Do I need to transfer my two goldfish into a larger tank and spend money? Or can I stick with a small tank?Why

Question

I have two 1inch Comet goldfish that are happily swimming in a 1 gallon tank. I have a bigger tank, a ten gallon tank, that needs a filter, light, air bubbler, and lid. It will cost me alot of money to buy the items, so can I just keep them in the small tank or do I have to buy the other stuff? If so, why and what is so important about keeping them in a bigger tank? Will it kill them? How do you breed them? Do you need real plants? Can you cross breed fish?

Answer 1

If you keep them in the little tank, you will stunt their growth and their lives. You can get months out of them, maybe a couple of years with a good routine and some luck.

In a 10 gallon they will get a little larger before getting stunted, and then die young, though not as young as in a fish bowl.

Some people call this 'growing to their enviroment'. The more knowledgable people call it 'stunting'.

These are fish that can live decades and grow to over a foot long in the right conditions. You can keep them in anything you want, as long as you recognize what you are doing to the fish. Then at least you can say you made your choice with the proper knowledge in mind.

You have know need to learn about breeding, your fish won't grow big enough or live long enough to get to this point anway.

Real plants are very healthy for fish, but not needed.

Answer 2

Lots of questions here!
First off, EACH goldfish requires 20 gallons to thrive. The comets grow large...somewhere between 12 and 14" a piece. For the 2 you have, they should be in a minimum 40 gallon tank with a filter meant for the next size up (50 gallon filter) and not an undergravel. They don't need bubblers or heaters or a light (goldfish don't like light actually).
The reasons for keeping them in the tank are really 3 fold:
1. They need room to swim as they grow...that 1 gallon should not be used for anything except 1 single betta.
2. Goldfish put out a high bioload of ammonia and are messy eaters. The decaying food adds more ammonia to the tank. Ammonia is toxic and will kill the fish by burning their eyes, scales, fins and worst of all: gills. Ammonia poisoning can be seen as burns or red streaking through the fins. If they are in at least 20 gallons a piece with extra filtration, the ammonia can be dispersed somewhat through the larger quantity of water.
3. Very important! Stunting! Yes..fish can grow to the size of the tank BUT...their internal organs do not stop growing. They release a chemical that will inhibit growth in too small of an area but their insides cannot adjust. It's like keeping a small child in a cage for 10 yrs. The child can't bust out of the cage, but the resulting 14 yr old will be stunted and critically ill. Stunting causes an agonizing and slow death for fish. Comets are actually pond fish and do well in outdoor ponds.

Breeding goldfish
You normally have to purchase goldfish in July or August (about 6 is good to ensure a mix of male and females as it is nigh on impossible to tell unless they ARE breeding) and they have to be kept over the winter. They breed the following spring.

Goldfish will tear apart real plants. And by crossbreeding fish, you can get spawn of any fish from the same species, but not necessarily the same breed: the parrot cichlid is a match up of a few different crossbreedings for example.

Answer 3

Well, goldfish are hard to breed. If you want your goldfish to breed, get atleast a 29 gallon tank and put live plants for oxygenations. You comet will grow to about 8+". It is important to have a bigger tank because there will be more room for the fish in, more space for screwing up, three more fish to be put!

Answer 4

When i was a kid we use to keep gold fish in that size of a tank all the time they seem to live happy. And they lived a long time. They do say you shorten there lives in a small tank, like that but i have really never noticed it. YES it would b nice for them to have a bigger swimming area. But They will grow a lot bigger if you put them in a bigger tank. You don't need real plants and sorry i don't know any thing about breeding Good luck with what ever you do

Answer 5

comet goldfish needs more space then even the fancy goldfish do,
and at the very least 2 little goldfish needs a 10 gallon 20 would be better,

and for breeding really needs something even larger.

I have 6 goldfish 5 comets 1 fancy on my porch in one of those 200 gallon pond,
I just started it this spring and I have not lost 1 goldfish, I have a filter/pump and gravel and it looks really nice and the goldfish loves it, you could even use a 30-50 gallon rubbermaid container works for a little pond
good luck with your fishes..

Answer 6

You should have one half gallon for every inch of fish. Fish will only grow as big as the tank so if you want them to get any bigger, they will need a bigger tank, but no the little tank won't kill them. If you do want to use the bigger tank, check out garage sales and get the extra stuff for cheap, people are always getting rid of that sort of stuff. Breeding fish? no idea, but I do know that once they do reproduce you will need to buy this little thing that keeps the big fish away from the babies , but still in the same tank, so you will need to spend money and use the big tank if breeding is your goal.

Answer 7

Ditto to GHapy! They will soon need the extra space. Yes, stunting is real and it happens and it hurts the fish. Again GHapy is right, only the less informed call it anything other than stunting and cruel. The poster above that says 1/2 gallon per inch and the small tank will not kill them is unfortunately very wrong on both statements.

MM

Answer 8

as quickly as I change tanks I placed them in a various container utilising an identical water from the tank they have been in (or I pass away them in there present day tank reckoning on how super that's.) Then I fill my new tank with as a lot water from the old tank as attainable. If the hot tank is a lot greater i might in basic terms upload some new taken care of water and then enable the fish get acclumated to there new abode. reckoning on how the fish seem to be adapting i will end filling the take over that day or here few days allowing the water to no longer having to a lot of a drastic exchange in levels. as a consequence avoiding biking.

Answer 9

As long as you keep changing the water once a week, or twice, (how ever its recommended), then you will do ok.

What your doing is eliminating the "urea" or 'pee" from the fish when they urinate and that "chokes" them off of oxygen, by changing the water you keep adding more oxygen and they can live.

If you want, you can keep them in there for a very long time. Adding plants will take up space, unless they are floating plants, and that will add oxygen to the water as long as you have sunlight on it, or some kind of light.

But, even that, doesnt mean you "dont have to" change the water, remember the "pee", they dont want to drown in thier own urine!

Some fish will interbreed, some wont, it depends on what they are, and if they "like" each other.:)

The only thing about a larger Place for them to live, is that you dont have to entirely change the water. You can "drawl off" some from the bottom (in a bigger tank", where the urine settles, and that will keep them alive, plus the filter will oxygenate the water and clean the water when you over feed them.

I wish you well...

Jesse

Answer 10

Everyone out there as some type or "rule" of inch to gallon ratio. The Petsmart answer is ok for the basics. Look up some things about goldfish. Comits can live up to 60+ years with perfect diet, water, and space. Your comits will max out at 10" if you let them, so keep that in mind. Also, they produce extremely high amounts of ammonia, which can hinder life spand and growth. Live plants are nice(help absorb ammonia), but they will pick at the roots for nourishment(which will help with the diet), which will make a mess. Keep all this in mind as you decide if you want permanent friends or temporary amusement.