Questions about goldfish

[colin]

Is there another type food besides goldfish flakes I can feed them?
Would a bottomfeeder be ok to help clean the bottom?
Are there other types of fish that can be added or sticking with goldfish is best?
I need a water test kit and I saw api (?) mentioned but local stores do not carry them, where online can they be found?
Any good online resources to learn more about fishkeeping/goldfish without drowning me?

Thanks.

 

[mfdrookie516]

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+4454&pcatid=4454

i would say that a bottom feeder of some sort would be fine, which it would with your fish, but if theyre in the 10g tank you have listed, then thats a definite no. a 10g tank is too small even for one goldfish.

 

[glassbird]

I would most definitely find some other form of food than flakes. Goldfish nutrition is a huge subject, and you will get lots of information and opinions but flakes are generally considered to be NOT the way to go. Cheap ingredients, they go stale fast, and they float on the surface...which can be very bad news for some varieties of goldfish. I prefer Hikari sinking pellets and San Francisco Bay brand frozen foods...especially the bloodworms, emerald entrée, and the brine shrimp with added spirulina or omegas. They make a goldfish-specific formula but I can not find it locally, so I have not tried it yet. Some people make their own gel fish foods, with terrific results...but I am a miserable cook so I have not tried that.

Be very careful in your choice of "bottom feeders". Avoid any of the sucking-mouth types...like plecos. Some of them do not mind sucking on a goldfish who is sleeping on the bottom! I understand that some types of bristle nose are safe, but I will let someone else give details on them as I have never had one.

An API drop-type test kit is a must. Avoid test strips completely. And yes, a 10 gallon tank is way too small for a goldfish! How long has your tank been set up? What do you have for a filter? What do you have on the bottom? What type of goldfish do you have?

...and this forum is a great place to learn about fish keeping! Just keep asking questions!

 

[colin]

Why is a 10gal tank for goldfish too small?

 

[jsoong]

Well, a common goldfish gets to be 12-18" long .... that is bigger than the tank!

Even fancies can get to 8" or more, and since the goldfish is "fat", its mass is much higher than a similar length of tropical fish. (A 2" goldfish is 6-8x heavier than a 2" tropical.) The large mass means they make a lot of waste & need a bigger tank.

You may be OK with a fancy in a 10 gal for a few years, but you will need to do work - lots of monitoring & pwc's. Eventually a full grown fancy will need at least a 20 gal. <A 40 gal breeder is the smallest for keeping goldfish long term, IMO.> A common goldfish belong in a pond, and will definitely suffer in a 10 gal.

This is a good basic guide to goldfish care:
Goldfish Basics | Goldfish

As for food, go for good quality sinking pellets (Hikari is good), and feed some fresh food often. You don't have to go for the expensive frozen stuff at the lfs, people food will work just fine - peas (shelled, blanched, chopped), cucumbers, other veggies & fruits, and shrimp (chopped up cocktail shrimps) or fish. <Basically, I just let my goldies have a bit of my salad! - no dressing of course.>

With a 10 gal, you don't have room for a goldy safe bottom dweller.