November 2001

Events

We have no more listed events for 2001. Now comes the hard part: we need to update the calendar for 2002! If you have an event planned with rough or exact dates, please let us know. You can use the (hopefully) convenient submission form on the events calendar page.

GFSA Info

Contribute something to the Goldfish Report! Please provide any articles, news items, photos, comments and requests to the editor, Vince McCarty, for inclusion in the Report. Vince has offered a set of topics for future issues, to try and get all of you to dig back in your trove of experiences and create a contribution for the Report. These are listed below, with the first on the list due for the next issue:

January/February 2002 (submit by November 2001) 
Goldfish varieties (example: Tosakins and Celestial Pom Poms), Goldfish health management/disease control
March/April 2002 (submit by January 2002)
Buying Goldfish - How to find the best source/fish for you, what to look for, Breeding issue, culling
May/June 2002 (submit by March 2002)
Pond issue, filters, feeding, algae, pond preparation, poisonous plants, pre-show issue. Show times, requests for help, tips on judging, requests for items for auction from members and advertisers, volunteers for booth
July/August 2002 (submit by May 2002)
Tips on transporting fish, last minute show details, Fall feeding issue, preparing ponds for fall

Seasonal Advice

How to clean a fish tank? There are right ways and wrong ways. Never use soap, commercial cleansers, or anything that might leave a toxic residue. If you have accidentally used something like this and it is causing problems with the fish (or hopefully there are no fish in the tank yet), then you need to empty the tank, wipe the inside with household ammonia (in a well ventilated spot) and then rinse the tank thoroughly with hot water. Perhaps using a hose from a utility sink in the laundry room. There should be no ammonia smell at all when you are done.

If you just need to clean up a tank, you can use household ammonia or vinegar (don't mix) as cleaning agents. You can use table salt as an abrasive agent with either, though it will likely scratch plastic tanks. A plastic pot scrubber is a good cleaning tool for glass or plastic tanks. Hot water and scrubbing is usually sufficient without these other agents. Be warned that most sponges sold now contain antibacterial compounds that are not good for fish if you use them directly in a stocked tank. If you use them while cleaning an empty tank, be sure you thoroughly rinse the tank with hot water afterwards.

To sterilize a tank, clean the tank as described above and then fill it with liquid bleach diluted with around 30-40 parts water. For example, 1-2 gallons of bleach for a 55 gallon aquarium. Cover the tank and let sit for at least 24 hours. Any algae left in the tank should disappear completely during this process. Empty the tank and wash it out thoroughly with hot water until there is no chlorine smell (get a second opinion), and then dry the tank in direct sun if possible.