New Goldfish+ Questions

[AquariumFreek]

Hello. I have been doing lots of research about goldfish, and planning on getting one in the next few weeks...but i'm really stuck on the tank size. I was gonna get a 30 gallon glass aquarium, but then I saw a big Rubbermaid 50 gal tub at my local farm store, and It was WAY cheaper than the aquarium, plus it's bigger and the fish would probably be way happier. What tank size do you guys recommend?
EDIT: I just found a huge 100 gallon rubbermaid tub in my barn from like 2 years ago. Would that be better for the fish? LOL

Some questions
-Where should I get the fish? Fish store? Online?
-What food should I feed him/her?
-What filter pump should I use for the tank?
-How long does it take to cycle the tank?
-How many large goldfish would be happy in a 40/30 gallon?
-Should the tank have gravel, Or sand? I heard they think gravel is food and they will try to eat it.
-Can I have plastic plants, or is it a must that I have real plants? Moss balls?
-Again, Would the fish be okay alone? or does he/she need a friend?
-How often will water changes need to be done? 50%? 20%? 100%?


I've never owned a goldfish in my life, only bettas and other tropical fish. so i'm still a newbie at this!

 

[SherLar]

Never really kept goldfish in an aquarium, but have several in our pond with our koi. Most goldfish species get fairly large - up to 12" - and even 1 would quickly outgrow a 30g tank. You could probably put 2-3 in your 100g stock tank, but I wouldn't do more than that. In addition to their possibly large size, they produce a lot of waste, so frequent water changes are a must. As far as live plants go, goldfish love them. Anything you put with them will either need to be hardy enough to withstand their nibbling, or fast enough growing to re-propagate themselves. Water lilies and lily pads seem to do well, at least for us. Floating water hyacinths also do ok, although they usually have their dangling roots chewed up pretty badly. Water irises my wife claims can't be killed, and she may be right, as we have to separate and give away piles of them every fall. Every pond on our place has several bunches of them, and even in shallow, small ponds that freeze solid, they come back every spring. Duckweed spreads quickly and readily propagates itself, so usually no matter how much they eat, it always comes back. Depending on your climate, you may have additional choices.

 

[AquariumFreek]

Thanks! In the next month or so i'll get just 1 fish to start. I don't wanna overcrowd the tank. I'l probably get some hardy plants, like you said.

 

[Ironworker161]

Hi aquarium freek,
I keep 4 Goldie's in my 125gal. They really do need a lot of room. And they make a lot of waste. The bigger tank you can get, the better off you will be in the long run. You pretty much need 20 gal. Per fish, and maybe more , keep in mind that they can grow to 12" or more. Tubs and containers are good but you don't get a very good view of your fish with them, but as far as the health of the fish, containers work fine. You will also need lots of good filtration. I run 2 80gal. Marine lands on my 125gal , air stones are helpful too. Goldfish being large by nature will require more air. Anything you can do to keep the surface of the water moving, will help with that. Best to feed a gel food, I use Rapashy or you can supplement cooked veggies, they will even eat water Mellon , red worms, crickets and mosquitoes. Hope this helps. Enjoy your fish.