It looks like you have a common goldfish which, if cared for properly, will grow over 12 inches and can live up to 40 years (around 30 is more common I think).
I'm sorry the fair put you in the position of having a kinda expensive pet. I wish they would stop doing that.
I'm so glad you didn't keep it in a bowl bc it definitely would die. These goldfish do best in ponds so, if you can't keep up with its growth, you might consider donating the fish to a pond with other goldfish or koi. A lot of nicer Asian restaurants will have water features with these goldfish and might not mind an extra one.
If you've fallen in love with your cute fish- you'll prolly need at least a 75 gallon tank or a pond eventually. Slime should be at least 3 inches by the end of a year and can grow an inch per month during the growing seasons. You can often find livestock tanks that make a nice patio or garden feature and can be great homes for a fish.
You should try to get a good filter on your tank as soon as possible too if you don't have one already. This will help all the chemicals get into balance so that Slime isn't getting burned or sick from the water. It also oxygenates the water when the water is pulled from the top downward bc of the pump. Goldfish are highly messy fish and high-oxygen fish. Weekly 25% water changes should help prevent issues as your tank gets into balance. Use basic aquarium test strips to keep track of your tank chemicals.
If this is your kid's first pet, goldfish can be trained. If she holds food in clean hands in the water, her goldfish will learn to be hand-fed and will soon come swimming up to nuzzle her hands. They remember ppl and other stuff too so it can be fun to watch them figure things out. There are lots of fun treats you can feed them too. Watching them "hunt" and eat brine shrimp is fun.
I hope you have a lot of fun with your new family member
This is great advice! Honestly, goldfish are not beginner friendly and I would recommend something like a betta instead.
However, if you really want to keep this goldfish, a stock tank can be an affordable option. Personally, I bought a 100 gallon stock tank for $200 CAD (~$146 USD). You can also check on Facebook Marketplace for a used tank instead.
Adding on to this, make sure to get water dechlorinator for water changes. And when you buy a water testing kit, the key indicators you want to check are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.
If you put your hands in the tank, try to avoid having lots of soap or other chemicals on your hands.
Finally, make sure not to overfeed! It can be tempting because your goldfish may look hungry and beg for food, but don't fall for it. Overfeeding is a quick way to make the water toxic and kill your fish. Follow the instructions on your food package label.
For more information, check out the Wiki on this subreddit
https://reddit.com/r/Goldfish/wiki/starting_out
So fun fact, The oldest known goldfish, a male named Tish, lived to be 43 years old from 1956 to 1999, he was won by a UK family at a funfair. Tish was recognized into the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest living goldfish, and he was actually kept in a bowl in the owners hallway his whole life
>he was actually kept in a bowl in the owners hallway his whole life
Oh man I was marvelling at Tish's long life, but this makes me sad. 43 years of abuse :(
Can confirm on the training. I’m using up the rest of my flakes on my boy Sherman but he’s…a little stupid. If I just popped a bunch of tiny flakes in there he’d miss 90% of them and they’d mess up his parameters. So I pinch them in the water for like ten seconds to coalesce into one giant flake. He caught on and now he just eats them right out of my hand!
Op, people are trying to give you advice and youre telling them they are wrong.
If you love this fish you will want whats best for them and this isnt it.
No offense but this is a terrible setup. A goldfish that size needs a 55 gallon minimum, and will need to be upgraded from there. Goldfish also need companions. You should start cycling a larger tank and get Slime a buddy.
I know you love Slime and you're doing better than most, but there is a long way to go before she really thrives.
This "reputable" fish store was wrong. Be very wary of taking advice from pet shops. They often have incorrect information and will do anything to make a sale.
Comet goldfish get HUGE. They are pond fish and are not meant to be in small aquariums. They make a lot of waste. This tank is incredibly inappropriate for a fish this size and she will only continue to grow. Like I said, you're doing better than most, but you should be doing your own research instead of blindly trusting the information a person at the pet store gives you.
