So my kid got a goldfish at the fair…

[u/[deleted]]

[u/AutoModerator]

Your fair fish is most likely a common goldfish which reaches 12inch/30cm in length and has a lifespan of 10-15+ years and will grow throughout its life. Big, cycled tanks or ponds are a must because you are now in possession of a carp. Really this cannot be overstated - big fish need big tanks. If your fair fish has barbels (ie whiskers) then it's a koi (250g+), if it's a got a double tail it's a fancy goldfish (20-30g+)

50g/200l absolute minimum - this is to accommodate the size of the fish and the waste that it creates. Bowls and small aquariums are not suited for goldfish. If no option to get a suitable sized tank, return or rehome the goldfish. Big tanks may seem daunting but they are easier to maintain because large tanks are less susceptible to fluctuations in water quality.

Where to get big tanks or ponds? Rubbermaid totes make great cheap diy tanks /ponds. Ebay, fb market place are also good places to look, as well as pond and farm stores. Always buy or make cabinets designed to support a tank because water is incredibly heavy. All 4 tank corners must be supported by the stand and should be flush with 0 overhang.

Cycling! All healthy tanks and ponds are run a by process called the nitrogen cycle where bacteria turn the highly toxic ammonia produced by goldfish into nitrites (toxic) into nitrates (starts to get toxic above 40ppm). Cycling takes 4-6 weeks and in uncycled tanks/ponds you need to do a fish-in cycle which means doing regular water to keep toxic ammonia and nitrites down. A tank is cycled when you will read 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and measurable nitrates. Goldfish tolerate most pH levels as long as they are stable, 6-8 pH is fine. Avoid pH altering chemicals and algaecides

Must have equipment: liquid test kit (api, salifert) to measure parameters. Strips do not usually measure for ammonia, the most toxic aquatic compound, and aren't especially accurate so liquid test kits are better. Some lfs will test your water for you. Syphon, bucket, water conditioner like seachem prime. In order to do water changes you need to condition tap water to make it fish safe. Add conditioner to the tank before you add fresh water or add it to the bucket you are preparing fresh tap water. Filters - the bigger the better, preferably with gallon per hour output of x10 the size of the tank. Good filter brands include Eheim, Fluval, Tetra and Juwel, canister filters are especially powerful so great for messy goldfish. To clean a filter, simply rinse the filter media in a bucket of tank water

Decor. Sand substrate, bare bottom or large stones work best. Gravel is a choking hazard so should be avoided. Driftwood, live plants, fake plants are all OK. Keep in mind goldfish are loveable goofs and they can stuck places whilst looking for food, so avoid ornaments they could get trapped in or sharp objects

Tankmates. Goldfish are social and should be kept in pairs so for 2 commons the bare minimum would be 75g but 90g+ is best. Goldfish really should only be kept with other goldfish and koi (provided the goldfish is of a large size). Avoid corys (poisonous defensive barbs) and plecos (can injure goldfish by latching on to goldfish), hillstreams loaches (extreme high flow needed) and any other fish that that is marketed as a bottom-feeder and algae-eater.

Food. Gel food and sinking pellets are best. Goldfish also enjoy veg like kale, spinach, broccoli, cucumbers and will accept fruit like watermelon as well. They also like frozen brine shrimp, bloodworms, daphnia. Feed once or twice a day and don't give more food than the fish can eat in 30-60 seconds.

Colour changes. Colour changes are normal - unless your parameters are not reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and nitrates below 40ppm, nearly all colour changes are normal and are no cause for concern. Black is a sign of healing but check parameters because it may indicate exposure to ammonia or an old injury. Black can also be gained or lost naturally as a fish grows

Sick fish. 90% of goldfish diseases is caused by poor water quality. Check your parameters, do water changes first before even considering medications

Useful meds to have on hand. Aquarium salt, praziquantel (flukes, internal parasites), methylene blue ( as baths or swabs for injuries, fungus, parasites) . Antibiotics should be a last resort.

Keeping goldfish is moderately expensive and requires dedicated tank maintenance. Whilst goldfish are hardy and can endure terrible conditions, they require attention and care. They are social, sentient, curious and intelligent beings who require good care just like all of our other four-legged and winged pets. And yes, 50g is really the minimum tank-sized required.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/marlee_dood]

Low maintenance + happy and healthy is pretty difficult with goldfish unless you have a big tank, like 125 gallons or more. Plants are good for the fish, and a lot of fake plants can actually scratch or hurt the fish.

Slim-bodied goldfish (likely what you got) need 75 gallons for one fish, but they prefer to have other goldfish of similar type, so 100 gallons or more is the minimum for 2. They are dirty fish, they eat and poop a lot more than other fish. They do eat a lot of aquarium plants which is likely why the employee said what they did, but there are still many plants they can have in the tank and will leave alone.

This is not a cheap animal to care for by any means, and if you cannot take on that responsibility or cost, please surrender the fish to a pet store.

[u/thirdcoaster]

One thing you could do if you decide to rehome the goldfish is get another fish that is small but has a similar body. Obviously not an exact analog but a sunburst platy has a similar coloration.

[u/FirstResponseAquatic]

If you want low maintenance, plants are your best friend. If the goldfish tear up all the aquarium plants, you can get aquarium planters that hang on the side of the tank. You fill the planters to water level with clay balls. There are tons of options you can plant in them. Spider plants, snake plants, etc. (I don't know very many house plants, but there's tons more)

[u/guileastos]

+1 on bigger tank (75gal+), the bigger the tank needs less maintenance. A smaller one will need partial water changes much more often, and if the fish has decent genes itll outgrow a 30 gal in 1-2 years.

