# how many 46 bowfront



## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Hey guys, 
I have a friend who is looking at getting something along the lines of a 46 bowfront. She would like to get a mix of various fancy goldfish. She is looking at the following species:

Black moor
Fantail
Lionhead
Ryukin
Oranda
and I think Tosakin, but I am not positive. 

These can all be found at our local Petsmart and she likes them all and wants to know if it is okay to combine them and if so how many can she put into a tank. I told her maybe 4 max, but since they are fancies I wasn't really positive. 

Thanks


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

Yeah, I think 4 is a good number to stick to. She could have more if she really wanted, but more fish=more work, ESPECIALLY goldfish


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I am thinking of telling her to get 5. I can find out how hard she is willing to work for them, and if shes willing to work hard then she might get away with 6. She's got tons of animals and works hard for them already (she has a feline leukemia rescue- those cats stay outside in a cat house thing she made that is pretty cool, 2 macaws, 1 parrot, 4 dogs, and around 5 or 6 house cats). The real question is how much does she want to expand her already significant labors. Whenever she comes to my house she sits in front of my 20 gallon and stares at my cherry barbs 

Is there any of the variety above that will stay smaller than other varieties? She wants to start them from as small as possible and raise them up from there, so their juvenile size will not be of much help. 

What would be some good decorations? Live plants that would be VERY easy to care for? She wouldn't be into C02 at all but she does like plants a lot. I'm thinking plants might help with the nitrate. 

Is there any cold water bottom feeder that she could get? I know some loaches are more cold water. I think she is considering something for this. 

Lastly there is one fish at Petsmart that comes to the front whenever she walks by, so she is in love with that little guy. How long would he last in a 10 gallon tank if it was just him??? I am bleaching one right now (was used as a QT) and I can have it up and running by tomorrow if she wanted me to.


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

I don't have experience with goldfish other than caring for them at my old LFS job, so I'm not sure about the comparative sizes of fancy goldie varieties. 

Honestly, if you want to heavily stock this tank with goldies, I would not recommend a bottomfeeder.

Dojo loaches are coldwater, but they get pretty big, around 10 inches. Maybe 3 of them would work, if she keeps up WCs.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

Personally - I'd start with one fish and add a second after about 6 months.
And I'd stop at 2.
(Especially if she doesn't own a python-type water changer and plan on spending a half hour on the tank every weekend.)

I prefer a lighter stocking level so that when (not if - when) they are 7+ inches long (not counting tail) and big around like a football, I'm not doing water changes every few days to keep them healthy.

I've had way too many customers who have had trouble with 3 golds in a well established, stable, 40 or 50g "breeder" tank (36x18) with weekly 50% water changes - they kept needing to medicate etc even with weekly 50% changes. 
(A 46 bow is a "bow" version of a standard 36x12 tank - so the surface area, etc is comparable)

But I'm admittedly conservative - my goal is to have a fish tank that goes _decades _between problems, minimum. Preferably longer. So I always plan on understocking, I always plan like the fish is already an adult or soon will be, and I always plan for full adult size not stunted size. I'd rather have 2 10" goldfish that live 20 years with no health issues than 3 or 4 five-inch fish that keep getting infections.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

Obsidian said:


> Live plants that would be VERY easy to care for? She wouldn't be into C02 at all but she does like plants a lot. I'm thinking plants might help with the nitrate.


Live plants = salad bar. :mrgreen:
Nice treat but not really gonna help with nutrient uptake.


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## Willow (Mar 20, 2005)

I have 3 fancies in a 55g, and I still have trouble keeping the water parameters in the right places. I wouldn't put more than 3 in a 46g....._maybe_ 4 if she's REALLY good at keeping up with the water changes. Any more than that and I'd expect that she'd have a lot of trouble. It might work out when they're really small, but they grow so quickly that it wouldn't take too long before the trouble started.


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