Tank size for Goldfish

[guppy grandma]

I'm going to put the cat among the pigeons or more aptly the sharks among the minnows, and ask the question "how many goldfish in a tank?" There seem to be several schools of thought on this, which is very confusing for newbies. I have been told that 3 x 3" goldfish in a 90 litre (24 US gallon) is too much, yet a UK expert says if the water quality is right, then its ok. Would appreciate advise on this.

 

[George9]

People keeping fish in the UK have very different opinions and do different things than people in the USA.

I'm in the USA, and I say 3 goldfish in a 24 gallon aquarium is too many goldfish (assuming they're a common goldfish.) The common goldfish can grow huge! They are very messy and poop machines. They need at least 20 gallons per goldfish. They will grow a lot (and poop a lot!)

 

[aa108]

goldfish get pretty huge so its better just to buy the final tank now instead of having to move them from tank to tank. that will make sure that they won't get stunted growth and you don't have to do as many water changes in the bigger tank.

 

[glassbird]

Yup, this question is going to get some interesting answers!

I am only going to add that another factor to consider here (in addition to size) is the type and quantity of filtration. Also, the frequency and quantity of water changes needs to be thrown into the equation.

 

[Morgie]

It depends on the type of gold fish. Fancy goldfish can live in smaller tanks (I'd say 20 gallons per goldfish, just because they still get 6"+ and they produce a ton of waste)
Common type goldfish get 12"+ if kept in ideal aquarium sizes, so if you want to keep them successfully you'll need a pretty huge tank if you want more than one.
It's best to research the individual type of goldfish before weighing in, I think.
My goldfish are in a pond, so I haven't looked into the topic too much, although I know it's pretty controversial.
It makes me furious that on the new petco bags they give instructions for caring for goldfish and it says 2 gallons per fish. ):<

 

[guppy grandma]

Hi Folks, thanks for the feed back. When I bought the tank (my 1st) it was supposed to be a 60 litre, but when I went to collect it was 90 litres with 3 fancy tail Orandas (smallish) in situ. It is an Aqua One AR 620, with a filter system that runs across the full width. I was going to re-home the fish, as I wanted to keep tropical, but got attached. I was advised by an experienced fish keeper (not lfs)that they would need a bigger tank in time, I do regular water changes and test the water a couple of times a week, and so far no problems.

I think like most people just starting out with fish I wanted a medium sized tank to see how it went. Many people give upon fish keeping quite early on because of all the work involved, and dont want to be paying out for large pieces of equipment they are going to re-sell.

Coming from a nation of animal lovers, I am not going to let my fish become cramped or stressed, I will in due time either get a bigger tank or re-home them.

So, for the time being, am I ok with the settup I have, they seem to have plenty of room.

 

[Christina717]

My grandma had fish,one fancy in a 10gallon it lived for 8 years. Died of ick a few years back RIP Betty. But I think 10gallons is good untill the fish gets bigger. I never had fish b4 so Im starting out with 10g and if everything goes good im gonna upgrade to a 40g

 

[jsoong]

I think it is OK for now. Tank size is just one consideration in stocking. How much work you are willing to do is more important. if you want minimal work, then a big tank is a must.

At 90 l & 3 Orandas, I would guess that you can keep them until they get to 3-4" (not counting tail) if you are diligent in water maintenance. One way to tell is your nitrate levels. If you can keep it below 5 or 10, the tank is still adequate. This might mean 50% pwc weekly in the beginning (a good level to do in small tanks regardless of levels.) Eventually, you will need to keep escalating the pwc frequency to keep proper levels. <Some do daily 50% pwc to keep things in check.> I would say that if you cannot maintain good water with twice weekly pwc, it is time for a bigger tank.

For 3 Orandas, a good size is 40 or 50 gal breeder. <The "breeder" tanks are shallower, and have more surface area, so can support more goldfish per gal.... so a 40 breeder is like having a regular 60 gal tank & the 50 breeder is like a 75.>

Another issue to consider is filtration. I would overfilter the tank & use double the recommended filter. A small canister (with a flow rate of 250 - 300 gal/hr) is a good choice. Others will opt for a HOB that is rated for a 60 or 75 gal.

The ultimate would be a sump setup. That will increase your water volume + effective surface area, greatly increasing the carrying capacity. However, it may be complicated & expensive & prob not worth doing in a 25 gal ... although I have heard of people doing it. <Prob just for the experience so they can move on to reef tanks.>

 

[Fishguy2727]

Two fancy/round-bodied if well maintained.

 

[guppy grandma]

Once again, thank you all for your help. jsoong, the advice about the breeder tanks is very helpful. I am currently cycling another 90 ltr tank which is longer and lower that the other tank, I bought it pre-used for tropicals, it has 2 filters. The Orandas will have to be moved shortly as they are in the wrong place and will suffer when the heating comes on, should I move them to the other lower/longer tank? Have measured the fish (as best I can) the are the short, round bodied type and 1 is 3" the other 2 are 2.5". I have a spare Fluval2 I will put in the current tank as well.

Below is a link "borrowed" from a UK contributer, this is what I call overcrowding. Many, many thanks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-12820354

 

[jsoong]

If the tank has a bigger foot print, then yes, it will have bigger surface area & be better. <Of course, you will still be looking at a bigger tank down the road .... so you might consider just get the bigger tank now & save a move.>

If you are just moving between tanks, there is actually no need for a separate cycle. As long as you move all the substrate, decor & filter (keep everything wet when doing the move), you would move the majority of your biofilter to a new tank. And the new tank will be cycled "instantly". <Keep an eye on the levels for the first few days & do some pwc if there is a mini-cycle, but that is pretty unusual if the transfer is done properly.> That will save you a few weeks of fishless cycling.