I am the queen of free fish!!

[hsherman1986]

So last week my neighbor gave me that full grown angel for free.

Today, my mom calls me and tells me she has a surprise. I go over there and she hands me a vase (yes I said a vase) with three comet goldfish in it.

As the story goes, she went to a wedding yesterday, and the center peices were cylinder vases with clear glass beads, three goldfish each, and topped with plastic fruit or flowers. She got talked into taking one of them home, and she decided with me being the fish person that I am that she would give them to me.

Now, there is a good part to this story. All of the "centerpeices" found good homes (hopefully all with actual fish tanks).

Now with this, I have three comet gold fish, and i don't even know what to do with them. I am into tropicals, never tried goldies. What do they need? How much space will they require? I know they are messy. I know they eat alot. I know they are coldwater fish.

I have an empty 10g right now, will that be ok for them, or will I soon need to upgrade?

Any help would be great!

 

[joannde]

this new centerpiece craze using fish is starting to get to me. I'm so glad the comets at your mom's table found someone who is willing to treat them correctly.
I know very little about goldfish of any kind, so I'll leave it to other to give you advice.
Thank you for taking care of them

 

[hsherman1986]

oh, my mom would have cared for them properly, she just didn't have a tank to put them in, thats why she gave them to me

I hope to be able to care for these guys properly, they are kinda cute. One is silverish grey, one is solid gold, and the third has a gold body with black fins.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

This is why people should NOT use fish as centerpieces for a wedding. The 10 gal is not near big enough for even one of those fish. You may want to return it to the lfs unless you plan on installing a pond or buying a very big fish tank.

 

[hsherman1986]

This is why I am asking! I know nothing about goldfish, they were just pawned off on me!

I live in an apartment, so the pond thing is not going to happen, but I can buy a bigger fish tank, If i knew how much space they needed!

I am not trying to sound rude, but I do not appreciate being spoken to like I am the idiot when I am actually asking for advice instead of leaving them in the vase!

So please guys, if you have advice for me, please make it constructive and tell me what I need to do, don't just harp on me because I was given someone else's mistake.

 

[WaterPond]

I went to my cousin's weddiing reception, and he had goldfish as the centerpeices. I rescued as many as a could to put in my pond before some kids could scoop them up and keep them in a tiny bowl. I only got three, out of about fifty or so, that was depressing. Anyway, i am the king when it come to saving money on aquarium stuff. Get the biggest rubbermaid bin you can get, get a pond pump (cheap on ebay), You could dig this into the ground(if the ground would never feeze), or you could leave it standing above in your basement or something. They would be alright in this for awhile. I keep my koi in a big rubbermaid stocktank for the winter. This would be the cheapest, easiest thing for the goldfish. The 10gal would be really small for the fish, you can get rubbermaids up to 60gal i think, they would be good in that. Anybody agree with me? This bin would not be showy, but if you want to keep these fish, it would be cheap, and easy.

 

[hsherman1986]

normally, i would agree, but I live in an apartment. I have no basement, no backyard, not even a patio. I have a balcony, but it is too small to even fit a chair.

I can make room for another fish tank, if I knew exactly how much room these 2" comets needed.

Thanks for that advice though, that kinda gives me an idea as to how much space these guys will need.

 

[WaterPond]

I dont think they were getting mad at you btw, you are just trying to get a suitable home for these little guys

I think a 60-100 gal would be needed for these guys at the least. And if you get a tank that big, it will be totally stocked with just these fish. This will give them some room to grow aswell.

what do you think hsherman?

 

[hsherman1986]

I just didn't like the way he responded. There is nothing in that post that is helpful for me, and it made me feel like I was the idiot for taking these fish in.

I think a 60-100g does sound like a little much for three 2" fish, but if that is what they need, then I can get it arranged. How big can I expect these guys to get? (mind you these are the little comet feeders that sell for 25 cents each at petsmart)

 

[Fishyfanatic]

No one was speaking to you like you are an idiot. Individuals give fish as "centerpieces" because they think they are "cool". They do not think about what is going to happen after the wedding. They do not research the fish and realize that what they are using grows far too big for most tanks. They grow very large and need at least 100 gal. They are also big waste producers.

