[alhays31808]

What would be the best tank size for my two goldfish? One is almost seven inches long and the other's about three inches long, both temporarily in my 20g community tank along with two zebra danios(they seem to be immortal) and one Rosy Red minnow. I know it's WAY overcrowded, but I'm saving up for a bigger tank at the end of the school year. Also, did I mention that neither of the goldfish are fully grown?*c/p*

I need to know this information ASAP so that I can save up enough money to buy the tank.

 

[brads]

What would be the best tank size for my two goldfish? One is almost seven inches long and the other's about three inches long, both temporarily in my 20g community tank along with two zebra danios(they seem to be immortal) and one Rosy Red minnow. I know it's WAY overcrowded, but I'm saving up for a bigger tank at the end of the school year. Also, did I mention that neither of the goldfish are fully grown?*c/p*

I need to know this information ASAP so that I can save up enough money to buy the tank.

OK, now don't take this the wrong way (I'm not trying to make you feel bad or anything. Educational only.) but the first thing you need to do is to get your goldfish out of that 20g tank and into something larger. A cramped tank is one of the things that kills goldfish and as you say, "...they're not done growing yet." In fact, your big guy could probably grow to 12-14 inches before he's done. Fish never stop growing on the inside but if the tank is too small, it suppresses their outside growth and that squishes their insides until it becomes terminal. Minimum size for your goldfish (by their standards) is a pond. But... you could probably get by with a 45-55g for a while. I would do this asap because your fish are feeling the crunch already. Think of it this way. You, sitting in your room-vs-You, sitting in a 55 gallon drum. That's how your fish are feeling right now. I've got 3 Goldy's at the moment and they're in my 125g which is 72 inches long. That's the key. Length. Swimming room. Not so much size in gallons but room to swim. The longer the tank the better. Oh and sure. Go ahead and throw your zebras in there too. Should be quite a thrill for them.

 

[fishlips]

That's good advice. Goldfish need a lot of oxygen and so do better in shallower, wider tanks. If I were you, I'd get the biggest tank I could afford, or, I would make do with a 40 gallon breeder tank (wider and lower than most tanks in its size range) until I could build a pond. Commons do great in outdoor ponds. A lot of people say that goldfish need 20 gallons per fish minimum, but remember, your fish will be over a foot long each someday.

 

[alhays31808]

You both have good points, but I don't have the money to buy a bigger tank yet.

 

[brads]

Boy I know how that money thing goes. Took me for frickin ever to get my big tank. Eventually managed to find one for $200 bucks on CraigsList. Took a lot of elbow grease but I think it was worth it. So that being said, I suggest that when you get a little extra money together you try all the usual places. Craigslist, Yard Sales, etc. And don't forget your LFS's. Sometimes they change out their tanks and let the old ones go for a song. And you never know, they might know someone trying to sell one so...

Hang in there, I'm sure your fish will be fine until you find one. :fish bowl-3:

 

[alhays31808]

They seem to be relatively happy in the 20g. When I stick my hand in the tank and say "gimme kisses," Harpo(the 7-inch long) is usually the first to come give me kisses. Minnie(the Rosy Red) acts like she's going to do it, but never does. Au(the 3 inch) is just like "nope!" And goes to the other side of the tank. But they are all steadily becoming more and more hand-tame, even the zebras and the Rosy Red.

 

[brads]

Ha, Ha, Ha, yeah. My fish are the same way. I wave at them and they wave back at me. (With their tails of course.) They get very excited. And my Granddaughter loves to feed them. She puts the pellets in her hand and they nibble it out. Then of course she has to pet them on the back. I was quite surprised when they were OK with that. A fish, a dog, all the same I guess. Who new.

 

[alhays31808]

Ha, Ha, Ha, yeah. My fish are the same way. I wave at them and they wave back at me. (With their tails of course.) They get very excited. And my Granddaughter loves to feed them. She puts the pellets in her hand and they nibble it out. Then of course she has to pet them on the back. I was quite surprised when they were OK with that. A fish, a dog, all the same I guess. Who new.

Harpo, the seven inch long, let's me pet him, and when I stick my hand in the tank and say, "give me kisses," he comes over and nibbles on my hand. So cute!

