Goldfish

[flips]

i don't actually have any goldfish but i really love em !! i can't wait to have some when the time comes (sooner than later hopefully). i especially enjoy the black moores and would like to have a huge tank setup with a few...

wuz at petsmart today, and i saw this 'red and black oranda' (as the sign says) that i've seen there before... only he's more like 'brown and gold' and he's a big guy/girl. but it's honestly the cutest goldfish i've ever seen; the face reminds me of a teddybear and i'd LOVE to have him, but he'll probably be gone by the time i'm ready i guess my question is, 10g is the bare minimum to house a fancy goldfish, and i will soon have one available and cycled... would it be cruel to put him in it? i know something bigger would be better, but i have to get a big tank for my tropicals first as it is slightly over stocked in the 10g.

i'm pretty sure the answer is to put it in something bigger.... but he is in a smaller tank at the store with another one of his size right now.

any thoughts?

to satisfy, i visit petsmart regularly

 

[black angel]

If the filtration is good then i dont see a problem with getting him, just make sure you feed a varied diet and not too much flaked foods.
Hes got to be better off with you than in the store.
Make sure you have test kits and a gravel vac
And be prepared for twice weekly water changes as a bare minimum.

 

[flips]

If the filtration is good then i dont see a problem with getting him, just make sure you feed a varied diet and not too much flaked foods.
Hes got to be better off with you than in the store.
Make sure you have test kits and a gravel vac
And be prepared for twice weekly water changes as a bare minimum.

REALLY ?!?!? i have everything... i just have to wait another week or so to get the other aquarium so this one will be empty : i hope he's still there !

 

[black angel]

Why not go in and pay half for him to secure him as yours?

 

[tauketula]

I have this exact same oranda. When I saw him, I had to have him. He is my favorite fish. I think that he will work well in a 10g as long as you do frequent water changes. He is adorable.

By the way, my petsmart normally always have 1 or 2 of these.

 

[flips]

I have this exact same oranda. When I saw him, I had to have him. He is my favorite fish. I think that he will work well in a 10g as long as you do frequent water changes. He is adorable.

By the way, my petsmart normally always have 1 or 2 of these.

thanks for the great replies !!! i will see what i can do about reserving him/money down thing.

 

[sylvia]

If you can reserve it until you have the tank that's great but otherwise...

I'm going to disagree with the other posters and say that if you don't have the tank for the fish, don't buy it. I'm sure you already know how big goldfish get and that they need 20 gallons for the first fish + 10 gallons for each additional fish. Not to mention how quickly they grow, the waste they produce and the fact that they are social and should realy be kept in groups - not singly. I know a lot of people say fancy goldfish stay smaller (and this is true) so they don't require as big a tank but I preffer to look at it the other way - common/comet goldfish grow bigger, so they need a bigger tank (idealy, a pond).

Obviously, it's up to you what decision you make but I would hope you put the fish' well-being first. It's all well saying the fish would be better off with you than in the shop (I'm pretty sure that's true) but if for whatever reason you end up buying this fish and then don't upgrade the tank soon enough, it realy wouldn't be fair for the fish and it may end up suffering much more than necessary.

I think you should sort out the tropicals first and then set up a large coldwater goldfish tank - fishless cycled and ready. Then go back to the shop and you may just find another calico oranda waiting for you.

Having said that, if you desperately want this fish, get a 20 gallon plastic storage box (food-safe) and a couple of good filters. Use filter media and/or substrate from a mature tank to get the tank cycled instantly; add the goldie and it should be fine in here until whenever you have a suitable tank available. The downside is that viewing it may be difficult (though goldfish were meant to be viewed from above anyway) and that you'll need to somehow make a lid to cover the tank so that there's no risk of the fish jumping out but air can still get in and out. This sort of 'tank' is incredibly cheap (obviously) and you can even get quite large volumes if you'd like to get one more goldfish to keep this one company. Treat the container like a normal tank as far as maintainance goes.

BTW, black angel mentioned something very important about food. I just want to emphasize this - don't feed the goldfish entirely on flake. Vary the diet as much as possible. Don't hesitate to feed live foods - bloodworms, daphnia or brine shrimp - or frozen foods. Avoid dry foods and soak flakes or pellets before feeding to get as much of the air trapped inside out as possible. Also give veggies to your fish on a regular basis - de-shelled green peas, blanched zuchinni, cucumber etc. This is all extremely important fi you want to avoid swim bladder problems - something very common in fancy goldfish.

 

[black angel]

I'm still going to say that a 10 gallon tank with loads of filtration is do-able and that even though you might have to do more work keeping levels stable it can be done.
Just stay clear of juwel filters.

 

[flips]

I'm still going to say that a 10 gallon tank with loads of filtration is do-able and that even though you might have to do more work keeping levels stable it can be done.
Just stay clear of juwel filters.

Sylvia i think you're right. i don't want to get this fish only to have him unhappy. he is already HUGE (they're selling him for $20) so my 10g might not be the best place for him... especially since i wouldn't be able to give him any company.

i guess i just wanted him really bad, but i'll wait until i have things more sorted out with the tropicals and can get him the tank he (or another cutsie) deserves.

thanks everyone ! now i must go tend to my ram who's swimming around trying to let me know something - he's such a character

 

[black angel]

Its always good to get different angles on fish keeping and im pleased you made the right decision for you. Hope you get your dream fish in the future.