Goldfish compatibility in a large tank?

I need help selecting fish for a playgroup. Presently there's a fancy goldfish (3" long, a commet or a common) that has lost all its scales in a huge tank (don't know the size but it's as large as a typical tank that is found in Walmart and Petsmart stores.) It had just lost it's companion black goldfish of the same size. What would be good companions for it? What types of plants? The owner had requested an algae sucker as well. What type of algae sucker should I get her or would it be compatible with the goldfish? What kids of foods should I buy? Thanks in advance for any advice and inputs.

 

So there's a 3" fancy goldfish and a common/comet goldfish?

And if the tank is like the ones at Walmart, then it's likely a 55 gallon tank.

Unfortunately, in the long run, it won't be big enough for both the goldfish, let alone more fish. Fancy goldfish get around 6" (and I've seen several as large as 8") and need around 20 gallons each (many people say 10 gallons/fancy, but that's a really stupid rule - expecially if you've ever seen a full grown fancy goldfish). And common/comet goldfish can get anywhere from 12" - 24" and are very fast, active swimmers. So really, I wouldn't keep a common/comet goldfish in a tank that's well over 100 gallons (at at least 6' x 2') but a pond would be a much more appropriate home.

So for the time being, I definitely wouldn't add any other fish and be prepared to eventually find the common/comet a new home. The other, probably better option would be to get rid of the common/comet and get 1 or two more fancies (goldfish actually prefer groups) and leave it at that. That would be much better in the long run for both the owner and the fish.

And for the record, plecos (sucker fish) are really bad tankmates for goldfish because they tend to suck the slime coats off of large bodied fish. They are also HUGE waste producers and contrary to popular belief, they do not clean. They actually create more waste and more required maintenance than they do clean.

As for plants, goldfish generally don't do well with live plants. They like to eat them. So I'd suggest some nice silk plants.

For diet, just regular goldfish pellets would work as well as occasional treats of blanched veggies like peas, cucumber, & lettuce.

-Chelle

 

Hi Chelle. Thanks for the fast reply and clarifications. Presently there's only 1 fish and she told me it was a fancy goldfish. I really don't know how large they get or what they look like exactly. I thought that her fancy goldfish was either a common or a comet based on some pics that I saw over the net. I guess I was wrong. If the fancies don't get any larger than 6", I can probably safely get her another 1-2 fancy goldfish. I read somewhere that goldfish prefer companions and would get stressed/bored easily. Some site also recommended elongea for plants. I'll stay away from those if they'll over eat them and supply the blanched peas, cucumber, and lettus intead. Definitely no plecos for her! :qm1:

 

Does her fish have a really round body with a double tail? Or a more slender body with a single tail?

-Chelle

 

I think it has a single tail. I'll have to check it out this week and get more details.

 

The fish is around 3" long and single tailed. The body is somewhat rounded, but not very. The tank is 30 gallons. Right now there's a lot of algae problem. Would snails take care of it?

 

for the algae, i used to have a neighbor with a huge aquarium that i would take care of while she was away. she had a cool tool that was magnetic so you had a handle on the outside and the second piece on the inside. if you slid it around it wiped all of the algae off. you had to be sure to do it relatively slowly though, or else the inside piece could fall of the wall. this was a salt water aquarium though, and i'm not sure if that makes a difference. i have only had small freshwater tanks and there has never been an algae issue in any of them.

 

Thanks Tuttifrutti. I'll let her know about the magnet tool.

 

Sounds like a common/comet.

As for algae, if it's green, chances are it's due to too much light or poor water quality. An algae scraper may help with the asthetics, but it won't do anything about the root cause and if there's water quality issues, the last thing that should be done is adding more fish/snails to the tank (more inhabitants = more waste = poorer water quality).

I suggest your friend get a test kit (preferably the liquid kind, not the dip sticks) and test the water for ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte. If you could then post the results here, that would help me get a better idea of what's going on in the tank. Also, is the tank near a window or someplace where it receives a lot of light? Do you know how long she leaves the tank light on each day?

-Chelle

 

Oh no Chelle, I already got them 2, 2" goldfish. I was told that these fish won't get any larger than 2". The fishtank is situated in a corner of the room but it receives a lot of natural light and overhead lights. The entire room is filled with large windows and since it's situated in a public building, the lights are on at night too. I'm not sure if she uses any tank lights. They just got a new carbon filter and I'm not sure about the water test. I will buy them a liquid test kit today.

 

The tank will be thoroughly cleaned and evaluated next week by the guy that donated them the tank. He is supposed to be their fish expert. The water kit was unavailable at the fish store today. I did see plenty of tests for nitrogen. She was leaving the tank light on all the time so she has now turned it off and will just use the natural lighting from the sunlight. I will pursue the matter if this guy doesn't help them with the tank like a no show.

 

Unfortunately, people at most fish stores tend to either lie just to make money or they don't really know squat about responsible fish keeping. The fancy goldfish (round bodies and generally a double tail) all should grow to at least 5" - 6", shubunkins (which look like miniature koi with speckles and usually some bluish color) grow to around 10", comet goldfish (long body with long flowing single tail) grow to around 12", and commons (long body with a shorter single tail) can grow as big as 24" (all measurements are not including the tail). There are no goldfish that are supposed to stay smaller than 5".

Also, for future reference, you really don't need carbon in a tank. It won't really hurt anything, but it only stays good for about 2 weeks and all it's really good for is removing meds.

That should help.

-Chelle

 

Thanks Chelle. I feel like I've been slapped in the face by the fish sellers. :shock: I don't want to be a busy body at the playgroup, but I really do care for the fish. The girls have promised me that if the fish get too big, they will be moved to a larger tank. They have a back up tank in storage. The maintainence guy who is supposed to be a fish expert is supposed to help out this week so we'll see what happens. I will definitely get them a water test should the conditions don't improve. I will also let them know about the carbon filters and its uses. You know Chelle, after learning a bit about fish, I'm very tempted to buy a fish tank for myself. :mrgreen: It's so relaxing and rewarding looking up at a small aquarium.

 

Hee hee . . . another one dragged helplessly into fish keeping. If you do, just pop in here and don't be afraid to ask questions (especially before you buy any fish).

-Chelle

 

Thank you so much Chelle, for all your help! Now, I just need to convince my husband that we need a fish tank. And when we get one, I'll be popping in here for tons of questions. :mrgreen: :qm1: