fishnterrapins
Fish Fanatic
The simple answer is that they don't really happily live in a 50 gallon barrel. Goldfish are one of the messiest fish around so if you think how much mess one produces per day (don't know exactly how much) and then think about how small a space you're going to put it in even in a 50 gallon tank you're looking at at least weekly water changes to make sure its healthy. Also don't forget that goldfish live a long time if cared for properly and can reach sizes in excess of a foot so even if you start them off in a 50 gallon they will need to move.
Have a look at this topic written by the wolf its got a lot of information about goldfish (apologies if you already have)
Have a look at this topic written by the wolf its got a lot of information about goldfish (apologies if you already have)