# goldfish questions



## pj1218 (Jun 11, 2011)

hi i was thinking about getting a goldfish tank as soon as i get my other tanks all in order and under control ( started with 4 mollies ended up with 9 ....). i was wondering if i only got the smallest goldfish there is what would the smallest aquarium be i don't wanna get a real big one if thats a option. how often do you do water changes , gravel vac , ect. what filters do i get? i heard some people useing 2 for their goldfish tanks. i was just wondering caus ive really wanted a goldfish but didnt know how to care for it.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

There is no such thing as a small goldfish. They grow quickly and get huge. Trying to keep them in a small vessel is only going to work for a short time.
The answers to your other questions all depend on the size of the tank, but in general, you have to change a lot of water in a goldfish tank no matter what filtration you use.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

I take it you want a fancy goldfish? You need 35 gallons for the first one. Depending on what kind you get, you may have to choose decorations very carefully, as some of them have delicate features like bubbles around their eyes. Also no small gravel. And don't bother with live plants. I think there are a few that work with goldfish, but for the most part they would get destroyed. Oh, and with goldfish, you'll be cleaning your decor more often, as well. They make more slime coat, and it mixes with the waste in the tank and gets all over your decorations. For common goldfish, I actually remove the decorations every week when I vaccuum (unlike other fish, it doesn't seem to stress them out), and scrub them with a toothbrush.

Two filters is good. So is using a filter that is rated for twice as many gallons as your tank holds.


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## pj1218 (Jun 11, 2011)

well i wanted to get a Calico Oranda Goldfish. would one be ok by itself or would he need other goldfish buddies? i dont mind getting a bigger tank i was just wondering what the smallest they needed was. what would be an ideal setup for a goldfish? like a 50 gallon with 2 goldfish , weekly water changes along with weekly gravel vac and decor cleaning?


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

pj1218 said:


> well i wanted to get a Calico Oranda Goldfish. would one be ok by itself or would he need other goldfish buddies? i dont mind getting a bigger tank i was just wondering what the smallest they needed was. what would be an ideal setup for a goldfish? like a 50 gallon with 2 goldfish , weekly water changes along with weekly gravel vac and decor cleaning?


I kept goldfish successfully for several years and if you're going to go with Orandas you're going to need about 15-20 gallons per fish.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I kept small feeder fish for half it's life in a five gal and then in a 20...


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## PostShawn (Dec 22, 2009)

I think everyone is pretty much right on it here. The first one you'll need about 15-20 gallons. Then another 10-15 gallons per fish after that. I think in a 55 you'd be ok with 2-3 for life. In anything 35 or under you should keep to one goldfish. 

I don't know what half of a life of a goldfish in a 5 gallon is. But given the room they can live for 10+ years. I started a couple out in a 5 gallon. Then moved to a 14g and then all mine are in a 55g until they go in an outdoor 150g+ pond. They grow quick and live long. My common feeders are coming up to 2 years old and are between 4-8 inches in length and still growing. My Fantails are also about almost triple the size of when I got them. 

All goldfish are also messy fish. You are going to want a good filter, or two. And you should do water changes often. I get away with doing about 40-50% changes every 2 weeks. 

My suggestion is if you want goldfish then do it right and do the research. If you go too small you'll just have to upgrade and spend even more money. They are great and have fun personalities though. Good luck.


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