Goldfish vs. Community

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ddereckl

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jul 11, 2012
Messages
66
Location
San Diego
Hey guys! So I have a 30 gallon freshwater tank and I can't decide between Goldfish (orandas, ranchus, etc) or having a community tank (with tetras, guppies, etc). So i'll let you guys decide! :)

Btw (in case you guys are wondering) I'm cycling the tank right now (fishless).
 
I have both. Initially the golds were an impulse buy for my son (he got a tank for Christmas). Then we got a huge 250ltr tank and have it as a community tank. If you'd asked a few weeks ago I'd have said community (which is still an excellent choice), BUT I'm totally in love with the goldfish right now. A big 150litre tank, lots of space, 3 goldfish (blackmoor, fantail, red cap oranda) which are hopefully going to grow huge and really fill out the tank.... That is what in loving right now. It's a pity you can't have both.
 
Your tank is really not large enough for goldfish long term. That doesn't mean you have to be boring. If you ask for stock choices people will chim in and you can end up with a very cool tank.
 
You could probably do 2 smaller goldfish in a 30g aquarium. While they grow pretty big and flashy looking it might not be the best choice. That being said, I personally am not a fan of goldfish so it is a slightly biased view. If goldfish are something you really like then I would go for it.
 
I vote for a goldfish but just realize if its two, you will likely need to upgrade in the near future. They require a bit more work than a basic tropical tank but their puppy dog personalities definitely make up for it! :)
 
Ahhh, I'm so indecisive! :( I like that rustle-bustle busy aquarium look, but I just love the way fancy goldfish look! I think i'll go with community tank and see how things go from there.
 
Yeah it's tough to get flashy tank mates cuz Goldie's are not tropical. This was my beginner mistake. Just get some variety, although I think Popeyes etc. are ugly and it's just sad how much goldfish are experimented with because they are pretty fish when taken care of.
 
Is it possible to go with 1 fancy goldfish and then some other tankmates? Which brings me to the question: what tankmates can go with goldfish? I would like to have white cloud minnows with goldfish. That would be nice :p
 
I have 2 Moors and 10 golden white clouds. I love it and the white clouds are so cute! I won't lie, at first some of my minnows "disappeared". One of my moors is bigger and she's got a big mouth. She hasn't touched any in a while now. I think it was more because they were new. Every once in a while she looks like she's really following a minnow but nothing happens! :)
 
I think since i'm starting a new school year and since its going to be busy, i'll want to go for a simple designed tank with a relaxing scenery. Maybe a goldfish tank would be the better route for that. But then again, community tanks sorta have a simple, calming appeal to them. I definitely want my tank to look like this:
24149807_b1be0fed5f_z.jpg

Would goldfish or a community look better in that?
Of course I am working with a 30g tank so obviously my space is limited.
 
I d go with community given the tank size. Then you can have bottom & mid swimmers with a much lower bio load .
 
Go with the community tank,because you would have more of a variety of fish to choose from. You should have a fish for every level, just so fish Don`t get territorial (not if you choose peaceful fish)
 
Alright, I'll go with community! What fishes do you guys recommend?

Thanks for all the posts BTW! :D
 
Love Cory Cats, Pygmy or dwarf for that size.
Oh and those red & white striped shrimp.
Tetras.
 
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