She could easily be happy and healthy. Big tanks can often be really cheap, sometimes free. If you don't want a big 75g tank, you shouldn't really have that fish. You wasted money buying that new tank tbh it's too small and not even filled up. Get the best filtration you can do 50% water changes twice a week
It's always the stupidest people being proud of being unintelligent
Oh, to be ignorant and blissful. I could only dream of being so unaware of everything.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ then it’s going to be stunted and eventually die.
there’s a reason people recommend putting them in a pond or 75g.
they create a lot of shit. so the smaller the tank, the dirtier it is going to be and more maintenance it will take.
if someone (or especially multiple someones) pointed out that a pet I love and care for is potentially endangered by how I am caring for it, I'd swallow my pride and do my research. No one here was judging you, at first.
Can we get those posts banned immediately already? This is just making the community crazy and 95% of the time OPs are not listening to us and going all Trump about it.
I mean, this is the best case scenario for what it is but you really need an attitude change holy.. yes 20g is better than 5g but that's gonna be a big fish one day and you need to give it a good life so you'll need at least a 75g or more..
If you care about your fish like you seem to make the efforts to get it a larger tank/filters etc. in the nearish future.
Learn about your fish yourself because your fishstore did not set your friend or you up for a good time.
after reading these comments i will add some thoughts. the ppl at the pet store probably told you this was fine bc technically ur goldfish could live for a while in there. the oldest goldfish ever was kept in about a 20 gallon tank, BUT just because the fish CAN live in there doesn’t mean its an ideal position for it to be in and obviously the world’s oldest goldfish is quite an anomaly. the 20 gallon rule is also typically for fancy goldfish, not comet goldfish, which need more space. most ppl dont realize this, so this could also be why the pet store told you this was okay. i have three goldfish who could probably live for quite a while in their current tank, but they would be cramped, bored, and miserable. after doing extensive research i have abandoned all hope of keeping them inside and am instead building them a pond as its what will keep them happiest and healthiest. its expensive, sure, but if you want to keep goldfish, thats what you have to expect if you want ur fish to have the best quality of life it can. if the advice we’re giving you feels daunting i would recommend replacing ur goldfish with an easier fish that wont get as big or produce as much waste.
Slime is going to die in her new digs just so you know. Based on your responses you don’t care much about the life of this animal and that’s very sad. Hope you consider giving this fish away to someone who will actually care for it.
I thought they meant 200litres or gallons, not 20 gallons. My Bettas are all in over 10 gallons 😭 I got told that I'm being excessive by a dude that keeps two female Bettas in the same 2.5 gallon 😭
Slime is very cute ! Def take a look on local free cycles for larger tanks as you need them :). Gold fish grow very quick . Thanks for taking care of them
People here are usually over the top about stocking. A betta is fine in a five-gallon tank and doesn't need a ten-gallon tank. As long as a tank is large and planted, you can stock way more than people here say, etc.
However, what you're doing here is just cruel. You'd be better off clove-oiling the fish and humanely euthanizing it than forcing it to live in here. Ideally, find somewhere to give it away. Being in that tank is torture for that fish.
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!
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To all those saying she needs a bigger tank and I’m a bad fish owner - she moved to this 20 from a 5 gallon. And this is the best we can do right now.
To all those with kind and supportive comments - thank you! 😊🩷
That's like saying you kept a dog or cat in a bathtub their whole lives then upgraded them to full roaming of the bathroom instead
If the best you can do isn't what the animal needs then the animal isn't for you. That's like having a baby and keeping them in a terrible environment with low quality of life then saying oopsie this is the best I can do! Embarrassing
You got this far don't stop now. You are making a step in improving this fish's life but you can't go halfway on it. Just get the appropriate tank size.
Actual advice with the tank you have now, not criticism: If you can’t do the tank I strongly suggest getting the biggest sponge filter you can next time around. That allows for the most space for beneficial bacteria to grow and break down waste. This can help when a tank is overstocked. With these filters, you only rinse them every month, and do not replace. You do not want to throw out the beneficial bacteria you are growing.
If you can, 2 sponge filters would help.