 

[Farm]

May I make a suggestion? It sounds that you love your fish a lot and simply cannot afford to purchase the tank right now. That is purely understandable but the fish is/will become "damaged" and his life is crippled in that situation. I have assisted others in this situation with great results... might I suggest you go to a big box store and purchase a Rubbermaid, or other FOOD GRADE container, as they do not leach chemicals into what you are storing (in this case water. Purchase a nice 55 gallon or larger whatever works for you and the fish in the long run. This should cost less than $10. Then find yourself a decent reasonable HOB filter as it will sit on the side of the Rubbermaid for your filtration. An Aqueon 55/75 runs about $25 on sale at Amazon or Pet Supplies - Pet Supply Store - Pet Products | PetMountain.com or Pet Supplies, Dog Supplies, Fish Supplies, Bird Supplies | PetSolutions on sale. Then go to your hardware store and pick up some screen mesh and make yourself a frame by cutting a hole in the lid out to the edge and then staple the mesh screen to the lid. Make sure the staple points are to the OUTSIDE of the lid so the fish cannot jump and find a point. Make sure all the staple parts are smooth. Or, use aquarium safe glue and glue your mesh into place. Either way works well. Instant huge fish tank! Very cheap and lasts forever. Their is some containers that are food grade that are almost clear. For light you can look on craigslist for a floor lamp that leans over the tank or ??? A friend picked up a clamp mounted LED at The big "W" store for $12. He runs a 72" opaque Rubbermaid that I set up for him after he inherited two overlarge goldfish in a very small tank. They have been living in their "temporary" home for about 2 years. He is saving for a 180 gallon. Just an idea. It is easy to keep clean and that is very important. Hope that helped.

 

[brads]

What an absolutely fabulous idea Farm. I can see all kinds of uses. A hospital tank. Babysitting someones fish maybe. And hmmm, might even use it myself. Definitely gonna tuck it under my hat.

 

[Farm]

I keep a 55g in my closet with the lid on and the heater inside. I keep a filter running at all times as an extra on one of my tanks. The minute I need a Quarantine tank I pop this up and my big fish go right in. I also have a 20g that I keep for my smaller fish. I used to keep an extra tank for this purpose but I had a very bad habit of filling the tank with fish!

 

[brads]

I used to keep an extra tank for this purpose but I had a very bad habit of filling the tank with fish!

Yeah, I kinda know how that works but for me it was what I called the fish fairy. One time, one of my kids "rescued" a common goldfish from her friends house. "She couldn't keep her any more!!!" Still got her today. 8-9 inches now, good old Wilma. And of course my grand daughter's fish got re-homed to my tank when her Mom got tired of taking care of them. 2 more. ehhh, whatever. Then there was the Tin Foil. Oh geez... Whattayado *#3

 

[Farm]

Haha! I have a big one called Wilma! We used to call her Mr. Wimpy, She is a Blood Parrot I inherited, turns out Wimpy is a girl!

 

[alhays31808]

May I make a suggestion? It sounds that you love your fish a lot and simply cannot afford to purchase the tank right now. That is purely understandable but the fish is/will become "damaged" and his life is crippled in that situation. I have assisted others in this situation with great results... might I suggest you go to a big box store and purchase a Rubbermaid, or other FOOD GRADE container, as they do not leach chemicals into what you are storing (in this case water. Purchase a nice 55 gallon or larger whatever works for you and the fish in the long run. This should cost less than $10. Then find yourself a decent reasonable HOB filter as it will sit on the side of the Rubbermaid for your filtration. An Aqueon 55/75 runs about $25 on sale at Amazon or Pet Supplies - Pet Supply Store - Pet Products | PetMountain.com or Pet Supplies, Dog Supplies, Fish Supplies, Bird Supplies | PetSolutions on sale. Then go to your hardware store and pick up some screen mesh and make yourself a frame by cutting a hole in the lid out to the edge and then staple the mesh screen to the lid. Make sure the staple points are to the OUTSIDE of the lid so the fish cannot jump and find a point. Make sure all the staple parts are smooth. Or, use aquarium safe glue and glue your mesh into place. Either way works well. Instant huge fish tank! Very cheap and lasts forever. Their is some containers that are food grade that are almost clear. For light you can look on craigslist for a floor lamp that leans over the tank or ??? A friend picked up a clamp mounted LED at The big "W" store for $12. He runs a 72" opaque Rubbermaid that I set up for him after he inherited two overlarge goldfish in a very small tank. They have been living in their "temporary" home for about 2 years. He is saving for a 180 gallon. Just an idea. It is easy to keep clean and that is very important. Hope that helped.

I'll see what I can do.