# Goldfish advice please!!



## Valentino14 (Feb 12, 2014)

One of the guys in my building had 2 goldfish in half gallon bowls. I knew this wasn't right, so I took them from him and since I work at the only pet store in town I have good reassurance that he won't be able to get others. My only problem is... I don't know anything about goldfish!! 

One is really fat, the other is shiny and sleek. 
I put them in my 2.5 gallon tank with a filter. I bought them omega one goldfish pellets because Valentino did good on the same brand before he left. I did research online and found that goldfish need a minimal of like, 20 gallons per fish. UM... what?! This news made me want to throw my comp across the room. Is that really true?! 

I am planning on doing 2 water changes a week. I don't have my heater in the tank right now either
What should I alter?


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## LurkerMom (Sep 9, 2013)

Goldfish need heaters?! I was sure they were coldwater fishes...


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## Valentino14 (Feb 12, 2014)

I am not using my heater, wondering if I should so that the temp stays constant?
My main concern is the dispute about the tank size


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Have you seen the size of a full grown goldfish? They're large fish - it's really true 

Goldfish are temperate fish which means they live in a much wider range of temps. It's not uncommon for ponds to get 90+ degrees in the summer. A lot of people actually do have heaters in their goldfish tanks as a way of creating a temp floor - often set to like 68-70 degrees.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

There's no dispute








Pic taken from practical fish keeping forum.


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## Rosebud975 (Mar 26, 2014)

Goldfish also need a varied diet, more than pellets! And yes the tank size is true, I have four goldfish in my 75 gallon and even that's overstocks ( both comets will be going to a pond) they are temperate fish and are very hardy, I normally find goldfish to be better at a colder steady temperature, fancy goldfish are often prone to SBD due to their egg shape bodies. Goldfish are interesting fish constantly scavenging in the substrate and as you've seen grow very big and excrete a lot of waste, you will need double filtration for this. They are related to carp so as such will eat anything, I feed mine a varied diet of frozen food three times a week, peas once a week, algae wafers twice a week and flakes every day in small quantities. They grow very quickly I got my comets when they were under an inch, now they are over five inches and this is after a couple of months! Depending on the type of goldfish they might need a slightly different setup i.e. Fancies need a weaker current, bubble eyes can't have sharp objects in the tank, comets need lots of room to swim, veil tails aren't hardy, fantails are the hardiest fancy Goldie and lion heads are very bad swimmers. If you can post a pic, we could determine what goldfish it is.


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

until you get a bigger tank you should do daily water changes.20+ gallons for fancies and add another 40 for a single tail common,comet,wakin or shubunkin.10x filtration and large weekly water changes in a cycled tank.


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## Valentino14 (Feb 12, 2014)

I have been doing daily changes, and I put a live plant in that they could munch on. Is grozen bring shrimp ok? I also have pellets and a moss ball. 
I will be putting them in a 10 gallon this Summer but won't be able to go much bigger than that... 
I believe I have a fancy goldie and i'm not sure about the other one, ill post a pic...

<a href="114c1143-1960-4aa8-93b8-9e51c3c9fac9_zps81cc8339.jpg Photo by sldank94 | Photobucket" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums...3-1960-4aa8-93b8-9e51c3c9fac9_zps81cc8339.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 114c1143-1960-4aa8-93b8-9e51c3c9fac9_zps81cc8339.jpg"/></a>


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## Valentino14 (Feb 12, 2014)

i copied the wrong one but it is clickable


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## Rosebud975 (Mar 26, 2014)

Brine shrimp is a nice diet supplemented with some pellets/flakes, they will LOVE the moss ball just be prepared that it might disappear ;-) a 10 gallon would be okay with frequent water changes. I think one is a pearl scale (the fancy goldfish) and the other I can't see too well but I think it might be a common goldfish. Good luck with your Goldies :-D


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Sandybottom has it right about the size of tank, and how many gallons per extra goldie. 

Goldfish get MASSIVE. Not just that but many people I know have double filtration because goldies are also notoriously messy fish. That is why they do not thrive in small, uncycled tanks. Some can argue "mine lived for two years in his bowl" but two years is a baby age, and not too impressive 

As for heaters.... Ehhhh... Really, it's up to you. They prefer it on the cooler side, but as already mentioned people tend to use a heater just to keep a base-temperature.