This subject just really irks me and I shouldn't let my feelings get in the way. They are in no way directed towards you or your mother for taking them. More towards the bride and groom who obviously did not think before chosing a living being.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

They may be small now but they will grow to approximately 18" in size. That's why the larger tank is needed. And since they produce a high amount of waste, the extra water volume is also needed.

I just didn't like the way he responded. There is nothing in that post that is helpful for me, and it made me feel like I was the idiot for taking these fish in.

Which post are you referring to?

 

[hsherman1986]

And I completly agree with you on that note. I was furious when my mother told me exactly how she got them. It makes me so angry that people do that, and without doing any research.

I always do research on every fish i purchase before I bring it home so I can make sure that I can house it properly. Unfortunatly, i was not able to do that in this case, hence why I am asking now.

I do know that these fish are large waste producers, and they eat alot. And I also know not to put a heater in their tank, as they are coldwater fish. Other than that, all I have is a can of goldfish food, three goldfish, and no idea what to do with it.

I guess I may have misread your post, and for that I apologize.

On another note, I went ahead and put them in the 10g just to get them out of the vase until I can get something bigger for them, and they are already doing much better than when I got them. They were breathing really heavy and just sitting at the bottom of the vase when I picked them up from my mother. They are exploring the 10g, and moving the gravel around to their liking now.

edit: i was referring to your initial post. and now that I know how big they can get, i will start looking into what I can do for them, whether it is taking them back to the lfs, or getting a bigger home for them.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

My first response is really your only option. Returning them to the lfs or purchasing a larger tank. Honestly, if it was me I would return them to the bride and groom with a "nice" note. lol

 

[hsherman1986]

I will talk to my fiancee and see what he thinks about it all. I had no idea these fish could get that big, but now that I know that, I will talk to him and see if he wants our next big tank to be for them, or for our clown loaches.

Gosh, mts is a horrible thing! Now I need a bigger tank for my loaches, and my goldies. I already have one 55, now I need at least a 100 for the goldies, and the planned 150 for the loaches...I'm glad my apartment manager is cool...

 

[Lonewolfblue]

For the goldies, you are looking at a minimum of 30G each, so you will e looking at a minimum of 90G, but more than likely, 125G. Also will need some good filtration, as they are messy.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I can solve the problem for you easily. Get two! Yes, MTS is a horrible disease. But please, just let it happen. If you try to fight it you will only get worse. Give in, buy 6 or 7 of the big tanks.

 

[WaterPond]

You did the right thing, those fish will be ok for a few days in the ten gal if you do a 10-20% water change every other day, i would reccomend pellet food instead of flake. A 100 gal would be best, or more, even better. If you do all this, you will get 10years+ of enjoyment out of your goldies. I would also reccomend a stronger filter/pump that what is regularaly needed for the tank, if it is a 100gal, i would go for two HOB filters rated for 100gal+ This will help keep the tank cleaner. Also, they are big ammonia producers so keep an eye on params (you can also get ammonia removing filter media, which would be a good idea) I think i covered almost everything, have fun with your fishies! Tell us some updated stuff about them(if you get a new tank, params, ect...)

 

[hsherman1986]

Ok, well update, I was just looking at a goldfish website to find out exactly what type they are, and they are commons, not comets. I was wrong on that one (they were mislabeled at petsmart when I went a bit ago). Does that make a difference in their adult size, tank requirements, ect?

 

[WaterPond]

no, i always thought that comets and commons were the same thing. Maybe i have been wrong all along, but i dont think it changes anything. Some people just call the commons, some call them comets(i call them comets, sounds cooler, lol)

 

[hsherman1986]

apparently there is a different fin style (tail fin is lot longer in the comets) and coments can get over a foot long. a website i found said only 6-8 inches, others said over a foot.

screw it, i give in to the mts....man this hobby is expensive sometimes...