Hello, Betta and Goldfish lover

[alyss19]

I'm Alyss, 21, live on campus. Had my first beta when I was like 10. And as I grew up, my love for Beta grew, and so did my knowledge of fish. I now have 4 little betas and 6 goldfish. First goldfish I won at a fair over 2 years ago.
My roommates laugh that the dorm has been taken over my fish, that I'll be the crazy fish lover. Lol

 

[alyss19]

 

[Shoulin_KOTU]

Those tanks are very under-sized! The minimum for one fish is 20 gallons! Goldfish can get huge and live as long as humans with proper tank size and filtration

 

[alyss19]

Dorm only allows up to 10 g [emoji849] I regularly change water and filter.
Idk if it's actually true or not, but people have said that they grow into their tank.

 

[TMaier]

The small tanks stunt their growth. It's very unhealthy.

 

[alyss19]

Wow. My mom is wrong then lol and other adults who like to say they're right to everything

 

[TMaier]

Read this.

Why fancy goldfish require big tanks- visual perspective

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265871

 

[alyss19]

They aren't fancy goldfish, just a simple breed that was 14 cents at the store....

 

[alyss19]

So does that article apply to them?
(I did read it, it was really insightful)

 

[TMaier]

I think it applies to all goldies.

 

[alyss19]

What should I put mine in then? I don't want to hurt them by stunting their growth

 

[TMaier]

You must have missed that, it's all in the thread.

 

[alyss19]

Sent a Pm

 

[alyss19]

So I've clearly messed up on tank size. But I'm really limited on what I can have at the dorm, 10 g.
20 g is what I'm being told and also did some own research.
But what size is minimum per fish? I know that sounds bad, but I'm really limited but want to do something

 

[Lollipops]

Sorry Alyss this is a tough spot.

Realistically, they should be re-homed if you can't get bigger tanks

Any idea what size tanks those are?

 

[LogLady]

If they're single-tailed (that is, non-fancy) goldfish, they need at least 40 gallons per fish.

 

[Autumnsky]

Indeed the fancy GF as in the round shaped body fish it is a minimum of 20G for the first and 10 for each additional one but even then when they are growing to adult size it is a bit small.

Those long body GF are so much larger/longer and need much more swimming room, than most normal home aquarium hobbyists can accomodate.

Try and locate a pond keeper for the fair /Comet goldfish.

Even as mentioned above as a long/Comet GF you couldn't keep a 14-16" full grown Comet in a 40G Breeder (most swimming room for a 40G) even. Nor would the fish likely grow to the optimum size due to a too small of space.

As a small fish you have some time to find it a new home. Just keep doing 50% pwc probably every 2-3 days. They will not grow up as well in less high quality water conditions either.

 

[Shoulin_KOTU]

Really sorry that you had to end up in this predicament I was in a similar one aswell, completely turned me away from fish for awhile.....

 

[whitelightsea]

Those betta fish are going to need a minimum of 10 gallons each, along with filters and a heater. I keep mine in a planted 10 gallon with a baffled filter rated for 20 gallons. His temperature is a constant 79 degrees. Lower or fluctuating temperatures can lead to shortened lifespans, fin deformity, and disease. Until you can upgrade their tanks, filters, and add heaters for them, keep their water pristine with daily water changes of around 50%. Pick out any uneaten food, and be sure to keep your place warm. Goldfish are cold water, but bettas are tropical. Get them heaters where you can control the temperature. And please read up about fish-in cycling. Your filters will need time to grow beneficial bacteria, and it's a tricky process with livestock already in the tank, but it doesn't look like you'll have much of a choice.

 

[alyss19]

They aren't fancy