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Do goldfish get lonely?

14K views 33 replies 8 participants last post by  finnfinnfriend 
#1 ·
I just want to know for sure. I wouldlike a gfish tank someday but I would only want one as a pet. Another fish buddy for me lol...
 
#2 ·
I dont think so.. A lot of them live their lives a lone. I'm sure they would enjoy company but wouldnt know any different without it.
 
#5 ·
I'm a bit late to the party, but yes, goldfish do get lonely. After having kept two goldfish in my 55 gal for 7 years, one of them passed suddenly. The other languished for a few days and then died, too. He seemed to be frantically searching for his lost buddy until his last minute. When I acquired another goldfish (single goldfish in a 55 gal) he remained by a tiny mirror I'd placed on the side of the tank because he thought it was another goldfish. He only stopped this and "came out of his shell" when I added another goldfish to the tank. Now they are best buddies.

So while goldfish will be a good fishy buddy for you, they have fishy social needs (unlike betta) that do need to be fulfilled. But having other goldfish in the tank doesn't make them interact less with you. You get a whole swarm of fish greeting you instead of just one.
 
#7 ·
Could I keep two fancies in a 55 gal? I don't think I would ever want a tank larger than that...
 
#24 ·
I'm SO jealous... How'd you get them to let you pet them???? My mom once told me oscars let you pet them but I've never tried it of course.
 
#11 ·
goldfish are cold water schooling fish.i would put 4 in a 55. these fish need serious filtration. two big hobs or a hob and canister. fancies have a varied diet. be careful picking out substrate as some can pose a choking hazard.small fish like otos and small corys are choking hazards too. so are some snails. wait, everything is a choking hazard for goldfish.lol. and don't mix fancies with single tail varieties, the fancies will be out competed for food. they get soul crushingly lonely when a tank mate dies and they are the only two, so get atleast 3 if not 4. i have a calico and a blue oranda and i will soon be getting my ranchu. but i would love a pond full of watonai goldfish. a wakin-ryukin cross.
 
#14 ·
If you can get goldfish from a reputable breeder, go for it! Just keep in mind, they don't ship well. I'd love to have a good breeder within driving distance of my house, but I don't. Sadly I'm reduced to pet store fish.

If you do get a fancy goldfish that grows larger than 10 inches, then an upgrade to a 75 gal would be best. It is just as long as a 55 gal, but it's a little thicker and taller. I'd like to upgrade to one eventually because it would allow me more goldfish ^-^ (and that's always a good thing).

As for weekly PWC, when the goldfish are older, then yes, that's a good idea. Smaller fish won't produce as much ammonia and if you can manage to slip some live plants in there, then you'll only need a once weekly PWC when they are younger. I've also experimented with the idea of adding a sump/refugium for plants. I've seen it done with other goldfish tanks, but I just need to find the time and supplies to make it work in my tank.
 
#15 ·
If and when I get goldfish, I might slip some live plants in there. I don't like using them with bettas (just my preference) but with goldies they can also snack on them! lol.

Like I said earlier though, I would never want a tank bigger than a 55gal, so maybe I should just stick with pet store fishies. What % of the water needs to be changed each time, and how do you do it? I know for my betta I just fill up the bucket with dirty water, dump it out, fill it with clean water, and add it to the tank. done. But even that bucket with 2-3 gallons of water in it is getting kinda close to my limit as far as weight I can carry, so I could PROBABLY carry a bucket with five gallons of water in it, but that's really pushing it, and that's only 10%!
 
#18 ·
For water changes? A bit. Bigger tanks mean more work moving water but less frequent changes usually. While they're small you won't have too much trouble.

I only empty about half the bucket with a smaller cup or something until I can lift or (or I get someone else to lift it for me)

I'm usually done with a 20% change in 10 minutes, give or take. Lately I just spot clean the tank. But I don't like seeing goldfish poo everywhere xD
 
#20 ·
Yeah maybe I would just get a python...

How big do just the bodies of petstore fantail goldfish get?
 
#22 ·
Thanks for the info! I mean ballpark how long does the body of a fantail get average max?
 
#23 ·
omg I just looked up how a python works and I WANT ONE SO BAD NOW. Does it really remove the chlorine from the water?
 
#26 ·
the python does not remove the chlorine. prime or other water conditioners do. i made my own and it only cost me about 20$$. waterbed fillers work great. and you can use brass fittings so your threads don't get stripped. vids on you tube to make these under ... diy python.
 
#28 ·
The video for it said that it aerates the water removing chlorine lol. I thought that sounded wrong, but It's not like I wouldn't use conditioner anyway...Would a python be to big and powerful for a 5 gallon betta tank?
 
#32 ·
If the gravel vac has the ability to screw into the python hose, then I can imagine it would.... Hmm... you're giving me ideas to see if I can make a smaller attachment for my python. It might help out with the algae problem in the 10 gals....

Neat fact about the python is that it can screw into a garden hose. The eastern US has been in a drought situation now for a few months. Since I remove about 60 gallons of water from my tanks each week, when we haven't had any rain I screw the python hose into a garden hose and stick it out the widow. Our lawn is one of the greenest in the neighborhood!
 
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