Fancy tailed goldfish? Questions, suggestions and HELP!

Goldfish need a minimum of 15-20g for each fish, so those goldfish should really be in a 30-40g tank. They also need their tank double-filtered because they are so messy.

They can grow from 8-10" in size and live 20+ years if taken care of properly.

I would suggest upgrading their tank to a minimum of 30g -- yes, even if they are small. Goldfish stunt easily and that will shorten their life-span considerably. They'll grow quickly in a tank more suited to their needs. If you think your step-daughter may not take over the care of the fish as diligently as you have, then please consider a 40g tank min. That will give the fish an extra 10g of not being cleaned often enough.

Two filters rated for a 30-40g (depending on tank size), one on each end. Try for a 10x per hour turnover rate.

Gravel should never be large/small enough to get lodged in their throats. They will scour the bottom constantly for food. This is why it is imperative that their tanks be kept clean and they have double filteration.

I would add a heater, depending on where you live, and set it to prevent extreme temperature fluctuations. I have mine set for 68* and the fish are at room temperture, 72*. It's just a precaution.

Feed them a diet high in carbs, low in protein. Floating duckweed will give them something to graze on and keep them from mucking in the bottom so much.

Roan

I had never heard of the gravel thing! I don't own any goldfish at the moment, but would like to at some point in the future, so I guess I'll ask now: does that mean standard aquarium gravel is a bad choice for a goldy's tank?

there's been tons of documented situations where a pebble had been caught in the goldfish's throat with disastrous results so it's advisable to get larger stones/gravel.

i go bare bottom with round-bodied/fancy goldfish. they can develop swim bladder disease if fed floating food, so i only feed sinking food. and if the gravel is too big for them to swallow it is big enough for the food to fall through the gravel and out of their reach. i dont like undergravel filtration for any tank, there are much better filtration systems for the money, and UGFs arent complete or even decent in my experience. the best would be a hang on back or more expensively a canister. if you go with something like a 30 gallon (minimum for the 2 in my opinion as well) i would get a penguin 350. it is up to 75 gallons (my guide is take whatever a filter claims it can handle and cut that in half, thats what it can actually handle) so it will be enough and it has the best biological filtration on the market, the biowheel. weekly 50% water changes will provide very high water quality ensuring good growth and health for the fish.

mandimoron said:

I had never heard of the gravel thing! I don't own any goldfish at the moment, but would like to at some point in the future, so I guess I'll ask now: does that mean standard aquarium gravel is a bad choice for a goldy's tank?

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My goldie tank has larger rocks over a 1½" bed of flourite. I have several plants in the tank that are anchored under the rocks into the flourite with slate.

There was a thread here not too long ago about a bubble eye with convulsions? We found out they had OTS and walked them through that, but the entire thing started with the goldie having swallowed a rock which lodged in its mouth/throat. The owners removed the rock, but the goldie's health was declining rapidly because of the OTS.

Here's the thread, although there really is little about the rock in the throat:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73345&highlight=goldfish+rock

Roan

reptileguy2727 said:

i go bare bottom with round-bodied/fancy goldfish. they can develop swim bladder disease if fed floating food, so i only feed sinking food. and if the gravel is too big for them to swallow it is big enough for the food to fall through the gravel and out of their reach. i dont like undergravel filtration for any tank, there are much better filtration systems for the money, and UGFs arent complete or even decent in my experience. the best would be a hang on back or more expensively a canister. if you go with something like a 30 gallon (minimum for the 2 in my opinion as well) i would get a penguin 350. it is up to 75 gallons (my guide is take whatever a filter claims it can handle and cut that in half, thats what it can actually handle) so it will be enough and it has the best biological filtration on the market, the biowheel. weekly 50% water changes will provide very high water quality ensuring good growth and health for the fish.

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Good points and I would go with an HOB as well. I have double Penguin 200s on mine.

I *do* vacuum VERY deeply every week, right down to the flourite and every couple of weeks I move the large rock gravel from one side of the tank to the other to make sure things are getting cleaned.

Roan

roan,
i just noticed you are also in northern virginia. i was wondering what town exactly. im in woodbridge and work at a pet shop between dale city and manassas. you dont work at a pet store/shop do you?

Nope, I'm in Herdon. You aren't that far from me

Roan

FWIW I'm going to be starting a special section on my AquaFacts board (in my sig) for people who live in NOVA/DC area. Chat forum, Buy Sell, that sort of thing. Sort of a Fish Geeks of NOVA thing. Easier to get stuff if you don't have to ship it from another state Drop in when you get a chance.

Roan