# Have you bought a feeder goldfish? How did it go?



## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I've seen suggestions not to buy feeder goldfish due to weak genetics and disease potential. I had a goldfish that was a feeder that lived for 3 years. I had her in a bowl but I didn't know any better. I imagine she would have lived longer had I known what her needs were. There again she had SBD pretty bad. I once took her to work in a shallow dish and hid her to make sure she stayed in a position to survive. She recovered from SPD several times with me worrying over her I have 29 gallon with no fish in it. Quite honestly some fish died in the tank from fungus which I feel originated either from a betta log (it was growing inside and I didn't know it) or a mystery snail in the tank which also had a fungus. The tank has been empty of fish for a few months there are malaysian trumphet snails in the tank that are doing well and seed shrimp and plants. I hate to kill everything and take it down. So I've thought about death row feeder goldfish.

.

I have been tempted to get one. They are 15 cents at Petco they say they are comets but I think they are mixed type goldfish. I figure I could pre-treat for disease before I put it in the tank and Lifeguard the tank. I might save a fish but there again the latent fungus might still be in the tank. Any thoughts on this?
Can a comet type goldfish live alone and be happy or another? I'd get two but I don't think 29 gallons would be sufficient for two goldfish.


----------



## Kaynbred (Feb 16, 2014)

I had a tank full of feeder goldfish (Wait, do comets count as feeder goldfish as well?) And there was no disease at all. They all lived in a 50 gallon tank (there was 6 of them) and they were all bought at different times. They were very cute, fun fish and they lived for about 5 years (except a couple died after about 2-3 years)
So, I definitely say, go for it! I personally adore owning feeder goldfish and have always had great experiences.


----------



## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

Feeder goldfish will be small and in a severly overcrowded tank and cheap. They normally are labeled that way. People buy them to feed to carnivorous fish or to let their kids stick in a fish bowl so their chances of living a long life are not good. There is some chance the goldfish could get a disease by being put in the 29 gallon if it didn't die off once the previous fish were removed. I might be saving it, I might not.


----------



## Kaynbred (Feb 16, 2014)

Okay well then 4 of mine were feeder goldfish, two others were comets. So yeah, I stick with what I said then lol.


----------



## PoissonsMom (Feb 11, 2014)

I have a feeder goldfish that my son dubbed "Orange Bacon". We have had him for about 2mo now, and he seems to be very active & healthy.... Even greets everyone in sight at the front corner of his tank (it's triangular), at any given time, like he's starving!! He/she is a bit of a pig tho, and I have 2 watch that my hubby & son don't feed him again if he's already been fed. We used 2 have a calico fan-tail, Captain Jack, that was accidentally killed w/ kindness, by my inexperienced fishkeeper hubby:-( I'm sure if u decide 2 get some, feeder fish will be just as nice a tank addition as the more expensive goldfish! As with any new fish, monitor them closely & treat immediately if u see any signs of disease. Good luck with ur new venture!!


----------



## PoissonsMom (Feb 11, 2014)

Anyone know how 2 determine gender in a goldfish (feeders, shebunkin & comets particularly?)


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

I personaly have 2 in a 50 gallon. But in all honestly they techniqly are pond fish and easily have the potential to grow a foot long if given the chance. But they are a pleasure to have. If properly cared for they can live up 10 years depending on curcomstances. If you do plan on getting one a good rule of thumb to follow if they will be living in a aquarium is 40 gallons for 1 feeder goldfish and an extra 10-20 gallons for every additional, so for 1 feeder you would need 40 gallons, for two 50 gallons. 
Feeder/long bodied goldfish are aqtualy quite hardy and don't need a heater, but they do need a good filter as they are messy fish and produce a lot of ammonia.
Good luck with what ever you decide


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Theres no good way to tell gender in feeders or shubunkins. And almost imposible until they are sexually mature. Where the males may or may not have breeding tubricals but those are also not definite as sometimes they may have a lot or a little or non at all and on the rare occasion females will get them too.
Ill add more info latter when I have some free time


----------



## BettaNubRandyLove (Apr 8, 2013)

I have a "feeder" goldfish that I got recently. He is shy, scared of people, has swim bladder problems, and probably internal parasites. But I love his awkwardness.


