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Re: goldfish



I think you misunderstand what I was trying to say.  I realize that
goldfish are a cold water fish and Discus are for warm water.  My question
was if the type of goldfish I mentioned could be used for the initial
three-week break-in period.  I was not asking what plants to use - I
already know what to get.  My concern was that SAE (Siamese Algae Eaters)
and Black Mollies are fairly hard to come by here.  Most people recommend
putting SAE and Mollies in a new tank without feeding them for the first
two or three weeks.  The theory goes that they will be forced to eat any
algae that tries to get a foot hold before the plants can establish
themselves.  What I was trying to find out is if the goldfish would be a
good substitute for the above mentioned fish.  I would only use them for
breaking in the tank -- without feeding them which should keep their
ammonia output down -- after that, I would remove them and turn up the heat
for the Discus.  My question to the group was if anyone has used these fish
for breaking in a new planted tank.  Also, you may or may not know that the
initial planting of a tank is usually done with fast growing, hard to kill
plants.  Once the tank is established it is replanted with the more
delicate plants.  The whole point of this process is to minimize the algae
from the start.

My new 75 gallon tank has been going for 5 days now and it is gorgeous.  It
is VERY heavily planted, mainly with Hygrophila difformis, Cabomba, and
Hygorphila polysperma.  I have 160 watts of fluorescent lighting, CO2
injection, and substrate laterite.  I am trying to follow closely the
recommendations from Dupla along the lines of George Booth's AOA.  I did
manage to get some Black Sailfin Mollies but am using flying foxes instead
of SAE's.  I do not plan on putting any sensitive plants or Discus in for
about two months.

At this point, I do not plan on experimenting by putting the goldfish in
the new 75 gallon tank.  But, from what I have observed in the 20 gallon
tank, the goldfish have cleaned every speck of algae, from the plants and
the tank/plants have never looked so good.