i love koi fish!

[Mr. Koi]

hey people! just here to show off my beautiful koi fishes...and three lobsters...here are some pics...

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[Chrona]

Welcome to AC!

Nice pics, but how big is that tank? It looks horribly overstocked.

[Mr. Koi]

Welcome to AC!

Nice pics, but how big is that tank? It looks horribly overstocked.
its a 10G tank it was those starter kits from walmart my mother in law bought. i didnt think i would get into fishes but all of a sudden...BAM! im hooked like a rainbow trout on a beautiful sunday afternoon...LoL...thanks for the comments...does my tank have too many fish??? or the plants and/or ornaments too much?? at least the water is crystal clear :) ive done my homework.

[Chrona]

its a 10G tank it was those starter kits from walmart my mother in law bought. i didnt think i would get into fishes but all of a sudden...BAM! im hooked like a rainbow trout on a beautiful sunday afternoon...LoL...thanks for the comments...does my tank have too many fish??? or the plants and/or ornaments too much?? at least the water is crystal clear :) ive done my homework.

Yes, you've got way too many fish in there. I count 18 small-large fish plus the two lobsters, and koi/goldfish are very heavy waste producers, meaning they need more tank space than most fish. I would say you need a bare minimum of 55 gallons to hold those fish for now (180+ gallons as they grow to full size). Koi should only be kept in ponds or in very large tanks because they can easily grow to over 2 feet long, which would literally not fit in the 10g tank. They might appear to be fine for the time being but I can guarantee you you will run into massive problems shortly.

How long have you had the tank set up? How often do you do water changes and how much do you change out? How often do you feed?

[Mr. Koi]

Yes, you've got way too many fish in there. I count 18 small-large fish plus the two lobsters, and koi/goldfish are very heavy waste producers, meaning they need more tank space than most fish. I would say you need a bare minimum of 55 gallons to hold those fish for now (180+ gallons as they grow to full size). Koi should only be kept in ponds or in very large tanks because they can easily grow to over 2 feet long, which would literally not fit in the 10g tank. They might appear to be fine for the time being but I can guarantee you you will run into massive problems shortly.

How long have you had the tank set up? How often do you do water changes and how much do you change out? How often do you feed?
ive had the tank for a little over a month now...like i said i wasnt looking foward to being in the fasinating hobby untill i fell in love with koi's! but after reading forums and reading comments from others...i realize that they DO grow big and im looking on buying a bigger/longer tank...i change the water weekly. i change out the whole tank...clean both filters, the plants and ornaments, and even clean out the gravel. I feed the fish twice a day for two mintues, and the lobsters before i go to bed. i feed the lobsters frozen small shrimp. i dont know if they eat it because as soon as i drop them in...the kois and goldfishes attack the shrimp right away...

[Chrona]

ive had the tank for a little over a month now...like i said i wasnt looking foward to being in the fasinating hobby untill i fell in love with koi's! but after reading forums and reading comments from others...i realize that they DO grow big and im looking on buying a bigger/longer tank...i change the water weekly. i change out the whole tank...clean both filters, the plants and ornaments, and even clean out the gravel. I feed the fish twice a day for two mintues, and the lobsters before i go to bed. i feed the lobsters frozen small shrimp. i dont know if they eat it because as soon as i drop them in...the kois and goldfishes attack the shrimp right away...

Ok, first thing I would suggest is to return the goldfish and koi, because even if you bought a 180g tank tomorrow, it wouldn't be cycled and the fish would probably suffer anyways. Second, I would recommend you download the read the free ebook in the menu bar on the left, in particular the section involving the nitrogen cycle. By cleaning out everything weekly, you are killing off all the beneficial bacteria that breaks down toxic ammonia and nitrites.

Also cut down feeding to once every other day. Fish do fine if they are a little hungry and this will delay the ammonia spike that's coming.

[Lady Hobbs]

Koi are pond fish and need temps from 40-70. They also get a foot long!

You might have done your homework but you forgot to read about these fish.

[Severus]

Yes, your tank is horribly overstocked. i would try and get rid of 99% of the fish that are in that tank until you can get a larger one.

[Rue]

Here's a picture of my goldfish tank for reference:

55g with 4 goldfish and 1 weather loach...I'm adding a piece of driftwood, but am keeping it open to give them room to swim...

They use the entire tank already...

I also have double filtration on my tank with extra media...

Recommendations for comets and other single-finned goldies is roughly 30 g for the first fish and another 10 for every other fish...

For fancies it's 10-20 gallons for the first fish and 10 g for every additional fish...

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...ignore the mess in the basement...we're still redecorating down there...

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, compared to my basement thats ultra clean!

Rues 55g is exactly like mine. A large HOB with a short intake on the left, one with a larger one on the right. The only difference is mines a community tank.


Rues tank is almost maxed out. 4 goldfish need 50g, and the loach is fine, so that totals to 55g.

[Chaindriven]

Welcome to the Aquatic Community.
It's nice to have you aboard. The others are quite correct. Unfortunately some shop keepers will sell you anything you want without asking you the size of your tank. The aquatic friends you have selected will out grow your set up very quickly. If you had a 100 gallon tank you might be ok. However, a 10g is way too small for the fish you have currently my friend. Good luck and please heed the advise you have been provided from this group.

[Incredulous_Ed]

Welcome to AC! I suggest reading the free ebook on the right hand side f the site.

[cocoa_pleco]

Welcome to AC! I suggest reading the free ebook on the right hand side f the site.


lol, edit! F the site doesnt sound nice!


JK, i know you meant of:ezpi_wink1:

[Kristi1]

Warm Welcome Mr. Koi!!

Nice tank!!

[WOLF]

Hello And Welcome Nice Pic Thanx 4 Sharing:9: