Goldfish Advice!

[Vatilla]

I've had a goldfish once in the past, named Hannibal, who I rescued from a .5g "tank" in a pet store. He was in a 5 gallon for 3 weeks before being given to his now permanent home, a 150-180 gallon tank with two other goldfish (who are 25 years old). Ever since Hannibal, I've wanted more goldies, but never really had the chance to get any.

Well now I have the option! I have a 30 gallon that is empty of fish, except 2 snails that will be put elsewhere, and am wanting to get 2 goldfish. I was thinking of getting either 2 fantails or 2 Ryukins.

In the tank I have black gravel, an Aqueon Quietflow 30 filter, an Aquaclear 20 filter, a heat to keep it at 68-72, some driftwood, and a few live plants. Here's the tank 2 days ago (mostly the same, did some rearranging)

I don't expect the stem plants to live, only the hornwart and anubias, and am leaving the others in as snacks for now until I have space in other tanks.

So I have some questions:

-With frequent WC, could 2 goldfish live in there?
-Do you prefer Ryukin or fantail?
-Are floating or sinking pellets better?
-Do they enjoy frozen bloodworms?
-Can they eat shrimp that's for humans? Like cocktail shrimp (Don't ask, a friend used to have goldfish, silly question, I know. She said hers enjoyed it, I wasn't sure if it was healthy)
-Do you suggest a heater for the tank?

Sorry for all the questions XD I'd really like some goldfish, so before it became a permanent decision, I wanted to ask all of my questions here.

 

[jlk]

Hi! Lots of questions- lets see if I can address them all! Ok, yes, you can manage two juvenile fancies in this tank with a hefty wc schedule but expect that you may have to upgrade in the future. A single fancy 'may' be ok for life with a good water change schedule but that's not a guarantee as they grow quite large. Check out the stickied 'visual perspective' thread at the top of this section (Coldwater fish) if you are interested in seeing size comparisons between juvenile lfs size fancies and adults.

Plants are fine but make sure you feed daily veggies to limit snacking by the goldfish. Anubias will hold up the best, stem plants may or may not survive and hornwort will be destroyed very quickly. The snails are large and they will be fine in there! I would either remove or the lay the center piece of dw on the ground as it may pose a hazard to long fins that snag easily. The holes in the other piece may potentially be an issue as goldfish are notorious for getting stuck in unimaginable places.

In respect to diet, a quality sinking pellet such as Hikari Saki or Lionhead, ProGold or NLS or a gelfood (Repashy or Mazuri) are great choices. Defrosted bloodworms and brine shrimp are fine as is human grade fish/seafood. Daily plain cooked veggies and some occasional fruits are important.

Whether a heater is necessary will depend on the tank temp and how much it varies. Usually, a heater is not must but if your home is very cool or the tank temp swings greatly between night and day, an adjustable heater that maintains the temps steadily in the 70-75f range may be worth considering.

Between the two filters, your running @300gph but you may find it necessary to upgrade to a bigger filter. I run about double this just on my 20s and more elsewhere. If your willing to stay on top of water changes and gravel vacs, these filters will be fine for juveniles. Make sure your filling the tank to the top as your losing quite a few gallons of water by not utilizing that extra 3in of space.

In respect to breed, its a personal choice. I love ryukins but of all the fancies I have kept, they seem to be the most prone to problems down the line. Not all of them but in comparison to the other breeds (pearls being a big exception), overall they can be a bit more difficult in respect to care. Basic fantails are pretty straight forward and are probably the hardiest of all fancy breeds. Hope this helps!

 

[Vatilla]

Thank you so much! Yes, I wasn't sure if I could permanently keep them in here, but I'm willing to upgrade in the future I would upgrade immediately, but I have no funds and they'll be pretty small to start! Okay, driftwood laying down- I'll get on that! It just won't stop floating! And I'll remove that other wood, replace it with either nothing or some more life driftwood.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting them to live for too long- I'll put them in other tanks when I actually get the fish. It's nice to look at for now XD

Thanks for the filter advice! The only reason it isn't filled right now is because of some snail eggs that hatched recently. I don't expect the babies to live with the goldies, but I'll be removing the empty clutch and filling it up soon I also have a Marina s15 filter laying around- would you suggest that to be added on as well?

