as well. At the time I fed them Hikari goldfish food which was reccomended on another goldfish forum. I have no idea how the fish food is graded, but it looked slightly above other brands found at major retailers. I also tried feeding them shredded veggies, but they wouldnt touch it, In the end I got fed up with cleaning the tank, I could never get the whole ciphoning thing correctly and how to get the clean water back in the tank, so I would spill ton of water on my hardwood floors, which was way too much.
A friend of mine a huge fish fanatic and he recently aquired a 500 gallon tank and was looking to expand his collection, when he heard of my woes, he offered to give them a permanent home.

 

[luvMyBRT]

I currenlty have a 75 gallon tank with 3 really large fancy goldfish, my biggest is an Oranda who is almost 10 inches long. I have kept fish (including goldies) for many years.

On average a goldfish will need about 10 gallons of water per adult fish. This can fluctuate depending on the adult size...a large goldie would require more than 10 gallons, a small goldie less.

Yes, goldies are very dirty fish. The eat tons and poop tons! What kind of filter do you have? How many gallons of water does it turn over per hour?

What is the temp. of the water? Common and comet (single tailed goldies) like and do better in cold water. But, the fancy type (double tailed) goldies do much, much better in warmer waters. I keep my tank in the mid 70's, around 76 degrees.

Do you have a water testing kit? Testing your water is also very, very helpful. A test for pH, nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia is best. Also one for GH and KH to test your water hardness is helpful. Sometimes fish are affected by high nitrAtes in the water. The only way to lower nitrAtes is through water changes. With you having 3 good sized goldies in a 10 gallon tank I would be doing daily water changes until you can get a larger tank. One thing that's nice is that once you get them into a larger tank it will be MUCH easier to keep the water clean and happy. Even with a bigger tank, I recommend doing weekly 50%-60% water changes. I do 60% weekly water changes on my 75 gallon.

My telescope goldie has swim bladder issues too. If she eats too much grain she flips over. My recommendation for right now would be to fast him for a day or two (goldies can go a long time without food). After the fast feed him a pea and shrimp. For everyday feeding I would recommend fresh foods like shrimp, spinach, strawberries, oranges, zuchinni, yellow squash, etc. They also like to eat Nori (the green paper like stuff you use when making sushi).

Yes! Taking care of goldfish is much harder and in depth than most people realize. But, so rewarding! My goldies are like my mini puppies. They come up and eat out of my hand, let me "hold" them, and when I clean their tank they follow my hand around and nibble on it. So very cute...:biggrin:

Let me know if you need anymore help. I also know a lot about meds. if you need to medicate. :smile:
I have an extra Goldfish book that I could send you if you are planning on keeping these guys. It is the BEST book (IMO) out there about goldfish keeping. Let me know....

 

[DaneMama]

This really makes me want to set up my tank again :biggrin:

 

[chowder]

:frown:

Yes! Taking care of goldfish is much harder and in depth than most people realize. But, so rewarding! My goldies are like my mini puppies. They come up and eat out of my hand, let me "hold" them, and when I clean their tank they follow my hand around and nibble on it. So very cute...:biggrin:

Let me know if you need anymore help. I also know a lot about meds. if you need to medicate. :smile:
I have an extra Goldfish book that I could send you if you are planning on keeping these guys. It is the BEST book (IMO) out there about goldfish keeping. Let me know....

Thank you so much for all your help! Unfortunately Moe did not make it thru the night.:frown: We tried everything we knew to do with him. I never thought we'd be spending hours caring for, and making emergency trips to the pet store for a gold fish!

Now I have to make sure that Curly and Larry survive. I am still looking for a bigger tank on Craigs list and have a plea out on Freecycle. I did the water change yesterday. I got them a new food that seemed to be a better quality with a lot more fish and shrimp in it and a lot less wheat. It is disc shaped instead of flakes so maybe they won't gulp it and have it blow up in their stomachs. Next time I go out, I will get them the frozen food. We have a specialty fish store in town but it is only open limited hours so maybe we can make a trip over there on Monday afternoon.

The filter came with the tank as a kit. It hangs on the side and says it will do a 10-20 gallon tank. It is a top fin and on their website it says their 20 gallon filters do 100 gph water changes. It seems fairly powerful. It makes a little waterfall if the water gets too low in the tank. It takes removeable cartridges and also has another filter that you wash. The kids hadn't ever put a filter in it so the fish didn't have a filter for a long time.

