Goldfish in 10gal tank?

[TC_Beats]

Newbie here. Bought a 10gal tank - looking to cycle it and get (3) small goldfish - black moor, ryukin, and an oranda (maybe add a loach). I've read on here that 10gal is too small for a goldfish, who apparently need 30gal or more.

I want to know what to expect if I put only (3) small goldfish in that tank - their bodies are about 1 inch long + the tail, so they're all young fish.

Can I expect a year out of them before they out grow the tank? Two years? At that point I'll transfer them to a friends outdoor pond?

I really don't want to get anything bigger than a 10gal for now and the kids have their hearts set on goldfish. I plan on weekly water changes, so that 's not a problem.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[taylorodw]

My advice is to buy a "gold" fish like a trio of platys...

 

[maxima423]

yea, those goldfish get to be around 8-10inches big, 30g is still pretty small for them

 

[JerryO]

I dont think this is a sound plan... as a beginner I made the same mistake. I put 3 ryukins in a 20 gallon. The ammonia was out of control right off of the bat, even with massive dialy water changes. I ont think you wouls make it to a year. Bigger tank or different fish is the only solution

 

[bengoshi2000]

My son wanted some fish for his 6th birthday, and he was set on goldfish too. I told him that goldfish were poo-machines (he thought that was funny) and they required a really big tank. So we went to Petsmart and looked at the fish that would fit in a small tank. He liked the cherry barbs. Now we have 3. Very fun, active little fish.

Maybe a trip to the LFS would get them interested in another type of fish?

 

[logansmomma1228]

It is not fair to the fish to put them in such a small tank. They will continue to grow and then what are you going to do with them? Not a good idea. If your kids want goldfish, you need a bigger tank. There are plenty of other cool fish that can go in a 10. Maybe just sit them down and explain it to them, in a way they could understand. +1 on a trip to the fish store, I am sure they will see tons of awesome fish. Welcome to AA!


P.S with three goldies in a 10 you will be doing water changes daily, large ones at that.

 

[TC_Beats]

Thanks!!!

Thanks a lot to the group here!!! I REALLY appreciate your input and help in understanding this "adventure" I'm about to go in to.

A few years back, I had a 20gal tank with some tetra's, catfish, frog and shrimp and it was great. Gave it to a buddy b/c I didn't have the time to care for the tank. Well, now the kids are a bit older and want some fish - so I'm back in the game!

Looking forward to starting small and hopefully building to a 30gal tank next years sometime.

Thanks again!

 

[glassbird]

"Can I expect a year out of them before they out grow the tank? Two years? At that point I'll transfer them to a friends outdoor pond."

The fancy goldfish you mentioned might not do at all well in an outdoor pond. I know some people manage to do it successfully, and it depends on the weather where you live, but I would not recommend it. I doubt they would survive a cold winter and they are slow swimmers, so easily snagged by predators. And their diets need to be carefully managed due to their body shape...not so easy to do in the uncontrolled environment of a pond. Just a thought...

 

[jsoong]

It is a challenge to keep goldfish in a small setup. You will need massive daily water changes just to get the tank cycled without killing the fish. I would suggest getting a test kit and doing testing & pwc's daily until the tank is cycled. And do as much pwc's as needed to keep ammonia below 0.5 & nitrites below 0.25. <This might mena twice daily pwc's.>

At 1", they will be OK in the 10. But they grow fast - a lot depends on the genetics .... I started with 4 1", and one of them is almost 4" after 1 year, while another (a veiltail) is only 1.5". But count on rehousing them in 6-9 months.

The moor will prob do OK in a pond, but the oranda & ryukin might not. The oranda esp. is the most sensitive of all the common fancies in terms of water requirements, so might not make it in the uncontrolled temp of a pond. Also, if there are non-fancies in the pond, the fancies will have to be fed separately, as the commons will eat all the food before he fancies has a chance to get at it.

All in all, it would be easier if you can exchange the fish for something more suitable ... or exchange the tank for something like a 40-60 gal breeder.