Getting A Bigger Tank

[Dana C]

Hi,

We have a comet and shubunkin in a 12 gallon tank which I know isn't big enough so we were going to build a pond. We had a few problems so we didn't get very far.
As I will be moving out of home in the next year or 2 we have decided to get a bigger tank for them as I will want to bring the goldfish with me and build a pond then.

The fish are both about 3 inches at the moment so I need an idea on which size tank to get. Would a 30 gallon with a powerful filter be ok for a couple of years?

I want to make sure they don't get stunted as I really like these fish, we got them about 6 months ago from my grandparents who were keeping them in a 15 litre tank and they looked really sad. When we moved them to the 12 gallon they were so happy with all the extra space and were swiming around like crazy.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

 

[black angel]

Hi Dani
To be honest a 30 gallon would be outgrown in a year at best, could you stretch to a 40 with 10 times filtration?

 

[Dana C]

Thanks for your reply,

I didn't realise goldfish grew so fast, the fish were bought a year ago and were about an inch long they are now about 3 inches. Does this sound about right? just wanted to make sure they haven't been stunted already.

Do you have a rough idea how big they will be when they are about 2 or 3 years? if I can tell my parents how big they will be in a years time they will be more likely to agree to a bigger tank.

Thanks

 

[black angel]

By a year i would say 3 inches. 2 years around 5 inches 3rd year 6 to 7 inches. A full grown goldfish should reach a minimum of 8 inches and some get to 12 inches +, but those are generally pond fish. If you can get a goldfish to 8 inches excluding tail then youve done a good job. A goldfish usually lives around 20 years but again depending on genetics can go longer or shorter.
The problem people have is visualising a 3 inch tiddler into an 8 inch one with a girth of maybe 6 inches.
Goldfish are huge waste producers as well and need as much water as an oscar when full grown. An oscar would need 75 gallons and the same can be said for a goldfish.
A 40 gallon will see two fish through a couple of years with good filtration and lots of water changes.

 

[Dana C]

Thanks for that info,

The problem was our local shop told my mum that it would take about 10 years before they reached 6 inches which I thought sounded strange. This is why she didn't see the point in getting a big tank when we wouldn't need it yet. They also told my nanna a 15 litre tank was ok for the 2 fish.

Glad to know our fish are the right size for there age, I guess they stopped growing in the 15 litre tank and have caught up in the tank they are in now.

 

[black angel]

Most pet shop assistants dont know the proper care for goldies but some do and sell them knowing that you will be back for more when they suddenly die.
My previous pet store was good as he only sold goldfish for ponds.

 

[Dana C]

Nice to know there are some good shops around.

The one near me sold a woman a goldfish and a bowl to put it in the other day, at one point she was looking at bala sharks for the bowl untill her husband said they would need a heater and the boy in the shop said nothing.