Starting goldfish tank

[jllarrea]

Hello there. So up until now I've only kept African cichlids but my boyfriend is wanting to get some goldfish. I have a 29g tank that I'll be using but I have a few questions.
1) Is it ok to use sand as substrate? Or is gravel a better option for goldfish?
2) How many goldfish would I be able to fit in a 29g tank?
3) I know goldfish are messy fish so would I need a filter that is recommended for bigger tanks?
4) Should there be a current in the tank or do they prefer calm water?
5) I always see bubblers with goldfish. Is that necessary?

Thank you all in advance for your feedback!

 

[mapexmac007]

Hi,

With respect to your questions:

1. I use gravel, I do not know if sand is good for goldies, or not. Given their nature to always graze for food, I'd imagine that gravel is better for them than sand, just for that foraging reason.

2. I've got two veil tales — 3.5 inches nose to anus —*and my Fluval 206 is keeping pace with them. I have "room" for one more of that size before my tank gets near over-crowded. However, I'm beginning to have high nitrate issues, so I'll need to increase my WCs from 33% to 50%, and go from 7-days to maybe 4 days on the WC.

I suppose it ultimately depends more on feeding: how often, do they eat all the food presented to them, etc. (my fish? swimming velociraptors!! OMG these two can eat).

3. The Fluval 206 can definitely keep pace for a 29-gallon tank; I love mine! It's super quiet, very easy to maintain and if needed, one can easily find replacement parts for it. I also love the means by which you can customize the filter elements and elements order — to suit your tank's specific needs.

4. Great question on the current; I don't know for certain, but I definitely have a current in my tank, and the fish seem completely fine with it. Having said that, they rarely are up at the surface, nearer the inlet/return feed jet. But they certainly make use of every other region in the tank. So I'd say, they don't mind a current (but then again, my fish are large).

5. I think with goldfish and their "dirty" nature, any aeration is a good thing. I've always run air in my goldie aquariums.

Also, consider live plants to help with the nitrate balance. I've got a few lives plants in my tank now, and for the most part, the fish leave the plants alone. Occasionally, one of the pair goes to nibble at the rhizome of the anubius, but the plant is doing just fine.

Please let us know what you go with, and how things are working-out for you.

— MM007

 

[jllarrea]

Thank you very much for the info. I will definitely keep that in mind when setting it up.

 

[jlk]

Sand or bare bottom is actually safer for goldies. Gravel not only hides an enormous amount of waste and debris, but it carries an inherent risk of choking, intestinal impaction and/or tears and demise. Goldfish are grazers by nature and will attempt to swallow anything that may (or may not) fit in their mouths in their search for food. This includes gravel. It's the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" that applies here. I have removed gravel using forceps from a goldfish's throat in the past- all of the gravel was tossed that day.

In respect to filtration, 10x the tank size is generally recommended for a messy goldfish tank but I would suggest more if possible. So, on a 30g, the minimum filtration should be 300gph (gallons per hour). I run double this just on my 20g quarantine.

Stock-wise, I would not stock more than a single fancy in a 29g. If you can opt for a 40g breeder instead, two fancies would be comfortable. The young juveniles all stores stock grow very fast and quite large large with hefty wcs and proper feeding. Please take a moment to check out the 'Why fancy goldfish require big tanks' thread stickied at the top of this section (coldwater) to gain a better idea of how big these guys grow. Hope this helps a bit! Please do not hesitate to ask any questions!