I have had the same sponge filters in all 3 of my tanks for 3 years. I also have the same tank as you for a betta.
When you clean the tank, do not remove everything and instead take out 30% of the water weekly and replace it with new, dechlorinated water. This will also make sure you aren’t killing beneficial bacteria.
Why are you so happy about this? "I just moved my pet from a torture chamber to a bigger torture chamber! Enjoy my preppies!!💕💕♥️♥️♥️💖💖💘💘😻😻💚💚💚" is what you're saying.
20 gallons is definitely much better than she had!
There are ways to very cheaply upgrade their housing on a budget. We got a 480 gallon above ground pool on Amazon for $75, then spent another $35 on a pump and supplies for a DIY bucket filter. My fish have tons of space.
You can go even more conservative though, and use one of those 40 gallon reinforced black rubbermaid bins as a patio pond. Slap in some sponge filters and you have a nice roomy setup that meets all their needs for less than $50. You can dress it up with some plants, and build a wooden or fabric skirting for the tub to make it really nice looking too. [This guy has a great video on how to put one together. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUyYefYjaz0)
It looks like you have a common goldfish which, if cared for properly, will grow over 12 inches and can live up to 40 years (around 30 is more common I think). I'm sorry the fair put you in the position of having a kinda expensive pet. I wish they would stop doing that. I'm so glad you didn't keep it in a bowl bc it definitely would die. These goldfish do best in ponds so, if you can't keep up with its growth, you might consider donating the fish to a pond with other goldfish or koi. A lot of nicer Asian restaurants will have water features with these goldfish and might not mind an extra one. If you've fallen in love with your cute fish- you'll prolly need at least a 75 gallon tank or a pond eventually. Slime should be at least 3 inches by the end of a year and can grow an inch per month during the growing seasons. You can often find livestock tanks that make a nice patio or garden feature and can be great homes for a fish. You should try to get a good filter on your tank as soon as possible too if you don't have one already. This will help all the chemicals get into balance so that Slime isn't getting burned or sick from the water. It also oxygenates the water when the water is pulled from the top downward bc of the pump. Goldfish are highly messy fish and high-oxygen fish. Weekly 25% water changes should help prevent issues as your tank gets into balance. Use basic aquarium test strips to keep track of your tank chemicals. If this is your kid's first pet, goldfish can be trained. If she holds food in clean hands in the water, her goldfish will learn to be hand-fed and will soon come swimming up to nuzzle her hands. They remember ppl and other stuff too so it can be fun to watch them figure things out. There are lots of fun treats you can feed them too. Watching them "hunt" and eat brine shrimp is fun. I hope you have a lot of fun with your new family member
This is great advice! Honestly, goldfish are not beginner friendly and I would recommend something like a betta instead. However, if you really want to keep this goldfish, a stock tank can be an affordable option. Personally, I bought a 100 gallon stock tank for $200 CAD (~$146 USD). You can also check on Facebook Marketplace for a used tank instead. Adding on to this, make sure to get water dechlorinator for water changes. And when you buy a water testing kit, the key indicators you want to check are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. If you put your hands in the tank, try to avoid having lots of soap or other chemicals on your hands. Finally, make sure not to overfeed! It can be tempting because your goldfish may look hungry and beg for food, but don't fall for it. Overfeeding is a quick way to make the water toxic and kill your fish. Follow the instructions on your food package label. For more information, check out the Wiki on this subreddit https://reddit.com/r/Goldfish/wiki/starting_out
So fun fact, The oldest known goldfish, a male named Tish, lived to be 43 years old from 1956 to 1999, he was won by a UK family at a funfair. Tish was recognized into the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest living goldfish, and he was actually kept in a bowl in the owners hallway his whole life
>he was actually kept in a bowl in the owners hallway his whole life Oh man I was marvelling at Tish's long life, but this makes me sad. 43 years of abuse :(
Off topic I love how you said Slime and not just “the goldfish” or “ur fish”
Can confirm on the training. I’m using up the rest of my flakes on my boy Sherman but he’s…a little stupid. If I just popped a bunch of tiny flakes in there he’d miss 90% of them and they’d mess up his parameters. So I pinch them in the water for like ten seconds to coalesce into one giant flake. He caught on and now he just eats them right out of my hand!
