Overfeeding tends to be more of an issue than underfeeding, so make sure not to spoil your goldfish too much (even when they beg like they’re starving). Overfeeding your goldfish can lead to bloat, so consider giving them two small meals rather than one large meal per day. We like to give our goldfish frozen brine shrimp, high quality pellets, and Repashy gel foods. If you feed a “cleaner” diet with frozen foods or duckweed, the aquarium requires less maintenance, and the fish display more vibrant coloration. If you feed them lots of lower quality food, they tend to contain more indigestible materials, and therefore the tank will get dirty faster and require more water changes.

Whichever filter you pick, make sure it creates good surface agitation to increase oxygenation for your goldfish. Common choices include hang-on-back filters and sponge filters that have gentle flow and are easy to maintenance. While you may not need a heater, filtration is very important since goldfish are gluttonous eaters and therefore produce a lot of waste. In fact, many people living in mild climates keep their goldfish in outdoor ponds year-round. This means that in a home with heating and air conditioning, there is no need to use a heater inside the aquarium because goldfish can live at room temperature. Goldfish are known as cold water fish because they can live in temperatures of 50-70☏ (10-21☌). Bottom line: get the largest tank you can afford and make sure to regularly clean it. In China where goldfish were first developed, they often use giant, wide bowls with lots of surface area because it provides the fish more swimming space and more gas exchange for increased oxygen. Goldfish prefer a squatter tank with more water surface area (and not a tall, narrow tank). In addition to water volume, consider the dimensions of the tank. Whereas if you house five or six goldfish in a 60- or 70-gallon aquarium, the tank maintenance schedule will be more manageable.īigger is always better when it comes to goldfish tanks, so give them as much room as possible.

Now, if you put one goldfish in a 20-gallon tank, it will eventually run out of room five or six years down the road, and you will be forced to do frequent water changes to keep the tank clean. What Size Tank Do Fancy Goldfish Need?Īppropriate aquarium size can be a point of contention among goldfish owners, but in general, we recommend 20 gallons of water volume per goldfish, with at least 10 gallons added for every other goldfish. This care sheet answers some of the most frequently asked questions we get about these beloved water piggies. Unlike common goldfish with their single tails and streamlined physiques, fancy goldfish have flowy double tails and slow-moving, egg-shaped bodies that require special considerations. Fancy goldfish (Carassius auratus) are beautiful, selectively bred freshwater fish from the carp family that come in many colors, shapes, and other traits.

Goldfish aquarium fancy