Best tank for Goldfish?

More_Cowbell

More_Cowbell

You're gonna want that cowbell
May 28, 2007
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Currently in the middle of move number 22...
Hey all. I'm thinking of setting up a goldfish tank for my mother and I have a few questions.
1. What do you think is the best size for orandas? I'd like to stay relatively small... (55)
2. how many could comfortably live in a 55 gallon?
3. What cleanup fish/snails/shrimp are good for coldwater/goldfish tanks?
and finally
4. From experience, what have you found to be the best filtration system for goldfish?

Thanks a bunch!:)

~Nadia
 
Ok, when it comes to goldfish, the bigger the better. Pesonally I dont reccomend anything under 100g, but you could house **2** in a 55g tank.

Goldfish tanks usually dont have a clean-up crew, as the goldfish do all the cleaning!

For filtration, again, the bigger the better. 2 large powerfilters would be adequete or a canister filter.

A couple filters I suggest are an eheim 2217/ rena xp3/ emperor 400.

One thing you should know about goldfish, is that a quality diet makes a big difference. Most LFS foods are bad for goldfish, as they frequently cause swim-bladder disease. I suggest ""pro-gold" from goldfishconnection.com
 
I agree with LegendaryFrog about 2-3 juveniles in a 55G but if you can't upgrade to a larger tank in the future, then stick with only 2 in the 55G and be prepared to do frequent (at least weekly) 25-33% PWC's. Vacuum your gravel well each time and if you run two filter systems, clean one of them each week, alternating the cleanings so you have one fully cycled filter system at all times. I have a long filter cleaning & maintenance article in my blog if you want to read exactly how I do things on my 65G witha Rena Filstar xP3 and a Marineland Penguin Bio-Wheel 200.

As far as other critters that can go with goldfish, Apple/Mystery snails work out OK. BN plecos or even common plecos work out for a year or two while they are small but once they start to mature, they can start to stress out the goldfish due to their nocturnal activity when the goldfish are trying to sleep. It's best to arrange with your LFS to trade them in every 6 months to a year for a new juvenile pleco. They are usually better algae eaters when young anyhow.

Finding a quality food is important but there are also several DIY gel food recipes that are of good quality as well.
 
you shouldn't really buy a pleco if your going to keep trading it in.

try trapdoor snails, i use them in both my tanks an they do a pretty good job.
 
captainpiratebo said:
you shouldn't really buy a pleco if your going to keep trading it in.

try trapdoor snails, i use them in both my tanks an they do a pretty good job.
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What's wrong with trading in Pleco's?

When then are 1" to 2" babies, they are safe with smaller goldfish and then when they get larger, they can be traded in and sold to Cichlid owners or other big tanks with aggressive fish and the more mature Pleco's can handle the aggressive fishmates. Most LFS like this arrangement as it allows them to bring in smaller specimens for us goldfish keepers, peaceful tanks or smaller tank owners and then when you trade the pleco in, they can sell it for a much higher price to large fish keepers and aggressive tanks.

I just got a $25.00 store credit for the 10" pleco I traded in since he was getting too big for my goldfish tank. I adopted him when he was about 4" from an overstocked 10G tank and he spent the last 2 years keeping my goldfish tank spotless and living a much better life than in that 10G tank and he grew so fast with the much larger tank. He was never agressive to my goldfish but I noticed them sleeping more during the day since the Pleco was out and about all hours of the night keeping them up all night long. Also, I moved and had to downsize my fish hobby, so it was time to rehome him. I need to get a new smaller one since I see some algae starting to grow on my driftwood in the goldfish tank.
 
As above, stay with a least a 4 foot long 55 for just 2 of those goldies, and heavy on tank maintenance.
 
loaches r cool said:
Wow, wish any LFS around here would give money for plecos like that! $25 for a pleco? That'd be some easy money!
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That was only 50% of what they sell them for. Apparently there is a big demand for BIG young plecos down here for people with Cichlid tanks. Mine was 10" and only four years old so he will make someone a great fish and tank cleaner for the next 20 years or so. It's not easy money. I'm sure I spent more than $25.00 on food for the past two years that I've had him. I saved him from a 10G tank where he lived the first two years and was only 4" long when I got him. I thought he would be severely stunted but he started growing like crazy when I put him in my 65G. But then he was getting to be too big for my tank. I had planned on a 125G tropical tank two years ago but Hurricane Katrina changed those plans.
 
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