Advice
- Thread starter chelle_e
- Start date
"The slower fishes might starve since the Shubunkin Goldfish will eat all the food before they have a chance to. A Koi is a much more suitable companion for a Shubunkin Goldfish." ~ This is an exerpt from: Shubunkin Goldfish
wow. that makes it a 5 gallon tank. I don't want to sound rude but that is torture for the fish you have. unless they are babies at about 1-2 inch in length, there is no way they will live happily in that tank. 1 of those 2 fish you have alone already exceeds tank capacity. The rule of thumb for most fish is 1 inch per gallon (3 litres).
BUT for goldfish it is usually 1 goldfish = 15 gallons, and an additional 10 gallons for each additional gold fish.
I don't recommend housing those fish in anything less than a 30 gallon tank. Although if they are young you can probably sustain them in that tank for a short amount of time given that you do constant water changes and monitor them very carefully, but that will end up being a lot of work and they will wuickly outgrow that tank, if they arent already too big and goldfish get very LARGE, there is another thread about this, one of the more experienced members will post it for you i'm sure. The main reason you should not cramp goldfish is because they are pigs, they will eat a lot which in turn creates a large bio-load (they will surround themselves in their own waste in minutes given a tank so small). Sorry to say but the guy at the store doesn't know sh*t or is just trying to take your monies.
Glad you posted asking about it though, now you have a chance to save your fish! I would recommend either a larger tank, or giving them away to someone who can take care of them (fish stores will usually take them off your hands too).
If you want to try your luck and make that 5G tank work, well go ahead too I can only give you advice.
Your best option for that tank setup would be to get some neons or tetras, relatively small fish that will not outgrow the tank.
BUT for goldfish it is usually 1 goldfish = 15 gallons, and an additional 10 gallons for each additional gold fish.
I don't recommend housing those fish in anything less than a 30 gallon tank. Although if they are young you can probably sustain them in that tank for a short amount of time given that you do constant water changes and monitor them very carefully, but that will end up being a lot of work and they will wuickly outgrow that tank, if they arent already too big and goldfish get very LARGE, there is another thread about this, one of the more experienced members will post it for you i'm sure. The main reason you should not cramp goldfish is because they are pigs, they will eat a lot which in turn creates a large bio-load (they will surround themselves in their own waste in minutes given a tank so small). Sorry to say but the guy at the store doesn't know sh*t or is just trying to take your monies.
Glad you posted asking about it though, now you have a chance to save your fish! I would recommend either a larger tank, or giving them away to someone who can take care of them (fish stores will usually take them off your hands too).
If you want to try your luck and make that 5G tank work, well go ahead too I can only give you advice.
Your best option for that tank setup would be to get some neons or tetras, relatively small fish that will not outgrow the tank.
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I pretty much agree with pretty much everything jo3olous said, except the following:
- I've heard that the first goldfish should have 20 gallons to itself and
- I disagree that tetras would make suitable inhabitants for a 5-gallon tank.
You're right, for some reason I keep thinking tetras are these micro tiny fish, and by school starting with >5 is an OKAY school, 10+ is optimal.
For goldfish my thought process went to those 2-3 inch ++ pudgy fancytails, I thought the rule of thumb was 20Gallon per goldfish and an additional 15G for each one after that. I guess of course if you have juvenile goldfish that are < 2inches then this rule might not apply
For goldfish my thought process went to those 2-3 inch ++ pudgy fancytails, I thought the rule of thumb was 20Gallon per goldfish and an additional 15G for each one after that. I guess of course if you have juvenile goldfish that are < 2inches then this rule might not apply
The biggest misconception with Goldfish is that they stay small. But all Goldies (no matter what kind) get a foot long in time if they live long enough. Its not fair to cramp them into small spaces. I would advise getting rid of both fish and going with something else. Take a look around on the site and see what you like.
I cant find that thread but did find these and it should give you an idea. This person no longer post (she disapeared ) but these are her fish at different times and you will be able to see the growth rate.
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/goldfish-coldwater-discussion/31402-fishy-pics.html
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/goldfish-coldwater-discussion/33835-kids-growing-up.html
) but these are her fish at different times and you will be able to see the growth rate.http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/goldfish-coldwater-discussion/31402-fishy-pics.html
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/goldfish-coldwater-discussion/33835-kids-growing-up.html
My 5g had a betta in it. That's it. It's so small, there's really not much you can do with it. My advice...follow my example! I ditched the 5g and got a 55g!
I'd just get a betta or some shrimp.
And here's the goldfish picture: (which happens to be on chelle e's thread as well...)
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/freshwater-beginner-information-questions/53607-help.html
I'd just get a betta or some shrimp.
And here's the goldfish picture: (which happens to be on chelle e's thread as well...
)http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/freshwater-beginner-information-questions/53607-help.html
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I have heard this too and it is the rule I go by, but as you said it is a minor detail and is not big deal!
Very true like I have said in another thread I work at PetsMart and on occasion I will work over with the fish. We have SOO many people come over to get goldfish with these little bowls and it is like NOO get a betta they will love in that bowl and you try to explain to them why a goldfish shouldn't be in a bowl. They listen sometimes and sometimes they don't.
Here is a quick story we had these one customers once come in and get like 2 Rosy Red Minnows and this little bowl maybe 1.5g and one of the ladies that work with the fish and knows a lot about them told them point blank "Your fish are going to die an agonizing death" I kid you not. Needless to say they still bought the fish after she told them that. It still amazes me that they bought them after she told them that.*crazysmil
Very true like I have said in another thread I work at PetsMart and on occasion I will work over with the fish. We have SOO many people come over to get goldfish with these little bowls and it is like NOO get a betta they will love in that bowl and you try to explain to them why a goldfish shouldn't be in a bowl. They listen sometimes and sometimes they don't.
Here is a quick story we had these one customers once come in and get like 2 Rosy Red Minnows and this little bowl maybe 1.5g and one of the ladies that work with the fish and knows a lot about them told them point blank "Your fish are going to die an agonizing death" I kid you not. Needless to say they still bought the fish after she told them that. It still amazes me that they bought them after she told them that.*crazysmil
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