Might buy Goldfishes - Some questions about them.

[Karen]

Most places will sell you "aquarium rocks" - colored stuff that's like small gravel, but it is made of safe stuff for the fish. The filters work by filtering impurities out of the water, food debris and, well, fish poop!

[sana]

but then where does all that junk go to?

[Karen]

It gets stuck in the filter, as it is supposed to. That's why you need to clean the filter regularly, just wash it out.

[sana]

So, meaning you put water in a tank, install a filter and you don't need to change the water... THAT'S TOTALLY AMAZING!! because I have never kept a fish so, I never had a straight idea of how a filter really worked. So, I install a filter clean the filter everyday, right? That's it? So no dumping out water and filing more in. And another thing, when do I need to actually change the water? Is it necessary or do I just have to use the filter and its done, no water changing? Oh! And a filter works through electricity or is there a battery in it? THIS IS REALLY GETTING ME EXCITED!! Please pray i get to buy them sooon!

[Freedom]

No no, Sana, read the links.

You still do partial water changes every 2 weeks. At that time, you change the filter. So you have to keep a supply of filters.

You need something to neutralize your tap water, you can't just put tap water in a bucket and add it to the tank. I use Cycle, but there are other products out there.

The strata is typically small "gravel" colored rocks. Yes, goldfish are very messy fish. You will need a strata cleaner, as a lot of fish poop will just sink into the gravel. The cleaner works by pulling the junk up out of the gravel. Mine is a tube with a large nozzle at one end. It is not electric, no batteries. You make sure the tube goes in to a bucket that is lower than the tank and it will act like suction

[Roxyluvsme13]

I was always told not to change the filter cartridges and just to rinse them out whenever one does a partial water change. It keeps all the essential bacteria (is that the right description?) cycling through the tank.

And you still have to do partial water changes, Sana

[sana]

oookkkkk......Now that's a lot of work Seems a lot to me, I get it. I read the links but I don't remember reading change the water every 2 weeks. thank you everybody!!! You gave me lots of information and thank you again!!

[cloverfdx]

Goldfish are not an ideal beginner fish, they take a lot more care than most people think. You will need a decent sized tank/ aquarium, a filter that filters at least double (if not triple) the ammount of water per hour, gravel for the bottom if you like, some live plants, an air pump with airline and an air srone to help with oxygen levels, water conditoners (tap water will kill fish pretty quickly).

You will also need to cycle the tank for a good few weeks before adding any fish. If you dont want to get your own water test kits then take a sample to a local fish store and get them to test for PH, Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, Hardness etc.

Never do a full water change or clean your filter sponges under clean tap water (use the water taken from your tank). A syphon cleaner will make cleaning the gravel much easier, it will get rid of the waste with out taking too much water out.

Coldwater fish are awesome, real characters, and they are realy quite smart .