Cathsem
11-13-2009, 06:27 PM
Hello everyone,
I’ve been reading your forum for quite a while and have finally decided to join and introduce myself.
I teach English as a foreign language in France and have been breeding Maine Coon cats as a hobby since 2004.
Last summer, I rescued a Comet type goldfish. I had never had nor thought of owning a fish before and I had to learn a lot of things in a very short time to improve this fish's living conditions.
This poor fish was used as an experimentation tool by one of my colleagues; he gave it to me for the summer holidays (with the cats, I never go on vacation) but I decided not to give it back when I realized how badly it had been looked after.
This poor goldfish had been kept in a 5 gallon plastic tank for 2 years, with a water change only once a month - directly from the water tap- and pellet food once a week. There was no filter but just an air pump.
Here are two pics of the tank and fish when they arrived at home early in July.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catcoonnection/Chez_Cathsem/Images/Aquariophilie/Poisson%20Rouge/DSCN7024.jpg
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catcoonnection/Chez_Cathsem/Images/Aquariophilie/Poisson%20Rouge/DSCN7021.jpg
My colleague didn't tell me much about fish maintenance so I searched the web for information. As soon as I learnt what was required for a goldfish, I decided to buy a proper tank – unfortunately what I thought was a 20 gallon tank proved to be a mere 14 gallon one. As a complete beginner, I didn’t think of bringing a tape measure with me when I bought this tank. Anyway, I fitted it out, let it cycle for 4 weeks before I put Ob – short for The Observer – into it. For 2 days, it kept swimming the whole length of the tank. I guess it was a nice change for it to be able to swim. It could not do so in its old 20cm (7’’) long tank.
My 14 gallon tank (60x30x30cm) early in October:
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catcoonnection/Chez_Cathsem/Images/Ob/54l/DSCN7240.jpg
Ob has grown a lot since July and I have come to realize the 14 gallon tank would soon be too small for it to keep on growing, so I’ve just bought a 30 gallon tank which is presently cycling. In 3 weeks, Ob will be transferred into its new tank (a Juwel Rio 125). I’m looking forward to it.
Here is a pic taken on day one (so the water is still a bit turbid.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catcoonnection/Chez_Cathsem/Images/Aquariophilie/Aquarium/Rio%20125/DSCN7334.jpg
However I think it is not a good thing for Ob to be kept alone in this tank on a long term basis and it would be too small for two common goldfish. As it happens a good friend of mine has got a pond, I think it would be best if I gave my Comet to her next summer. I won’t be able to afford a very big tank before quite a while. Breeding Maine Coons is an expensive hobby so saving is a hard and long process.
I really came to love goldfish (I think they make great fish pets).
I hope to learn as much as I can on goldfish in the upcoming months. Your forum seems a good place to do so.
Thank you for reading me.
Warm regards from France,
Catherine
I’ve been reading your forum for quite a while and have finally decided to join and introduce myself.
I teach English as a foreign language in France and have been breeding Maine Coon cats as a hobby since 2004.
Last summer, I rescued a Comet type goldfish. I had never had nor thought of owning a fish before and I had to learn a lot of things in a very short time to improve this fish's living conditions.
This poor fish was used as an experimentation tool by one of my colleagues; he gave it to me for the summer holidays (with the cats, I never go on vacation) but I decided not to give it back when I realized how badly it had been looked after.
This poor goldfish had been kept in a 5 gallon plastic tank for 2 years, with a water change only once a month - directly from the water tap- and pellet food once a week. There was no filter but just an air pump.
Here are two pics of the tank and fish when they arrived at home early in July.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catcoonnection/Chez_Cathsem/Images/Aquariophilie/Poisson%20Rouge/DSCN7024.jpg
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catcoonnection/Chez_Cathsem/Images/Aquariophilie/Poisson%20Rouge/DSCN7021.jpg
My colleague didn't tell me much about fish maintenance so I searched the web for information. As soon as I learnt what was required for a goldfish, I decided to buy a proper tank – unfortunately what I thought was a 20 gallon tank proved to be a mere 14 gallon one. As a complete beginner, I didn’t think of bringing a tape measure with me when I bought this tank. Anyway, I fitted it out, let it cycle for 4 weeks before I put Ob – short for The Observer – into it. For 2 days, it kept swimming the whole length of the tank. I guess it was a nice change for it to be able to swim. It could not do so in its old 20cm (7’’) long tank.
My 14 gallon tank (60x30x30cm) early in October:
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catcoonnection/Chez_Cathsem/Images/Ob/54l/DSCN7240.jpg
Ob has grown a lot since July and I have come to realize the 14 gallon tank would soon be too small for it to keep on growing, so I’ve just bought a 30 gallon tank which is presently cycling. In 3 weeks, Ob will be transferred into its new tank (a Juwel Rio 125). I’m looking forward to it.
Here is a pic taken on day one (so the water is still a bit turbid.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catcoonnection/Chez_Cathsem/Images/Aquariophilie/Aquarium/Rio%20125/DSCN7334.jpg
However I think it is not a good thing for Ob to be kept alone in this tank on a long term basis and it would be too small for two common goldfish. As it happens a good friend of mine has got a pond, I think it would be best if I gave my Comet to her next summer. I won’t be able to afford a very big tank before quite a while. Breeding Maine Coons is an expensive hobby so saving is a hard and long process.
I really came to love goldfish (I think they make great fish pets).
I hope to learn as much as I can on goldfish in the upcoming months. Your forum seems a good place to do so.
Thank you for reading me.
Warm regards from France,
Catherine