Biube 35L Setup Advice

cming0808

Been lurking in the forum for a while and have learned so much in the past week or so.

I recently bought my daughter (she's only 18 months old so its has been dad doing all the looking after etc :)) a 15 litre starter tank with 2 Goldfish and didnt have a clue what i was doing to be honest and was doing lots of things wrong.

I decided to get a bigger tank and opted for the 35 litre BiUbe (its gonna arrive in the next few days) which kinda looks nice but i now know that most serious enthusiasts dont have too much good to say about them. Anyway i think it will be ok for our needs.

So i have read all about cycling the tank and think i understand what needs to be done before introducing fish etc.

Now i just wanted some advice on what i should stock in the 35 litre biUbe. I have 2 common Goldfish which are each about 3cm long which will go into the aquarium as soon as it is cycled. I was thinking about adding another Goldfish of a similar size and then some minnows. Anyone got any advice as to which type of minnows i should go for and how many i should add to the tank?

Also been reading about trumpet snails and the good they do by cleaning any detriutus etc. Would a BiUbe be suitable for snails? If so how many would you recommend for a 35 litre tank.

Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks

mHeinitz57

2 Goldfish in a 35liter/9 gallon is actually already overstocked. Goldfish can potentially grow from 6-12 inches depending on what kind and so with 2 Goldfish you will eventually need at least a 90 liter/24 gallon aquarium if you want to let them live full lives and grow normally. They may be ok for now but also keep in mind that the Goldfish is one of the dirtiest fish you can get. They produce about twice the ammonia load as tropical fish. While the Biube is a cool system, it is basically just a glorified undergravel system and 3 Goldfish would probably push it. Snails would work in there too but dont count on them for actually cleaning your tank. If you are wanting to stock it a little more, you better bet is to throw a heater in there and get small tropical fish.

cming0808

Thanks for the reply. Speaking to guy in the fish shop he reckoned that i could have 3 or 4 Goldfish and 10 minnows in the biube. Now even i know that would be far to many fish and confirmed my fears that the guy in the fish shop is an idiot.

I would like to add a heater to the biube and get some tropical fish but given that i have 2 Goldfish already i would need to maintain 2 tanks - coldwater and tropical.

After only a couple of weeks i feel very attached to the 2 Goldfish (named pip and pop - you can tell i am an amateur at this cant you !?) and would have to find them a new home which i wouldnt want to do.

So i think getting a 3rd Goldfish is out of the question, maybe get a couple of snails and maybe 2 small minnows.

mHeinitz57

hey, don't underestimate yourself. The fact that you don't own 15 Goldfish shows that you aren't clueless Many people would just throw a ton of Goldfish in there but you are showing good self control. Basically, the less you have in the tank the less dirty it will be and the less stunted their growth will be. I think you will enjoy the tank more and have less problems with just sticking with the 2 Goldfish and maybe adding a small minnor or two and a snail. Although two full sized ones couldnt live in there, you are giving them A LOT better environment than most people do. And yes, they guy at the fish store should not be giving advice on fish. I've worked in the fish business for about 6 years and I have seen many fellow employees rattle off information that they shouldnt have. They often seem confident so the customers believe them and then I have to deal with the problems later. The people on this forum are very knowledgeable and very helpful so feel free to get second (or first) opinions on here. My email is available too and i'm sure others are so you are welcome to use that too.
I think you will enjoy a tropical tank as well. I would get a larger tank 29gallons or more and pick community/semi aggressive fish. I usually suggest this with parents because bringing a child to the fish store is such an awesome experience that the child usually enjoys. Its ahobby you both can share. I know your daughter is only 18 months but the stimulation alone is probably a healthy thing. The reason I suggest these kind of fish is because many remain small and there is a large variety to choose from. This means many trips to the fish store! As you are probably already noticing, the fish hobby is addicting and the temptation to keep adding fish is high. If you choose the right tank and kinds of fish, you can fulfill those urges and the child benefits from that as well

cming0808

Mike H,

thanks for the advice much appreciated - i think your suggestion of 2 Goldfish, couple of minnows and a snail or two sounds good.

The more i researched aquariums on this and other forums the more interested i became in having a tropical tank and one day i think i might make the jump. But i think in the first instance i will serve my time with a coldwater tank get some experience before moving on.

I know most of you guys who have been looking after aquariums for a while will despair at people who go for the biorb/biube but i think they are a good introduction to fishkeeping, providing a starting point for many people who will then go and and pursue more challenging setups.

Thanks for the many words of wisdom i have gleamed by looking over the forum and i am sure i will be back with more questions.

Cheers

mHeinitz57

oh you're totally right, you didn't make any mistake by going with the Biube setup. They are cool tanks and can work very well...if stocked and maintained properly. Don't have any regrets at all, pretty much any setup can work perfectly and look great. To be honest, its not much of a jump moving to tropical. In fact, because Goldfish can be so dirty, its sometimes a relief going to tropical Saltwater is a bit more of a jump but even that can be a breeze if you have the right equipment and you do your homework. I've actually done a small saltwater tank in the past that was a much more basic setup than the Biube. I have very high regard for people that buy tanks for their children to enjoy. Research has actually shown that children score higher on tests and do better in school if their are animals (including fish tanks) in the classroom and at home. The visual stimulation as well as the incredible potential for learning science and animal care are a great tool.