What is the ideal number of small goldfish in a 12 gal. tank?

Question

How many goldfish can fit in a 12 gal tank without over-crowding?

Answer 1

If you mean like the goldfishes you win at the carnival goldfishes, you can probably have half a dozen or so. I kept 3 in a 3 gallon tank for over 5 years as a kid and they only grew out to be 4'' or so. I had an air stone and filter, ornaments, plants and vacuumed the gravel every other week or so. They are much dirtier than other fishes which required more frequent vacuuming.

Answer 2

No goldfish should live in a tank less than 20 gallons. There are no such thing as "small goldfish". You buy them when they're small, but they eventually grow to over a foot long. The reason why most people DON'T have foot-long goldfish is that when goldfish are cramped into smaller quarters than they need, their internal organs become stunted and they no longer grow. This causes a painful and early death for them. So there is no such thing as a small goldfish, only a stunted goldfish.

The "one inch per gallon" rule is outdated and should not be used anymore. The "one fish per gallon" rule is even worse.

Answer 3

You could fit one Fancy Goldfish (8-10 inches), but even that is VERY tight. Common/Comet Goldfish are not acceptable for such small tanks seeing as they will eventually reach 1.5+ feet and belong in a POND. A better idea might be a community tank with Tetras, peaceful Barbs, Rasboras, Dwarf Gouramis, or livebearers (Guppies, Mollies, Platies, or Swordtails are common). Email me if you have any questions.

Soop Nazi

EDIT: All fish will grow, so saying small Goldfish is irrelevant...

EDIT 2: Apparently, some people still use the 1 inch of fish per gallon of water "rule". This is TOTAL CRAP! There are far too many variables (that is why fishkeeping is so great) like; aggression, swimming level, activity level, temperature, pH, decor, swimming habits (schooling or not), waste production, and body mass (thicker fish will produce more waste). Could you fit 10 one inch Neon Tetras in a 10 gallon tank? Yeah, and you would still have a little room left over. Could you put a 10 inch Oscar in a 10 gallon tank? Absolutely not!

Answer 4

None really, if you think about when they start to grow. Most goldfish should be housed only in ponds. They need more filtration and oxygen in the water than other fish. Goldfish produce massive amounts of ammonia and they require constant monitoring of ammonia levels. You could get one or two if you are planning to upgrade your tank in a few months. The one fish per gallon rule is mostly for smaller fish like Tetra's that don't produce alot of waste. You really can't go by that rule when it comes to thick bodied fish that can grow over 18 inches if housed properly.

Answer 5

0. One fancy goldfish should have 20-30 gallons of water, and each additional goldfish needs 10-20 gallons more.

Feeder or comet goldfish can grow to be a foot long, and shouldn't really be kept in tanks long term.

Answer 6

Figure one gal of water for every 1-2 inch fish. If these are feeder gold fish, they are probably about an 1-2 inches already. So if you want them to grow at all don't put in more than 6 fish.

Answer 7

Goldfish grow to the size of their environment so the more fish you put in the smaller they will be. Goldfish also tend to be rather messy, lots of poop, hard for a filter to keep with even in a well cycled 12 gal tank. I wouldn't put in more than 3.

Answer 8

I heard that you should have at least 1 gallon of water per fish. So I'd say 12. Not too crowded,

Answer 9

One is enough,and that is pushing it.Goldfish are very dirty.