55g *Goldfish Jungle* No-Tech: updated pics Sept 25!!!

[sweet chariot]

I have kept goldfish for almost 10 years now, but only recently with plants!
Most recent picture (As of 9/25/11):


Fauna:
-4 goldfish

Flora:
Jungle val- vallisneria americana gigantae
Corkscrew val- Vallisneria americana v. 'Biwaensis'
Anubias barteri
Echinodorus 'rose'
Java fern- Microsorum pteropus
Rotala rotundifolia
+Dwarf sagittaria

Equipment:
Fluval C4 filter
Inert gravel
2x35watt T8 bulbs
No ferts

3/23/11
This is my tank (sorry for the bad quality, I'll try to get better pictures. It's not really that murky or dark, lol) :

[Loop]

I like it. I was recently thinking of keeping some goldfish in a planted tank. I'm going to try to find some plants they won't try to destroy. I've never had any goldfish before, but I've been wanting to get some Red & White Ryukins. Since you've been keeping them for so long, do you think keeping 2 in a 29G with a canister filter would be OK? I know they need a decent amount of space and filtration because they can be messy, so I wasn't sure if it's enough space. I really wanted a nice pair in there.

[sweet chariot]

Ryukins usually top out at 6-9'' when fully grown, so they are smaller than many of the goldfish in terms of length. I think 2 of them in a 29g would be fine, but that would really be the limit for fully grown ones...of course a larger tank is always ideal!

[Loop]

Yeah, I didn't want to put anything else in there. I assumed that would pretty much be pushing the limit for stocking. I've heard they can be that big, but I've never really seen it. I think the biggest I've seen, with fins all spread out was probably only the size of my hand fully extended. Thanks for the info.

[sweet chariot]

No problem!
Yeah, 9 inch ryukin are not common, but I've seen a few in the LFS of that size. They are worth $130 LOL. Mine were like 13 cents.

[Capsaicin_MFK]

Get some root tabs for those swords or they might start declining in health. Good luck with the goldfish/plant combo...the 12" common goldfish at my house sees any plant as a tasty treat.

[Hilde]

Here you can get Seachem root tabs for $9.53 with no shipping cost.

[ryndisher]

Originally Posted by Capsaicin_MFK

Get some root tabs for those swords or they might start declining in health. Good luck with the goldfish/plant combo...the 12" common goldfish at my house sees any plant as a tasty treat.

Yup

[sweet chariot]

Yea I was wondering about the root tabs too, and I'm really on a budget for this tank so I had to decide between liquid ferts or tabs, and after reading this

Originally Posted by Hoppy

Almost all plants can get their nutrients from the leaves, including terrestrial plants. Aquatic plants will do very well in inert gravel as a substrate, if the gravel is sized so the plant can be held down and there is room for roots to grow. Even those plants commonly called "heavy root feeders" are only assumed to be that because they have big vigorous root systems. But, many aquatic plants grow roots just to anchor them in place, not to feed themselves. I have grown "heavy root feeding" sword plants that completely took over the tank in a few weeks, with only water column dosing of ferts. The ideal substrate would have lots of nutrients so the plants can obtain their nutrients from either or both the water and the substrate, but that isn't essential.

I thought it would be better to get the liquid ferts.

My goldfish try to eat the plants too, they already ate the anacharis and the cabomba, so I had to remove those. They can't eat the large leafed ones and the rotala seems uninteresting to them.

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by sweet chariot

I'm really on a budget for this tank so I had to decide between liquid ferts or tabs.
I thought it would be better to get the liquid ferts.

Then check out LNT.com. Some of their products are cheaper and they don't charge for shipping.

[sweet chariot]

Thanks for the tip!
Do you think it's true, though, that "heavy root feeders" really can absorb their nutrients from the water column and that their roots are mostly to hold them in place, as that post said? Should I try and find out, or try to get root tabs anyway and be safe?

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by sweet chariot

Should I try and find out, or try to get root tabs anyway and be safe?

I think your plants are doing okay. Other tanks that use root tabs don't have goldfish. Goldfish are good fertilisers. Just vacuum the substrate lightly around the plants that usually need root tabs.

[Huckins91]

You never have to worry about snails

I like it. I thought I was the only one that kept a goldfish in my tank.

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by Huckins91

I like it. I thought I was the only one that kept a goldfish in my tank.

Got a link to the tank?

[Huckins91]

Originally Posted by Hilde

Got a link to the tank?

No, the tank isnt scaped, just growing out some plants and threw him in there to get rid of the snails.