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Goldfish Fancy

36K views 415 replies 36 participants last post by  Kithy 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I've seen more than a few goldfish threads pop up recently. Knowing that there are a few goldfish fanciers out there, I thought I would create a place where we can all share pictures and chat about anything goldfish. Goldfish ponds. Goldfish art. Even the mistreatment of goldfish (we all know the feeder tanks are horrible so try to keep this to stories about how their condition was improved). There is a lot of sadness surrounding goldfish, but let's keep this positive. Feel free to ask any quick goldfish questions here and we'll do our best to answer them!

BASIC GOLDFISH CARE
*Aquariums
- Stocking rules of thumb for fancies: 20 gal for the first fish plus an additional 10 for each other fish
- Commons really get too large for normal aquariums and are best kept in large outdoor ponds. The can be temporarily housed in 55 gal or larger tanks. Most places suggest a 100+ gal tank if you want to keep them inside permanently.
- tankmates: goldfish are social fish and prefer company of other goldfish; two or more is always better; lone goldfish may be shy
- temperature: Due to the deformed nature of the digestive tract of fancy goldfish, they can't digest food well below 70F, heating the tank to the mid to lower 70's even in the winter will help keep them from becoming constipated and bloated
- plants (this is a tricky one): some people can make this work and others can't; it depends on your fish. Plants that have had success in the past: hornwort, anubias, java fern, large amazon swords, anarcharis, ludwigia. I've also found it helps to introduce them to plants when they are young.
- filters: goldfish poop a lot and need strong filters; at least double filtration is recommended when using HOB's
*Ponds
- stocking: no hard rules here just remember that less fish means less waste and that goldfish are known for reproducing in ponds
- temp: stop feeding goldfish when water gets down to 60F
- plants: marginal plants best, floating plants good to provide shade
- filter/water movement: essential to getting through the winter, keep these going year-round to prevent fish kills
*FAQ:
- Do goldfish really get that big?
: Yes... Yes they do. Photo proof:


- How long do goldfish live?
: Average for a propyl cared for tank goldie is 10-15 years. Average for a properly cared for pond goldie is 15-20 years.

- What do goldfish eat?
: Goldfish are omnivores which means they can and should eat both plant matter and animal matter. Younger goldfish need a higher percentage of protein (30-40%), but older goldfish should only get 10-20% protein. For a tank fish you can provide a complete diet with a high quality pellet food supplemented with fresh greens or with a gel-food diet (my preference as it goes a long way to prevent floaty issues in fancies). For pond fish, a high quality pellet diet will do as goldfish will get their greens from the pond plants and algae.



Normally I would start off by sharing my fancy goldfish tank, but it's undergoing a major revision right now. I'll have some pictures of that for you in a week when it is all done. I promise they will be worth the wait.

Instead I'll show you some pictures of a little goldfish pond I found while visiting family in Ohio.



This is the pond. Mostly crowded with lilies but near the skimmer it was clear so I could get some pictures of the lovely little goldies!



I lured them out of the lilies with food. But it was getting to the point where they shouldn't be fed anymore, so they were a little slow.
 
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#244 ·
I'm so impatient on getting this 75 gallon started. Alas, bills need to be paid and I'll only have a certain amount left over to purchase a few things each paycheck. Next paycheck I'm getting the heater, thermometer and a tube of silicone. Do I really have to scrap every little piece of silicone out? Can I leave the difficult pieces in the edges of the walls?

It's been FOREVER since I've had those adorable pudgy goldies.
 
#248 ·
Fishy- yea, have you seen the videos of people doing it?
Posted via Mobile Device
Yeah. They all make it look so flippin easy. I think whomever had the tank before me was going to redo the silicone. 95% of the silicone on the sides were gone. What was on there, was wedged into very inside of the corners.
 
