Hello I have a 200litre tank and I would like to create a planted aquarium and also keep gold fish. I like the look of the dutch aquascape and have unsuccesfully tried to find a guide showing how to create a terrace and streets. However, before that i would like to know if i create a planted tank would this be detrimental to the fish since the plants occupy aquarium space?
Shadad, Good morning. It iis not adviceable to keep Goldfish in a planted tank. The Goldfish will eventually eat up your plants. The "Ranchu" Goldfish might not eat your plants but all Goldfishes will eat your plants.^^
I am planning to start the planting before adding the goldfish in order to give the plants a head start
in the magazine practial fishkeeping george farmer did an aquascape with goldfish and he only used plastic plants for the forementioned reason. I think if someone with his experiance and knowledge wont do it then maybe it cant be done successfully. However rule are their to be broken so good luck if you do decide to try
Jenks, I agree with you rules are meant to be broken. If Shadad wants to experience it if he feels strongly about it and want to learn practically I cannot discourage him. It will be an expensive lesson though.^^
what about the plants that are too tough or goldfish dont like the taste of? anyway getting back to my original question if i have a planted tank do i need to have less fish?
Shadad, depending on size of your tank. You can add fishes. There are many colourful tropical fishes you can add to beautify your tank. You really don't want to add Goldfishes. You are speaking to an ex Goldfih breeder here. Really, don't learn an expensive lesson.^^
I have to agree with Chuntc, there are something like 3 plants that goldfish won't annihilate and they're not the easiest of plants to scape with. I'd suggest you either go for one of the other as their needs are at each end of the spectrum, if you want a planted tank from the pages of ADA you will need ferts co2 warm water and high flow, the last 3 goldfish aren't so great with, goldfish will not only eat the plants but they root in the substrate releasing ammonia and also uproot plants. Not only this but goldfish are potentially big fish and messy too, plants love clean water and with big messy fish it's hard to achieve that without ending up with algae or having filters too strong for the fish (especially with fancies). Goldfish also need big tanks and that means a high cost. 90x45x45 should be seen as a minimum for a trio-quad. In response to your initial question in theory because of your live plants you have better water quality, higher oxygen levels and therefore can keep more fish, in reality though overstocking in a planted tank is like posting a sign saying all you can eat buffet for algae and that benefits no one. Personally if temperates are your thing then I would look at those that are entering the market currently, there are lots of very pretty fish to be had, for example; florida sunfish, black ruby barbs, whitecloud minnows, hill stream loaches, most shrimp and many many many more... Otherwise spend the £20 on a heater and save yourself the hassle of dealing with goldies.
Garuf, you detail explanation is good and may help Shadad to decide, what he wants to do. Thank you for adding your opinion.^^
Chuntc - my tank is 200 litres and I have everything including a heater. I already have one moor in another tank which i am planning to put in the 200 litre tank. Garuf my tank is about 100x38x45. In addition to the moor i was thinking of adding 3 other small goldfish to the tank. From what i have learnt i cant mix the goldfish with tropical fish and i had bought the tank to put my moor in. I do love the variety of the tropical fish but when i first started out i was advised to get goldfish which are suppose to be easier to keep otherwise i would have gone straight for tropical fish.
First and fore most forget about the Goldfish and return it to the shop for more exotic tropical fishes, that is if you want to do a good scape. Really my friend.^^
You could do a well aquascaped tank without plants, using rocks and driftwood but no live plants. As mentioned above, there are also some very realistic looking fake plants you could add. Mostly though, it sounds like your mind is made up, so my advice is to buy the fastest growing plants you can find, plant as many as you can afford, and keep as few goldfish as possible. Maybe if you spread the damage across as many plants as possible it won't be that noticeable.
If you really are fully set on keeping plants here's a list of plants that "should" be able to with stand goldie browsing: Anubias vallis gigantia Java fern crinum sp. "onion plant" sagitaria sabulta There aren't any stems that will be happy long term with goldfish attacks, plus the damage caused by the goldfish will leach proteins into the water lowering water quality but also causing algae. The above plants "should" with stand it but gold fish are highly omniverous and seem always hungry so may become damaged and tatty looking. They're all also pretty difficult to scape with normally being used in a supporting role to other plants. A dutch scape with all it's walls of stems would be highly impractical but a nature scape with a hunk of drift wood some anubias and a java fern on it and a foreground of pale fine gravel/sand "should" be achievable.
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