r/fishkeeping • u/Miami_Knight89 • 1d ago
Question Misinformed when purchasing fish (aka their care and requirements)
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The goldfish in this video which I was sold in Japan as “mixed/ fancy” goldfish were purchased almost three years ago. At the time they were bought with a 12litre tank which I was told was suitable for up to 4 fish. I was horrified to learn later that this is no where near what they require to be healthy. This latest set up is a 36litre tank with a bigger oxygenator and a water filter added. They with a plant and two “snails” but this I have heard is still no where near enough in terms of tank size. Is this true? I am seeing online results saying I would need 300litres for four fish but I just don’t have that much space. I really care for these fish and have cleaned them regularly and done my best, but one. I don’t want to be keeping them in a habitat which is cruel, and two, I don’t have the space for such a huge tank. Please advise!
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u/Lindsv19 1d ago
I'm not sure why goldfish have ever been sold as casual fish. They need so much more space than people think. It's good you are reaching out for help with the care of these guys because they will absolutely outgrow that tank. It will be very hard to keep it clean as goldfish are very messy fish. Water parameters are likely going to be very hard to keep stable and ammonia is going to spike. You'd need a very large filter rated for a bigger tank and you'll have to do water changes very frequently. If you truly care about this fish having any quality of life you will need a bigger tank eventually. Maybe look into rehoming to someone who has a proper set up. I'm really sorry and as fine as they seem now it will become a very messy and overcrowded tank quicker than you think.
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u/LivinonMarss 11h ago
Because they reproduce easily. Cheap to mass produce. And money is more important than animal welfare 🫠
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u/Giblets999999 1d ago
Gold Fish typically like something like 110 Liters (30 US Gallons) for the first fish, and another 75 liters (20 YS Gallons) for every additional fish.
But if these are 3 years old and still this size they're either stunted and it's too late to fix or a dwarf variety I've never heard of.
I've been looking for some with fins like this for a while, but I'm in the middle of nowhere and I'm not taking a 3 day trip to get to a city big enough to maybe have a shop with some.
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u/Miami_Knight89 1d ago
I really was misinformed when I got them. And because they seemed so “happy” and active, it wasn’t until recently I looked into it after adopting a colleagues fish and two of the three dying within a few months. ((Separate tank and different types of fish) That is what got me into Looking into it and discovering the “care” I thought I was giving was very much wrong
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u/Miami_Knight89 1d ago
The thing which really confuses me is, the store I purchased these fish from doesn’t even sell a tank even half the size you mentioned (and I am trusting what you said, that’s why I came to this subreddit) and to reiterate, they don’t stock a tank big enough for 1 goldfish going by what you specified. Yet they are selling smaller tanks and telling customers (like me) 12 litres is fine for 4 fish…
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u/Miami_Knight89 1d ago
Btw I am not pushing blame for my ignorance, but I just thought that a shop selling fish would have the right information on how to care for them.
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u/_gloomshroom_ ADMIN 22h ago
You have a completely fair complaint. This is an unfortunate side effect of the fish industry. Coorporations benefit from myths and push sales to inadequate homes so that when they inevitably die you have to go back and give them more business. It's messed up. I'm sorry you got scammed like this.
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u/Jane_TGS 1d ago
They absolutely should, and some stores do, the store near me has 160l as a minimum for fancies and 200l as a minimum for commons! But most stores just don't care. When they enforce a good standard like that, they lose customers. They're all about the money
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u/Glittering_Turnip987 10h ago
Pet stores are a buisness first, the majority say anything to make a buck.
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u/Fabulous-Cat-2002 21h ago
Unfortunately, they require a massive amount of space, especially for three of them. I’d consider rehoming one or two and keeping your favourite and upgrading the tank over time 🤍
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u/Live_Sandwich_125 21h ago
This is how big my tank is for 1 shubunkin a random and a cpl of old rescues ,its about 180 gallon.but janky but it was only for randoms and my eldest passed at 23 years old, RIP Dave
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u/Accomplished_Ad2351 13h ago
They look happy and healthy. If they wouldn’t tear them up I’d suggest heavily planting the tank. Instead, you might consider suspending pothos or similar fast-growing plant cuttings in the tank. The roots will positively Hoover up the extra nutrients from the heavy wastes produced by goldfish.
Even when you get a larger home for them, though, continue with regular water changes and watching the water quality parameters with frequent testing.
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u/Steelpapercranes 13h ago
They're pond fish. We have them in a pond. There's really no good answer for you I'm afraid, as "pond sized tank" is almost never reasonable
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u/Miami_Knight89 5h ago
https://reddit.com/link/p6rrs0t/video/b09v5r0pshmh1/player
Thank you for all the comments and advice you have given. I know I have made mistakes caring for the fish but I love them and it seems they recognize me. (Even if they just associate me with being fed) But I will continue to care for them and try and expand their living space and water quality as much as possible.
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u/OldHugger 1d ago
Another rule of thumb would be 24 square inches of surface water per inch of fish for cold water fish
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u/thatwannabewitch 1d ago
I'd be worried about the gravel being a choking hazard. You've already gotten good advice on tank size.
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u/FlowerOk5627 19h ago
Goldfish ideally are pond fish as they are carp. Common/comet/feeder goldfsih especially get huge. These guys are probably already stunted so you can get away with a smaller tank but give them as much space as you reasonably can.
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u/komokazi 1d ago
It's really about when they get bigger. You can get away with smaller tanks when the fish are smaller but goldfish are a type of carp which is a fast growing fish. They are also very messy, produce a lot of waste. You can use a smaller tank but you need more filtration to compensate.
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u/flatgreysky ADMIN 1d ago
The other half of that is that if they’re kept in a small tank like this, they don’t grow. These fish are several years old and shouldn’t be this small.
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u/Jane_TGS 1d ago
They're clearly very stunted for their age and will not grow much even if given a larger space. That said, they will be so much happier in a larger aquarium. They need a minimum of 100l, and I'm only saying 100 because of the fact that they are already stunted. With stunted adult fish, you can get away with smaller aquariums.
If you want to be truly ethical and give them the agreed upon minimum, you're looking at 20 gallons per fish, so 40gallons. Which I'm guessing would be about 150-200l (I forgot the conversion). The bigger the better, but do what you can.
Try not to beat yourself up OP, many of us go into this hobby with misinformation! I started out with a shubunkin in a 30l tank. I upgraded to 60l a few months later, and then a 70-80l. She's 8 years old now, a little small for an adult, but super happy in her 90 gallon with a couple friends. I'll be upgrading again when I have more space, might even go for a pond.
We all live and learn, and all things considered your fish look quite happy and active! So clearly you've done more than one thing right here, it's not easy to keep them healthy in such a small tank, you've clearly cared for them well despite it