My goldfish suddenly seems like he's dying?!!

[RenardTheFox]

If you could upgrade them to at least a 55 or 75 gallon with a powerful filter, that would work for awhile. But eventually they'd need to be given to someone with a large tank or pond. The warmer the water, the faster they're growing.

I'm devastated.... I feel terrible..
I'm going to try and get a bigger tank.. Honestly, though.. I want to keep them all together. The Lobsters haven't had Any issues being with the Goldfish, nobody is picking on each other, and they all seem to enjoy the 78 degree water... So, since they're not fighting each other, nobody is having food stolen, and they can live in the warm waters, it wouldn't be bad, right?
I Can't fit a second tank for an extended period (long enough to let a new tank cycle), and these guys are my water babies.. I am seriously in tears at the thought of having to potentially give them away...

So, if I wanted them all to stay together, would a 100 gallon still be big enough? This may sound insane to some people, but I have an extra car I could sell to get a new tank... but if in the end I have to get rid of somebody, it wouldn't be worth it. Even just deciding who I'd give away is causing me anxiety.

I don't have people friends... these are my babies and it kills me that I was misinformed to such a drastic degree..

 

[Megg]

I'm devastated.... I feel terrible..
I'm going to try and get a bigger tank.. Honestly, though.. I want to keep them all together. The Lobsters haven't had Any issues being with the Goldfish, nobody is picking on each other, and they all seem to enjoy the 78 degree water... So, since they're not fighting each other, nobody is having food stolen, and they can live in the warm waters, it wouldn't be bad, right?
I Can't fit a second tank for an extended period (long enough to let a new tank cycle), and these guys are my water babies.. I am seriously in tears at the thought of having to potentially give them away...

So, if I wanted them all to stay together, would a 100 gallon still be big enough? This may sound insane to some people, but I have an extra car I could sell to get a new tank... but if in the end I have to get rid of somebody, it wouldn't be worth it. Even just deciding who I'd give away is causing me anxiety.

I don't have people friends... these are my babies and it kills me that I was misinformed to such a drastic degree..

It's not your fault you were misinformed. Perhaps you could have researched a bit before bringing them home, but the pet store misled you. You're not the first it's happened to and won't be the last. Do you have a basement that you could put a kiddy pool in perhaps? Actually, even a horse trough type thing would work! A lot of people put goldfishes in this when they bring them in from their ponds for the winter. Would you have room for that type of thing?
The main issue with keeping the goldfish warm is that they'll grow faster this way and you'll have less time to figure out new housing.

Here's an example.
https://jet.com/product/detail/fc52...kWz-TqXwe9wFdiEo5OAmG80_H8BHJ37CmkaAiC-8P8HAQ

 

[RenardTheFox]

It's not your fault you were misinformed. Perhaps you could have researched a bit before bringing them home, but the pet store misled you. You're not the first it's happened to and won't be the last. Do you have a basement that you could put a kiddy pool in perhaps? Actually, even a horse trough type thing would work! A lot of people put goldfishes in this when they bring them in from their ponds for the winter. Would you have room for that type of thing?
The main issue with keeping the goldfish warm is that they'll grow faster this way and you'll have less time to figure out new housing.

Here's an example.
https://jet.com/product/detail/fc52...kWz-TqXwe9wFdiEo5OAmG80_H8BHJ37CmkaAiC-8P8HAQ

I live in a small 2 bedroom duplex with my mother, partner, son, and cat. I have no basement, just a crawl space (ew...). There's no upstairs, and we've no garage. Our yard has been turned into a full sized food garden, so I have no yard space. I did some research after I brought the tiny feeder fish home. I had read tropical, semi-agressivr opportunistic feeders, and long life span. I'd never read they were cold water, I'd seen several that said tropical. I looked up the rubber lip And the Lobsters before bringing them home too. They said tropical.

When I first had the fish, amd they were tiny, they lived in a pitcher (I know, terrible). I got them the 10 (I should have asked which size they recommended). They quickly outgrew it. Petsmart said 20 so I got 29.

If I can't keep all of my water babies together, it'll be Financially easier to get rid of Liz and Levi.. but it'd be emotionally easier to get rid of Lumpy, Wallaby, and Dingo.

I did a days worth of photo searching to find natural habitats for each one, and used them to choose how I set up their tank. With the exception of my technically-not-aquatic ribbon plants, everything was chosen carefully. Moss ball was for the lobsters, long leafy plants for everyone, the Mopani wood was both specific for the fish and Lumpy. I even specifically found a stone that would help camouflage Lumpy... even the clay substrate was chosen for its being a natural product. Originally I wanted all natural stuff, but it was a little difficult to find things for the lobsters to hide in, thus the turtle, skull, and fake log.
I thought I was doing everything I could for them. I did so much research even to pick their food. I love these guys, and i don't want them to be unhapy..

If I can't keep them in the same tank all together, ill have to get rid of somebody. If they can all survive together, I'll reorganize my entire living room to make a tank fit, and I can sell that other car for the tank they need..

 

[Megg]

I live in a small 2 bedroom duplex with my mother, partner, son, and cat. I have no basement, just a crawl space (ew...). There's no upstairs, and we've no garage. Our yard has been turned into a full sized food garden, so I have no yard space. I did some research after I brought the tiny feeder fish home. I had read tropical, semi-agressivr opportunistic feeders, and long life span. I'd never read they were cold water, I'd seen several that said tropical. I looked up the rubber lip And the Lobsters before bringing them home too. They said tropical.

When I first had the fish, amd they were tiny, they lived in a pitcher (I know, terrible). I got them the 10 (I should have asked which size they recommended). They quickly outgrew it. Petsmart said 20 so I got 29.

If I can't keep all of my water babies together, it'll be Financially easier to get rid of Liz and Levi.. but it'd be emotionally easier to get rid of Lumpy, Wallaby, and Dingo.

I did a days worth of photo searching to find natural habitats for each one, and used them to choose how I set up their tank. With the exception of my technically-not-aquatic ribbon plants, everything was chosen carefully. Moss ball was for the lobsters, long leafy plants for everyone, the Mopani wood was both specific for the fish and Lumpy. I even specifically found a stone that would help camouflage Lumpy... even the clay substrate was chosen for its being a natural product. Originally I wanted all natural stuff, but it was a little difficult to find things for the lobsters to hide in, thus the turtle, skull, and fake log.
I thought I was doing everything I could for them. I did so much research even to pick their food. I love these guys, and i don't want them to be unhapy..

If I can't keep them in the same tank all together, ill have to get rid of somebody. If they can all survive together, I'll reorganize my entire living room to make a tank fit, and I can sell that other car for the tank they need..

It would really probably be best if you could rehome the goldfish. They CAN all live together but you'll be drastically shortening the goldfishes lives by keeping them at warmer temps.

There's a lot of bad info on the internet about goldfish. A lot of people consider them to be the most abused fish in the pet industry.

 

[RenardTheFox]

It would really probably be best if you could rehome the goldfish. They CAN all live together but you'll be drastically shortening the goldfishes lives by keeping them at warmer temps.

There's a lot of bad info on the internet about goldfish. A lot of people consider them to be the most abused fish in the pet industry.

I'm speaking to my mother (it's Her property) and we will look into destroying our corn crop in order to replace it with a pond.. where would you recommend I go for information and such? I'll need one that can survive here in Alaska..

If this is what we go with, could her 10 tiger Barbs, albino catfish, and 2 white skirt tetras live with my Lobsters and plecosomus in the 29 gallon tank?

 

[Megg]

I'm speaking to my mother (it's Her property) and we will look into destroying our corn crop in order to replace it with a pond.. where would you recommend I go for information and such? I'll need one that can survive here in Alaska..

If this is what we go with, could her 10 tiger Barbs, albino catfish, and 2 white skirt tetras live with my Lobsters and plecosomus in the 29 gallon tank?

I PM'd you.

 

[Delapool]

I've included a stocking link which may be of use. It's reasonably good and you can include tank size and filtration. Also fun to play with

http://www.aqadvisor.com

I've got another one somewhere on goldfish specifically. Will see if I can find.

The catfish would be one to check as well. This is solid advice above.

As the fish are small you do have some time so you can do more research. I used to keep single-tailed goldfish and then give them away to public ponds which had goldfish stocked when they got to big.

Nowadays fish stores and community websites can help. Private land owners and companies may also be interested.

I have a 150gallon tank and these days wouldn't consider it long term for single-tail goldfish. They just get too big and active for me. A few fancy goldfish I have thought about doing when the present stocking are particularly annoying