# Small aquarium; how many goldfish?



## makoisland (Mar 2, 2012)

I don't know if how many of you have goldfish, but I have a question. I'm planning on getting about three goldfish in a few months. I have an approximately 5-gallon aquarium that I'm planning to put them in; will this be too small for three small goldfish? 
And if so, how big a tank would I need for three small ones?
Thanks!


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## MandiceP (Jan 7, 2012)

5 gallons is too small for goldfish period. Sorry. You need at least a 20 gallon aquarium for fancy goldfish, and the common comet goldfish can get as large as koi and need a very large tank! 5 gallons is a great size for a betta tho! LOL


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## makoisland (Mar 2, 2012)

MandiceP said:


> 5 gallons is too small for goldfish period. Sorry. You need at least a 20 gallon aquarium for fancy goldfish, and the common comet goldfish can get as large as koi and need a very large tank! 5 gallons is a great size for a betta tho! LOL


Are there any goldfish that don't get very big?


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## MandiceP (Jan 7, 2012)

Not really. Even the fancies get pretty big. It's not just that tho. They produce a huge bioload as they are really messy fish so they will make a 5 gallon have way too much ammonia and such for the fish to be able to survive. You'd have to change the water way too often to keep it clean and that is bad for you cycle. That's another thing. You also want to make sure you fully cycle the tank first. I still don't recommend Goldfish in anything smaller than a 20 gallon.


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## makoisland (Mar 2, 2012)

Thanks!


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## Badjer (Oct 25, 2011)

Yes, PLEASE do not put a goldfish in something that small. Fancies require much larger, heavily filtered set ups and comets really do best in ponds. Goldfish really aren't low maintenance fish like they're rumored to be. In small tanks or bowls, they will actually stunt and it will kill them. If you're still interested in some goldfish, I highly recommend talking to thekoimaiden who is a member here. She has both koi and goldfish and knows a lot.


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## PhilipPhish (Mar 6, 2011)

There are always those small feeder gold fishies. They aren't real gold fish, but they are colorful and quite neat to watch. You could probably keep a few in a 5 gallon.


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## styggian (Dec 13, 2011)

PhilipPhish said:


> There are always those small feeder gold fishies. They aren't real gold fish, but they are colorful and quite neat to watch. You could probably keep a few in a 5 gallon.


Feeder goldfish are the common goldfish, and grow up to a foot. Goldfish of any kind do not belong in small tanks. Fancies grow up to about 8 inches and Koi carp grow up to 36 inches.


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## PhilipPhish (Mar 6, 2011)

Oh... i feel kinda stupid now! Lol!
We feed them to our oscar so i never see them bigger than the ones they sell.
There's feeder guppies. At my lfs their 25 cents a dozen. They breed like rabbits though....
Or you can get fancy guppies.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

The general rule is 20 gallons for 1 fancy goldfish, then 10 gallons for each additional one. So for 3 youd need 40 gallons. The minimum would be 30 gallons since you need at least 2 :/
Yes it's a lot of room, but they've been bred for centuries to live in ponds, not gold fish bowls, so it makes sense. A goldfish is basically a mini carp.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Gotta ditto all that's said so far, any type of Goldfish you are looking at a 30g (and two fish) minimum  Depending on the type, you could possibly be looking at a pond for a proper home 

You could also divide into two and save two more Bettas from horrible pet store conditions!


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Goldfish and betta are the most misunderstood fish :/
I agree, 5 gallons can only hold a betta, or 2 betta with a divider.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Olympia said:


> Goldfish and betta are the most misunderstood fish :/
> I agree, 5 gallons can only hold a betta, or 2 betta with a divider.


So so true. 



PhilipPhish said:


> There are always those small feeder gold fishies. They aren't real gold fish, but they are colorful and quite neat to watch. You could probably keep a few in a 5 gallon.


Those are called Rosy red minnows. They don't get as large as goldfish, but they still need a larger tank than a 10 gal. They are also a schooling fish. They can be used a pond fish. 

