Goldfish Tank Start-Up

Hi Guys,

I am planning on setting-up a goldfish tank with Black Moor, Telescope eye goldfish and Telescope eye calico; any advice for a first-timer?

I have read a few books, brushed up on my theory pretty good, but I would love to get some tips from someone that has done it before.

Thanks!
:bigsmile:

 

Buy the biggest tank and most efficient filter you can afford. These guys grow fast and are poo machines.

 

Boebie is right, they poo machines.


Be Careful of the gravel size. Once my goldfish had a small stone stuck in his mouth.
Rather a smaller sized gravel bed.

Good quality food is very important - they will absorb more of the food and poo less. With the added advantage of being healthier

 

Thank you Boebie and Khalid!

 

Do they grow according to the size of the tank, or do they just grow?

 

Hi Sirie!
I don't know what your circumstances are, but imo goldies are better off in a pond/large tub than they'll ever be unless you can afford a huge tank. I have some very healthy ones in a large plastic barrel with a diy filter (made from a bucket... cheap, easy & very effective). How many fish do you want to keep?

 

Hi Tracy,

I am planning on keeping about 10 (a mix of the Black Moor, Telescope eye goldfish and Telescope eye calico) fish. The aquarium supply store I contacted said I should use a tank no smaller than 60Lt. and I am going to follow Boebie and Khalid’s advice on the filter, food and gravel.

I read that one should keep the first fish in and 10 gallon (37,85Lt.) tank and then for every fish there after add a gallon…?

Would I be able to use a filter like yours indoors?

Thanks for your input!

 

If i can remember correctly that is only a myth.

 

Thanks Troy, I’ll read up on it a bit.

 

Goldfish are fine in a tank for the first 4 weeks after you get them from the petshop - then you probably need to move the to a pond. I did this with mine - best move ever - it allowed me to use the aquarium as my first tropical tank - and the fish found a new home in the 450l pond thing. Now I have a very happy 23cm comet and a 16 cm fantail - the other 4 got munched by birds in the first few weeks.

Later Ferdie

PS on the upside the other 1/4 feeds the fish in the pond.

 

@Sirie! I noticed you posted yesterday looking for 15 goldfish! Please forgive me if I'm over-reacting, but I'm a little concerned. What size tank did you get, and what filter? I've double-checked, and most recommendations for gf is 40L/fish. That = 600L of water! Please remember that goldfish can live for over twenty years, and I've found reports of black moors reaching 25cm. And please don't put 15 fish in a new system all at once! Again, forgive me if I'm over-reacting, I just don't want you (or the fish) to experience disaster.

 

Hi Tracyp,

Thank you for your concern, I appreciate it. I have read that one needs 10 gallon for the first goldfish (that’s about 40Lt. give or take) and then 1 gallon per goldfish there after, that will total at approximately 60Lt. should I get 15 goldfish. I spoke to shop assistants at a few pet stores in the aria and they said that I will be able to put 15-20 goldfish in a 60Lt. tank! I have read a few books and as I said spoke to people in pet stores (what worries me about them is that they are running a business so they would want to sell as much as possible), but that doesn’t really help, one needs hands on experience, I am open to any suggestions and or advice you can give.
I set up my tank last Saturday so it will be ready for its occupants this weekend. I am going to get a second filter, as I have been told that goldfish are messy, currently I have a box filter. Can one put two filters in a tank?
Again thank you for the concern.

 

yes
60 lit is too small for 15 goldfish

 

1st: NEVER trust the lps salespeople! They are sometimes simply ignorant, sometimes just hoping that you'll buy far too many fish... system crash = dead fish, means you have to buy more. Of course, that's not to say there aren't honest ones out there.
You will need another filter, and yes, you can run more than one, no prob. Buy another one, the biggest and most expensive you can afford BEFORE you add any fish. Then proceed cautiously regarding stocking. Buy one or two small fish, let the system run for at least two weeks, then add a single fish at a time. This will give the beneficial bacteria time to adjust/increase to handle the increasing bioload. And honestly, no! I'd recommend no more than 4 or maybe 5 fish for a 60L. Sorry for the dampener: for a comparison, I have 7 fish in well over 130L of water, with GOOD filtration, and I'm pretty sure that will prove inadequate over time.

 

Thank you, for the advice. I will defiantly get a second filter and start slow with a couple of black moor. What is the best water conditioner and test kit? Also I have put some live plants in my tank; I read that the goldfish will eat them but that they oxygenate the water. So I have decided to rather replace the plants from time to time and have healthy fish, than to put plastic plants in. I have found that with my Bettas the plastic plants damage their fins; even the silk ones have some hard plastic bits in them. I wasn’t sure so I went with the life plants instead.

 

Ok, good. I can't give advice re water conditioner as I don't use any. (have spring water). I have live plants in with the goldfish, no probs, they've never touched them and the plants will help with water conditions. You def don't want ANYTHING sharp in a tank with bubble eyes, those membranes are fragile.

 

Thank you; you have been an enormous source of sincere information!