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Aww poor guy, 
What do you feed him


----------



## BettaNubRandyLove (Apr 8, 2013)

I feed him (I have no idea what brand it is) goldfish flakes. Since he has swim bladder and parasites I have been soaking them in epsom salt/ water mix. Even when he recovers I'll still soak the flakes because its better for them if the food sinks.


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Maybe try a pea, vegetable mater in their diet is good for them.my guys love peas when i have them for them


----------



## BettaNubRandyLove (Apr 8, 2013)

Okay, I'll try that. I tried giving him some spinach but he didn't eat it.


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Ya with goldies its a 50-50 chance that they will like something. Mine didnt like spinich eaither. If i rember correctly you can try cucumber, lettuce and zuchini. They can also have fresh fruit but you have to be sparing with it since fruit has a lot sugar
http://m.wikihow.com/Prepare-Fruits-and-Vegetables-for-Goldfish-to-Eat
Have you tried fasting him?


----------



## BettaNubRandyLove (Apr 8, 2013)

No, I havent tried that. I have a hard enough time getting him to eat at all because for some reason he sometimes spits it back out.


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Hmm, it might be worth it to skip a day of feeding, he might of eaten to much. Id also suggest adding an extra water change with your others just to keep him in good clean water


----------



## BettaNubRandyLove (Apr 8, 2013)

Ok thanks.


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Your welcome,
Good luck with your goldie, there so fun to have.
What size tank do you have?


----------



## BettaNubRandyLove (Apr 8, 2013)

Right now he is in a QT. I still need to purchase my tank for him. He will be with my fancy goldie in a pretty big tank once I fix it. I saw it at the thrift store for 7 dollars. I have no Idea how big it is but its about 4 and a half feet long. And thats crazy because he is still half my thumb. Once he truly gets too big. I'll probably end up donating him to the nature center nearby. They have a pond.


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Actually its not really suggested to keep fancy goldfish with feeders/long bodies. This is because fancies are slower and have a harder time swiming while feeders are faster and can swim better and get a lot larger. So they feeder will out compete your fancy for food.


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Just as a suggestion if you need something bigger that wont cost as much, petco is still currently having their $1 per gallon sale. You can also get a large (youll have to check how many gallons it can hold) steralite bin as a temporary home.


----------



## PoissonsMom (Feb 11, 2014)

Sabina88 said:


> Theres no good way to tell gender in feeders or shubunkins. And almost imposible until they are sexually mature. Where the males may or may not have breeding tubricals but those are also not definite as sometimes they may have a lot or a little or non at all and on the rare occasion females will get them too.
> Ill add more info latter when I have some free time


What are breeding tubricals? Is that like what u see on male sharks?


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Umm I don't know if there found on male sharks since I don't know much about them. But their basically described as white pimples. There for the most can be found on the rays of the pectorals and on the gill covers and on their face


----------



## PoissonsMom (Feb 11, 2014)

Oh, ok.... That's not exactly what I was thinking of then, lol... 
Here's what I thought u meant...
Male shark


Female shark


----------



## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Just like guppies ;-)



PoissonsMom said:


> Oh, ok.... That's not exactly what I was thinking of then, lol...
> 
> Here's what I thought u meant...
> 
> ...


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

I dont know if its because im on my phone but i cant see the photos


----------



## PoissonsMom (Feb 11, 2014)

I'm not sure if it's cuz ur fone.... I'm on mine 2, and the pics r showing up


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Its working now on my computer 

Hmm I never new that about sharks


----------



## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

i have seen some really unique breeders culls in the feeder fish tanks before. singletail telescopes and dorsaless commons.


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Really, ive never seen a single tailed telescope before or dorsalless commons either.


----------



## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

I've seen some pretty unusual fish in a feeder tank, and I've kept lots and lots of them.

 When I worked in a pet store, I was always pulling out a cool looking feeder to go into one of my tanks at home. Honestly, I never worried about the size of the tank much, because for one, it was far better than where they were at and the fate that awaited them and for another, they were only about an inch long to start. 

As they grew, I'd move them to a bigger tank, and when they grew bigger than that, I sold them to nice people with ponds, who were thrilled to have them.

When you look, pick healthy. active, long-tailed ones. A comet should have a tail as long as it's body, but most will be crosses. Still, the longer tails look much nicer when they get to pond-size, and more folks will want them when they've outgrown your tank.
Any one with black on it's body will quite likely lose it, as all baby goldfish start out kind of coppery, then blackish with orange underbellies, then the black gets darker as the orange creeps up. So those cool looking black-finned ones are in the process of fading. White markings stay.

