Goldfish in the planted aquarium..

[dr_girlfriend]

just my 2 cents, but peoples info on goldfish care and husbandry can be way off the same it can be in the planted tank world. I am a goldfish fanatic, I've bred them and kept them for many years and I keep up on the newest goldfish research and care. A fancy goldfish believe it or not, over the long term does better at warmer temps. This is for fancies. The closer to the ancestor carp the variety is, the more they do better in the cooler temps. But also the closer to the carp the more hardy they are and can withstand varying temperatures.
I keep a heater in my fancy tanks in the winter, and I believe you should bring them in from outside when the temp starts to drop. IME as they get older (4years and up)they don't fare the cold very well, and my fish thrive in the 78F range. How many people are keeping their planted tanks at above 80? Sometimes my tank gets hotter, the most is 82 and my goldfish do just fine. You just need to keep the oxygenation up as it gets warmer. The only time I try to keep them in cold water is to condition them for spawning. Other than that, tropical temps are fine. In other words, temp is not a huge deal! Good water quality and oxygenation is whats going to determine your goldfishes livelyhood.
I'm sure most of you are going to say "no way" and go with the common myth, but this is just my 2 cents, take it or leave it. As for fancies and planted tanks, theres absolutley no reason you cannot have the two together. You just have to be more selective about your plant selection.
And btw anarchis is a goldie snack

 

[FMJnaX]

Interesting findings dr_girlfriend. I've never studied in depth, but I also noted that my fancies seem much more active in the warmer (up to 78F) water. I never brought my fish in over the winter because I didn't have an aquarium until I got the 29 gal. I'll probably try that this next winter and see if I notice anything.

And btw anarchis is a goldie snack

I guess every fish is different because I have yet to find a goldie that has mowed down on anacharis. Anacharis has been pretty much my staple plant in my pond and I haven't "lost" a plant yet. I'm not saying that it hasn't been nibbled, but I do know that it hasn't been eaten like a snack. But at the same time, my fish don't eat plants anyway (as already noted).

 

[dr_girlfriend]

really? god, mine rip anarchis apart. i can remember picking those little leaves out of my filter....grrr.
btw that is very cool how you trained your fish.