The tank has algea all over the sides. Can I scrape that off while the fish are living there or do I have to remove them and empty the tank out to clean it and then put the fish back? It also has gravel all over the bottom that I"m afraid the fish will choke on. Can goldfish have gravel like that? They keep digging in it for the food. I dont' have a ph kit or test kit because they were $40 at Petsmart and I"m trying to find a tank on Craigslist and most of them come with all those supplies so I'm trying not to waste money.

Sorry to ask so many questions. I have one big gold one left and one black moor left and I want to keep them going for awhile longer!

 

[chowder]

This really makes me want to set up my tank again :biggrin:

Rocky LOVES the fish! I'm sure your dogs would too. He actually watches them swim , but I think mostly he just likes to taste the fish food. :biggrin:

I'm sure you could squeeze a 60 gal tank in your home somewhere....just push a dog or two over somewhere.

 

[DaneMama]

If there is a ton of algea on the glass of the tank I would scrape it off (they make special magnets that you can use) before doing a water change because all that gunk will just murk up the water even more. If it's just a little bit of algea scraping it off and not doing a water change is ok. I always tried to keep up with the algea and scraping it off every week or so.

What size gravel is in the bottom? Generally they are fine with it but I did have a fish die from swallowing a piece of gravel that was too small.

I might just get another tank set up since talking about it...

 

[luvMyBRT]

:frown:
Unfortunately Moe did not make it thru the night.:frown: We tried everything we knew to do with him.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this. I know you did what you could to help him!

I am still looking for a bigger tank on Craigs list and have a plea out on Freecycle.

It would be awesome to find a 20 gallon Long (goldfish will do better in long tanks, rather than tall tanks), or a 30 gallon. Remember, the bigger the better. The bigger the tank, the easier it is to keep the water parameters in check.

The filter came with the tank as a kit. It hangs on the side and says it will do a 10-20 gallon tank. It is a top fin and on their website it says their 20 gallon filters do 100 gph water changes. It seems fairly powerful. It makes a little waterfall if the water gets too low in the tank. It takes removeable cartridges and also has another filter that you wash.

Do NOT replace any components of the filter. It sounds to me that since they never had a filter that your filter is now cycling. Cycling is when the good bio bugs are growing and colonizing on your filter media. These bio bugs are what turn ammonia (waste) into nitrItes, and then turn it into nitrAtes (which you remove with water changes). With your filter cycling you need to be VERY diligent with your water changes. If not, your goldies will suffer. They can get ammonia burns from high ammonia as well as other illnesses. If you had a water testing kit I could help you further. If you are showing nitrItes in your water you can add aquarium salt which will protect the goldies from nitrIte poisioning. Once your filter is cycled (can take several weeks) you always want ammonia at zero, nitrItes at zero, and nitrAtes between 20-30ppm. The BEST (IMO) water conditioner is PRIME. I would get a bottle. It is wonderful to have for not only your water changes, but to use while your tank is cycling.

If your filter starts to get gunked up once it's cycled, you can clean it in discarded/old tank water. NEVER rinse any filter components in tap water as the chlorine will kill all your good bio bugs. You will then have to start from scratch cycling your tank again.

The tank has algea all over the sides. Can I scrape that off while the fish are living there or do I have to remove them and empty the tank out to clean it and then put the fish back?

Yes, you can scrape the algea while the fish are in there. There is this really cool algea scraper that is a magnet, so you don't have to get your arms/hands wet. The scraper side goes inside the tank and then the other is on the outside. You scrape with the outside magnet to get the inside one to move and scrape the algea (does that make any sence...LOL).

It also has gravel all over the bottom that I"m afraid the fish will choke on. Can goldfish have gravel like that? They keep digging in it for the food.

My tank is bare bottom. Yes, goldies can get the gravel stuck in their mouths. I have heard of this happening many, many times. If you want gravel I would recommend large river rocks. If you do plan on taking the gravel out, let me know. You will want to do it slowly over time because there is some beneficial bacteria growth on it. I can walk you through the proper way to do it.

Ask your questions! Otherwise, how will you learn?? :biggrin::biggrin:

 

[chowder]

Do NOT replace any components of the filter. It sounds to me that since they never had a filter that your filter is now cycling. Cycling is when the good bio bugs are growing and colonizing on your filter media. These bio bugs are what turn ammonia (waste) into nitrItes, and then turn it into nitrAtes (which you remove with water changes). With your filter cycling you need to be VERY diligent with your water changes. If not, your goldies will suffer. They can get ammonia burns from high ammonia as well as other illnesses. If you had a water testing kit I could help you further.

