Goldfish Newb

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caseyface

AC Members
May 13, 2008
17
0
0
Arizona
Hi everyone! I recently inherited a black moor goldfish. He's about 2 inches (tail included), very active :p:

Right now he is in a 10 gallon tank by himself. I have a small Whisper InTank filter running right now, and I just got an airstone because I noticed him hanging out near the surface. He also has a flourescent strip light ontop.

The temperature of the water is inbetween 70 and 75 degrees.

I've had him for about 3 days and I noticed that he really doesn't know what food is.. atleast that's what it seems like. I just have a plain old tropical flake food leftover from my last fish tank (a year or so ago), but I doubt it's "fresh" or species appropriate for a goldfish. Everytime I sprinkle some food ontop of the water he doesn't eat it. I'll come back and look at him a few hours later and it will be sunken to the bottom.

I've also noticed that he's a bit hazy in his right eye. Maybe he can't see the food that well? Should I get a veggie clip or sinking wafer foods? Any suggestions to get this little guy to chow down? He doesn't look skinny, and he's very active. Thanks :)
 

Flaringshutter

Befriend a feeder!
Oct 17, 2006
1,870
0
0
Southern California
Hey caseyface, welcome to AC! :welcome:
It's likely that the moor's previous owner was knowledgeable about goldfish and realized that feeding floating foods is not good for fancy goldfish. I bet if you grab a pinch of flakes, stick them underwater and swish them around, then let go, he will probably go crazy for them. He may not be used to going to the surface for food.
Feeding fancies floating foods can cause gas to build up in the digestive system, making the fish bloated, constipated, and unbalanced in the water.
As soon as possible, you'll need at least a 20 gallon tank for your new moor, and an appropriate-sized filter. A 30 gallon would be even better, since moors can grow to over 10 inches long. I suggest that you also pick up some good pellet goldfish food, or some frozen cubed food. I feed OmegaOne Goldfish pellets and I've had great success with it. Petsmart carries it, or you can order it online.
If you're new to fishkeeping in general, I suggest you read our sticky on cycling.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

Best of luck! We're here to help, so feel free to ask questions. :)
 

caseyface

AC Members
May 13, 2008
17
0
0
Arizona
Thanks for the tips :)

I actually have a 55gal tank that's just sitting around my house. It was going to be home to a few geckos, but the goldfish came first , lol. I've read that it's best to buy a filter thats the next size up of what you need.. for example for my 55gal tank I should get a filter thats made for a 75gal tank... right?

Also, would the switch to such a huge tank from a small one scare my lil' dude? Does he need any other fish in there to keep him happy? And oh my goodness, 10 inches - that's huge! :) Sorry for all the dumb questions, hehe.
 

johndoughy

Information sponge
Dec 2, 2008
53
0
0
36
Arlington, TX
www.askeamon.com
The fish will love the upgrade! But make sure there's plants, caves, and swimming room so it's comfortable. Flake food is not generally as nutritious because a bit of the nutrients are water-soluble and both deprive your fish and pollute the water. I am currently feeding my goldies flakes, but as soon as I run out, it's pellets for good! Probably Hikari pellets just cause I love AC.

You don't even really NEED heater, as goldfish can be quite happy in cold water(that is, room temp), and when the water is heated up, it increases the fish's metabolism, and it can require the tank to need more frequent water changes.

I ALWAYS use bigger filters, I have a 20g Whisper on my 10g tank, a 30-60g Whisper on my 20g tank, and a 5g Whisper on my 1g. But even large filters cannot replace the need for occasional water changes, because "topping off" your tank will cause the pollutants to concentrate, as you aren't removing the dirty water.

There's a sticky in coldwater about goldies that is REALLY great, I've decided I'm going to switch to sand and getting some Hornwort after reading it.
 
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