Everyone is right. A 5 gal is too small for goldfish. Mine can't even fit in a 5 gal anymore and my koi are getting as large as my arm. If you want a golden colored fish you could try to find a golden betta. I've seen a few before. One would fit nicely in a 5 gal and would look stunning against a black background.


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## makoisland (Mar 2, 2012)

Thanks everyone! I'm still a bit confused though-- people have been having goldfish in bowls and small tanks for years. Does getting a few fish from the petstore really run a risk of them getting huge?


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

They are supposed to be huge lol. I have no idea where the goldfish myth started. If they didn't grow it's because they are being stunted- not healthy. It'd be like wearing size 5 shoes your whole life to keep your feet from growing.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

makoisland said:


> Thanks everyone! I'm still a bit confused though-- people have been having goldfish in bowls and small tanks for years. Does getting a few fish from the petstore really run a risk of them getting huge?


They are biologically programmed to get that large, but due to improper care most of them don't. The myth that goldfish can live in bowls came about because they are hardy enough to survive in bowls for much longer than other fish. However, they become stunted (organs keep growing but muscles and skin stop) and die before their time often due to ammonia poisoning. A well cared for goldfish will live as long as 20 years. Koi can live even longer. 

Here is a video of the world's largest goldfish. It's almost as big as a house cat.


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## MandiceP (Jan 7, 2012)

As a child I was given two comet goldfish in a 1 gallon bowl. We eventually upgraded them to a 5 gallon tank and the fish lived for 3 years. I was so proud of myself because I thought this was ancient for a goldfish... However many years later when I found out how big they are supposed to get and how long they are capable of living I felt horrible. Believe me. They may "do okay" in a small tank for a while but it eventually will make them suffer and also die prematurely so it is not recommended. The theory behind them being able to live in small containers has given them a horribly misunderstood reputation and unfortunately has made them suffer through all sorts of horrible situations... carnival prizes... wedding centerpieces... bettas too. Whoever said it first was right, they are the two most misunderstood species of fish ever!


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Precisely. 

The "goldfish only grow to the size of their tank" rule really annoys me. It is partially correct: in a small space, ammonia builds up more quickly, so the goldfish suffer from cruelly stunted growth, whilst in a bigger space, the ammonia is more diluted so the goldfish have a chance to grow bigger. However, it isn't tank size that ultimately determines it - it's how much ammonia is in the water. It just so happens that smaller tanks get filthier more quickly.

An example: due to petshop misguidance (we've all been there...sigh) we started off with two goldies in a 10 litre (2.5 gallon tank). Both were comets. We upgraded them to a 15 litre (3 gallon) because they kept growing. Eventually, the three of them ended up in our current 23 gallon. Two died and my sister's youngest one was the only one remaining. Now, his growth is, sadly, irreversibly stunted and his lifespan shortened by our earlier treatment of him.  After I researched on fish and found some things out, the tank has stayed a little cleaner due in part to my nagging, and he has still hit ten inches because the water is just about clean enough. If we had him in a pond from day one (he is moving to a pond when this flooding stops) he would probably be a good foot long by now. 
But as you can see from my example (or ramble), it is water quality that determines size. If you kept the water in a one gallon bowl clean enough (very difficult), the goldfish would grow until his face and tail touched the edges of the bowl. Keep him in a 50 gallon tank with no filter that is never ever cleaned, and he won't grow big at all.


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## makoisland (Mar 2, 2012)

Thanks for the information everyone, I think I'll set up a different kind of aquarium instead.


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## PaintingPintos (Dec 27, 2011)

Olympia said:


> The general rule is 20 gallons for 1 fancy goldfish, then 10 gallons for each additional one. So for 3 youd need 40 gallons. The minimum would be 30 gallons since you need at least 2 :/
> Yes it's a lot of room, but they've been bred for centuries to live in ponds, not gold fish bowls, so it makes sense. A goldfish is basically a mini carp.


 Good thing to say in this type of post ^_^


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