If your filter starts to get gunked up once it's cycled, you can clean it in discarded/old tank water. NEVER rinse any filter components in tap water as the chlorine will kill all your good bio bugs. You will then have to start from scratch cycling your tank again.

Ask your questions! Otherwise, how will you learn?? :biggrin::biggrin:

Okay, more questions for you. I'm reading the goldfish sites and I'm trying to understand this biological filter stuff (not easy when you are on migraine meds and your fish died!). Our filter has two filter things inside it. One is a permanent plastic web filter thing that you can take out and rinse off. The other is like a mesh bag filled with charcoal that the box said to replace every month. I got a box of 4 of them. So, where is this biological filter suppose to grow and am I not suppose to replace the charcoal one every month? The water passes thru the plastic one first and then the charcoal one and then out the top of the filter. The site said to just rinse off the filter and then whack it a few times to clean it. Which one are they refering to, the charcoal one of the plastic one? Also, I think I will get rid of that gravel, so how can I slowly do that without hurting the fish? If I find a new tank this weekend, should I get it all set up and leave it for awhile before I put the fish in it?

Second, the gold fish now has long white stringy poop which I read means that he is stressed. This could be because he spent the night with a dead fish floating with him. Or because I changed 40% of his water and shocked him half to death, or because he's in a tiny tank with algae covered walls, or any number of reasons I suppose! I'm really trying not to kill these fish with kindness! I have cut back on their food so I wouldn't over feed them. They always seem to be hungry. The black moor really seems active and happy now and is swimming all over the place. It's just the gold one that has the problem, but the last bit of poop sticking out of it looks normal. (I think). Just the long stringy white part at the beginning is really noticeable. Do you think I need to change the water again since the one fish died in it? I hate to shock the fish again with another water change. We do use filtered water when we change it so there's no chlorine, but it's kind of cold.

My husband is starting to think it is a bad idea to let me keep these fish. Now that I am noticing fish poop, it has become waaayyy more involved then he thought! But, after all these years. he should know what it's like with animals in this house.....even fishy ones.

 

[g00dgirl]

The charcoal becomes basically useless after a short time because it loses it's ability to filter out contaminants. You could replace that with a piece of sponge which would allow a lot of surface area for bacteria to colonize. You may be able to buy a sponge made for that filter or cut another one to the same size as the carbon bag.

You will want to rinse the other part in old tank water and only change it when it absolutely is falling apart. Then, cut out some of the old material and stick it in with the new cartridge. Also, having the sponge which will last years will hold some bacteria as well.

I would still use dechlorinator when changing the tank water as tap water also contains chloramine and other metals that should be removed. You don't need fancy "stress coat" stuff, any dechlorinator will do. Don't do another water change until you get this. When you do change the water you can make the tap water coming out as close to the same temp in the tank as possible. Do you have a gravel Vac?

Their poop may also have changed color because of the new food. If they look healthy otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.

Algae may look ugly to us, but it doesn't harm the fish, in fact they may have been living off of it when they weren't being fed before. At any rate, you can get a magnet scraper or one with a blade on a handle to get it off when the fish are in there- they may even eat the pieces that float away.

Don't feed them more than once a day and only what they will eat right away before it sinks to the bottom. Feeding every other day or several times a week is better than overfeeding.

I see i've repeated a lot of what Sara said.. but anyway there ya go :biggrin:

 

[luvMyBRT]

So, where is this biological filter suppose to grow and am I not suppose to replace the charcoal one every month?

I am thinking that there should be a slot/grooves where you slide the biological part of the filter in. If not, you can really just stick it anywhere inside the filter, but so the water had to pass through it. I agree with g00dgirl in that the carbon becomes useless after a few weeks. The only time you really need to use it is when you are removing impurities and/or certain meds. from the tank water. The really only right way to keep your water clean is through frequent water changes.

Which one are they refering to, the charcoal one of the plastic one?

They are refering to the plastic media part. The charcoal can just be thrown in the trash once it's been used up.

Also, I think I will get rid of that gravel, so how can I slowly do that without hurting the fish? If I find a new tank this weekend, should I get it all set up and leave it for awhile before I put the fish in it?

