Good fish with betta in 20 gallon tank

[Kiseki]

Konichiwa!
I hear all these cool things about goldfish, and I want to have a goldfish tank. I like those fancy ones, like the ones they sell on the streets of Japan. What is a good tank size for 2 fancy goldfish and maybe 2 dojo loaches. I was thinking of getting a goldfish bowl but then I heard that goldfish don't really suit a bowl and won't be happy. So what is a tank size that can house 2 goldfish and 2 dojo loaches.
Arigato!

 

[Rudy_627]

i dont know personally but i did learn today that the NEED absolutely NEED COLD WATER!!!!!!!!!! thats all i know about them

 

[Devilishturtles]

For 2 goldies and the loaches, I would say minimum...25-30 gallons. The goldfish needs lots of spaces, and yes, colder water. They require lots of oxygen which isn't found in enough supply in warmer waters.

Goldfish are VERY unique and very cool. You can watch some of them change colors and evolve from a little orange/brown fishy to something cool and colorful.

 

[Kiseki]

On the aquarium fish magazine they say weather loach or dojo loach is commonly kept with goldfish because of their tolorence of low temperatures, I also want them because they are good scavengers to eat the waste and extra food for the goldfish. So I would need to use a 25 gallon min. for 2 golfish and 2 dojo loaches. Thanks

 

[Devilishturtles]

So I would need to use a 25 gallon min. for 2 golfish and 2 dojo loaches. Thanks

That's my opinion. General rule for goldies is 10 gal per fishy. This would give you a little extra room for the loaches. And yes, dojos are tolerant of lower temps, but remember, you still want/need a heater in order to keep the temperature the same. Many people think that they would never need one.

Flucuating temps = trouble

Good luck.

 

[Kiseki]

Okay, so I do need to have a heater. As I thought they did need a heater as it said in the magazine but all these site and research confused me.Thanks

 

[Devilishturtles]

Okay, so I do need to have a heater. As I thought they did need a heater as it said in the magazine but all these site and research confused me.Thanks

Yes, you want to get one anyways. Even if you won't ever see it pop on, trust me, it will. Droppping the temp at night during lights out, and then warmnig the tank up during the day, even by a few degrees, can be bad. A heater will ensure that it stays the same temperature consistently.

Enjoy the goldies, and don't forget to post pics.

 

[Kiseki]

but what should the temp. be?

 

[lyquidphyre]

I love goldfish, and like said already the rule is 10gal per goldie
another fish that goes well with them are white clouds

Goldfish prefer coldier water, but i had em in my tropical tank for a while and they did fine... so you can keep the water temp around 65-70 and it should be okay. They don't die if the water is warm... they just do better in cold water.

Also, you want a good filteration system because they are very messy creatures. Also, buy goldfish flakes as opposed to tropical flakes because goldies are vegetarians n stuff

good luck and keep us posted!!1

 

[lyquidphyre]

i dont know personally but i did learn today that the NEED absolutely NEED COLD WATER!!!!!!!!!! thats all i know about them

That isn't completely true. Yes, they do better in cold water but they can be kept in warmer water. They are extremly hardy fish and warm water would be one of the last things to kill/bother them.

 

[jsoong]

Fancy goldies are rather less tolerant of cold than people might think. Whereas the single tailed varieties like comets can survive near freezing temp & prefer water around the 60's, the fancies like warmer temp & won't tolerate cold or sudden temp drops, so a heater is really good idea, unless your house temp never drops below 70.

Fancy goldies do best with temp in the 70's. Some breeders up the temp to 80's for faster growth, but I am not sure if that is good for their health in the long term. Comets are said to live longer if they are exposed to cooler temp on a seasonal basis (ie a few months of 50-60F to simulate winter), I am not sure if that is true for the fancies. I personally kept the temp at 72 with a heater, but in the summer, tank temp will go up to mid to high 70's.

I would suggest getting the biggest tank you can. Goldies make lots of waste & the bigger tanks means more stable water & less frequent cleaning & pwc. 10-20 gal per fish is the rule, and if you watn show quality fish, go for the larger size tank (or even a pond!).

BTW, you don't need scavanger fish with golds around ... they are pigs & will eat everthing in sight ... at the surface, in mid water, under the gravel .....

 

[Kiseki]

I hear all these thing on the get big. How bid DO they get. The largest I had ever had is when I was little and hod one in a 10 gallon that was like 2 inches long, I think.

 

[lyquidphyre]

I bought two common goldies last Dec. I ended up giving them to my friend with a 20gal (who are building a pond for them this spring). When I bought them, Sid was 2in and Nancy was about 1in.
A year later, Sid is about 7in and nancy is about 4-5in
and still growing..

If you want to keep them for a long time in a tank, I suggest the bigger the better so they have room to grow and swim. If not, you will have to either get rid of em, or build a pond =o)

 

[Devilishturtles]

Agreed. They will get on average 6-9 inches long as full grown adults, but some DO get larger. That would be a fair estimate. I had a feeder goldie that my turtles just would not eat at one point. Stuck it in my tropical tank, and then had to get rid of it because it got too big.

I put it in my neighbors pond and now it's about 7 inches long.

 

[jsoong]

I've seen comets over a foot long! <This is in a pond tho>

Fancys don't get that big - 8 - 10" usually (not counting the tail). Reason you don't see many big ones in a 10 gal. is that goldies often got stunted in bad water/small space .... and many die before they are full grown ...

Properly looked after, you can expect a lifespan of 8-10 years (the record is 30 years - I think). So it is best to think ahead & plan for a long-term commitment to your fishie pet.

And yes, goldies acts like pets & not just decorations. They have tons of personality.... follow you around in the tank .... eat out of your hand .... I can go on & on .....

 

[lyquidphyre]

I think the record for a common goldfish was 60+ years (can't remember the exact age)

One thing to look for when buying a fancy goldie is swim bladder. Before I found this site I purchased the cutest fancy goldfish (my avatar)... I bought him because he "swam funny" and I thought it was so adorable. I found out later he had swim bladder... and he died less than a year later =o(

 

[Kiseki]

So unless I get a bigger tank I can't keep goldfish because they get really bid and will be over crowded in a 10-20 gallon tank. There are alot of FW fish in the world, I want to know what fish can live in a 20 gallon tank. I can't really decide if I want a new FW or a 20 gallon Nano-Reef. ZBut I will take fish suggestions for b .

 

[lyquidphyre]

I absolutely adore goldfish and I would suggest getting maybe one or two fancy goldies (in a 20gal) and if you take good care of your tank maybe a few white clouds.

Yes, there are all sorts of FW fish... but goldfish are so much fun. You could have 2 goldies with all the personality in the world that would make having only 2 fish totally worth it =o)

 

[jsoong]

I hope we haven't scare you off from keeping goldies! Although I don't think single tailed varieties (like comets) should be in a tank, you can keep 2 fancies in a 20 quite well, although you'll need more in terms of maintenance. But if you are thinking of a nano-reef - a 20 gal goldie tank will be a cinch in comparasion.

There are, however, many different fish out there .... it all depends on what you want out of your fish --- a pet? as decoration? low maintenance? ....

 

[Devilishturtles]

As for the FW fish, depends on what you want. Do you want schooling fish with lots of color? Livebearers? Something a little larger like gouramis? Lots of things go into it, and 20 gal is a good size for (almost) anything.

Setting up a 20 gal nano would be a good idea if you have the time, money, and patience. The initial cost of set up scares alot of people, but it's well worth it when it's all over in my opinion. 20 gal is harder to maintain in SW because of flucuating salinity and levels. It would require daily maitnence, but like I said, if that's cool with you, then go for it!