Goldfish

[FlareBettaGuy]

I heard that goldfish were messy eaters. What does that mean? I also heard that they eat other fish's wastes. It that true? Does it suppy any nutrients at all?

And if goldfish should not be kept in bowls anymore, how did they ever survive in the past when the goldfish/bowl combo was popular? (kinda like the betta/peace lily vase deathtrap combo thing, right?)

:Betta + Peace Lily Vase = BAD!

:Yep...

Anyway...How much space do goldfish need?

 

[Alien Anna]

Goldfish are complete pigs who put more in their mouth than they can swallow, so lots of mushed-up food gets dropped in the tank/pond.

Secondly, they have inefficient digestive systems that don't break the food down fully, so their poo is full of semi-rotten mush that quickly breaks down into ammonia.

Thirdly, they pee a ton of ammonia (one of the reasons that goldfish are such tough little blighters is that they can remove this toxin from their system particularly efficiently).

Not that I dislike them - I don't, but I'm waiting until I can afford a decent pond before even thinking about it.

Anyway, to answer your question, this is the reason they need at least 5-10 gallons of water each (plus they can theoretically grow to 25" long so they're big fish), plus they need heavy-duty biological filtration to get rid of all that ammonia.

 

[snotirl]

Goldfish are not that messy eater i have being keep them for 11 years they dont eat other fish poop either they mkae a lot of poop dough!! There cool to keep!

 

[Inchworm]

Hello FlareBettaGuy

For goodness sakes, where do these stories start? I suspect they are started by "snobs" who think that a goldfish is too common and cheap for them to bother themselves with.

Goldfish are lovely fish.

They, of course, do not eat their, or any other fish's poop. And they are no messier in their eating habits than other fish. In fact, after their meal they spend a lot of time at the bottom of the tank searching for bits of food they missed. (You'd be a messy eater, too, if you didn't have hands.) As with any big fish, they will make big poops.

Goldfish used to be kept in bowls before people knew better. To keep them alive it was necessary to empty and clean the bowls often, perhaps daily. In a cycled tank, it is still necessary to siphon waste from the bottom and make frequent partial water changes the same way you would do for any fish.

If you are interested in keeping goldfish, do give them a try. I think you will be happy with them.

 

[snotirl]

Hello FlareBettaGuy

For goodness sakes, where do these stories start? I suspect they are started by "snobs" who think that a goldfish is too common and cheap for them to bother themselves with.

Goldfish are lovely fish.

They, of course, do not eat their, or any other fish's poop. And they are no messier in their eating habits than other fish. In fact, after their meal they spend a lot of time at the bottom of the tank searching for bits of food they missed. (You'd be a messy eater, too, if you didn't have hands.) As with any big fish, they will make big poops.

Goldfish used to be kept in bowls before people knew better. To keep them alive it was necessary to empty and clean the bowls often, perhaps daily. In a cycled tank, it is still necessary to siphon waste from the bottom and make frequent partial water changes the same way you would do for any fish.

If you are interested in keeping goldfish, do give them a try. I think you will be happy with them.

Well said!

 

[caz27]

I agree i started with goldfish and i adore them they have cool personalitys and are fun to watch at feeding time....and i have never seen them eat each others poo .....

 

[goldene]

Hi I am new to the forums I have been keeping goldfish for over 30 years, (since a child) ) and I think they are lovely fish, they can produce a lot of poop and need a strong filter system to cope, and a large tank as they grow quite big, but if looked after properly they will give you years of pleasure.




Carer of ~ 6 goldfish, 1 Rykin, 1 fantail, 1 hillstrem loach ~

 

[Inchworm]

Hello goldene and welcome to the forum.

Why not start a thread in the newbie section and let everyone know you are here? IMHO, we need more people on this forum who are knowlegable and experienced with goldfish, especially ones kept in tanks. There are many people, especially young folks, who could benefit from your advice.

I, for one, would like to see more goldfish activity on this forum.

 

[kuter]

Hello folks. I have 1 shubunkin and 2 fancy fantails in a 10 gal tank. I have plans for a 30 gal tank later for these guys. They are really beautiful fish but they are pigs! They can reduce a nice plant to a mere stump is just a few days! My faraway dream is an outdoor pond for these guys but that is way down the road.

Gold fish come in a lot of beautiful colors and body shapes. Great personalities. I had to move my tank about a week ago and of course had to catch everyone. The fantails were easy to net but the shuby was another matter. He hid behind some decor and as I was trying to motivate him to move toward the net with my hand, the lil booger came out and tried to bite me!! I haven't named the fancy fantails, but the shubunkins name is Shuby Doo.

Yes they do search the bottom for dropped pieces of food. They also poke around the artificial plants for any left overs that may have landed there.

Now a question. When I go to the 30 gal tank, I would like to add a cat to the tank to help keep the bottom clean. I dont heat my goldie tank. What catfish can I safely add to this tank at that time?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi kuter

I'm not sure that adding tropical fish to an unheated goldfish tank is a good idea. While some could survive at cooler temperature than usual, the possibility of an unplanned fluctuation is great and that could be a disaster.

Instead, I would suggest you check into getting a weather loach. I've had them in a goldfish tank with good results. They are tolerant of lower temperatures than catfish are and would provide a nice contrast to the goldfish by their different shape, color and activity.

Here is a link to an older thread where they were discussed:

http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?sh...t=0&#entry93741