How Do People Do It?

[Assaye]

I recently rescued a pair of 2 inch fancy goldfish from a 2 gallon tank. I tested the water before I moved them and it was perfect, which amazed me. I suspect the guy did a water change just before I got there.

Anyway. I've got them in a 12 gallon until Wednesday when I'm getting them a 66 gallon. They're in the 12 gallon with mature media and mature decor. Should be loads of squiggly bacteria in there just nomming up the ammonia, right? Wrong! I'm having to do 90% water changes 2-3 times a day to keep the ammonia and nitrite under 0.25 ppm and I can't seem to get the nitrates under 20-30 ppm. I can do a water change and poof, the levels are still too high. I can't get my head around it but lets just say I have new respect for their ammonia production. I had no idea that two 2 inch fish in a mature tank with a mature filter could produce some much crud!

I know small tanks are bad for goldies, hence why they are getting a 66 gallon, but I can't figure out how people manage to keep them in small tanks with good water. I know it is possible - I used to test water samples for goldie keepers at work and most of them kept the fish in 2-5 gallon tanks and yet their water was often fine. I guess maybe my filter just hasn't caught up with the new bioload but still, I'm amazed! Going to pop a new filter in there for them as I have a couple of tanks with two filters and low bioloads.

I'm not looking for answers - just chugging away with the water changes - but I just wanted to say this:

Never underestimate goldfish!

 

[Verminator89]

Few years back we had about 13 goldfish in our outside pond, when in the space of a month loads kept dieing. Me being me thought enough was enough and i decided to scoop up the remaining goldfish and save them. Turns out i managed to save the last one! So i called him Boris, and put him in a 2ft tank in my room. I had him there for a well over a year and i can relate to your issue with bioload. Mine was about 5" and he was in a 2ft tank on his own, but my gosh did he produce some waste. It was water changes atleast twice a week with him He's since moved on from me, i donated him to the care-taker of my old primary school and he put him in his pond Wheres hes happy with other goldies.

Moral of any goldfish story - Never underestimate the Goldfish

 

[fishnovice]

Strange, never found my assorted rescued goldies to be big waste producers.No visible poo mountains unlike plecs and I have no problems keeping ammonia levels in their large outdoor tank at zero with weekly 33% water change.Mind you I do have a very powerful filter