If you’re confused at the title, let me get more in depth and explain what I am saying. Have you started to look into caring for a goldfish, either brand new to the fish hobby or a intermediate fish keeper? You may have experienced at least some confusion when you search online and try to get a little bit of everybody’s advice, especially when it comes to keeping goldfish. No, I’m not saying everybody’s advice is bad, nor am I saying that I’m amazing and you shouldn’t listen to anybody’s opinion besides mine. But if you have ever looked the least bit in depth to caring for goldfish, you may really be confused.
Do you really need that big of a tank for goldfish?
You may really catch yourself either saying this or feeling this way. And I actually don’t blame you. Especially if you get into fish like comet and common goldfish. Do you need that big of a tank? Well, it all depends on the type of goldfish. The tank size you put your goldfish in is your personal choice, but large goldfish (in my opinion) ideally should be in a larger tank. They do not have to be, but you can think of it as the ideal situation. Now, for small goldfish, such as the fantail goldfish, (again, in my opinion) only need something like a 20 gallon aquarium. For me, this would the minimum.
What you do with your goldfish is, again, up to you entirely. Goldfish usually grow rapidly and you may find yourself marveling that your goldfish went from 1 or 2 inches to 6, 8, or even 12 inches in length. There are technically no required tank sizes, but instead ideal situations as I stated earlier.
What about substrate?
The recommend substrate (what you use to line the bottom of your tank with, if you choose to at all) for goldfish may be a number of substrates. Some may recommend gravel, while others may recommend sand or even no substrate at all! Most people would use sand, gravel, or no substrate at all. A tank without any substrate is considered a bare-bottom tank. Some advise you not to use gravel as the goldfish may choke on the gravel (goldfish forage through the substrate) while others say they won’t as long as they’re individually bigger than a pea. Many recommend sand as it closely resembles the substrate in their natural environment (mud!).
Some may also recommend a bare bottom tank. This is easier to clean, but doesn’t really look good. In my personal opinion, I recommend either a bare-bottom tank or a sand substrate for your aquarium. But you may do whatever you like.
Oh, should you keep one or two goldfish?
This is really your own personal choice. Many argue that they could actually go through depression (yes, depression) and that they are originally schooling fish. If you would like to keep multiple, you don’t have to keep a ton, just simply add two goldfish instead of one in your aquarium (PLEASE NOTE that goldfish are very messy, so expect to do weekly water changes if you want to keep the goldfish as healthy as possible).
Facts about goldfish
Before you go, feel free to read some of these facts. They may help you help you care for your goldfish.
- Goldfish actually don’t need a heater, in fact, they do best without one!
- Fancy goldfish are are wider and bulkier than common and comet goldfish, which gives them an even larger appearance.
- Fancy goldfish actually have more than one caudal fin.
- Single-finned goldfish usually grow larger than fancy goldfish.
- Most goldfish grow within two months or less!
Are you ready to care for a goldfish yet? Comment down below!
