Hardy fantail goldfish are a good choice for biOrb/biUbe aquariums. Fantail
goldfish have long tails that look like two tails joined together. Their bodies are
short and round. Avoid fancier varieties such as bubble eyes and pearl scales
which can be harder to care for or Orandas that can grow too big.
Common goldfish are fast swimming and boisterous, they shouldn’t be mixed
with fantail goldfish and are better suited to very large aquariums or ponds.
Common goldfish, such as comets and shubunkins usually have a single flat tail
and cigar shaped bodies.
Smaller cold water fish such as white cloud mountain minnows make good first
fish, a shoal of six can be mixed with fantail goldfish.
Temperate fish can be kept without a heater providing you use a thermometer to
check that the temperature in the aquarium does not drop below 19°C (17°C at
night). These can include danios, some guppies and platys amongst others. Only
buy fish that have already been acclimatised to cool water. These shouldn’t be
mixed with goldfish.
Do not keep ‘bottom feeding’fish, such as common pleco, loach or catfish in
biOrb/biUbe aquariums. The ceramic media used for biological filtration is
unsuitable for them. Many of these species also grow very large.
There is a large variety of small tropical fish that can be mixed together or kept
as a large shoal of one species. As with any pet, before buying you should do a
little research into your chosen fish from the wealth of fish books or web sites
available.
Check that the fish you buy will be compatible with your existing fish and/or the
fish you plan to have. They should be healthy and alert, scales should be smooth
and not damaged or infected.
With fantail goldfish in particular check that they are swimming easily (not
sideways or up-side down) and that their tails are not held at an abnormal angle.
Don’t be afraid to reject a fish that you do not think is healthy. If you are not
completely happy with it don’t buy it.
Getting your new fish home - Moving to a new aquarium is a very stressful
experience for fish. This can be too much for them and some do not survive. By
planning your purchase and taking care you can minimise this stress to give your
fish a better chance of enjoying their new home.
Always make sure that the fish you buy can be taken straight home to your
aquarium. When travelling, keep the fish steady, secure and out of direct
sunlight. The fish bag should be covered with a paper bag or box to reduce stress
and help tr
opical fish maintain their temperature.
At home, open the bag and roll down the sides like a sock. Equalise the
t
emper
ature in the bag and the aquarium by floating the open bag on the water
surface for 30 minutes. Carefully tip the bag to allow the fish to swim out. Try to
minimise the amount of water from the bag entering the aquarium. Leave the
aquarium light off and do not feed for a day or two. Like any pet you should
r
esear
ch the needs of the fish y
ou w
ant before taking them home.
Fast growing stem plants like Elodea densa or Cabomba aquatica, often sold as
‘goldfish weed’ or ‘oxygenators’take in nutrients through their leaves rather than
roots. They will fight with algae for food and cope with well filtered aquariums.
Generally, fish like to graze on soft, bright green plants. Tougher varieties, or fast
growing plants usually withstand the attentions of fish, however some fish will
destroy any plant. Very bright green or red plants generally need more specialist
lighting in order for them to thrive. Selecting several plants of different heights
will add interest to the aquarium for you and your fish. Buy plants that are fresh
and healthy.
Do plants oxygenate the water?
During daylight hours plants use carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the
water. When it is dark however they do the opposite, this is why plants shouldn’t
be used to oxygenate aquarium water. Make sure the plants you buy are
‘aquarium plants’and not varieties sold for ponds.
Artificial plants - Plants can be difficult to grow and many people prefer to
choose artificial aquarium plants. There are many to choose from, usually made
from plastic or silk, and can look very realistic. Although they do not have the
benefits of live plants they never die and can be taken out and washed when
dirty.
Fixing plan
ts in the aquarium
- Plants are usually sold in pots or bunches;
both can restrict the growth of the plants. Pots must be removed, the substrate
used around the roots can cloud the water. Most stem plants can be kept in their
bunches as long as they are regularly taken out and trimmed.
Use the ceramic media in your aquarium to anchor plants into position. Remove
5-6 rocks, insert the plant into a gap and then place the rocks around the plant to
secure it. Single stems can be fed in-between the rocks quite easily.
Plants with good root systems, such as Cryptocornes and java fern, can be loosely
tied onto bogwood or aquarium rock with fishing line. These plants should then
grow onto the surface. This makes it easier to position the plants and lift them
out of the water.
Aquarium gardening - Most plants do not need much care. However, a little
gardening during normal aquarium maintenance will keep plants looking their
best. Dead leaves should be removed as soon as you see them otherwise they
will rot and pollute the water. Take dead leaves off cleanly close to the stem.
If a plant dies creating a lot of mess care should be taken to remove all of the
plant, if left in the aquarium it may cause poor water quality and algae problems
which will be harder to rectify later on.
W
ha
t fish can I k
eep?
T
her
e is a good choic
e of c
oldw
ater fish available and tropical fish can be kept if an
aquar
ium heater is fitted inside the aquarium. The suitability of fish depends on
their adult size, behaviour and requirements. It is recommended that you start with
a hardy species, consult you local aquarium store for suggestions. Non-hardy fish
such as Neon-Tetra or Blackmoors are not recommended for the first month.
BROCH0001_Life 21/7/08 16:20 Page 9
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