# Fancy Goldfish



## Janh (Apr 9, 2011)

I am going to get fancy goldfish for an aquarium and have a few questions. They are going into a 55 gallon, what is a good number. I was thinking 3 possibly 4, is that too many? Nothing else will reside in the tank except plants. Do I need to put a heater in, I know they are cold water fish but I am worried about fluctuations in temp and also keeping the tank warm enough for plants. I was thinking 72 degrees, I think goldfish will be comfortable in that and so will some plants. I currently have one hob filter rated 300 gallons per hour and will add another, will that be adequate filtration for a goldfish tank?


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## dmaobc (Apr 24, 2010)

Goldfish does not need heater. Most Plants will be snack for goldfish. But java fern is fine.


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

I keep the temp in my fancy goldfish tank @ 73*F - other goldfish forums say it aids in digestion and as you suggested, it keeps temperatures stable. If you were thinking of common goldfish, I wouldn't bother with the heater. What kind of plants will you be planting?

On one end of the stocking scale, a suggested rule is 20 gallons per fancy goldfish - on the other, 20 gallons for the first fancy goldie, 10 gallons for each additional goldie, so you could go for 3 or 4. I would let the size of the goldfish determine the number to keep. A big 10 inch oranda would need more space than a 5 inch butterfly.

2 hob filters would be good, something with a lot of media capacity like an Aquaclear would work well.


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## Janh (Apr 9, 2011)

Thanks for the info, very helpful. I looked up a pic of the butterfly goldfish, that is awesome, who sells fish like that, I would love those? As for plants, java fern and moss for now until I can figure out what else the fish will not eat.


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

I ordered my butterfly and a few other fancys through April, but she has downsized her fish business. The fish came from Kelvin:

Gallery

There's not much of a market for really fancy goldfish in this area, if you ever have a chance to visit the fish markets in Asia and how cheap they're sold, it would be tough to come back home without a suitcasefull. 

Anubias would work really well too, I find java moss to be messy.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I too would recommend a heater for fancy goldfish. I think the lower the stocking the better, so if you can resist too many in there, it would make your life a lot easier. I would focus on water quality (water changes and maintenance of the filters) and not worry too much about plants, except for as food for them. Java Fern is cheap and easy to get so if you can grow some in a second tank for them, you will have a constant supply to replace them. I've found The Goldfish and Aquarium Board to be a great source of information on goldfish, although I haven't kept them for years.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

I keep my fancies at about 72F, so I do use a heater. In a 55g, I'd keep about 3-5 goldfish max if that's their permanent home, as they can grow to softball size. Don't use java moss - it will get eaten and clog the filters. Anubias, java fern or other tough plants may survive, but don't count on it.

The biggest thing with them is that they are messy pigs, so you'll want to do frequent water changes and have lots of filtration and not too much current, as they are poor swimmers. Also avoid feeding meaty or flake food, as it can cause swim bladder issues. I find feeding lots of fresh veggies like blanched lettuce, spinach and cooked frozen peas with the skin removed keeps them healthy and happy. You can make your own veggie gel food for them quite cheaply and easily.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

You can have more if they are small, and then upgrade or sell some or trade them in when they are bigger. It really depends on your fish size and your plan for them in the long term.
Filtration is very important and keep up with water change...the tough part, in my opinon, is not to over feed.
I like goldfish as they would come up for food eating off my hand and such. They are very cute and have great personality. Some of them can live in higher temp than others. 
I have had java fern, anubias and moss with goldfish with no problem.


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## Sliver (Apr 19, 2011)

hey elle, are those the ones that devour the duckweed?


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

Yep. Trying to get rid of more of the green menace?


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## Sliver (Apr 19, 2011)

not at the moment but there will probably be a bunch again soon lol


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

A bit off topic but just want to say when and if I have the time, money and space I would really like to get a very deep pond to keep some fancy goldfish inside. Imagine getting them as juvies then grow them out to monster sizes must be very satisfying.


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## Janh (Apr 9, 2011)

I used to have regular goldfish in the pond outside, they grew very large, had babies every year, very healthy and easy to maintain. I would just run the hose and overflow the pond a couple time a week, that was my water change. They lived about ten years with me before I rehomed them. My plan is to throw these guys out in the pond in the summer when I go away, then it is easy for the neighbor to look after them.

How much should I be feeding the fancy goldfish. I got two small ones, probably 2.5" not including the tail. I know the normal rule is what they eat in 2 minutes, but that would be nothing, they are pretty slow eaters. Is there a number of pellets I should feed, do I just feed them twice a day like other fish, are floating or sinking pellets better?


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

Sinking pellets are better as they tend to gulp too much air with floating pellets. I'd go with a good quality food like Hikari that's specific to fancy goldfish. With dry food, only what they eat in 5 min is fine, but watch for and remove uneaten food. You can always feed more if they need it, but overfeeding causes more problems than underfeeding at first. Feed veggies at least twice a week, and remove the uneaten veggies after 12 hours.


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

IME, goldfish has the most growth within their first year or so, so if you want to give your fancies a chance to grow big - I'd do smaller, more frequent feedings. Do it gradually so they can get used to the volume of food. Watch your water quality though - more food, more waste, especially if you do frozen foods ie. mysis, gels. More frequent water changes would help too. But nothing beats throwing them into a pond for growth and size.

Otherwise twice daily is more than fine.


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

I just received an email of this weeks features at Island Pet Unlimited. Black Butterfly Moors. If you're in the neighbourhood, check it out!

http://islandpets.ca/burnaby.html


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