# Goldfish



## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

This is just something I'm wondering about. I don't plan to get any goldfish although i do want one. Anyway...
So I've seen goldfish kept in bowls, but i thought goldfish got huge! Well actually I know they do, i saw some really big ones at a lfs the other day. Like the size of my head. How does that work out? Does it stunt their growth or something? Also my teacher recently got a goldfish for her 20 gallon tank that houses guppies and two x-ray tetras. Its calico and a fantail i believe. She said she got him for her snail problem (she has so many of those stupid tiny snails) . But...wouldn't he get too big for her aquarium? Are there types of small goldfish? I have also seen aquarium kits made for goldifsh. but the tank was like.... a bit smaller than 10 gallons.....This all just confuses me and I was wondering how this all worked. Hahaha:chair:


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Because of the goldfish's amazing resiliency pet stores and tank manufacturers will sell tanks to people for goldfish that are extremely small for them. The goldfish will live for a year or two in a really small aquarium. Their growth will be very stunted and will eventually cause serious health issues. A healthy goldfish can live up to 20 years and get to about 14 inches. There are no "dwarf goldfish" that I am aware of. Some goldfish will only get to about 8 to 10 inches, but that's about as small as it goes.

In my personal opinion, goldfish should be housed only in ponds or extremely large tanks.


----------



## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

bmlbytes said:


> Because of the goldfish's amazing resiliency pet stores and tank manufacturers will sell tanks to people for goldfish that are extremely small for them. The goldfish will live for a year or two in a really small aquarium. Their growth will be very stunted and will eventually cause serious health issues. A healthy goldfish can live up to 20 years and get to about 14 inches. There are no "dwarf goldfish" that I am aware of. Some goldfish will only get to about 8 to 10 inches, but that's about as small as it goes.
> 
> In my personal opinion, goldfish should be housed only in ponds or extremely large tanks.


+1. Most goldfish require about 15-20 gallons for the first couple years of their lives and after that they need more like 30-40.


----------



## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Okay, thanks for clearing things up. I see how it works. So...will my teachers have a short life i guess then?


----------



## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

ZebraDanio12 said:


> Okay, thanks for clearing things up. I see how it works. So...will my teachers have a short life i guess then?


More than likely.


----------



## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

goldfish can also gulp air in order to get oxygen, so they can survive.


----------

