Why do people say goldfish grow? - please read and you will understand!?

Question

I have to fish, The fancy is abouta Black Moor and a Fancy Goldfish. 8-9cm and the black moor is about 5-6 cm. They live in a 15 liter tank. People will say they will grow very big, but I have had my Fancy for 8 months and my Black Moor for 3 months. Both of them have not seem to grow, why? Is this the size that they will stay? Please any more info about these breeds would be great. They have an air pump, filter, because I know goldfish need alot of oxygen and need a filter to because they produce alot of waste which is leathel to themselves and other fish. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks. And I would like to appologise to FINATIC, I was rude and selfish. Any way thanks for any help that can be offered!

Answer 1

They don't grow that quickly and you won't notice them growing in that length of time. Goldfish live a long time and don't reach their full adult size for years and that will only happen if they are under ideal conditions. Two goldfish in 15 L is not even close to ideal conditions. **

Answer 2

The people who tell you Goldfish only grow to the size of their tanks are misinformed & unwittingly perpetuating yet more urban myths to the ultimate detriment of these poor creatures.

In reality [& without going into technicalities] a Goldfish can 'sense' the size of the area it is confined in & as such-typically less than 10 gallons- it's body stops growing but unfortunately it's internal organs don't get the message so it slowly explodes-this is why you never hear truthful claims about 2 foot long Goldfish in a half gallon bowl. You sound like you have got the right idea about Goldfish as you are aware of the problems involved.

In my opinion Goldfish are totally inappropriate pets for beginners, children & anyone interested in simply 'decorating' their home environment. They are not for the feint hearted-Goldfish grow huge, live far longer than any other family pet, need huge tanks, massive filtration, constant regular maintenance & are a bit of a money pit as well. In addition it helps to have a basic knowledge of nutrition, electrics, DIY, water chemistry, fish physiology & medicine.

The link below is a very good place to start but it's also a good idea to join a forum specifically dealing with Goldfish because there are so many tips & tricks together with unexpected pitfalls that you need expert guidance in almost every aspect. I've only been keeping them for 3 years & am constantly picking the brains of seasoned hobbyists & breeders on the forum I'm in.

Answer 3

There's a common myth that goldfish will only grow to the size of the tank they're in. Well, in a way, that myth is true - because on the outside, the fish do stop growing once they get to the point where, more growth means outgrowing the tank and they become stunted. HOWEVER, the internal organs will continue to grow - even when outwardly, the fish has stopped growing. Eventually, the stunting will kill the fish - but it'll be a slow and painful death.

If you get a 30 gallon tank, these fish will start to grow again.

Answer 4

I would get a bigger tank. I've had goldfish in the past that have lived to over 20 yrs of age and they did grow big. Not in a few months,but gradually over the years. You won't notice them growing, as you'll see them everyday, but over time their size will change.Why not go to a speicalist shop and ask their advice or go to the library and take some books out on the subject.
Hope this helps and have a nice day.

Answer 5

They haven't grown because they are not being cared for properly.
Your tank is too small to maintain the water quality they need to grow as they should. In the correct environment your fancy goldfish should have grown at least 6 to 8 cm in body length since May.
My orandas used to grow over 10 cm in their first year making them 20cm total length. ( they were raise in 6 foot tanks, about 20 to a tank)
Until you can get a suitable tank, 20g +, do daily 30% water changes.

Answer 6

Those few months is nothing. My two goldfish are at least 13 1/2 years old! They were little tiddlers when we first had them - they're huge now. Yes they do grow, but it will take much longer than a few months to notice it.

Answer 7

Im not TOO sure on the regular fancy but I have Black Moor & they can get up to 8 inches long & rather fat too....Im not too good at metric conversions but a 15 liter tank isnt "that" big if you want your fish to get their fulll size you need more room for them to grow....and 8 months isnt that long, goldfish can live up to like 20 years in a well maintained tank......we moved my Black Moor to the 35 gallon as I want him to get as big as he can...Best of Luck!!!♥

Answer 8

They aren't growing because you're stunting them.

Goldfish will grow to the size of their aquarium-on the outside. However the internal organs will continue to grow, and slowly crush the fish to death. Not a nice way to go.

I'm not good at conversions, but fancy goldfish need a minimum of 20 gallons for one fish, and at least ten gallons for each additional fish. They also require double filtration (if you have a 50 gallon tank, you want either two filters rated for a 50 gallon tank or one for a hundred gallon tank) and frequent water changes.

Answer 9

a 15 litre tank is hardly even about 4 us gallons, no more
the reason your fish don't grow, is because they don't have the space to do it properly

to give them the proper home they deserve and especially need to grow out to the size their genes tell them, you will need at least a 76 litre tank, which comes out to be about 20 us gallons



Hope that helps
Good luck



EB

Answer 10

well we have some black moor in our tank and they have not grown and we have some other fish in there as well and they are quit big now we have had them for about three years now we have about the same tank as you have we have not got any problems with our fish not growing well the black moors don,t grow much any i hope this helps you out and good luck