Do goldfish need a sizable environment to survive?

[Syringer]

I figured since goldfish supposedly have a memory of about 3 seconds, it wouldn't make a difference to them if their habitat were 2 ft long as opposed to 2 miles long. Is that an accurate assumption?

 

[her209]

They need one that is bigger than their body.

 

[Renob]

They need one that is bigger than their body.



Hehehehehe

 

[Renob]

They need one that is bigger than their body.



Hehehehehe

 

[Renob]

Dang D-Post

 

[Wallydraigle]

Goldfish are filthy animals and need a good deal of water to dilute the ammonia from their "waste". The less selectively bred forms are also avid swimmers and need room to move around.

 

[Swag1138]

I have a friend who kept a fair goldfish for 8 years. When he outgrew the fair bowl, they got him one of the .50 bowls at WalMart.

So long as they can move, even jsut a little, they are happy.

 

[onemo]

Surprising to hear answers that imply goldfish don't need much space. I have been keeping goldfish for almost 12 years and I believe the ideal living space for them is 10 GALLONS per fish for optimal growth and health, even more if you want some great looking fish. With the proper space, filtration, frequent water changes, and diet, goldfish can get huge and colorful. I have orandas that are over 10 years old and bigger than softballs in body mass. I have 1 bluescale pompom that is 8 years old and bigger than the other 3. These guys are kept in my 75 gallon showtank in the living room with a couple of cory catfish and a few big gold and black snails. Because of the size of the tank, number of fish, filtration, and diet, I only change my water every 2 weeks and it's been algae free for many years with NO ugly PLECO's!

 

[focusyn]

one of the more important parts about determining the size of a tank for a goldfish is the surface area of the water at the top of the tank/bowl. it's especially important if you don't have a filter or those air-bubbly things.

 

[Dat]

2 gallons per inch of fish - general rule..

 

[conjur]

"This is just like the ocean!" - Brian Regan

 

[EMPshockwave82]

if the water is being filtered you can have a little less water... but i like the 2 gallons per inch of fish rule...... dont always have to follow it and i've heard 1 gallon per goldfish and 2 gallons per goldfish.... they dont need great filtration to live either... but they are filthy and filter if you can... frequent water changes are not as necessary as you would believe... you dont have to change all the water to have a water change though...(in a 10 gallon tank drain about 2 to clean) then replace with good (not super chlorinated) water... hot water is usually bad because it has more chemicals that get diluted in there (like iron)... get a butterfly plecostemus(spelling) they look pretty cool plus eat more than most pleco's... had 3 piranahs(7 + inches - enough to remove a hunk of hand if they wanted to), a tiger oscar (10 inches) and a small african chiclet(3 inches) all in the same 55 gallon tank with a pleco and it kept nice... cleaned rocks and replaced some water every couple of weeks and they loved it

 

[onemo]

While were talking about them, if you don't have sufficient algae, live plants, or wood (yep they will chew on driftwood) in a tank to feed a pleco, do not put one in with round-bodied slow goldfish. When I first started I used to wonder why some of my bigger goldfish would develop sores on their sides. The pleco's were hungry, so I went to snails.

By the way, I change about 25% of my water every 2 weeks, that way I can water my shrubs.

 

[BillGates]

My girlfriend's coworker kept a betta fish in a tiny glass bowl about the size of an average small glass and NEVER CHANGED THE WATER ONCE! It lived like that for 4 years! She would just refill the bowl a bit when some of the water evaporated. Insane.

 

[Wallydraigle]

Originally posted by: BillGates
My girlfriend's coworker kept a betta fish in a tiny glass bowl about the size of an average small glass and NEVER CHANGED THE WATER ONCE! It lived like that for 4 years! She would just refill the bowl a bit when some of the water evaporated. Insane.

Betas have labyrinth organs that enable them to breath atmospheric oxygen. They evolved to live in stagnant rice paddies and places with hardly any dissolved oxygen. They may survive in inadquate conditions, but that's no reason to be cruel to them. Goldfish come from mountain streams and lakes with plenty of dissolved oxygen. You can't really compare the two that way.

 

[aircooled]

If you are going to have any kind of fresh water fish, you need to learn about "The Nitrogen Cycle".

Here's some links:
Nitrogen Cycle FAQ
more.
and more.

Also dont forget that most tap water contains chlorine and flouride.

 

[Harvey]

Goldfish will get as big as the enviornment allows. When they get really big, they're called carp or coy.

 

[wiredspider]

I've seen people with bettas in small containers in their cubes, I'm thinking of getting one myself. Anyone know how often they need to be fed?

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: wiredspider
I've seen people with bettas in small containers in their cubes, I'm thinking of getting one myself. Anyone know how often they need to be fed?

i haven't fed mine in a month and it seems to be... uhm... er.... nevermind