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## Valentino14 (Feb 12, 2014)

Thank you!! I'll just buy another moss ball if they need it, lol I don't mind. 
The fancy is named Marilyn because it has a beauty mark on one side and "blonde" on the top!
The other is named Mini

What would be a good filter for a tank that size? The one I have now is only good for 3 gallons


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

You said you can only get a 10 gallon for the summer? I would do either two 10 filters, or one that is made for a bigger tank (like one that is for a 20 gallon). You want strong filtration!

Don't know where you live, but if you find a pop up "45 gallon instant pond" that would be a good idea for outside, and gives them more space. Just makes sure to still use a filter


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## Rosebud975 (Mar 26, 2014)

Yep, like Sena Hansler said you want strong filtration, I would suggest getting a biological filter as in my experience they are the most effective filter type. With a big tank your goldfish will live for ages, the oldest in the world lived to 42!!!


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## Valentino14 (Feb 12, 2014)

I live in an apartment... definitely NOT a good idea for a pond! lol thank you though. My landlord would just throw a hissy fit! Our chinchillas are enough of a push... 
My roommate has had her three goldies, in a 2.5 gallon with no filter, for 9 years. Sure they are small but they are all active and lively. I wouldn't do this but I do think there are some falsehoods about certain fish. 
If I did the stronger filter, would the flow bother them?


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## Valentino14 (Feb 12, 2014)

That's the other thing! With that one really old goldfish, i've heard a variety ages ranging from 40-49! Lol which is it?! 
BTW, Petco is having their $1 per gallon sale! I think it ended yesterday but you can double check!!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Yeah... Though the fish grow only to the size of their environment... It's just their bodies. their organs still grow


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Sena Hansler said:


> Yeah... Though the fish grow only to the size of their environment... It's just their bodies. their organs still grow



I've never seen any evidence to support this, though it's repeated often enough for people to believe it's true. Yes, it's hard for fish to grow larger than their environment though.

Valentino, it's certainly within your right to stunt your fish's growth like your roommate did. I would not expect much support though. There are exceptions, not falsehoods. For every goldfish there is that lives in a bowl for 9 years, there are hundreds if not thousands that die in those same conditions. such situations are a testament to the fishs ability to survive.


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

9 years? That's a rarity especially under those conditions. From what I have read from those who keep Goldfish & love the breed; to keep one properly & healthy is not quite as easy as we have been told. They're diet needs to consist of lots of fruits & veggies, they are better kept in bare bottom tanks, they have a huge bio-load, there should be 20g minimum for the 1st one & 10g for each additional one, their growth can be & is stunted when kept in smaller tanks even when moved to a larger tank at a later time, their bodies will stop growing but their organs don't which make it uncomfortable & painful for the fish. I commend you for doing your best to give them a better life I think they should be rehomed to someone who can & will provide the appropriate set up & care needed for the adult Goldfish type you have.


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## LurkerMom (Sep 9, 2013)

beside whatever the size you can get them for now, its always better than what they had!


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## Valentino14 (Feb 12, 2014)

I wouldn't give them to someone else... 

Jaysee, thank you for that correction. Yeah, that is a good point. I'm going to do the best for them that I can. It might not be perfect but these are my first goldfish... 
Thank you everyone for the advice! 

I thought peas were bad for fish... goldies included?


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## Rosebud975 (Mar 26, 2014)

Nope, peas are great for Goldie's as long as they're shelled and mushed up a bit. They really help with preventing SBD with the fancies and the fishes love em. Goldfish can be fed loads of veggies for a balanced diet such as peas, zucchini, spinach and loads of others. Feeding goldfish veggies gives them loads of vitamins. Although goldfish are omnivorous they need a lot of vegetable matter so feeding veggies once or twice a week is really recommended


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

+Rosebud975 

Peas are deffinitly not bad for goldies. Mine love them, when ever we have some in the house Ill give them a couple 
Good luck with your fishes

Also just touching on filtration, im not sure if this was mentioned already, but although goldfish are messy and need good filtration because you do have fancy goldfish keep in mind that they should have a lower water flow/circulation since they arent the strongest swimmers. 
Good luck with your fishes


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## Valentino14 (Feb 12, 2014)

Thank you, everyone!
they are doing great so far. ?Right now I have the teeny tiny whisper filter


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## tas (Oct 1, 2013)

Jumping in! Question about giving veges like spinach and zucchini -- can I just tear up or cut the vege into little pieces that are about the size of the flakes? I definitely want to vary their diet a bit. I have 3 comets -- adopted them in September from a psycho at a college fair who threatened to drop them on the ground if someone didn't take them. They are super active and social, but I feel like they haven't grown much!


