Goldfish question

[kirkland795]

I have three young fancy goldfish. Two of them have a body length of 1in and one of them has a body of about 2 inches. I'm somewhat new to keeping goldfish so at first I had all three in a 15 gallon for 3 months. I quickly figured out that was not appropriate living conditions for them and I have recently moved them to a 60 gallon. They didn't grow for 3 months while in the 15 gallon tank since it was much too small. They have now been in the 60 gallon for two weeks. I was wondering if they can still grow to full size or if stunting their growth for a few months will make them stay small? Also I plan on upgrading their tank size as they grow.

 

[pip walters]

What are you feeding and how often. You should have seen growth even in the 15g. Last hear I spawned some black moors and raised around to an inch or so in a 60 litre (13g) with a single sponge filter and somewhat erratic feeding!

Its all about water quality and optimum feeding in my experience.

 

[kirkland795]

Well the water quality wasn't the best since my ammonia was slightly elevated from having to many fish in the small aquarium. Even with frequent water changes it wasn't the best. The new 60 gallon is fully cycled and my ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels are good. I feed mostly flakes and a few times a week I give them frozen brine shrimp and deshelled green peas.

 

[jlk]

Welcome to AA!!! Lots of water changes (even if the parameters seem 'fine') and an excellent diet will be the most helpful for their future growth.

Flakes are not the best choice for fancies in particular as they are prone to buoyancy issues and flakes tend to aggravate the situation due to gulping air and/or eating air-filled flakes. Switch them to a high quality sinking pellet such as Hikari Saki, NLS or Pro-Gold. Introduce daily veggies into their diet as well as fresh/frozen proteins and some occasional fruits. Feed smaller meals but feed more frequently (veggies do not count as a meal). Its likely that you are underfeeding them if your nitrate levels are remaining 'good' as nitrate is the end product of converted ammonia. Please do not hesitate to ask questions!

 

[kirkland795]

Welcome to AA!!! Lots of water changes (even if the parameters seem 'fine') and an excellent diet will be the most helpful for their future growth.

Flakes are not the best choice for fancies in particular as they are prone to buoyancy issues and flakes tend to aggravate the situation due to gulping air and/or eating air-filled flakes. Switch them to a high quality sinking pellet such as Hikari Saki, NLS or Pro-Gold. Introduce daily veggies into their diet as well as fresh/frozen proteins and some occasional fruits. Feed smaller meals but feed more frequently (veggies do not count as a meal). Its likely that you are underfeeding them if your nitrate levels are remaining 'good' as nitrate is the end product of converted ammonia. Please do not hesitate to ask questions!

Wow thank you so much. All this information is super helpful. Are all fruits and veggies ok for them or are there any I should avoid?

 

[jlk]

Wow thank you so much. All this information is super helpful. Are all fruits and veggies ok for them or are there any I should avoid?

Most fruits are fine. They seem to really like citrus in particular. For veggies, avoid anything spicy (hot peppers, onions) or heavy in starches such as potatoes or corn. Iceberg lettuce is nutritionally blank so stick to nutrient-dense lettuces that are dark green or purple/red. Most other veggies are fine and feel free to experiment with different types. Broccoli florets, cauliflower, spinach, kale, carrots, peppers, turnip greens, asparagus, beets, zucchini, deshelled peas, (etcetc ) are all things to consider. Just make sure the veggies are cooked and are soft enough to either tear easily or are mushed into pieces before feeding. Remove anything uneaten after 12-24hrs and replace with fresh veggies.

Veggie clips can be used to secure larger items such as pieces of broccoli florets (if needed) or you can use a garlic press to smoosh tougher items such as carrots into tiny pieces. Hope this helps!

 

[kirkland795]

Most fruits are fine. They seem to really like citrus in particular. For veggies, avoid anything spicy (hot peppers, onions) or heavy in starches such as potatoes or corn. Iceberg lettuce is nutritionally blank so stick to nutrient-dense lettuces that are dark green or purple/red. Most other veggies are fine and feel free to experiment with different types. Broccoli florets, cauliflower, spinach, kale, carrots, peppers, turnip greens, asparagus, beets, zucchini, deshelled peas, (etcetc ) are all things to consider. Just make sure the veggies are cooked and are soft enough to either tear easily or are mushed into pieces before feeding. Remove anything uneaten after 12-24hrs and replace with fresh veggies.

Veggie clips can be used to secure larger items such as pieces of broccoli florets (if needed) or you can use a garlic press to smoosh tougher items such as carrots into tiny pieces. Hope this helps!

Yes this is really helpful. Thank you!

 

[pip walters]

Personally, I prefer raw veggies for fish as none of the goodness is cooked out. If your fish are capable of eating pelleted foods then they are more than capable of eating raw veggies and will get more goodness. They have crushing pads at the back of their throat (pharyngeal 'teeth) that can deal with snail shells.

Remember, to grow well, the fish need good quality animal protein. This will be present, likely as fish meal, in the pelleted foods available and you can supplement with frozen or live foods, earthworms and even occasional raw meat or fish. Veggies will aid digestion, but do not need to be fed in large quantities as roughage will also be included in the pelleted food.

Veggies rich in vitamin C (eg spinach and water cress)are especially good, but don't cook them as the vitamin content can be compromised.

 

[FishyAddict1999]

I feed my black moor sweet corn and my fantail peas(fantail hates sweet corn and black moor hates peas??)

 

[em1981ma]

Welcome to AA!!! Lots of water changes (even if the parameters seem 'fine') and an excellent diet will be the most helpful for their future growth.

Flakes are not the best choice for fancies in particular as they are prone to buoyancy issues and flakes tend to aggravate the situation due to gulping air and/or eating air-filled flakes. Switch them to a high quality sinking pellet such as Hikari Saki, NLS or Pro-Gold. Introduce daily veggies into their diet as well as fresh/frozen proteins and some occasional fruits. Feed smaller meals but feed more frequently (veggies do not count as a meal). Its likely that you are underfeeding them if your nitrate levels are remaining 'good' as nitrate is the end product of converted ammonia. Please do not hesitate to ask questions!

I spent 6pounds on premium Tetra Goldfish Gold Growth pellets and they don't sink!! Is this a waste of money as I wanted to get my goldfish a better quality food but they seem to prefer the flakes I push them down as my oranda and moor like to bottom feed.

 

[pip walters]

Try soaking the pellets first and squeeze them a little as you add them to the tank. Floating pellets tend to have a higher cereal content and less protein and sometimes a higher oil content. The ideal diet should have around 33% protein and 7% lipids (oils and fats).