Q&A for How to Set up a Fish Tank (for Goldfish)

I'd avoid it in general. Peas are okay, but I would limit the amount of veggies you give them. Too many fruits and vegetables are going to bog the fish up, which can lead to buoyancy problems, indigestion issues, and problems with bloating.

That depends! Goldfish tend to produce a lot of waste, which adds extra ammonia to the tank. Because of this, I would only recommend pairing goldfish with other hardy fish that can handle those ammonia levels.

Look for tubercles. One of the main tell-tale signs that your goldfish is male, is the development of tubercles (small, white spots) on their gill-shields. Look for a thinner, more streamlined body shape. Look for a concave vent. Look for a midline ridge. Watch for chasing behavior.

You can purchase duckweed, which uses the nitrates like fertilizer, and do a water change. To decrease the pH, you can add some peat moss to the filter.

You can't. If you don't change the water regularly, your fish will get sick and die.

They usually are kept in very crowded tanks with insufficient food and care, so their bodies are weakened. It's good to not support anyone who hands out fish as cheap prizes. If you have some carnival goldfish, see How to Take Care of Your Carnival Goldfish . If you provide good care, they sometimes live as long as normal goldfish.

As long as it can still function properly, it doesn't matter where the pump is placed.

No. They will fight to the death. You need to keep bettas and goldfish separated.

If the fish is floating upside down, it is probably dead. Try poking it with a net to see if it moves.

Absolutely! If you put a few koi and goldfish in a fairly large pond, they will all grow huge after a few years, and stay with you for many more!

No, but it is a good idea to give the fish some features to hide amongst and interact with, and underwater plants may help to maintain water quality in the tank.

No. For the most part, lights are for plants or viewing your fish.

Yes.

If you didn’t, then don’t get the goldfish. If you already have them, you’ll need to be doing a fish-in cycle. This means depending on the tank size they’re in, multiple water changes a week to keep the water safe for them.

The directions for setting up a filter for a lionhead are the same as for a common goldfish.

The tank should be 20 gallons for 1 fish and 40-50 gallons if keeping more than one. It should be a bit shallower, as goldfish like shallow water over deeper water. And it needs a wide space to swim in.

8 inches is 100% possible, and that's usually the max size for ranchus. For a pair of them, you would need 30 gallons for the initial and an extra 10 gallons for the second ranchu. Total being 40 gallons for the two goldfish. It's not really about the size, but more about the amount of poop they produce and how messy they are.

No, orbeez should never go into an aquarium with your fish. There is a chance that your fish might try to nibble on the orbeez, which can be harmful.

A goldfish Is a lot of work! You want a 20+ gallon tank, with a big filter. You want to cycle the tank before getting the fish, so be sure to do a ton of research on the nitrogen cycle and how to fish-less cycle.

Sand is the best type of substrate to use for goldfish, as bigger gravel and pebbles can be mistaken by the goldfish as food.

Add fake plants as goldfish like to eat live plants. But it would be nicer to the fish if you added silk plants instead of plastic plants. Silk plants are great for resting and hiding, unlike plastic plants that can be sharp and hurt your fish.

If it is temporary and they are still small, then they should grow. But if you want them to live in the tank for their whole life, they will (most likely) stunt. Also, move them to a bigger tank, they will be happier,healthier and live longer. (Upgrade to a 55-100 gallon tank.)

Your goldfish may have aggressive tank mates or fin rot. If there are other fish, chances are they are nipping at his fins. If your goldfish lives in a confined tank, try fin rot or bacterial infection medicines.

You should definitely upgrade to a larger tank unless they are being kept in a tank of 100 gallons or more. As for feeding them, they should be fed once a day, every day. A large pinch should be good for 9 goldfish, depending on their size.

You need to always have the filter on, to keep your beneficial bacteria alive. After a half hour to an hour that the filter is off, the beneficial bacteria will start to die from lack of oxygen and ammonia.

You have to cycle the tank adding a source of ammonia (fish flakes, or raw fish or shrimp) and buying a test kit that tests ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. In other words, you can't do nothing.

Yes, otherwise the other goldfish in the tank will eat the fry. I would put them in a other tank until they are bigger.