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

tas said:


> Jumping in! Question about giving veges like spinach and zucchini -- can I just tear up or cut the vege into little pieces that are about the size of the flakes? I definitely want to vary their diet a bit. I have 3 comets -- adopted them in September from a psycho at a college fair who threatened to drop them on the ground if someone didn't take them. They are super active and social, but I feel like they haven't grown much!


What size tank are they in. Comets usually do most of their growing in the first two years of life. In my guys case he started out as 2 inches and in the year I have had him he has grown to 4-6 inches (I haven't measured him in a while) which is still a ways to go compared to the potential of 12 inches.

As for your vegies, its recommended if its fresh to blanch them first, or use frozen and thaw or put some in hot water for a bit to defrost them. Just make sure what ever the case that its room temp when you feed it to your goldfish. Also make sure that its soft enough to tear if its not chopped up. With spinach or leafy greens I would recommend getting a veggie clip and let your goldies tear off pieces for them selves. You could try tearing it up but I think a vegie clip would be esier. As for zucchini and other vegies like it, they don't nessacarily have to be cut to the size of flakes but make sure that there small enough to easily fit in your goldies mouth and maybe a bit smaller then that. When feeding stuff that wont be on a chip clip, only give them a few pieces to start off, that way if they don't like it you want have to fish out 20 small pieces. 
If they don't like or ignore anything at first it doesn't nescarilly mean that they don't like it, it might just be that they don't know its food or that it tastes good, or they might spit it out a few times. Id leave it in for about an hour, if they haven't eaten it by then, then take it out. 
You can also try
Peas
Cucumber
Lettuce
Broccoli
You can also try some fresh fruites like an orange, but feed any fresh fruit sparingly since its very high in sugar.


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## tas (Oct 1, 2013)

Thank you so much Sabina! They are in a 10 gallon now, which is not ideal, but I'm in a dorm and the restriction is 10 gallons. Once I go home, they will be in a 20 g. I have no idea how old they were when I got them, but after I sent the people doing it an email, they said they were just feeder fish and that they "saved" them.

I'm going to try the spinach tonight with a food clip after blanching, and will let you know how it goes!


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Hopefully they like it 

Unfortunetly though 3 commets in even a 20 gallon is really pushing it. One at least needs 40 gallons if its going to live in a aquarium. Is it possible to get them something bigger?


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## futbol1 (Dec 5, 2013)

I adopted a Fantail goldfish last March from a Neighbor who no longer wanted to care for it. She had it in a Gallon bowl, and was changing the water every 10 days or so. She told me she wished he would "kick the bucket already", and was only keeping him because her kids were attached to it.

I still have him, 13 months later, and he seems very healthy, never been sick. He's also very active, scavenging his stones for food everyday, and swimming all around his tank. I upgraded him to a 2 gallon tank, and that's the only change I made for him. I know it's not the best environment for him, and honestly. he's more work than my 3 Bettas. His water starts to get a smell to it after about 5 days or so, and I find I'm changing it more often than I do for my Bettas.

I'm at the point now where I feel he should be given to someone who could care for him properly. I don't want to go through the hassle of getting a big 10-20 gallon tank. I know his growth has been severely stunted too, as he's the same size now as when I got him. I also never vary his diet other than his usual flakes and occasional freeze dried Brine Shrimp or Daphnia.

I feel so guilty for the crappy care I give him, which is not at all adequate. How do these fish manage to survive for so long even in the worst of environments?:-(


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Goldies are vary hardy fish and are able to surive in pretty bad water conditions longer then a lot of other fish. The reason why his water stinks so much after only 5 day is because they produce so much ammonia, which I why they need filters that can handle a lot of water cleaning. I would suggest upping his water changes to every day, I know its a lot of hard work when keeping them in smaller tanks, but if you do it every day it will make him feel better. In the 2 gallon im sure his water gets dirty in one day, so giving him constant clean water is good.
Thank you for at least getting him out of the one gallon bowl 

When goldies are put in smaller tanks, they can "live" in them if the water is properly cleaned, but partially due to what stunting does to them because they cant grow properly, their life span is usually only a few years at most, while their normal life span is about 5-7 years. Hopefully that answered your question.