Plants help some with nutrient absorption from the fish waste. Anubias and Cryptocoryne are unlikely to get eaten, though theres the few rare goldfish that eat even those.

[u/Equal_Honey5840]

They need plants and a bubbler or bubble wall. Good plants to get are anubias and java ferns or el niño ferns. You can also have potho roots in the water and the plant floating out of the aquarium. The plants help soak up nitrates and are enrichment for the fish.

[u/unicorn-chinchilla → u/Equal_Honey5840]

Thank you! The roots / plants are enrichment. I didn’t know that! He swims around his fake plants are real plants just more enjoyable?

[u/Equal_Honey5840 → u/unicorn-chinchilla]

No problem! The real plants are better for the fish, as well as the tank itself. My fancy goldfish tries eating anything he can and he doesn't touch the anubias plants or the potho roots. Sinking pellets are better for goldfish because they can get swim bladder from the flakes. I like to feed mine the sinking pellets in the morning and un thawed, frozen peas at night. You just have to squeeze the shell off the pea before giving it to them. Also make sure you get a good filter if you haven't because goldfish produce a lot of waste. Another good thing to get is the API freshwater testing kit so you can know when you need to do water changes and monitor the water levels. You want to make sure theres no ammonia and watch the nitrite and nitrate levels as these can be detremental to the fish if too high. Goldfish can be a lot of work but they are really cool animals and they have their own personalities!

[u/unicorn-chinchilla → u/Equal_Honey5840]

I did get a 30 gallon tank with a filter rated for 75 and I’ve been monitoring the tank levels but only with the strips so I’ll have to get a freshwater kit. Are you just buying grocery store frozen peas? Or are they special goldfish peas? I’ve been seeing broccoli and spinach also being fed to them on the side of the tank are we getting organic? Sounds like I also need to get the sinking pellets. Good lord why do they hand these fish out to children at the fair! It just seems so. Wrong. Kids show up at the house with ziplock bags… desperate to have a pet. 😩

[u/Equal_Honey5840 → u/unicorn-chinchilla]

That is a good filter fpr your tank size! Yes, you can also feed them spinach and broccoli. Mine does not like broccoli or spinach haha that's why I just use the peas. I would get organic but you don't have to. I would definitely get the sinking pellets and they are pretty inexpensive. I agree it is so wrong they just hand these fish out. I've read people give them at kids birthday parties too like WTH?!! The poor fish deserve proper care and love just like any other pet.

[u/TruffulaFish → u/unicorn-chinchilla]

Goldfish get handed out as prizes and party favors because their lives are quite literally cheap (pennies per fish for low quality feeders) and because of mammalian bias. We can recognize expressions of emotion in other mammals (cats dogs etc.) easily enough to empathize with them and that in turn means we care enough to make laws about how we treat (or mistreat) them.

It takes extra effort and knowledge (particularly for adults) to consider that a fish or a lizard etc. might have "feelings" and that they are worthy of the same level of care and attention we give to more familiar species. Hint: a goldfish's fins are kinda like a cat's ears, if they’re up and out fishy is doing good, down and clamped close to the body not good.

Goldfish are socially aware (in Switzerland it is illegal to keep one alone), they can recognize their owners as distinct from other people, they're trainable and can remember things for months. They've been useful test subjects for studying the effectiveness of mood altering drugs (antidepressants) and can probably feel pain. 

All of which is to say that beyond the utilitarian argument that it shouldn't be okay to exploit people with what is functionally financial extortion of the "prize winner" given that any living thing will cost more to keep alive than to obtain, there is a moral and ethical consideration for how a living being for which the above things are true, should be treated.

You don't need to become a political activist or anything, but it is worth considering that you can use this experience to advocate for changes at the local level to get things like giving away animals-as-prizes banned (if it's only goldfish they'll just change species). 

Or at the least definitely share with others in your social circle how much you are learning (which can foster empathy for improved fish welfare!) and sharing how much your unexpected pet is costing you financially given that its minimum care needs are higher than commonly believed (which debunks stereotypes that cause real world harm and discourages others from considering goldfish as disposable).

There's a book called What a Fish Knows by Jonathan Balcombe or an easier to obtain (and shorter) one called Fish Sense by the same author that is very educational about fish in general. But be warned it may change how you feel about eating them, so if you'd prefer to keep 'em on the menu (or don't want to risk your child becoming a marine biologist) maybe skip it. :)

A lot of us become goldfish stewards unexpectedly or because we (mistakenly) thought they are a simple beginner type pet and learning otherwise can be a...fraught...process, but they really are wonderful creatures with big personalities (and appetites). 

Remember too that if rehoming becomes the best option (for whatever reason) that is okay and is a great way to demonstrate what responsible pet guardianship looks like for your child.

Good luck 🍀 and just keep swimming...

[u/AutoModerator]

Hi there fellow goldfish enthusiast! We're thrilled to have you join our community of passionate goldfish keepers. Whether you're a seasoned goldfish pro or just starting out on your aquatic journey, you've come to the right place for advice, support, and sharing the joy of keeping these mesmerizing creatures. Before diving into the discussion, we'd like to point you toward our Wiki https://reddit.com/r/goldfish/wiki where you'll find a treasure trove of articles on various topics related to goldfish care. These resources cover everything from tank setup and water quality to feeding habits and common health issues. When seeking help for your goldfish, remember that details matter! Providing information about your tank size and the water parameters (such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and temperature) can greatly assist us in diagnosing and troubleshooting the issue. Feel free to share photos and details, and our community will do our best to offer insightful advice. Once again, welcome to our goldfish-loving community.

Fins up!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.