So long as I picked healthy ones, I very rarely lost any, and nearly always because they ate something they shouldn't - goldfish will eat _really_ weird things, so it might be best to keep them in a bare tank for the first couple of weeks while they adjust to your feeding schedule, and that let's you QT easily too.


----------



## JelloBetta (Aug 29, 2013)

I personally don't really like feeders. They bring diseases into your tank, and they kinda creep me out because I see dead ones floating in pet store tanks. Don't get me wrong- fish are fish, and they aren't always healthy.


----------



## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

We have a large fountain in the back yard and occasionally my mother in law goes and buys some feeders to put in it. Quite a few die, inevitable. A couple do live though and I've rehomed a few of them. 

Goldfish are fun and if you have a pond or something they're amazing.


----------



## Neight (Oct 20, 2012)

I bought two feeders last year. I got the tiniest in the tank, not thinking they would survive. Brought them home, QT'd them, and put them in a large (40g) tank with my eight year old feeder until they grew up. One of them has tripled in size, while the other is still quite small. They're very nice if you're careful with them. Be vigilant while they QT, make sure they have everything they need (air pumps, small enough pellets or flakes, etc) and you really should be okay. I definitely felt like I was saving a life. They were going to be turtle food. 
Best of luck!


----------



## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

The 29 gallon still sits empty except for Malayasian Trumpet snails and the seed shrimp. I am kind of laughing at myself at this point for running a tank so long with no fish. I've looked at Rasboras but the type they have are kind of dully colored. Will goldfish eat the snails? If they do with they get digestive problems? Riverotter did you just pick active looking fish? How did you judge their health? The tank is crowded it seems like it would be harder to do than when you pick a betta. I do know someone with a pond so I could pass the fish on to once they outgrow my tank.


----------



## TheAnimaLover (Jun 8, 2014)

I heard there is a species of goldfish with doubletail but can still be placed outside called the wakin


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Yup,
There are actually 2 like that. Their called Wakin and Jikin. Jikins are a bit more compact then then wakins are. 

Wakin-

















Jikin-


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

jadaBlu said:


> The 29 gallon still sits empty except for Malayasian Trumpet snails and the seed shrimp. I am kind of laughing at myself at this point for running a tank so long with no fish. I've looked at Rasboras but the type they have are kind of dully colored. Will goldfish eat the snails? If they do with they get digestive problems? Riverotter did you just pick active looking fish? How did you judge their health? The tank is crowded it seems like it would be harder to do than when you pick a betta. I do know someone with a pond so I could pass the fish on to once they outgrow my tank.


I wouldn't suggest a feeder in a 29 gallon. But 1 fancy would work in a tank that size. Goldfish are like bettas in the sense of personality with other water animals. A goldfish may completely ignore the snail, or it may pester the snail non stop. It all depends on the fish. 
Goldfish will not nesecarly get digestive problums if a snail is consumed. And I don't think even they really tend to eat snails since their mostly vegietarians. Their would be less of a chance for digestive problums for long bodied goldfish compared to fancy goldfish. 
When you pick a goldfish from the store, look for ones that are active, are not hiding in the bottom of the tank, no clamped fins. If you see any outward signs of illness like fuzz or fin rot or something like that, I would wait to get a fish or go to a new store. Since theirs a chance that all the fish will or do have it
It seems a bit intimidating to look at a small tank filled with tons of fish. But its not to hard to ispect them. It will just take a minute or two. Also something helpful is to go when their aren't many goldies left since their is less likely of a chance that they will be sick since their no longer all crowded. It might be easier to look at them then.


----------



## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

The will eat anything that they can get inside of their mouths. 

Often when I go to the lfs, the feeders look better than the rich ridden fancies.

Any fish can bring disease into the equation. That is why everyone should qt. 

Feeders are predominately commons and comets. These are among the hardest of goldfish. They do not have the problems associated with fancy goldfish. Eye problems,buoyancy,wen issues etc. Feeders have the potential to live longer.

If a fish is properly put into qt, given treatment for parasites,fed a good food and have regular water changes, it will thrive. Whether it is a feeder or a $200 fish, same rules apply.


----------

