Tank size for fancy goldfish?

[OliveFish05]

Hello. I went to the LFS today (which is also a pet store) to grab some beds and cute food dishes for my rabbits (weekend sales lol) and also got sone plants, and two red racer nerite snails. Well my mom saw this insanely beautiful, massive fancy goldfish for $32 and 25% off (like I said, weekend sale). She bought it, of course. The girl employee was new, and clearly shadowing one of the experienced employees. She grabbed the fish with her hands and plopped it into a bag. My sister said she saw the fish struggle and then float on its back, before the girl turned it upright and packed it into a box for traveling. Well we got it home and started acclimating it to the pond. It just was not doing well at all, we were sure it was going to die, so we brought it inside and acclimated it to a room temp tank instead as a last resort to try to save it. Well now it is doing just fine. Problem is the only tank we have is a 10 gallon! My mom is open to buying a 29 gallon for it though. My mom says if she is going to have a goldfish tank that she wants to have her other 2 or 3 fancy goldfish inside too. So I am here to ask what size tank I need for 3-5 fancy goldfish. They are between 2 and 6 inches. I am monitoring the water quality on the cycled 10 gallon, which is now insanely overstocked with 3 baby koi, a massive goldfish, and a small goldfish. It was a life or death situation and I am here asking for help.

 

[Colin_T]

Minimum size take for 4 or 5 fancy goldfish is 4 foot long.

Koi get too big for aquariums and need huge ponds. Koi can grow to over 3 feet long.

Don't keep double tail and single tail fish together. The single tails get the food and if you have a male single tail goldfish and female fantail, the male can harass the female to death because she can't swim as fast to get away.

 

[OliveFish05]

Koi get too big for aquariums and need huge ponds. Koi can grow to over 3 feet long.

I’m growing out 3 babies over the winter. We were afraid they would be too cold in the pond. Would it be worth the risk for them to have the space of the pond?

Don't keep double tail and single tail fish together. The single tails get the food and if you have a male single tail goldfish and female fantail, the male can harass the female to death because she can't swim as fast to get away.

We are hoping to keep 3 fancy, double tail goldfish in an indoor tank. I thought it was 5, but it turns out it’s three.

Minimum size take for 4 or 5 fancy goldfish is 4 foot long

My mom is trying to order a 29 gallon. I just realized there are 3, not 5 goldfish. Two of the goldfish are big ish and one is a small Oranda.

 

[OliveFish05]

My mom is a little bit all over the place with this! I think it’s stressing her out. I talked to her snd she wants to know if two of these can live in a 29 gallon tank? That’s one and the other is on the pond. She wants to have them inside over the winter, and also have a backup tank if the male comets harass them (if they are females)


She is convinced they will do best with NO hides, plants, or decorations so that they have more swimming space. I told her they would rather feel safe and secure. She doesn’t believe me. I figured some floating plants, some bamboo along the back, a couple anubias and a couple Amazon swords to the edges would be just fine? Is that too much?

 

[Colin_T]

Goldfish don't hide in ornaments so don't need wood, rock or plastic accessories in the tank. They do need plant matter in their diet so live plants should be added to the tank.

The main part of the tank should be left open so the fish have room to swim about.

Fancy goldfish (fantails) can easily hit 6 inches in body length and they need room to be able to turn around and move about. Anything less than 3 feet long is not going to be big enough and a 4 foot tank or bigger, would be better.

 

[OliveFish05]

I don't know what to do then She already bought and set up the 29 gallon tank. It has an aquaclear 70 filter, gravel, a lid. We genuinely don't have a place for a 4 foot tank. I thinkkkkkkkk that this is just for this winter... I have no say in what my mother does and at the end of the day I have to respect her and her choices whether I agree with them or not.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

55g for 4-5. I would suggest selling the tank see if you can buy one from petco’s dollar per gallon sale.

 

[OliveFish05]

55g for 4-5. I would suggest selling the tank see if you can buy one from petco’s dollar per gallon sale.

