# Gah! Help! Goldfish Adoption



## TeacherTeapot (Aug 6, 2012)

I'm kinda in a panic, recently (as in yesterday) a co-worker who knows I have a fish asked if I would adopt her son's goldfish. In true fish-addict fashion, I said yes. Only problem is that the only time I've ever had a goldfish it was a carnival prize and I killed it within days. Granted, I was seven, but still I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to the most entry level of fish.

I get them in just under two weeks. Luckily I have a tank that is already cycled as I am moving my betta Beau to a slightly bigger tank at nearly the same time. But as far as food, water temp, safe toys for them, I'm completely lost. 

Someone please help me!


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

What kind of goldfish?

For a fancy (round-bodied), the general stocking rule is 20-30 gallons for the first fish, an extra 10-15 for every additional fish.
For a common, comet or shubunking, 55-75 gallons for the first fish, 20 gallons for each additional. These guys really do better in ponds. 

Fancy goldies do best in water 68-75, whilst comets are better in under 72F. They prefer hard water with a neutral to basic pH. 

Pellets are best - flaked or floating foods encourage them to gasp at the surface, which can cause swimbladder problems. They like variety, so live food and green plants can also be added to their diet. 

For toys, do what you would with a betta - make sure it can't rip their fins. Sand or large tumbled river rocks make the best substrate, as they can swallow gravel.

You need a very high-capacity filter (twice the capacity of the tank) as goldies are messy creatures.

They are social and prefer to be in groups. 

They are amazing, beautiful and very rewarding fish, but they are also a big commitment and require an expensive outlay. That being said, once you have everything, maintaining them isn't so pricey.  

I'd PM KoiMaiden and Olympia and ask them to weigh in, as they are goldie experts in this forum and can correct any mistakes I've made or add extra information for you.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Bomba's post was great, but I must add that if you can not immediately get a proper tank the Goldie should be the one who gets the "slightly bigger tank" instead of the betta.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Good point.


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## TeacherTeapot (Aug 6, 2012)

I don't actually know what kind of goldfish they are, all she could tell me was that they are white. They were her son's before he went into the service, and she can't continue caring for them. I do know that she is currently keeping them in a large peanut jar, so I'm kinda considering this a rescue. 

Also, I know this is going to sound really bad, but I simply don't have room for a 25+ gallon tank. I live in a _very _small apartment, and before anyone tells me that I shouldn't adopt them, if I don't they will starve to death. My co-worker is going on vacation to Florida right after leaving the fish with me, but if I don't take them in, they will be left in her house for two weeks without food. (She already refused my offer to stop by and feed them) These little guys are in an all around bad situation, and I at least will be able to give them a clean tank to live in. 

I have done a little research, mostly before I got Beau, and I know that a fish will only get as big as it's environment allows. Granted I have not seen the fish yet, but as the four of them are in a peanut jar and have space to move around, I don't believe that they are huge. At most I expect them to be 2" or so.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I'm not saying don't adopt them, but I am saying that you should look for someone else to take them long-term.

The restricting factor in goldfish size is not tank size. In a small tank, as you know from betta-keeping, ammonia builds up, as do hormones released by the fish. This is what stunts their growth - painfully and dangerously - not the size of the tank. If you keep the water sparkly clean, they will grow to their predetermined size. That's a minimum of 6 inches for a fancy, and 12 for a comet. 

It is great that you want to rescue them, but please consider looking for a home for them with someone who is able to care for them. Until you can, you are looking at daily 75% water changes to keep ammonia levels under control, as goldfish have an enormous bioload.


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## TeacherTeapot (Aug 6, 2012)

The frequent water changes don't bother me, I'm already doing daily 50% as I'm treating my betta for tail rot in an unfiltered tank. (We're almost over it!) And I do a once weekly 100% to get the rest of the nastiness out of the substrate. I have also started caring for the fish in the classroom I work in, so I am completely aware of the huge bioload of goldfish. (Trust me when I started cleaning it that tank was nasty!)

I was also doing some reading up on goldfish tonight, and everything I'm reading says to not go above 60 degrees, as they are a cool-water fish.


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## Chevko (Nov 15, 2012)

TeacherTeapot said:


> I have done a little research, mostly before I got Beau, and I know that a fish will only get as big as it's environment allows.



Leeet me cut in right there. With this, from what I'd been reading - yes this is true, their bodies stop growing, *but* their organs do _not_ stop growing. So yes one may have a 4" fish, but their organs may be that of a 6" or 7" fish - a very bad and painful way to die. I don't know if this is with all fish or just certain ones but it's something I've been taking into consideration big time with fish ever since I heard of it.

I do gladly accept being shot down on this, but this is what I know on stunting growth.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

+1. That is absolutely true.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Glad you are prepared for the water changes.  



TeacherTeapot said:


> I was also doing some reading up on goldfish tonight, and everything I'm reading says to not go above 60 degrees, as they are a cool-water fish.


This is not true. Many fancies are actually kept in 75 degrees, and comets prefer it to be *above* 60.


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## TeacherTeapot (Aug 6, 2012)

Bombalurina said:


> This is not true. Many fancies are actually kept in 75 degrees, and comets prefer it to be *above* 60.


Ok then, how high is too high? The filter I am intending to use for them is grossly overpowered, but the motor heats the tank to around 80 degrees or so. Which worked fine for my betta (even if the current pushed him around a little), but will it be too warm for my new little guys?


