# Alternative to goldfish ?



## deerhound (Jul 19, 2009)

I have had a hexaganol fish tank sat empty for a few years as i used to keep a stick insect in it. My son would now like it for his room to keep a fish in. We have kept the usual Goldfish and loaches in the past .
Is there anything other than these that can be kept in cold water easily ?


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

white cloud mountain minnows, apple snails, bitterlings, hillstream loaches. 

: victory:


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## serpentsupplies (Sep 4, 2009)

or go and catch something and chuck it in there


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## deerhound (Jul 19, 2009)

serpentsupplies said:


> or go and catch something and chuck it in there


 Now thats something my boy would love to do :gasp: . 

Not heard of the other suggestions so will go and look them up now.


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## hedgehog738 (Oct 6, 2009)

apples snails are great fun to watch and evan better if they breed like mine are doing. but some fish like to nip at their tenticles, you can get all types of fancy gold fish if you have a look around.


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## Reptile-newb (Jul 13, 2009)

Esfa said:


> white cloud mountain minnows, apple snails, bitterlings, hillstream loaches.
> 
> : victory:


I would not recommend hillstream loaches as they are particularly specialised and require purpose-built river tanks to thrive.

I'd like to ask some questions...
1) What is the volume of your tank?
2) Has your tank been fishlessly cycled?
3) What are your parameters in the tank (pH, GH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, etc)?

Also, I recommend if you are using the paper strip test kits for your water that you stop using them and instead use a far more accurate liquid dropper test kit like the API Master Test Kit for the wellbeing of any fish you purchase in the future.


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

Reptile-newb said:


> I would not recommend hillstream loaches as they are particularly specialised and require purpose-built river tanks to thrive.


Ahh what a load of bollocks. They do fine in most tanks, don't know why that's said everywhere.


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## Love_snakes (Aug 12, 2007)

Platies, cant go wrong with a few of them


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Yeah, platies, guppies and swordtails all do well at average room temperatures.


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## Reptile-newb (Jul 13, 2009)

Esfa said:


> Ahh what a load of bollocks. They do fine in most tanks, don't know why that's said everywhere.


I disagree. It is very well known that MANY people buy a hillstream loach to 'clean up' their goldfish tank, and the loach dies after just a few months. They NEED high flow tanks to be happy. And honestly, I don't care if you've had a hillstream loach in your tank for 10 years, loads of people have had goldfish in bowls for 10 years, do you think that makes it right?

I think this page sums up proper hillstream loach care best:
Hillstream Loaches - The Specialists at Life In The Fast Lane — Loaches Online


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## daftlassieEmma (Oct 23, 2008)

Reptile-newb said:


> I think this page sums up proper hillstream loach care best:
> Hillstream Loaches - The Specialists at Life In The Fast Lane — Loaches Online


 that's a fab page  used it in my aquaculture report :no1:


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

Reptile-newb said:


> I disagree. It is very well known that MANY people buy a hillstream loach to 'clean up' their goldfish tank, and the loach dies after just a few months. They NEED high flow tanks to be happy. And honestly, I don't care if you've had a hillstream loach in your tank for 10 years, loads of people have had goldfish in bowls for 10 years, do you think that makes it right?
> 
> I think this page sums up proper hillstream loach care best:
> Hillstream Loaches - The Specialists at Life In The Fast Lane — Loaches Online


Yada yada yada. They do absolutely fine in a tank with a stong filter, as my 15 did a few years back. They don't need a "specialist buit" tank at all.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

What about fancy goldfish?


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## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

Paradise Fish,tough and beautiful.


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## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

deerhound said:


> I have had a hexaganol fish tank sat empty for a few years as i used to keep a stick insect in it. My son would now like it for his room to keep a fish in. We have kept the usual Goldfish and loaches in the past .
> Is there anything other than these that can be kept in cold water easily ?


A Shole of Rosy barbs with some Butterfly loach and Wheather loach for the bottom.

Rosy barb.There are a couple differant morph.Also comes in vailfin.
Rosy Barb, Puntius conchonius, Barbus conchonius









Wheather loach.Come in albino also.
Dojo Loach, Weather Loach, Chinese Weatherfish, Oriental Weatherfish, Japanese Weatherfish, Dojo, Amur, Gold Dojo Loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus









Butterfly loach.
Chinese Hillstream Loach, Borneo Sucker, Beaufortia kweichowensis, Hillstream Loach, Hong Kong Pleco, Butterfly Loach


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

Berber King said:


> Paradise Fish,tough and beautiful.


good plan!


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## deerhound (Jul 19, 2009)

Wow. Thats more than i thought could stay in room temp water. Those Rosy barbs are stunning. I must say that i prefered my old weather loaches to the gold fish :whistling2:. 
He was fancying Guppies but i thought they needed heat so told him he couldnt have them. I will get him to read up on those suggestions before buying any.
Thanks all .


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## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Watch it though with the loach as some do like an odd bit of fish slime coat and belive me its not good for the other fish if it goes for it.


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## Reptile-newb (Jul 13, 2009)

Esfa said:


> Yada yada yada. They do absolutely fine in a tank with a stong filter, as my 15 did a few years back. They don't need a "specialist buit" tank at all.


Yes, they will be fine in a tank with a strong filter, but that is STILL specialist in a way. My point was they are not fine in a standard tank with a regular filter. 

I am pretty sure that the filter that is intended for use with the tank is NOT an incredibly strong filter.


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## Gemificus (Jan 26, 2007)

deerhound said:


> He was fancying Guppies but i thought they needed heat so told him he couldnt have them. I will get him to read up on those suggestions before buying any.
> Thanks all .


Guppies will do fine without a heater in a warm room (central heated) or sometimes a built in light will help just to take off the chill they thrive well at room temp and don't worry if the temperature drops a couple of degrees at night because water takes longer to cool, none of my tropical tanks have heaters but my flat is very warm and they have strong bulbs in the lid the temperature never drops below 78degrees 

its a lot easier to keep tropical fish that people expect, i personally find it easier to keep tropical fish than fancy goldfish


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## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

I have platys in My Goldfish tank as it never drops below 22, even at night.
Most of the Live bearer species that are sold in best stores can acctually survive without a heater. If the child is young why not look at Mickey Mouse platy? They can be found in a wide viarity of colours due to their ease of breeding.
Dont forget the rule with live bearers though, either 2 or 3 Females to *one* male because otherwise the female can become quite stressed out due to constant pestering.


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