Thats where we got the 29 gallon. We don't have a place for a 55. And it turns out there are only 2-3 goldfish we plan to keep inside for the winter

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

I would say minimum footprint would be 4 feet long. You sure you want goldfish?

 

[OliveFish05]

Would it be a good idea to get some floating duckweed, azolla, and salivinia? I found a cheap mix of it on etsy... Would it also be good to get maybe 2 large anubias and an amazon sword? So they don't take up too much swimming space, but the tank isn't just empy?

I would say minimum footprint would be 4 feet long. You sure you want goldfish?

We already HAVE the goldfish! My mom bought it, but after acclimating it to the pond it did horribly and looked like it was going to die. We need to keep it inside over the winter.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

We already HAVE the goldfish! My mom bought it, but after acclimating it to the pond it did horribly and looked like it was going to die. We need to keep it inside over the winter.

I’m sorry. You sound exasperated. I didn’t read the whole thing, and I forgot about the picture in the first post.

 

[OliveFish05]

I’m sorry. You sound exasperated. I didn’t read the whole thing, and I forgot about the picture in the first post.

No no, I apologize for coming off as exasperated! It is hard to replace talking with typing, you can't let people hear how you really mean things to sound

 

[Colin_T]

I don't know what to do then She already bought and set up the 29 gallon tank. It has an aquaclear 70 filter, gravel, a lid. We genuinely don't have a place for a 4 foot tank. I thinkkkkkkkk that this is just for this winter... I have no say in what my mother does and at the end of the day I have to respect her and her choices whether I agree with them or not.

Just use the tank you have. Don't stress out about it. The tank is a bit small but if your mum isn't going for a bigger tank, just stay with the 29G. There is nothing else you can do about it. Just be grateful your mum lets you keep fish

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Would it be a good idea to get some floating duckweed, azolla, and salivinia? I found a cheap mix of it on etsy... Would it also be good to get maybe 2 large anubias and an amazon sword? So they don't take up too much swimming space, but the tank isn't just empty?

Duckweed is my preferred choice because it is small enough for most fish to eat. If you can find duckweed on its own, that would be my choice. However, if you get a combination, the bigger plants might help remove nutrients from the water and help keep it a bit cleaner. You can also grow the floating plants outdoors and bring them in to feed the fish. Although in the US it won't be growing much if there is snow and ice.

Don't put Amazon swords or Anubias in the tank. Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma, Elodia/ Hydrilla and narrow Vallis are better for goldfish tanks.

 

[FishHobby99]

Hello. I went to the LFS today (which is also a pet store) to grab some beds and cute food dishes for my rabbits (weekend sales lol) and also got sone plants, and two red racer nerite snails. Well my mom saw this insanely beautiful, massive fancy goldfish for $32 and 25% off (like I said, weekend sale). She bought it, of course. The girl employee was new, and clearly shadowing one of the experienced employees. She grabbed the fish with her hands and plopped it into a bag. My sister said she saw the fish struggle and then float on its back, before the girl turned it upright and packed it into a box for traveling. Well we got it home and started acclimating it to the pond. It just was not doing well at all, we were sure it was going to die, so we brought it inside and acclimated it to a room temp tank instead as a last resort to try to save it. Well now it is doing just fine. Problem is the only tank we have is a 10 gallon! My mom is open to buying a 29 gallon for it though. My mom says if she is going to have a goldfish tank that she wants to have her other 2 or 3 fancy goldfish inside too. So I am here to ask what size tank I need for 3-5 fancy goldfish. They are between 2 and 6 inches. I am monitoring the water quality on the cycled 10 gallon, which is now insanely overstocked with 3 baby koi, a massive goldfish, and a small goldfish. It was a life or death situation and I am here asking for help.

I have 3 goldfish in a 40 G long. One is a Moor and the other two are Comets. They have not grown appreciably in ~6 months, lengthwise anyway. They are getting fatter & hang out together. Active fun fish to watch. I am told the 40 G long is not big enough by some and OK from others.
I will wait & watch & possibly upgrade tank at some future date.

 

[itiwhetu]

Just do what your mum wants, it will be fine.