Your best idea for keeping indoor goldfish (alive, feeder, lake)

[cityflair]

Hi! My daughter won a feeder goldfish at the fair. We have had it for a year now, having no previous fish knowledge. We kept it in a bowl for awhile, now we have "her" (Tammy) in a 2.5 gallon tank with a charcoal filter. The tank is so much better. We are thinking about getting a 10 gallon tank. My DD is so attached to it, and afraid it will die. Can you give me your best tip on 1.) keeping the fish alive 2.) keeping the water the cleanest 3.) time-saving ideas. Thank you!

[thedwightguy]

Tammy the goldfish would love a ten gallon tank! Goldfish eat lots, but feed very small amounts several times a day. Water change all the time! I use "Schultz's" ceramic pond soil in all my small tanks, because the beneficial bacteria grow there and you don't need an undergravel filter. (surprise: after returning to the hobby after a few decades I found that weird!)
Buy pellets, not flakes. And pay a little more for good quality and your water/time management will thank you. Note also that goldfish really don't need a companion in there, either. She's happy just to see you! She'll also grow in a ten gallon pretty fast. About as fast as you feed her. Congratulations on teaching you kid how to care for other living things.

[cityflair]

Update: Tammy LOVES her ten gallon tank! We've never seen her happier! I'm so glad that we made the upgrade.

[andthentherewere3]

The goldfish will probably need a much bigger tank in a few years, if it's a common Comet goldfish typically given out at fairs. They reach 12" or longer when fully mature. I have some really big ones in my outdoor pond. I wouldn't recommend starving the poor fish to try and stunt it's growth though, that will likely kill it. It's an old wive's tale that a fish will only grow as large as it's container, too. Usually goldfish sicken or die after outgrowing their tank, and/or develop a crooked spine etc. The good news is that you'll have plenty of time before you need to worry about that yet! By then you might be more than happy to get a larger tank. You can pick them up real cheap on Craigslist. Congrats and good luck on the new fish!

[dhanu86]

get a good filter and run it enough and dont overfeed them because they'll eat to death and they are dirty fish, be prepared to clean the tank every few weeks

[foxywench]

i know this is an odler thread but 1: be fair warned the fish given at faires are most often of the commet or shubbunkin type, a LONG bodied goldfish shaped like a torpedo...and eventually that little fish will need about 30 gallons to truly thrive, they, if looked after properly, can grow to over a foot long! and would ideally live with 2-3 other comet style goldfish in a 55 gallon minimum.

if its a round bodied or fantail type goldfish, you have a little more leeway, they arnt as fast or strong swimmers as the natural bodied goldfish and a 10 gal should be ok for a while...but eventually that style goldfish needs a minimum of 30 gallons to thrive, ive seen ruyukin in the 8+ inch range.

general rule of thimb for gold fish is 30 gals for the first one and 10 gals per goldfish thereafter as goldfish (and koi) are MESSY fish and the 1" per gallon doesnt realy apply to them...but if your dealing with comets and shubinkins a LONGER tank is better...
and if dealing with a fantail ect, a Taller tank is better.

i think the record keeper for oldest goldfish lived 43 years if i remember right!

other basice rules with goldfish, regular water changes and EXTRA filtration.

[nawary]

I have two golden fish for more than one year ago
and they still living happily

[CALGUY]

I have had my eight gold fish for four years now, and today I noticed one is turning white.
What would cause this?
Bob.