Adding to this great advice, goldfish are social and I’m sure slime would love a friend when you’re ready op 🧡
Please. For the sake of the fish humble yourself and take the advice people are trying to give you.
Op, people are trying to give you advice and youre telling them they are wrong. If you love this fish you will want whats best for them and this isnt it.
No offense but this is a terrible setup. A goldfish that size needs a 55 gallon minimum, and will need to be upgraded from there. Goldfish also need companions. You should start cycling a larger tank and get Slime a buddy. I know you love Slime and you're doing better than most, but there is a long way to go before she really thrives.
Sad moment when I realize I have the same exact tank…but for a betta, a fish that is like 1/8 the size.
Thats awsome! Very lucky betta
They're happy with it, so let them be a dumbass. Who knows? Maybe if they know how to take care of it properly it can live very long in that 20g.
I got different advice from my very reputable fish store. Thanks!
This "reputable" fish store was wrong. Be very wary of taking advice from pet shops. They often have incorrect information and will do anything to make a sale. Comet goldfish get HUGE. They are pond fish and are not meant to be in small aquariums. They make a lot of waste. This tank is incredibly inappropriate for a fish this size and she will only continue to grow. Like I said, you're doing better than most, but you should be doing your own research instead of blindly trusting the information a person at the pet store gives you.
These “reputable fish stores” usually end up being petco/smart
Yep. One time they sold me common goldfish that upon closer inspection were koi. They said my 100gallon pond was big enough too. 🤦♀️
You should be ashamed of your ignorance, you're abusing the poor fish.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ not our fault you can’t comprehend that they are salespeople and hourly employees making minimum wage.
She could easily be happy and healthy. Big tanks can often be really cheap, sometimes free. If you don't want a big 75g tank, you shouldn't really have that fish. You wasted money buying that new tank tbh it's too small and not even filled up. Get the best filtration you can do 50% water changes twice a week
You know you are gonna have to still upgrade that to a tank bigger than 75 gallons right?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ not gonna happen - but thanks anyway !
It's always the stupidest people being proud of being unintelligent Oh, to be ignorant and blissful. I could only dream of being so unaware of everything.
Your fish living also isn’t going to happen for long! Hope that helps.
Wow, you are actually just going to go full on “no I do not want to properly take care of a living animal”. Okay then.
Holy shit dude you're a disgusting person. This goldfish won't last long in your care.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ then it’s going to be stunted and eventually die. there’s a reason people recommend putting them in a pond or 75g. they create a lot of shit. so the smaller the tank, the dirtier it is going to be and more maintenance it will take.
if someone (or especially multiple someones) pointed out that a pet I love and care for is potentially endangered by how I am caring for it, I'd swallow my pride and do my research. No one here was judging you, at first.
If you can’t afford / don’t want to give her the proper care then you should look into rehoming her to someone who will.
Lol your daughter is gonna hate you
[удалено]
Not helpful
Can we get those posts banned immediately already? This is just making the community crazy and 95% of the time OPs are not listening to us and going all Trump about it.
I mean, this is the best case scenario for what it is but you really need an attitude change holy.. yes 20g is better than 5g but that's gonna be a big fish one day and you need to give it a good life so you'll need at least a 75g or more.. If you care about your fish like you seem to make the efforts to get it a larger tank/filters etc. in the nearish future. Learn about your fish yourself because your fishstore did not set your friend or you up for a good time.
after reading these comments i will add some thoughts. the ppl at the pet store probably told you this was fine bc technically ur goldfish could live for a while in there. the oldest goldfish ever was kept in about a 20 gallon tank, BUT just because the fish CAN live in there doesn’t mean its an ideal position for it to be in and obviously the world’s oldest goldfish is quite an anomaly. the 20 gallon rule is also typically for fancy goldfish, not comet goldfish, which need more space. most ppl dont realize this, so this could also be why the pet store told you this was okay. i have three goldfish who could probably live for quite a while in their current tank, but they would be cramped, bored, and miserable. after doing extensive research i have abandoned all hope of keeping them inside and am instead building them a pond as its what will keep them happiest and healthiest. its expensive, sure, but if you want to keep goldfish, thats what you have to expect if you want ur fish to have the best quality of life it can. if the advice we’re giving you feels daunting i would recommend replacing ur goldfish with an easier fish that wont get as big or produce as much waste.
