My Goldfish Ate My New White Cloud!

[rich]

After 4 years I was down to the last 2 minnows in my cold tank, so I decided to add an extra 3 to make numbers up. Pablo, my goldfish has been living with the minnows for all those 4 years, only occasionally chasing them. So I put my 3 new WCMMs in and literally a second later 1 was gone, never to be seen again. I was absolutely shocked but fed him to stop him attacking another. The next morning another new one was gone, so I had to transfer the third to my tropical tank. The original 2 remain in the tank.

I guess 4 years ago Pablo was too small to eat juvenile minnows, and he is still too small to eat fully grown minnows, but now apparently he is quite partial to juvenile ones.

I hate letting myself get stung by this, but I always assumed they were too fast.

 

[jayjay]

how big is your coldwater tank? 30l according to your sig. thats about 7g?? if it is that's not big enough for 1 goldfish btw.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Goldfish will eat any fish small enough to fit into their mouths. A lot of people advise WCMM as tankmates with goldfish. but in reality they are not suitable for each other because;
a. Goldfish can eat WCMM.
b. White cloud mountain minnows are sub tropical fish, not coldwater like goldfish. Although WCMM can tolerate a wide range of temps, they do best in temps between 19 and 23 degrees.

 

[rich]

Good points made by both of you, unfortunately I was not aware of these 4 years ago. I keep them in my front room which is kept at 18-20C all the time through central heating, so good temperature for minnows.

I will not be replacing my goldfish, having read so much about tank size on the forum, but they are both very healthy and I don't know anybody who could guarantee they would be kept in better conditions than present (It's filtered and cleaned weekly)

p.s. I was reading in practical fishkeeping an advert for a 12 litre aquarium which said it is ONLY suitable for 2 small goldfish. I would not really suitable for any fish!

 

[jayjay]

12 litres is suitable for a betta.... btw.

 

[rich]

Forgot to say it was unheated

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Practical fish keeping magazine, somtimes they have some really good stuff to say, but the magazine is full of adds now days half the time and usually the adds contradict what the magazine says. I have also seen some adds in the magazine with some appallingly stocked tanks or advice .
What type of goldfish do you have ?