fish and aquarium

Question
How often should I change the water in my 10 gallon tank? The fish that are in there are 2 goldfish, 4 small striped fish, one fish that sucks on the walls, two ghost shrimp, and a frog.

Answer
Hey Veronica,

A general rule of thumb says you shouldn't mix "cold water" fish with "warm water fish", just as a heads up. Your gold fish are not going to live a full 35 years in warmer water. However, when they outgrow your 10 gallon tank (in 5 or 6 months) you can take them to a pond or bigger tank that's closer to a 65*f range.

Back to your question, it's really hard to say exactly. goldfish are large waste producers, and can grow to be really, really big. Each adult goldfish needs around 15 to 20 gallons to survive. Depending on the striped fish, be them loaches, danios, or barbs, they can range from light to heavy ammonia producers as well. The best way to know for sure is to do a 10-15% water change, take a water sample and test it a few hours after the change. Then, wait 3 days and test it again. If there is a large change in 3 days, change 15% every 3 days, or until the tests stabilize. If there is not a very big change in 3 days, then do 10% weekly.

If the tank is very new, (less then 2 months) you will most likely need to change the water fairly frequently. To avoid this, you can purchase a bottle of novaqua, and amquel. one conditions the water and provides virus protection, the other removes toxins from the water. I use these regularly with aquarium salt in stead of medications.

Good luck, and hope this helps get you started toward a healthy, happy tank!