Okay, what your gonna want to do is to place the fish in a temporary bucket/bowl with an airstone (air bubbler). Keep some of the old tank water in another bucket. You will later pour this water back into the tank. (If you were to put all clean water in once your are done, you may actually shock the fish if they aren't used to big water changes). Then you will want to scoop the gravel into several (3-4 depending on how much gravel you have) knee high hoses. Tie the top so the gravel won't spill out. Dump the rest of the dirty water out. Matching the temp. of the water that the goldies are in to the water from the tap, fill the tank back up about half way (remember to treat the new tap water with dechlorinator). Then pour the old tank water that you have sitting in the bucket back in. Place all of your knee high hoses filled with the gravel back on the tank bottom. Place the goldies back in. Each week you remove one bag. This way you are removing a little bit of the bio bugs each time (and at the same time your filter is getting more bio bugs colonized). If you were to remove all the gravel at once you would be taking out a whole bunch of these bio bugs and cause a serious "blip" in your cycle. If anything isn't clear, just ask again! :smile:

Second, the gold fish now has long white stringy poop which I read means that he is stressed.

The white stringy poop could be from stress or it could be from internal parasites. Once everything settles down, if he is still having stringy white poop I can recommend a med. that is for internal parasites.

Do you think I need to change the water again since the one fish died in it?

Yes, I would do a small water change since the fish died. Be sure to match the temp. of the new water to the tank water and add dechlorinator to the new water. (If your really gonna get into this I can recommend a syphon called a "Python". These things hook to your sink and make water changes so easy.)

I hate to shock the fish again with another water change. We do use filtered water when we change it so there's no chlorine, but it's kind of cold.

A small water change would probably be okay. Do not used filtered/bottled water as it doesn't contain certain minerals that the goldies need. Use just plain old dechlorinated tap water.

But, after all these years. he should know what it's like with animals in this house.....even fishy ones.

I love it!!! That is how it is in my house! All the animals, fur and finned are spoiled! :biggrin:

 

[chowder]

I just thought I'd update you on Curly and Larry. The two remaining fish are doing great. We are still searching Craigs list for a bigger tank and have several feelers out for a 55 gallon. My husband is really getting into this and has decided that we might as well get one that big if we are going to get one at all. We were at Petco today and checked them all out and he is pretty firm on that size.

Meanwhile, we have gotten them a magnetic side cleaner and gotten all the algae off their sides, a gravel vacuum that we haven't used yet but we will use for the water changes and for when we get bigger rocks for their bottom, and two new kinds of food for them. I quit giving them the flakes since I was afraid that gulping the flakes with the air is what caused Moe to go belly up and die. It took Larry (the Moor) a day to learn how to eat the discs off the bottom and then he got so good at it that he started to bully Curly and not let Curly have any food. It was really fun to watch Larry learn to become a bottom feeder and dig in the gravel and find his food and scavenge around.

Poor Curly was a slow learner and took another two days but today he finally got the hang of it and now he is right in there with Larry, diving for the food as it falls and digging in the big gravel and pushing Larry aside. They are really fun to watch. My son has gone from calling them "just fish" to using the magnetic scraper and doing the whole tank for me. Tonight I showed him how Larry will come up to the top of the tank when you open the lid , and touch your finger and say "hi" to you and he had to do it for himself. They really have such personalities. Since the bigger fish has died, the other two have really come out of their shells have developed into characters. It helps that I've also added a filter, air pump, and clean water since then!

So, that is my fishy update. Can't believe I have pet fish with names now but that's the way it goes. I will NEVER have pet birds (I actually have a bird phobia) but fish are taking over my living room soon with a 55 gallon tank. I"ll update again when I get the new tank and get ready to set it up. I"m sure I"ll have questions about that. Thanks again for all the help. The fishy's thank you too.

 

[luvMyBRT]

What an awesome update! :biggrin: I am so happy the last two are doing so well.

A 55 gallon sounds PERFECT. This size will be very easy to keep the water quality/parameters happy. It is also big enough to keep these two happy with room to grow. BTW, Black Moors can get BIG.

Since your getting a bigger tank my recommendation is to run two filters. Keep the one they have now on the 10 gallon. Just move it over to the 55 once it's ready and keep it running. For the bigger filter (which you would have to get anyways due to the bigger tank) I would recommend getting a canister filter (Fluval or Eheim). They are kinda expensive, but well worth the extra money. You can stuff them full of biomedia, way more than a HOB (Hang On Back filter).

