A little goldfish help?

[Belated]

I'm thinking of setting up a goldfish tank once I move into my new, air conditioned house. (Thus the water will actually be cool enough for them; my betta doesn't even need a heater to stay warm at the moment!)The problem is, I'm not entirely sure what sort I could have in a tank. I know goldfish need huge tanks and lots of filtration because they're so messy.

So my questions are, what is the minimum number of goldfish you can keep together, and what breed? What sort of tank would these guys require, size-wise?

[Nijis]

what type of goldfish do you want? The tank size varies with the species.

[Belated]

That's sort of what I'm asking; I'm not all that familiar with the different types. I want to know which types are the best to keep in smaller tanks, and what size those tanks would have to be. :)

[MaisyDawgThirteen]

Fancy goldfish (fancy double-tailed and expensive) need a 20 Gallon and another 10 Gallons after that.
Comets (the cheap single-tailed ones) need a 75 Gallon.

I hope Lupin drops by here. :S

[Belated]

Interesting! I was thinking around 60 gallons for a couple, seems I wasn't overestimating.

[Lupin]

Check link above.
Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) Profile

Or try this.
Goldfish Basics

I listed the number of variants of goldfish in the second link so feel free to google each of them afterwards.

The rounder the goldfish, the more prone they are to floaty issues so unless you are prepared for this, I suggest steering away from these ones. Orandas, black moors and fantails are fine but they do grow incredibly large at 8-12 inches. Would suggest a 55g minimum. If you cannot afford that tank, a large fiberglass tub works equally well. In fact, fiberglass tubs tend to be cheaper. A 55g can accommodate 3-4 of these large punks.

[Belated]

Thanks very much; I'll look through those links now. :)

I'm perfectly happy to go larger with the tank, and I'm definitely not going to make the investment until I've done my research. Personally, I prefer the more streamlined goldfish (shubunkins are my favourite, from what I've seen so far) to the rounder bodied varieties, but thanks for the warning. x3

[thekoimaiden]

Do you like the colors of shubunkin or the shape best? Fantails and veiltails come in the same calico colors. I have one behind me right now in a 55 gal. If you like the body shape best I think it would be a good idea to invest in a pond. You will be able to keep many more of them than you ever would in a tank. Goldfish do like to have buddies.

[Marlboroack]

Really depends what kind of goldfish you want. I don't like gold fish to tell you honestly.

[Lupin]

So why did you have to offer a vague advice if you dislike this particular fish?