#249 ·
I'm sure you've heard but DO NOT stick the razor in between the panes of glass. Will ruin the whole tank. When you run your fingers along it you want to only feel glass.
I missed a spot, and when we went over it with the new stuff, it would not stay on, it repelled away from any dry silicone. So we just caked on a huge amount. Good thing it was on the bottom so you don't see it. xD
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#250 ·
Yeah i assumed you shouldnt anyhow. Its not coming out too easy tho. Maybe my hand broom will help in removing all the small sticky pieces.
 
#251 ·
Kithy, what are your Nitrate levels? Algae grows very easily normally, especially if you nitrates are at the high end of the goldfish comfort zone.

There really is nothing more nutritious for goldfish than algae. Having algae present ensures a healthy ecosystem.
 
#253 ·
I would imagine lots of over foods and lots/lots/lots of lighting should help. Maybe if you use ferts, maybe extra fert along with the above would work?
 
#254 ·
It might, I've been careful because I am slightly over stocked as it is so I don't want to add in too much extra ammonia. But I'm not sure of what kind of light to get or if there is a "too bright". Lights are kind of expensive so I want to get good ones the first time around.
 
#255 ·
40ppm is fairly high, you should have algae. If you find your nitrates high, always reduce them slowly. I've seen a lot of cases of nitrate shock and poisoning recently.

What is your set up?

Algae only needs low lighting. You could put a lamp by the tank, you should at least get brown algae then.
 
#256 ·
40ppm is fairly high, you should have algae. If you find your nitrates high, always reduce them slowly. I've seen a lot of cases of nitrate shock and poisoning recently.

What is your set up?
3 goldies and one BN pleco. One filter atm but planning to add an additional one to bring the total up to about 700 gph. I mean, there is definitely algae as the pleco is eating something but she is a tiny little pleco.

The fish themselves seem just as happy as ever. I actually ended up changing the water because the nitrites and ammonia were a bit high.
 
#257 ·
I am thinking of getting some brighter lights but at 20$ a light and I need two ._. So kinda stuck atm. There is a window in the room but the problem is the 20g with the betta is literally right in front of it so I'm not sure if it'll be okay for him to get so much light.
 
#260 ·
What I would recommend is rather than a filter is you purchase a water pump, or pond pump (not air pump or bubbler). To oxygenate a goldfish tank you need heavy surface action, you'd need one about 500gph. If you have a lid on the tank remove it. This way your tank will be oxygenated and should grow algae no problem provided it's cycled.

If you have ammonia and nitrite, then what is your source of nitrate? Normally only see high nitrates in cycled tanks, unless it's in your tap water.
 
#261 ·
I think it's fully cycled, it's been set up a few months with long used filters, I only recently upgraded to the bigger filter. Everything else has been in the tank a while and it seems pretty oxygenated. The covers are rather shabby so there's lot of open space and I keep the water table a touch low so there is some surface disruption. I'm just hoping for a full out bloom xD

The 20 was fully cycled before I moved to the 55 for a while. I've just never had the tank tested with a real testing kit to get numbers, just taken it to petco and told it was in the "safe" or "good" range.
 
#263 ·
Oh yes I bought an API master test kit with a giftcard. I'm just not sure what the numbers are supposed to be. The ammonia and nitrites being at 0 (the ammonia was a touch above 0 but not much) I assume that's good but I was thinking it did do a mini cycle when I added in the new filter. I'm not super experienced, only had the goldies since April of this year but they seem to be doing well, the spoiled little piggie fish. I'm wondering if the high spike in nitrates before the water change is part of the last part of the cycle?
 
#269 ·
#274 ·
It's a really sad fact. A few months ago I was talking with someone who said he'd just put in a new pond in his backyard and stocked it with koi and goldfish. I was happy to see goldfish in a proper home until he showed me a picture.... it was a little 40 gal bucket. :(

But on a happier note look at these above-ground ponds I found. At Lowes.


And they also have a halfmoon version. Also at Lowes.


The website doesn't give the gallons or size, but I'm pretty sure I read on another site that the larger one is about 120 gallons and the smaller one is about 60 gallons. They could even be used on an indoor patio.
 
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