# Rescued some goldfish, but I have no idea what I'm doing D:



## Wolfie305 (Jan 31, 2012)

So my cousin had her daughter's first birthday party today and thought it would be a fun/good idea to give away goldfish as prizes for a game :/ There were way more fish than there were bowls, so almost everyone got two or three fish per bowl - and these bowls are tiny (like betta bowls). I wonder how many fish are going to die this week/tonight  

I had asked my uncle to put one aside for me so I could at least save one, however, there were thee others left over and two extra bowls. My uncle said he was just going to dump them outside if no one took them!!  So one of my cousins took one of the bowls with two of them, and I took the last little guy in my bowl. 

Now I have two goldfish and no idea how to take care of them. I figured they would be better off with me than they would be tossed away, so I'm giving it a shot.

Luckily, I had a left over tank (only like half gal though) and cave decorations from previous betta fish when I was little. As soon as we got home, I cleaned out the tank and the cave, put in some water conditioner, and rinsed out the rocks that came with with the bowl my cousin provided. From the tad bit of research I did online, I see that caring for them is similar to caring for bettas in terms of not needing a filter. I guess they don't need heaters either.

So right now, they are both currently in a one (or 1/2) gallon tank, which I know is too small. 

HOWEVER, along with my research, I read that goldfish need a crap ton of space (way more than bettas). How true is this? I DO have a 5 gallon tank in my basement, but I'm not sure I'm even experienced enough to maintain one of those guys. What is the smallest sized tank they would be okay with?

I'm thinking I might try and re-home one and keep the other (I'm already in love with them...). Would one goldfish be okay in a 3 gallon? 

Is there anything else I should know about raising these guys? How do I tell their gender? (I don't want them having babies lol). Did I already do something wrong in terms of their temporary set up? 

Any information would help! Thanks 

Edit: They are pretty tiny and slim at the moment. I'm not sure what kind they are. One is white with an orange patch on his head and the other is orange with some white on his underside. They have pretty long tails.... I know I'm not helping. I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow (I had to leave my house)


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## hedgehog (Sep 1, 2010)

Wolfie305 said:


> Luckily, I had a left over tank (only like half gal though) and cave decorations from previous betta fish when I was little. As soon as we got home, I cleaned out the tank and the cave, put in some water conditioner, and rinsed out the rocks that came with with the bowl my cousin provided. From the tad bit of research I did online, I see that caring for them is similar to caring for bettas in terms of not needing a filter. I guess they don't need heaters either.


The information you found about filters is incorrect. Goldfish produce a lot of ammonia and actually need double the filtration capacity. So a fish in a 20 gallon tank would need two twenty gallon filters.



> So right now, they are both currently in a one (or 1/2) gallon tank, which I know is too small.
> 
> HOWEVER, along with my research, I read that goldfish need a crap ton of space (way more than bettas). How true is this? I DO have a 5 gallon tank in my basement, but I'm not sure I'm even experienced enough to maintain one of those guys. What is the smallest sized tank they would be okay with?


A five gallon tank is too small as well. It depends on the particular species of goldfish but the minimum recommended size I've seen is 20 gallons for the first fish and 10 for each there after. I've seen 30 gallons with 20 for the next fish recommended more often. This is for fancies though. The cheap feeder goldfish get larger than the fancies and need more space. 



> I'm thinking I might try and re-home one and keep the other (I'm already in love with them...). Would one goldfish be okay in a 3 gallon?


3 gallons is too small for one goldfish. Goldfish are also social creatures and enjoy being kept with other goldfish.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Exactly as hedgehog says. If you are serious about keeping them, you'll need at least a 30g tank, cycled, not heated, 60g filtration. They are better in pairs, so if you were to keep one, keep both 

The 29g tank I bought for my community fish was purchased from a man who had two common goldfish. He upgraded them to a 55g tank, and told me when he upgrades again I am more than welcome to have his 55g lol His will require a very large pond by the times he's done. Goldfish are one of the most demanding fish I have come across when it comes to size and filtration.


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## Wolfie305 (Jan 31, 2012)

Oh gosh I'll have to find new homes for these little guys then. Hopefully they will be okay for now. Better than being tossed out in the yard.. 

I don't have the money and/or time to keep with something as big as a 20 gallon tank! D: 

Thanks for the info guys! I thought goldfish were one of the easier fish to take care of? How false that is lol.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Massively false. The trouble is, in less than 20 gallons, you will find that the ammonia levels will rise incredibly quickly and lead to growth stunting. I would suggest one of two things as a temporary home: getting the biggest storage tub you can find, or getting a kiddy pool and housing them outside. If, as I suspect, you have comet goldfish, you are going to need 75 gallons for two. They are pond fish, so a kiddy pool may be the best temporary solution.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Everyone is right. Goldfish are actually some of the more demanding freshwater species to take care of. Of all my tanks, they need the heaviest filtration and the largest water changes. I'm guessing you have comets since you didn't mention a chubby body or double tail. One comet needs at least a 75 gal tank as they grow over 6 inches and are active swimmers. The largest goldfish in the world was 14 inches long, but a more common length is 10 inches. 

Bomba is right. Go to walmart and get the largest plastic tub you can find. The bigger the better. The larger it is, the less water changes you will have to do. The smallest tank I recommend keeping fancy goldfish in is a 55 gal as fancy goldfish grow around 6 inches, have a very heavy bio-load, and like to have company. I don't think comets and commons are suited for anything smaller than a pond. While it was great for you to rescue them, if you don't have the time and money your best bet would be finding someone with a pond. In the meantime put them in the 5 gal tank and do a 100% water change each day until you can get a plastic tub.


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