What to do w/ fair fish?

[abe]

My boyfriend's nephew won some fish at the fair... Apparently the idea of feeding them (two goldfish) to the cat was tossed around by the "adults", not sure how much of a joke that was honestly... Anyway, since I'm the crazy fish lady (everyone thought my 20g was huge, until I brought over my 40g; and that having anything more than a single 10g is nuts) they were dropped off here.

I put them in my 40g tropical tank for the moment, until I figure out what to do with them. I like goldfish, but they're messy, coldwater, and get huge. This is why I don't keep them.

What do you guys think I should do? I have a 40g tropical, 20g endler's/fry tank (which the goldies can't live in), and a 10g tank that a betta currently lives in (I was planning on putting 3 in here to save some counter space). The only options I can think of are leaving them in the 40 until they get bigger (they're only about 1-1.5") or fixing up the 10 for them, both of which I know aren't the best suited tanks.

I don't get why people don't think this over before they let the kid play the fish game Or why they think of fish as disposable unfeeling beings, OR why they think goldfish are going to be fine in my tank even though I don't keep that type of fish or have room for it. grr!!!!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I don't know much about goldfish but i think you they need 10gallons each so 2 goldys would mean you need a 20gal tank- if you live in a warm enough climate and have a fairly deep pond i hear many people keep goldfish in outdoor ponds. Im sure though for the time being a 10gal tank will be fine for a shrt while.
Well done for saving them though

 

[fish_keeper2]

they should be fine in the 10 gal for a while. i have read that the rule with goldfish is that its 20 gal for the first goldie and 10 for every one after that..........try asking in the coldwater section. theyll help you a lot more.

 

[abe]

Thanks for your reply

I wish I knew someone that had a pond for them to stay in, that's where they should be. I'd hate to move out all of the endlers & fry, awe I don't know what to do.

Theyre better off wherever I put them though. I remember a few years back they had a gold fish in a 1 gallon bowl, I know that fish was about 8" long! In a one gallon bowl!!!!

I'll copy this over to the coldwater forum, I don't know why I didn't think of that.

 

[Synirr]

I think the 20 gallon per goldfish rule only applies to the fancy varieties, as common goldfish get quite a bit larger... I could be wrong though, I know very little about goldfish
Anywho, they'll be fine where you've got them for a while. If I were you I'd try to get a LFS to take them...

 

[Jules H-T]

Don't risk it mate. I learned the hard way about goldies and tropicals. Sarah the goldfish grew at an incredible rate. 1" to 5" in under a year. Then one day she ate 16 neons. You're playing with fire, trust me.

IMHO, the temperature doesn't bother them.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi abe

Why not just put them in the 10 gallon tank and look for a new home for them? They will be comfortable there for some time and in the meanwhile you can ask your lfs if they know one of their customers who might want to put them in their pond.

Good luck!

 

[OohFeeshy]

Maybe create a mini-pond? Invest in a big plasctic container, put it outside maybe.