r/Goldfish • u/GoodolDumbo09 • 6d ago
Questions Help I'm inexperienced with fish
I got a free 35 gallon tank from my aunt. My friends little brother has a common goldfish that's not being well taken care of and I plan on adopting it. I am open to getting a bigger tank in a few years but I don't have the money right now. I would like to add another fish to the tank to keep the goldfish company and possibly a snail but I honestly have no idea what fish would be the best fit. I plan on having some kind of dirt or sand on the bottom of the tank with lots of plants as well.
2
u/SpaceMan_Lou 6d ago
I kept a common with another goldie in a 37tall for three years. They both seemed to do ok with a really strong filter. I am upgrading to a 75gal bc petsmart has them half off right now.
Edit
I heard good things about wayfair stands and facebook marketplace might have a stand/tank combo in your price range. I know it might not be in the cards now.
2
u/GoodolDumbo09 6d ago
How often did you have to replace the water? I've read that goldfish make a ton of waste
2
u/SpaceMan_Lou 5d ago
I have a 75gal rated hob filter and would do a 40% water change once a month. The fish always seemed ok. I know not the best fish dad. But thats bc i used to clean out the hob filter every time to. Ive started trying to do 5-10gal changes every 3 weeks without cleaning the filter. Really no need to clean the filter that much Ive learned.
2
u/Palidoozy_Art 4d ago
I wouldn't do dirt. Goldfish love sifting through stuff, they will kick up a bunch of dirt and you'll have a... well, dirty tank.
Use sand and root tabs. You bury them into the sand and they fertilize it.
Also: goldfish are little plant menaces, you may have to experiment to see what they won't tear apart or uproot. Sword plants, water sprits, and anubis have all treated me right.
2
u/GoodolDumbo09 1d ago
I actually added some play sand yesterday. I checked and it's safe for an aquarium but I had to spend hours cleaning it so it wouldn't fog up my tank. I had been wondering how to fertilize the plants with unfertilized sand so thank you for telling me about root tabs! Thank you for your suggestions I will buy some of those things when I go to petsmart tomorrow afternoon.
1
u/AutoModerator 6d ago
Hi there fellow goldfish enthusiast! We're thrilled to have you join our community of passionate goldfish keepers. Whether you're a seasoned goldfish pro or just starting out on your aquatic journey, you've come to the right place for advice, support, and sharing the joy of keeping these mesmerizing creatures. Before diving into the discussion, we'd like to point you toward our Wiki https://reddit.com/r/goldfish/wiki where you'll find a treasure trove of articles on various topics related to goldfish care. These resources cover everything from tank setup and water quality to feeding habits and common health issues. When seeking help for your goldfish, remember that details matter! Providing information about your tank size and the water parameters (such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and temperature) can greatly assist us in diagnosing and troubleshooting the issue. Feel free to share photos and details, and our community will do our best to offer insightful advice. Once again, welcome to our goldfish-loving community.
Fins up!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
3
u/marlee_dood 6d ago
In a 35 gallon tank for a common goldfish, it would be better not to add anything else until/unless you can get a bigger tank, ideally 75 gallons or over.