Is this okay for a single fantail?

webcricket

webcricket

(So chill.) No wonder it's freezing
Mar 22, 2006
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Syracuse, NY
My MTS is itching, and every time I visit the LFS I eye the pretty little 2" fantail goldfish. However, I cannot currently get a tank any larger than 29 gallons (space issues). Could a single fantail live comfortably in this size tank? I can foresee upgrading tank size when I move, but this will not be for another 4 to 5 years.

As far as tank set-up:
I'd go with a 1" to 1.5" gravel bed (larger size stones).
Filtered with RUGF and a Rena XP2 (too strong? then XP1...not strong enough? then XP3).
Maybe a few tough low-light plants like java fern that I can tie to rocks.
And 40-50% water changes weekly (same as my other tanks).

Is this set-up appropriate for a single fantail? Please be honest, I don't have any experience with goldfish and I'm certainly not in the business of fish torture and will not get the fish if this is not an adequate housing situation. Thanks!
 
Sounds fine to me! A single fantail should do fine in a tank of that size. Especially if it is the only fish in the tank and you keep up on your water changes. You should be fine with this setup!

Good Luck and Merry Christmas!
-Evan

PS: The fish on your avatar is VERY nicely colored. I really like it. :thm:
 
Last edited:
webcricket said:
My MTS is itching, and every time I visit the LFS I eye the pretty little 2" fantail goldfish. However, I cannot currently get a tank any larger than 29 gallons (space issues). Could a single fantail live comfortably in this size tank? I can foresee upgrading tank size when I move, but this will not be for another 4 to 5 years.

As far as tank set-up:
I'd go with a 1" to 1.5" gravel bed (larger size stones).
Filtered with RUGF and a Rena XP2 (too strong? then XP1...not strong enough? then XP3).
Maybe a few tough low-light plants like java fern that I can tie to rocks.
And 40-50% water changes weekly (same as my other tanks).

Is this set-up appropriate for a single fantail? Please be honest, I don't have any experience with goldfish and I'm certainly not in the business of fish torture and will not get the fish if this is not an adequate housing situation. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I don't think you should just have one goldfish in a tank they get lonely and do alot better in pairs. You should be able to get away with 2 fantails in that size tank as the rule is 20gallons for the first and an extra 10gallons for any extra fantail so it should be fine with good filtration.
 
Ya'll are anthropomorphizing. Goldies are fine as singleton fish (i.e. they don't get "lonely") and I commend the OP for wanting to keep one as such in a properly-sized tank. Please do not add another fish to the mix.
 
Id get two of the same kind and get REALLY good filtration, like way over what recomended for the tank size
 
Okay...and why not one if they're perfectly happy alone, he's willing to do a 29g with just one goldfish and it wouldn't be OS'd? Filtration alone isn't going to solve the problems caused by suggesting that he OSs. Water changes *might*, but who wants to do that many more of them just so a goldie that doesn't need company gets company?
 
Thanks for the info Chil!

I did know that even the single fish would be pushing it, no way would I be getting 2! I've done some more reading and have seen a few sources saying fantails can get larger than the 6"-8" max size if given a larger living area. This makes me hesitant to stuff one in a 29 gallon tank only 12" wide. I have some thinking to do and maybe some furniture to move around to see if I can manage anything larger.
 
Goldfish are probably fine alone, but they do look good in pairs and get on well and do seem to spend a lot of time rubbing against each other. You probably could put 2 in a 29 anyway... But one would do fine.
 
don't worry, one in a 29 is going to be fine. don't get two, though.
 
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