Ready for my third tank in a year. Can I keep goldfish in a 10G?

[TeaPea]

Hi all. Well, after only a year into the fishkeeping hobby I am ready to add a third tank. I currently have a 29G community tank, and a 5G guppy tank. We recently finished our basement and I was considering putting a tank down there but decided I didn't have the money...until yesterday, a neighbor had a garage sale and threw out everything he didn't sell. He urged us to take whatever we wanted, so we couldn't resist a nice 10G with wooden stand and all the accesories. Can't beat free!

Now the problem...My husband wants to put goldfish in it. I say 10G isn't big enough for goldfish. I would love to make an an AFrican tank. My second choice would be mollies.

Goldfish lovers, is 10G big enough for a couple of goldfish? Not even sure which kind we would put in there...he said likes the "multicolored" kind but since I know next to nothing about goldfish I don't know if there is such a thing! :confused:

TIA!

[avoxo]

Hi TeaPea, sorry to inform you but a 10-gallon tank is not enough for a couple of goldfish. Minimum its 10 gallons per goldfish, more when they get bigger. They produce copious amounts of waste which will cause problems for your fish later on.

[stik6shift98]

i would prob do a tetra tank or a molly tank.....sorry no goldfish

[TeaPea]

Thanks for the replies. I just have to say I'm very confused though. Aren't goldfish kept in half gallon bowls? How is a 10 gallon tank no good for a couple of them?

[F.sparverius]

They CAN be kept in half gallon tanks but it's not good for the fish. The nitrates would be through the roof. I woulden't see why you could not keep two of the smaller species in a 10 gallon tank if you had really good filtration and kept the tank clean though. But more than two probably would not be wise. Although I don't know too much about smaller gold fish.....we keep our Koi in a half acre pond.

[yashinfan]

No way should a goldfish be kept in a 10 gallon! They get to be huge!!! I've seen a 7 inch goldfish that my boyfriend has in his 35 gallon tank! Now the half a gallon bowl is just cruel, I mean technically you could live in a cardboard box, but it would smell really bad and eventually it would stunt your growth and you would die... So just don't do it, I'll be sad. :o