Honestly in my opinionin I would get the 20 gallon. It will be so much easier to care for. Once set up the water changes are only once a week and regular tank mantinence. 
When I first got my comet goldfish I thought that they could live in 1 gallon bowls and so he did. And I had to do water changes everyday, which wasn't that much fun luging the clunky 1 gallon back to the sink and back, and he got pretty stressed. He once even jumped out of the container that I had him in for a water change. Luckily I caught him in time and got him back in water before anything serouse happened. Once I learned better and convinced my mom that he really did need at least 40 gallon, and we put him in he was much happier. Since he has been in the 50 gallon he has grown from 2 inches to 4-6 inches and enjoying all the space. Before that he lived in a soda bottle for a aquaponics project for a few months then in the bowl for another few months. Even though its a large tank, the water changes are a lot easier the dumping and filling a 1 gallon every day, now its just 25% every week. 

Hopefully I answered what you wanted to know, good luck with you goldfish.


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## tas (Oct 1, 2013)

Sabina88 said:


> Hopefully they like it
> 
> Unfortunetly though 3 commets in even a 20 gallon is really pushing it. One at least needs 40 gallons if its going to live in a aquarium. Is it possible to get them something bigger?


I know =/ I know the rule is 20 for the first goldfish, and another 10 for each other fish, at least. Unfortunately, it's unlikely I could get them something bigger than the 20. I'm in grad school and will be moving at least 4 times between now and December for fieldwork. I don't want to, but I'm seriously considering giving at least one away.... Problem is, I'm surrounded by other students who really don't get my affinity for water friends and I definitely do not trust any of my friends to adequately take care of them! I'm kind of at a loss on what to do now, honestly. I'm with you Futbol -- the poor little dudes!


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

I see your predicament. Though not perfectly ideal ive seen videos of 3 (i think) relatively large close to full grown at least in body shape, comets in a 30 gallon. A 20 gallon is much better for them than say a bowl. As long as you keep your water very clean since it will fill up with fishy waste pretty fast I think they should be ok for now. But maybe it might be good to see if someone can take in at least on of your fish down the road if you ever need it just in case. Any ways good luck 
Id love to see some photos of them


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## KafkaDream (Dec 30, 2013)

*I have been keeping goldfish for years* A comet goldfish needs a long tank, around 75 gallons. They really do better in ponds. A fancy goldfish like your pearlscale needs around 20 gallons and heavy filtration due to their highly inefficient GI tracts. (Thank you, hundreds of years of inbreeding to get the shape we know today) That's why things like leafy greens (spinach, romaine lettuce, pretty much any veggie) is really important to give them because its high in nutrients essential to omnivores. 

*They do grow to the size of their environment, and by that I mean their bodies. They release a stunting hormone that stops their bodies from growing, but does not apply to their internal organs. Thusly, as they grow and take up more space, pressure builds and causes damage. (this is just what I've learned, may not be true, but I'd rather not risk it)

*Goldfish (descendants of the river carp) do not need heaters because they are not tropical fish. They actually prefer cooler temperatures.

*For fancy goldfish I do not recommend flakes because when they come up to eat them, they take in air. This will affect their swim bladders greatly, and can be fatal. (Also a side effect of inbreeding. Your comet will be fine because they are the more traditional streamline shape.) but I don't really recommend flakes for them anyways because its not the best nutrient content.


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## KafkaDream (Dec 30, 2013)

tas said:


> Jumping in! Question about giving veges like spinach and zucchini -- can I just tear up or cut the vege into little pieces that are about the size of the flakes? I definitely want to vary their diet a bit. I have 3 comets -- adopted them in September from a psycho at a college fair who threatened to drop them on the ground if someone didn't take them. They are super active and social, but I feel like they haven't grown much!


I bought a veggie clip- Omega One makes them- with a suction cup attached so you can stick it to the glass. With these, I don't have to worry about them floating away or tearing them up, the clip holds them in place so the goldies can come up and rip a piece right off 

EDIT** I realize this was already answered lol, sorry about that


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