Another thing that REALLY helps with water quality is to add live aquarium plants. Not only do they look really nice they are very beneficial.

Goldies are like little water puppies! So friendly. I know you will get really attached to these guys! :biggrin:

 

[Khan]

Just thought I would let you know about a place that we use for filters, pumps, food etc. We have a 150 gal built in tank in our living room with Cichlids in it.
We buy most of our supplies online from That Fish Place.

 

[chowder]

Wow....that must take up a big portion of your living room! We're trying to figure out where to squeeze in a 55 gallon tank. This is becoming like a whole new hobby that we didn't realize we were getting into. Thanks for the info about the website. I"ll check it out.

 

[g00dgirl]

Here are a couple other sites too you can price check. Sometimes Petsmart will price match too, depends on the location or the cashier.
Aquarium Supplies, Cheap Dog Supplies, Fish Supplies, Best Cat Toys
Pet Supplies | Dog & Cat Supplies, Pet Meds | DrsFosterSmith.com Pet Products - you can sign up to recieve a catalog and just take that to the petstore if they'll price match.

Still, even with shipping buying online is almost always cheaper, especially for filters. I also recommend canister filters. I have two eheim canister filters for my two 75 gallon tanks. I've had one for about 7 years and it's still going strong.
Something like this would be great for a 55
Eheim Filter 2213 - Plus Kit - Filters - Canister Filters at BigalsOnline

Another option for finding a used tank is to search for a local aquarium society. They usually have websites and forums with a trading post section so you can search there or put in a wanted ad. I wouldn't pay more than about $1/gallon for a used tank without a stand- but I know time is an issue too.

 

[chowder]

Another option for finding a used tank is to search for a local aquarium society. They usually have websites and forums with a trading post section so you can search there or put in a wanted ad. I wouldn't pay more than about $1/gallon for a used tank without a stand- but I know time is an issue too.

We've been contacting a lot of people on Craigs list but they either don't answer or they have total junk. The one we looked at was totally trashed. The guy swore it never leaked but then said the damage on the particle board stand was caused by water and I could feel extra sealer all along one side of the tank! The filter was in about ten pieces and the glass lids were cracked and broken. There were even Legos mixed in with the stuff and who knows what else! The whole thing was covered in calcium and crud. I wouldn't have let my fishy's near it!

We are checking out one tonight that sounds good. It is a grad student at Duke that is leaving the state. It is older but sounds well taken care of and has an Eheim canister filter, 4 5 gallon buckets filled with supplies, a heater, two hood lights that work, a wrought iron stand, and lots of other things. He sounded really happy to tell me everything about it so that made me think maybe it is in a little better condition then a lot of them that I have seen. I'll let you know how it turns out.

People here are actually asking more money for the smaller tanks then for the bigger ones. I don't get it because you can buy the whole set up at Petco cheaper then you can get it from some of these people on Craigs list. They have to remember their stuff is USED!

 

[chowder]

Well, I finally got my new tank! After driving all over the state of NC, looking at a ton of scummy tanks that didn't look like they'd even hold water (one even had old legos and garbage in it!), we finally found a beautiful set up. It had a solid oak custom cabinet and hood, 5 hang on back filters, an old canister filter that we have to see if it still works, and a ton of accessories (nets, chemicals, plants, rocks, 5 gallon jug of gravel, etc).

We were on our way to get it (an hour drive away) and the lady called me. She was actually scrubbing everything out with white vinegar and dropped the tank and broke it. She was so upset, and since we were on our way, she offered to take $100 off the price so we could buy a new tank at Petco. So we got a brand new tank for the fish and a custom oak cabinet and hood (dirt cheap). I'm very happy now. I'm cleaning all the filters and setting them up this morning and filling the tank today so get it ready for the fish. I spent last night washing all the plants and toys that came with it (logs and rocks and air pumps).

I've already picked out a third goldfish at the store that I'd really like to have (we'll call him Shemp) so that my three stooges will be complete again! He's a white and orange fantail. Then my husband saw a black and orange goldish on his screensaver and wanted that but I"m not sure that is a real color. This is now becoming an obsession. My son asked last night when we were going out to get 'Shemp'!

That's all the fish news. Now I'm waiting to hear when Natalie sets up her tank again!