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-   -   Goldfish what temp? (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=19473)

Roxy's_MA September 12th, 2005 06:06 PM

Goldfish what temp?
 
My friend offered me some goldfish on the weekend.

Her mom bought them for the pond, and now that summer is over she needs to find a place for them. I am not sure what she thought was going to happen to the fish at the end of summer, but don't get me started on that one. (I personally don't believe these people should own any animals)

I have a single betta living in a ten gallon tank, I think the temp in the water is about 79 degrees. Can I put the goldfish in with the betta or will the water be to warm.

I have a bowl, but it is only 4 litres. There are three goldfish so I think that it will be to small for the gold fish.

Lucky Rescue September 12th, 2005 08:00 PM

Goldfish are coldwater fish, so you needn't heat their tank.

You cannot put them in with your betta.

3 goldfish will need at least 25 gallons to spend the winter in. They are heavy feeders and make big messes, so make sure you have good filtration.

StaceyB September 12th, 2005 09:47 PM

A betta will kill goldfish or any fish with long fins. Goldfish should have 5 gal of water for every inch of fish. They don't need a heater but you will require a good filter system. Goldfish produce amonia in everything they do. It causes levels in the water to become toxic which will kill them.

Sneaky September 12th, 2005 10:36 PM

Hi There,
Goldfish are very tolerant fish, they can live in water from 42F to 84F.
They should not be kept in a 10g tank.
A Single Goldfish needs a 55g tank to live in, add 15 gallons per additional fish.
Your best bet to keep them inside for the winter would be to get either
a large rubbermaid tote bin or a large garbage can. Rinse well, fill with
water treated with water conditioner such as Prime to remove chlorine, chloramine and other toxins.
Add an air stone and voila!
Do water changes of about 40% once a week.
This should suffice for the fish for the winter.
I wonder however, why would you bring the goldfish in for the winter?
If the pond is deep enough to avoid freezing solid, they should be fine for the winter outside.
You can also buy a heater for ponds that just keeps it from freezing. They are relatively inaffordable compared to buying a large tank to keep these fish in. Check all purpose country stores and pond supply stores.

Roxy's_MA September 13th, 2005 11:44 AM

Thanks for your responses, I found the information most useful.

I guess I won't be able to take the fish until I figure something out. The pond is not mine, I would like to find a solution for these fish. I could put them in a rubbermaid container, but that would only be a temporary solution. Possibly I could find a used tank to keep the goldfish in, I can not afford to buy another new fish tank.

I have two tanks, and I use the under gravel filteration system in both tanks. I have a 30 gallon, but I have a red tailed shark in there and he doesn't put up with any tankmates.


I do clean the gravel in my tanks, about once a month with one of those syphon hoses, as the shark is a bottom feeder and can make a mess of his gravel.

The fish are still living in the pond, but it is starting to get pretty cold here at night, so I need to get something pretty quik here.

StaceyB September 13th, 2005 01:08 PM

All new fish tanks need to go through an initial cycle. A new tank can be a brand new set up but it can also be when you clean out your tank and start fresh(should never be done). The cycle starts when the first living animal is added. During this cycle the levels of everything(nytrates, amonia, etc) are spiking up and down until they balance out. This usually takes just over 1 month. The more fish you add during this time the higher everything spikes, many times to toxic levels. This is the biggest mistake people make when starting a tank. They fill the tank with fish and end up losing most or all of them. Don't do any water changes during this cycle and afterwards change no more than 30% of the water, don't top off the tank. You will need to remove and replace the water every 1-2 weeks. The only additives you want to add during the first cycle is bacteria starter and a water conditioner. Goldfish need to have a good filter system.

Roxy's_MA September 13th, 2005 01:36 PM

So if I did end up buying a used tank, I would have to let it cycle before I put the new fish in. How would I go about cleaning a used tank, in case the fish that lived in it before had any diseases.

I have heard you can use sea salt as a cleaner, as it is mild, but still lifts bacteria out. Can anyone confirm this is the right thing to use.

Roxy's_MA September 13th, 2005 01:46 PM

I just thought of something. I am going to check with my boyfriends mom, she is a sales rep for a vet supply wholesale, but I know they sell fish stuff as well. She can me anything for cost + 5%. Alot of times I can get stuff cheaper than the pet stores and vets buy it for. I know they only sell Oceanic tanks, and they are one of the more expensive ones out there. I will see how much I can get one for.

According to sneaky pete I will need approximatly an 85 gallon tank.

If I go by 5 gallons per inch I will need about 45 gallon tank as the fish are just under 3 inches each.

Thanks again for the great info. I had a bad expereince with a fish dealer when he sold me two red tailed sharks (I wanted one and he talked me into two) I later learned after one killed the other, that those fish should never be put with the same species or a similar looking species. The fish dealer had them labeled as community fish. Now I don't know if what they tell me is truthful or they are just trying to make a sale.

StaceyB September 13th, 2005 02:37 PM

You can use the salt. Don't use any cleaner on the tank. The three fish should be fine. It is the ones who are adding a bunch of fish that have such a problem. You will have to be careful not to overfeed and you will want to stir up the tank and net the debree frequently.

Melinda September 13th, 2005 03:13 PM

I have 3 goldfish (2inches each) in a 10 gallon tank with just an air hose and rockfilter, I confiscated them from some kids at a carnival, drove me crazy watching them go on rides with these fish in a plastic bag, *L* I offered them a dollar each, my son when he left for uni tossed in his male betta, 3 weeks ago, all is fine, I wash the tank out about once a month and I use dove dishwashing detergent, make sure it's rinced well, I put the rocks in a net bag and toss them in the dish washer along with the fake plants. the goldfish have been on my counter in their tank for roughly 4 yrs now. Growing up we had a pond in the back yard and the fish ranged in size from 4 inches to 14 inches, it wasn't deep enough for them to stay out all winter so we kept them ( 20 some at all times) in a bathtub in the basement, and yes, we used dishwashing detergent to clean the pond monthy and no harm to the fish *S* gold fish are the hardiest of the fish family.

Lucky Rescue September 13th, 2005 03:36 PM

You don't really need to put gravel in the tank, unless you want to. Make sure the stones are too large for the fish to swallow and that they are smooth. Undergravel filters are not recommended for goldfish, since their heavy waste load will clog it.

The bigger the tank, the better. The tanks themselves are often very cheap. It's the hoods, lights and other equipment that are very costly.

Clean it with salt and do not use soap of any kind.

[QUOTE]I had a bad expereince with a fish dealer when he sold me two red tailed sharks[/QUOTE]
OH you have to be so careful of petstore employees. I've found many of them know nothing about fish, so do your own research before you buy!

RedTailed sharks can be kept in a community tank, if the tank is very large so the fish can defend a territory and other fish can keep out of it's way, but there must be only one. Their intolerance of other fish does increase with age.

StaceyB September 13th, 2005 04:00 PM

Actually goldfish die more frequently than any other kept fish. They are supposed to live 20 years. Most die within their first year. Goldfish are one of the hardest to keep in reality because they are kept in conditions that are not suitable for goldfish, like bowls.


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