I did something very stupid and bought a bubble eye and a red cap oranda (I think) on Sunday without knowing anything about keeping fish. I'm trying to research everything and I'm getting overwhelmed.
I have the two in the largest bowl I could find in my house, about two gallons. Today I changed the water and added some AquaSafe water conditioner. I ended up replacing half of the water because my bubble eye was gasping at the surface. Now he seems to be fine.
I checked the levels and everything is in decent range except for the pH and Alkalinity. Also I think the hardness levels are a little low (very soft according to chart). Is hardness related to pH levels?
I really want to keep these fish, but I also want them to be healthy and happy. I found a twenty gallon tank that I may buy, but my research leads me to believe that I need a thirty gallon. If I buy the tank and a filter and everything, is it likely that my fish will survive the "cycling" process?
I have the two in the largest bowl I could find in my house, about two gallons. Today I changed the water and added some AquaSafe water conditioner. I ended up replacing half of the water because my bubble eye was gasping at the surface. Now he seems to be fine.
I checked the levels and everything is in decent range except for the pH and Alkalinity. Also I think the hardness levels are a little low (very soft according to chart). Is hardness related to pH levels?
I really want to keep these fish, but I also want them to be healthy and happy. I found a twenty gallon tank that I may buy, but my research leads me to believe that I need a thirty gallon. If I buy the tank and a filter and everything, is it likely that my fish will survive the "cycling" process?
Even though you didn't know about what you needed when you bought the fish, at least you're trying to learn, and that's more than some people will do.
The pH is related to the carbonate hardness [kH]. Carbonates add alkalinity, and this helps to neutralize mild acids, so it keeps the pH from dropding as quickly if an acid is added. And even though you probably don't plan to add any acid to the tank, the carbon dioxide given off when the fish breathe and their wastes does make the water mildly acidic. That's 1 of the reasons why it's better to do small frequent water changes [25% of the tank volume each week] than to wait and do a large change less often. The pH will fluctuate more.
You don't say how low your pH and hardness levels are, but unless the pH is regularly falling below 6, I wouldn't try to adjust it. If it is lower, adding some crushed coral [sold in bags for saltwater tanks] or some cichlid sand added to your gravel, or put in a small mesh bag in your filter will help to raise it [and the hardness as well]. Both of these substances are made of calcium carbonate, and will slowly dissolve in the tank. It makes a much more stable environment than trying to change the pH using liquid buffers which will do a quick pH change, then slowly drift back to the original level.
A 20 gallon is a little on the smaller side, but it could be doable if you have good filtration and are meticulous with your water changes. You don't want to miss changes too often, or if you need to miss on a scheduled day, make up the change as soon as you can. And instead of 25% changes, you might do 30 or 35% instead. It also could make a difference if the tank is a 20 gallon long [30 inches long] as opposed to a 20 tall [24 inches long] because the added length will give you more surface area for oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange and will have more horizontal room for your fish to swim.
And yes, if you pay attention to the ammonia and nitrite levels and do changes whenever the levels start to approach 1 ppm, your fish can survive the cycling process. Goldfish are pretty hardy if you make an effort to keep their conditions livable for them.
The pH is related to the carbonate hardness [kH]. Carbonates add alkalinity, and this helps to neutralize mild acids, so it keeps the pH from dropding as quickly if an acid is added. And even though you probably don't plan to add any acid to the tank, the carbon dioxide given off when the fish breathe and their wastes does make the water mildly acidic. That's 1 of the reasons why it's better to do small frequent water changes [25% of the tank volume each week] than to wait and do a large change less often. The pH will fluctuate more.
You don't say how low your pH and hardness levels are, but unless the pH is regularly falling below 6, I wouldn't try to adjust it. If it is lower, adding some crushed coral [sold in bags for saltwater tanks] or some cichlid sand added to your gravel, or put in a small mesh bag in your filter will help to raise it [and the hardness as well]. Both of these substances are made of calcium carbonate, and will slowly dissolve in the tank. It makes a much more stable environment than trying to change the pH using liquid buffers which will do a quick pH change, then slowly drift back to the original level.
A 20 gallon is a little on the smaller side, but it could be doable if you have good filtration and are meticulous with your water changes. You don't want to miss changes too often, or if you need to miss on a scheduled day, make up the change as soon as you can. And instead of 25% changes, you might do 30 or 35% instead. It also could make a difference if the tank is a 20 gallon long [30 inches long] as opposed to a 20 tall [24 inches long] because the added length will give you more surface area for oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange and will have more horizontal room for your fish to swim.
And yes, if you pay attention to the ammonia and nitrite levels and do changes whenever the levels start to approach 1 ppm, your fish can survive the cycling process. Goldfish are pretty hardy if you make an effort to keep their conditions livable for them.