I'm thinking the heater is a good idea, since the temp in my room changes frequently. I open the window a lot XD

In regards to fruit and veggies, what do you suggest? Cucumbers, carrots lettuce/cabbage? What fruits are okay?

Thank you so much for replying! I'll most likely go for fantails!

 

[jlk]

If you want to get a good idea of breeds available, go to the Goldfish connections website and hit their 'gallery'. There literally is ten thousand pics of various goldfish breeds! You may find that another breed is more appealing than just a basic fantail or you may be perfectly fine with a basic fantail. Just take your time in making the decision as you are already aware, goldfish really are a lifelong long commitment. Great job btw with your other guys and their big tank!

In respect to veggies, everything should be cooked briefly to soften. Depending on the veggie, you can either stick them in a veggie (or potato chip bag) clip and toss in or mush up. I use a garlic press for tougher veggies such as carrots or sweet peppers. Just some veggie ideas- spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus tips, kale, beet, zucchini, deshelled peas, any dark green/purple leafy vegetable, etc. Avoid heavy (complex) starches such as potatoes or corn. For fruits, just about anything is game as long as its either bite-sized or soft enough to tear. My guys LOVE the jarred mandarin orange segments (in juice, not syrup) and different melons. Feel free to ask any questions!

 

[Vatilla]

Oooh, I'll have to look that up! Yeah, I know they're a big commitment, I just need to convince my mother they're worth it when I leave for school in a couple years, LOL! They aren't my goldfish in the big tank, they're actually my aunts The goldfish I gave her was white-pink, and is now a beautiful orange. He was incredibly neglected, and I'm glad he's thriving with my aunt

I can't wait to get them! I'm so glad they love a variety of veggies, we can give them the spares from our garden in the summer!

I do have a couple of questions, though:

-How can I sink this driftwood? I've been trying for forever, and it's tied down right now
-Do goldfish enjoy strawberries?
-Would they ever eat each other?
-What kind of fish would they eat that we eat?
-Would Cherry Shrimp be nice little snacks for them?
-How often do you suggest changing filter cartridges?

 

[jlk]

If you have dw that refuses to sink, the long method is to just continuing to soak/boil it until it does. A quick fix is what your already doing- tie it down or screw it onto a piece of slate.

Some of my guys eat strawberry. You will need to experiment a bit to see what they may or may not eat. Don't expect them to take to fruit and veggies instantly either. It sometimes can take multiple tries before they realize this stuff is yummy! No worries about they eating each other as long as you start with two fish that are approximately the same size that are atleast juveniles. Fry are a different story and they are little cannibals.

They will eat live shrimp (if they find them that is!). I have kept ghosts successfully before with lots of plants and have only lost them when I was on vacation and the goldies were not being fed regularly.

I do feed bits of human shrimp and salmon and use salmon as the base protein for my gelfood mixes. In the warm months, they get earthworms and grubs but just make sure they come from a pesticide/fertilizer free ground.

I actually do not change filter cartridges unless they are literally falling apart or I am donating filter media to someone. Even when they are falling apart, I just stuff other stuff in with them and continue to use them (filter floss & filter foam). Hope this helps!

 

[Vatilla]

Thank you so much for all of the information you have provided me! We're thinking of doing a goldfish tank with a 50-75 gallon tank now instead of the 30, to give them more room. The reason for this is because I kind of discovered Axolotls and am dying to get some XD Love the goldies, but those guys are super cool and can actually go in a 30g permanently!

 

[FantailH]

Just thought I'd add that Anubis is ok unless you trim the old leaves off and leave nice young tender leaves and shoots. Mine lasted a day after doing so but "H" was a very happy goldfish!