# never kept goldfish before .HELP!!!



## sushi (May 28, 2009)

hi everyone!! im new to this forum and new to keeping goldfish!! im not sure if i have posted this in the correct topic.
i have bought a normal tank which came with a filter ,ive got two yellow comet cold water goldfish. i feed them 2-3 times a day. my problem is the water within 3-4 days is getting really dirty and very smelly?? anybody know why my water is going like this please? thanks :fish:


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## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

*Sorry to break it to you but....*

Hey Sushi first of all welcome to FF! Its a great site, with really knowledgeable members and I hope you learn a lot! 
And now for the bad news..... unless your "normal tank" is in the 40 - 60 gallon range I think it will be too small for your goldfish. (Now I am not totally sold on this line of thinking as I had a goldfish in like a 2 gallon tank that lived for 3 years, until I added another goldfish. Considering goldfish should live for quite some time I guess 3 years is a shortened lifespan) Here is the general school of thought; Goldfish are one of the dirtiest fish that you can find. They poop a ton and therefore create massive amounts of ammonia. I think the general rule of thumb is 40 gallons for the 1st goldfish and another 10-20 gallons on top of that for each additional goldfish after. If they are in a small tank and you are feeding them 2-3 times per day, even with adequate filtration I think your water is going to stay smelly and dirty. 
Before I came on this forum I had 3 fancy goldfish in a 12 gallon and gave up on the hobby for awhile because I got so frustrated that I couldnt maintain a "perfect" tank and keep my fish alive for any extended period of time  I've obviously gotten back into the hobby but am reasonably sure that i will never again own another goldfish!


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

eh, okay HOW BIG IS YOUR TANK? what kind of filter do you have?


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## janislovesfish (May 17, 2009)

your tank may be too small for the fishes. generally, it's an inch and a half maximum of slender fish size for a gallon of water. but goldfish is not the slender type. you need enough water "space" to distribute the fish waste more. goldfish are fast waste producers and it would lead to high level of ammonia which is bad for the fish. despite a good filter, the right tank size would greatly contribute to converting the ammonia to nitrites to nitrates in a tolerable level...if you need more comprehension on this, you can try checking this minicourse.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i would suggest a tank of about 40-60 as well...plus a filter or filters that pump about 600-900 GPH...
one of the biggest mistakes people make is buying filters that are not adequite for their tanks.... filtration turnover rate should be 10x...
lets say your fish are small yet...(under 4 inches)...i would say that a 20 gallon long with a good 200 GPH filter and 25-30% water changes weekly would be fine for the next 8-12 months....
and don't feed them so often...only once a day...


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