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.
Cool :). Even for their whole lives though? Will they grow to their full potential? A couple of 12+ inch fancies would be a magnificent sight :)
Yep. They can live in a 55 gal their whole lives. Actually most fancy goldfish don't get that big. Pet store fancies usually top out around 8 or 10 inches. Buying from a breeder will probably give you a better chance of getting a huge goldfish if that is what you want.
Yep. They can live in a 55 gal their whole lives. Actually most fancy goldfish don't get that big. Pet store fancies usually top out around 8 or 10 inches. Buying from a breeder will probably give you a better chance of getting a huge goldfish if that is what you want.
Well an 8 or 10 inch fancy would still be awesome. It would be nice to get some from a breeder as well, though. Would the 55 work with larger breeder specimens? And would you reccommend twice weekly PWC's for this situation? Thanks for all your help btw :)
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.
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.
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%!
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%!
When I do a big change for my 55 it's usually about 15-20%. You know those big yellow kitty litter buckets? I fill those up. Two with clean water and I usually have to make two trips to empty the dirty water in my third bucket.
I've been thinking of picking up a skateboard to at least move the water but as for pouring it in the tank I use a big measuring cup. It's like 3 cups worth. I used to use my 1 gallon bowl. It takes awhile to get the full bucket down to a liftable size but it's better than throwing your back out, for sure.
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
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