A Newbie to The World of Goldfish?

Question

I am getting two (or maybe more) goldfish in two weeks time, and i have never kept fish before (well we had them in my pond, but i was 5 and i think they all died). I have found a tank (http://www.petsathome.com/invt/15509) which is the ideal size for where i will be keeping them, but i am unsure what to do... is that large enough for 2 goldfish?
what equipment do i need? i've tried researching this on the internet, but its not overly helpful! could anyone maybe find me a suitable filter and/or pump for my tank?
any advice for a first time fishkeeper would be hugely appreciated...i know a bit about feeding, and thats about it!
please help =]
thanks
littlestarrgirl. xx

after reading all of these responses, i realise that i can't possibly get a pair of goldfish, which is sad...so can anyone advise me to some good COLDWATER fish that could live in the tank? i like the look of guppies but im not sure if they are tropical or not, various sources contradict each other =/
thanks again

Answer 1

If you're planning to get the tank shown (the 18 x 10 x 10) that's only about 7 US gallons, and it would only be suitable for two goldfish for a very short time before they would outgrow it. Fancy goldfish will get 8-10 inches long, and common types (those with a single tail) will get even larger.

You should get a tank based on the adult size of your fish, so a 20 gallon for the first, and add 10 gallons for each additional fish to get an idea of the size for the tank you would need. To get the right size of filter, figure out 5 to 10 times the volume of your tank, and look for a filter with a gallons per hour rating between these numbers. For instance, if you have a 30 gallon tank, you'll want the GPH to be between 150 and 300.

If you aren't able to get a tank this large (or upgrade to one by the time your goldfish need it) there are other species you can keep in smaller tanks that don't need a heater. Look at white clouds, corydoras, and guppies, all of which can do well in water around room temperature.

These websites with help you with the tank, no matter which species you choose: http://www.fishlore.com/
http://www.firsttankguide.net/

Answer 2

if you are new to fish i would start out with guppies, they are very hardy and goldfish are to but they prodice a lot of wast and amonia wich actualy makes iit harder to care for them. guppies are awsome. and you need to buy a filter and ph test kit thing. and let your tank cycle for 2-3 weeks before adding any fish, cycle as in let the filter run and make sure the water is perfect for what ever fish you get you may even need a heater for the tank. do reaserch on the type of fish before buying. don't but the fish and tank on the same day, thats all i have to say.

Answer 3

18 X 10 X 10 is only around 7 gallons, so it could house 1 goldfish until lit outgrows it. 1 goldfish needs at least 10 gallons of water because they are very messy and poop alot. I would recommend a Whisper, Penguin, or AquaClear as a filter for your tank. They are relatively cheap and provide mechanical, biological, and chemical filtration for your tank.

E-mail me if you have any mmore questions!

~ZTM

Answer 4

nope, it's barely 7gallons, so it's not even enough room for one goldfish. even hte smallest goldfish, fancies/round bodied goldfish, get anywhere between 8" and 10" and bigger is not unheard of. besides this they are poop machines. each fancy needs at least 10gallons each.

instead I suggest a small tropical community. 5-6 small fish would work, and 2 or 3 cory cats or a snail. my suggestions of fish to look into:
tetras
danios
mollies
platies
small barbs
rasboras

you'd need a 25 or 50watt heater. I also recommend a 10i whisper filter, they're very quiet and work well.

good luck!

Answer 5

It's great that you are asking questions before you get your fish instead of after you have gotten them and they have gotten sick because not enough was known about how to take care of them. So, this is great! So, as you are asking, let me say this first. If you want to do things right, you are not going to be able to get your little goldies in two weeks because you need to cycle your water first. Cycling gets rid of all of the toxic elements in the water and allows good bacteria to grow in your tank that makes the water nice and healthy for your fishes. Cycling takes about 4-6 weeks, so, you really need to be patient and do this first because if you don't, your fish will more than likely die, especially goldfish, because they are particularly sensitive to adverse water conditions, mostly because they create bad water conditions more than any other fish because of their high waste output, which is why you need to have a larger tank than you do for many other types of fish.

So, first, as others have said, you need to buy a tank for the adult size of a fish, not the teeny, tiny size you buy them as as a baby. Based on this, this tank you are looking at is far too small for even one goldfish, let alone two. As Copperhead said, you MUST allow 20 gallons for one/the first goldfish. After that, if you can afford to allow 20 gallons per additional goldy, that will be all the better, but definitely at least an additional 10 gallons per goldfish. So, you need to have a minimum tank size of about 137 liters for two goldfish. As far as filters, again as goldfish produce such large amounts of waste, they require a filtration of 10 times the litres per hour as the size of the tank. So, if you have a 137 liter tank, you must have a filter that produces 1370 lph. You just simply can't do less if you want your goldfish to live and be healthy. Here is a link to the best website there is for goldfish. Learn how to cycle your water, test your water, do proper cleaning and maintenance of the tank, and about diseases and how to identify them and treat them before you ever get any fish. If you do these things first, you will ensure that your fish will be happy and healthy.

If you can't afford to buy a larger tank that is suitable for goldfish, for this tank you said you want to buy, you could put a pair of bettas in there very nicely. This would be an excellent size of aquarium for a pair of bettas. If you decide to go with bettas, remember that you still need to cycle the water and learn about water changes, cleaning and diseases, but your filtration issues will change a little in that you only need about 4 times the liters per hour as the size of the tank vs. 10 times like you do with goldies. Bettas will also require a heater which goldies don't.

However you choose to go, Good luck!