Lighting for fish

About how long should i leave the light on for my koi fish?? The sunlight does come in my windows but not much bc I have my blinds close down and blankets over some of my windows in my bedroom.About how fast will a koi fish grow in a 3 gal tank??Should I be looking for a bigger size like a 10 gal. Thank u for all the help. My koi fish is doing very well, and my tank is cleaner.

I try to replicate a real day with my fish. Day is day and night is night. They should get about 10-12 hrs of light. The rest is up to you. Also koi grow to be very large. He will be crowded in a small tank.

hm you should lighten your tank at night...obviously you should look for 10 gallon or bigger tank,the growth of your koi may stunned due to small size of your tank...

Before i even bough the fish I ask about if my 3 gal will do and he said yes but now i wished i got a 10gal but then i would had to buy things for the tank and set it up.I am going to wait for about 2 months and see what i can do with getting a tank from a auction that my parents always goes too. they will go real cheap. About how long should i wait or not wait at all to get a bigger tank. i am spending money like crazy for this fish.

the koi fish grows rapidly,so i guess that with in a few days this koi grow such a fast rate that you may not provide the little space for ur small 3 gal tank that you have...so buy the 10 gallon or more bigger tank as sooner as possible...

what do u mean by stunned?? u meaning by dieing?? well i had him about a week now.If i get a bigger tank can i get more fish if so what kind and how many??

I really do hate to do this but i think it is the best thing for my koi. i am going to release him into the lake behind my place and get a reg.goldfish that doesnt grow as fast and as big.I should have done my research and I didnt so it is all my falt that I got him and I dont have a big pong or anything BIG to keep him in.I just want him to be happy and healthy.

In addition to being against the law, releasing an aquarium fish into the wild can introduce non native species, diseases and parasites into the environment. You could try to house the koi in one of those inexpensive kid pools, or the fish store may take him back. A three gallon aquarium is appropriate for one or two goldfish. If you want to try something more exotic, a male Betta would be a good choice. In Phoenix, yard sales have some great bargains in used aquariums. Florida may be even better, and you can save money by building your own aquarium stand.

ok then what do u think i should do?? I dont wan to spend more money then i have to on a fish and i know my landlord wont allow a small kiddie pool in my yard. i am think i am going to get a 10 gal tank and new filter and rid for tank.so now i can get more plants and more things for the bottom not alot just a few more idans.

I went ahead and got a 10gal with set up and the bubbles at the bottom and the filter is working and i put water treatment in and waiting until tomorrow at 11am to move koi to other tank.I have been checking on my koi and he is gasping for air and I put the bubbles back in his tank and he is swimming around the filter and catching the water for air. Is this normal??now he is doing betternot as gasping for air like he was before i put the bubbles back in. i guess he like the bubbles in his tank.

The water definitely needs some oxygen, and a bubbler is a good way to get it there. Gasping at the top means the fish does not have enough oxygen. This could be caused by an ammonia buildup from too much food or failure to properly cycle the aquarium. You can speed up the cycling process by adding gravel or decorations from an established aquarium. Live, floating plants are also good. Normally, a ten gallon tank takes a few weeks to cycle. If you add fish right away, you will need to do 20 or 30 percent partial water changes every day until the ammonia level stays at zero.

so i cant just put water treatment in tank and let it go.so i will have to cycle the water before i put my koi in the tank?? i did get 2 5lbs bags of gravel for the 10gal and a pack of three plants and a rainbow rock and i only have two plants and the rock in tank.Should i put the third one in tank also??cleo is doing better for air wise. i am only feeding him about 3-5 pellets but only i few at a time to make sure he is eating it all.I am only feeding him two times a day.3-5 each time is this too much but he is eating all of it.

What kind of filter is in the ten gallon tank? If you decide to use a cheap under gravel filter like I do, you will need about two inches of gravel. Most aquarium shop gravel has already been rinsed, but one more rinse doesn't hurt. The Koi can probably deal with the ammonia in an uncycled tank, but most other fish cannot. If you can find some hornwort (it's cheap) float several bunches in the tank. It will remove ammonia.

I have aqua-tech 5-15 power filters. My fish is alittle gasping for air but not much like he was. i think it has too much ammonia in tank. Where can i fine hornwart at?? wal-mart or pet supermarket be better?? It is storming here.should I get a ammonia test?? the 5 in 1 test with all tests??I need a quick reply so i can go before it is dark.

I went to pet supermarket and got ammonia test kit,amquel+,ammchipsand underground filter. yeah i know i went crazy.but my fish will be happy.

aquarium is such type of hobby that you must be crazy about that...it's good to hear that you buy these kit,and now from you test the ammonia level of your tank..

for the 3gal the level was 2.0-2.5and the ten gal was .25 but i added ammonia remover to put in filter that was told john to do.only to 3gal. movie is back on gotta go.

10-12

what do you mean by 10-12? the ammonia level?

About the plants. Sometimes PETCO and Petsmart have a limited selection, as do some of the independent aquarium shops. Aquabid.com is a good place to look for specific plants. The variety and prices are usually good, but you do have to pay shipping. Many of the wholesalers live in Florida, so you may be able to arrange a pickup.