What exactly are fantail goldfish, as in, what set of requirements do they have? I've seen that common goldfish need more space in general than fancy goldfish do. I'm assuming that fantails are classified as fancy goldfish, but I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, the reason I'm asking this is because I have two in a 29 gallon tank with a filter rated for a tank of 30-50 gallons. They're the only inhabitants, and I'm wondering if this is an adequate setup. Also, how fast do fantails grow?
Fantail Goldfish
- Thread starter vaheelsfan
- Start date
Fantails are counted as a member of fancygoldfish. They typically don't grow as large as other goldfish, thus their tank size doesn't have to be as large either. I haven't ever owned fantail goldfish, so i'm afraid that i can't answer your other questions.
For two fantails, you should really allow for 20 gallons each and that is my bare minimum. Other people will tell you they need even more space, but I think anything under 20 gallons per fish is a little too overcrowded. They still get to be around 10 inches, give or take a couple inches.
Yes, people keep them in 1 gallon tanks, but that doesn't help the fish. All goldfish create a large amount of waste, plus they can easily grow to 8 inches or more. So anything less than a 20 gallon tank for a 8-10 inch fish is rather silly.
It is hard to picture it when they are small but when a goldfish is allowed to gain its maximum size and live for 20 years or more they are very pretty fish. When they stay 1-2 inches in size and die after 2 years they aren't quite the same exciting fish.
It is hard to picture it when they are small but when a goldfish is allowed to gain its maximum size and live for 20 years or more they are very pretty fish. When they stay 1-2 inches in size and die after 2 years they aren't quite the same exciting fish.
I'm not trying to be a smart butt, but....
...aquariumfishguy, you say that I need 20 gallons/fish, but you have 6 in an 80 gallon tank. That is like 13 gallons/fish, where as 2 in a 29 is 14.5/fish. Now I understand that the gallons/fish doesn't stand up when you get into really small aquariums, but my two fantails are only like 2 1/2 or 3 inches apiece, so it isn't like they're cramped in my 29 gallon tank. I also looked at the website you have linked to your profile and it said that you should have 20 gallons for the first fish and 10 for each additional one. So that would be 30-35 gallons, and 29 is pretty close to that. Sorry, I'm not trying to accuse you of false info or anything like that, I'm just trying to get everything straight since I'm getting 2 or 3 different suggestions......
Edit: Also, what is the best temp to keep water at for goldfish?
...aquariumfishguy, you say that I need 20 gallons/fish, but you have 6 in an 80 gallon tank. That is like 13 gallons/fish, where as 2 in a 29 is 14.5/fish. Now I understand that the gallons/fish doesn't stand up when you get into really small aquariums, but my two fantails are only like 2 1/2 or 3 inches apiece, so it isn't like they're cramped in my 29 gallon tank. I also looked at the website you have linked to your profile and it said that you should have 20 gallons for the first fish and 10 for each additional one. So that would be 30-35 gallons, and 29 is pretty close to that. Sorry, I'm not trying to accuse you of false info or anything like that, I'm just trying to get everything straight since I'm getting 2 or 3 different suggestions......
Edit: Also, what is the best temp to keep water at for goldfish?
Best temp... 74 to 76*F ... why? Cause that the best temp for benefical bacteria to do their job. Goldfish are not a "coldwater" species... trout on the other hand are... just to clarify 
Gallons has been debated for years with regards to fish... ideally for goldfish you want to start them off with as much water as possible for optimal growth and health... more water is also easier to manage and remains on a more stable level than that of a small amout(such as a 15gallon compared to a 50 gallon). The minimum 20 gall guideline is just that, a guide. Given the variety you choose somewhat comes into play. Fancy goldfish tend not to grow as fast or get as big as standards... so really you can get away with less, but that doesn't mean you should
It all comes down to water in the end. The more "fresh" water you provide your fish the better they will grow and the healthier they will be.... so keeping a couple of fancies in a 29 gallon tank is fine - as long as you are willing to do the "bit of work" with water changes... the larger they get the more water you will have to change out and replace routinely. Does that make sense? Ofcourse along with water a good diet and so on are needed as well.
You purchase a puppy of a large breed variety, along with that you get a small kennel for the small puppy(even tho the breeder recommended a large kennel).. this is ok for the puppy for a very limited amount of time - buy 6 to 9 months that puppy has grown quite a bit so his kennel needs to be replaced with a suitable larger one. Instead of going to the expense of puchasing two kennels you could have purchased one for the size the puppy would grow to as an adult... get my meaning?
Why go with the minimum requirements? They may be just fish but they are your fish "pets"... so why not start them off on the right foot, or is that fin(?) in the first place? There's nothing wrong with starting with minimum requirements as long as you realize that upgrading is necessary for the over all health of your fish. If you are not able to provide more than the minimum in the future then think about another species of fish, one that requires less space.
Just my thoughts... such as they are
Gallons has been debated for years with regards to fish... ideally for goldfish you want to start them off with as much water as possible for optimal growth and health... more water is also easier to manage and remains on a more stable level than that of a small amout(such as a 15gallon compared to a 50 gallon). The minimum 20 gall guideline is just that, a guide. Given the variety you choose somewhat comes into play. Fancy goldfish tend not to grow as fast or get as big as standards... so really you can get away with less, but that doesn't mean you should
It all comes down to water in the end. The more "fresh" water you provide your fish the better they will grow and the healthier they will be.... so keeping a couple of fancies in a 29 gallon tank is fine - as long as you are willing to do the "bit of work" with water changes... the larger they get the more water you will have to change out and replace routinely. Does that make sense? Ofcourse along with water a good diet and so on are needed as well.
You purchase a puppy of a large breed variety, along with that you get a small kennel for the small puppy(even tho the breeder recommended a large kennel).. this is ok for the puppy for a very limited amount of time - buy 6 to 9 months that puppy has grown quite a bit so his kennel needs to be replaced with a suitable larger one. Instead of going to the expense of puchasing two kennels you could have purchased one for the size the puppy would grow to as an adult... get my meaning?
Why go with the minimum requirements? They may be just fish but they are your fish "pets"... so why not start them off on the right foot, or is that fin(?) in the first place? There's nothing wrong with starting with minimum requirements as long as you realize that upgrading is necessary for the over all health of your fish. If you are not able to provide more than the minimum in the future then think about another species of fish, one that requires less space.
Just my thoughts... such as they are
vaheelsfan - for the first couple goldfish, I like to stick by my own standards of 20 gallons a piece... however, for larger tanks, I do start to lessen that limit, and again this is my personal choice, not scientifically proven to be best or worse than anyone else.
When talking about a single goldfish, I would most certainly keep it at 20 gallons as a minimum.
When talking about a single goldfish, I would most certainly keep it at 20 gallons as a minimum.
*TJ said:Best temp... 74 to 76*F ... why? Cause that the best temp for benefical bacteria to do their job. Goldfish are not a "coldwater" species... trout on the other hand are... just to clarify
Glad someone else agrees with me, or will agree enough to say something! So many people mistakenly call goldfish coldwater fish. And this is definitely not an accurate depiction of these fish, especially when dealing with fancy goldfish. My goldfish tanks are all around 74-75*F. as well.