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Yes, definitely. 72 is really the max for comets, and I believe that they prefer it to be around 68.


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## TeacherTeapot (Aug 6, 2012)

Do goldfish jump? I think that if I leave the lid of the tank off then the temp should go down into the safe range. For obvious reasons Beau has to have the lid on.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

They definitely can. I'm not sure how often they do so, though.


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## TeacherTeapot (Aug 6, 2012)

Do you think it would be safe to leave the lid off? I don't ever remember hearing about or seeing my Aunt's two goldfish she had for her garden pond jumping. Granted they were so full of mosquito larvae that I doubt they ever felt the need to do more than swim very slowly.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I have the same issue with goldfish and they aren;t even mine. My sister had 5 in a 10g but 3 died after 2 or so years. so now there are 2 in a 20G. They did have a 10G filter but I got an aquaclear 70 off ebay for liKe $10 and 
OMG - does it do wonders for mechanical filtration. Before when I gravel vaccumed, the gravel had so much junk in it and ther ewere those little white worms that would come out of the gravel. Now, I would say there is at least 50-75% less junk in the tank which hs got to help the water quality somewhat. Not sure if it does anything to help the biological filtration or nitrAte levels though. Yeah, there is alot of room for the bacteria but there is still only 20G of water. I got 2 pads of aquaclear foam, those ceramic rings and I added 2 layers of a "nitrate reducing" pad. No idea if it even works but if not, it can help with the mechanical/biological filtration filtration.

Oh, they also don't have a lid/hood. I upgraded the tank - thats all I am buying for them. I have never seen them jump. They are the kind with the long tails and round bodies.


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## TeacherTeapot (Aug 6, 2012)

Hey on the topic of food, I was reading that they like certain kinds of fruits and vegetables. Any recommendations?


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

TeacherTeapot said:


> ...
> 
> I have done a little research, mostly before I got Beau, and I know that a fish will only get as big as it's environment allows. Granted I have not seen the fish yet, but as the four of them are in a peanut jar and have space to move around, I don't believe that they are huge. At most I expect them to be 2" or so.


This is false. Fish do not grow to their environment. What happens in these small bowls is that ammonia and nitrate build up to such levels that the fish has to deal to put all of its energy into dealing with these problems instead of growing. Basically you're stressing the fish into a stunted life. The organs do continue to grow inside the fish. The fins will look funny, and usually the eyes are abnormally large. This eventually causes the fish a premature death. 

If the water in a small tank is kept clean, the fish will continue to grow. 



TeacherTeapot said:


> ...
> 
> I was also doing some reading up on goldfish tonight, and everything I'm reading says to not go above 60 degrees, as they are a cool-water fish.


Again, another falsehood about goldfish. They are extremely temperature tolerant. Mine get up to 80F in the summer just fine. The thing about goldfish and temp is that as the water gets warmer, they need to be fed more often to maintain a good weight (ie not becoming underweight) and this causes them to produce more waste. In warmer water they also need more oxygen. So while they need more care in warmer water, they can certainly do just fine in it. 

For food, again this is going to depend on whether or not they are fancy goldfish. For common goldfish, any high-quality pellet food will do. For fancies, even with high quality pellet you can run into problems with bloat (and they actually get worse with lower temperature). Right now I just recommend getting a good quality pellet like Hikari Saki or New Life Spectrum. Fruits are okay for goldfish but only in small amounts. Leafy veggies are the best for them. Things like kale, spinach, and red lettuce are the best. Mine also love zucchini.


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## copperarabian (Apr 27, 2011)

TeacherTeapot said:


> Hey on the topic of food, I was reading that they like certain kinds of fruits and vegetables. Any recommendations?


I would give mine food out in the pond, I would give them meaty greens(spinach, kale, chard and so on) and they also liked a slice of orange. You can give them a lot more, a forum with koi enthusiast would probably know great foods.


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## Artemis (Mar 9, 2013)

Fancies nor commons need that much room, 2.5 gal for every inch of goldfish, they have a high waste output. Where do you live? Take them in, they can live in a 10 gal (or I had two that were in a 2.5 until we got the 10 set up) for a good time if they are small. Can you post pics?

*Links to other fish forums are not allowed - please read out forum rules here. Thank you.*


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Sometimes the only thing preventing swim bladder issues is warm water . . . 

For you who believe that goldfish can live in small spaces. I have nine 3" goldies in a _planted _90 gallon tank and we are pushing over 40ppm nitrates a week, with 80% weekly changes. Toxic water does not make for happy fish.


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## TeacherTeapot (Aug 6, 2012)

I've come to accept that while this is good temporarily, I'm going to need to adopt the little guys out come spring. Thankfully, I do know some people who keep goldfish in their pond and are looking for some new fish. I really regret not bein able to keep them, but I just don't have room for a giant tank. (Not to mention that I'm broke and can't afford it) 

If any of you know someone in the Southeast part of Michigan who would like a couple of goldfish please send them my direction. As I said, I don't know what variety they are, but I'd be willing to send them pictures once I get them.


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## TeacherTeapot (Aug 6, 2012)

UPDATE: 5/8/13

Today I gave all three goldfish up for adoption. There is a LPS in my area that only deals with aquariums and fish, who took all three in. He said he was amazed that they were in such good health and that he would find them the best home possible. My apartment is much too quiet now, and there aren't any friendly fishy faces waiting to greet me. (Beau's still here, but he's mad at me for some strange reason.)


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