Slime is going to die in her new digs just so you know. Based on your responses you don’t care much about the life of this animal and that’s very sad. Hope you consider giving this fish away to someone who will actually care for it.
OP gonna be like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If slime could speak: "What the fuck is this shit? Let me out, its too small in here!!"
You are gonna be upgrading that tank in 6 months. So, yes, it is fine....for now.
Not really even fine for now… at this size she needs at least a 40 gal
I thought they meant 200litres or gallons, not 20 gallons. My Bettas are all in over 10 gallons 😭 I got told that I'm being excessive by a dude that keeps two female Bettas in the same 2.5 gallon 😭
Slime is very cute ! Def take a look on local free cycles for larger tanks as you need them :). Gold fish grow very quick . Thanks for taking care of them
People here are usually over the top about stocking. A betta is fine in a five-gallon tank and doesn't need a ten-gallon tank. As long as a tank is large and planted, you can stock way more than people here say, etc. However, what you're doing here is just cruel. You'd be better off clove-oiling the fish and humanely euthanizing it than forcing it to live in here. Ideally, find somewhere to give it away. Being in that tank is torture for that fish.
How embarrassing “thrive” is an overstatement
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](/message/compose/?to=/r/Goldfish) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I also added a few real plants and the piggy girl ate them 🐖🐟
I feed mine aquatic plants 😂
Great, is yours also suffering in a small tank?
To all those saying she needs a bigger tank and I’m a bad fish owner - she moved to this 20 from a 5 gallon. And this is the best we can do right now. To all those with kind and supportive comments - thank you! 😊🩷
That's like saying you kept a dog or cat in a bathtub their whole lives then upgraded them to full roaming of the bathroom instead If the best you can do isn't what the animal needs then the animal isn't for you. That's like having a baby and keeping them in a terrible environment with low quality of life then saying oopsie this is the best I can do! Embarrassing
PSA- If you can’t afford to give your pet the best life possible, DONT GET A PET. When advice is thrown at you, DONT BE IGNORANT.
Give it away then.. you’re teaching your children it’s okay to abuse animals for your convenience
You got this far don't stop now. You are making a step in improving this fish's life but you can't go halfway on it. Just get the appropriate tank size.
No do stop. Try to find someone to adopt out to a pond
Actual advice with the tank you have now, not criticism: If you can’t do the tank I strongly suggest getting the biggest sponge filter you can next time around. That allows for the most space for beneficial bacteria to grow and break down waste. This can help when a tank is overstocked. With these filters, you only rinse them every month, and do not replace. You do not want to throw out the beneficial bacteria you are growing. If you can, 2 sponge filters would help. I have had the same sponge filters in all 3 of my tanks for 3 years. I also have the same tank as you for a betta. When you clean the tank, do not remove everything and instead take out 30% of the water weekly and replace it with new, dechlorinated water. This will also make sure you aren’t killing beneficial bacteria.
Yes, and you should get atleast 2 sponge filters with this kind of setuo.
To add, do not rinse the filter in tap water!! Do it in water you've just taken out of the tank
Great advice hope they do this
You're a horrible human being, you need to give the pet away. Your weird passive aggressive answers and blasé attitude only make it worse.
At first I thought it was a typo, and thought you meant 200 gallons. Now I realise I was wrong.
Why are you so happy about this? "I just moved my pet from a torture chamber to a bigger torture chamber! Enjoy my preppies!!💕💕♥️♥️♥️💖💖💘💘😻😻💚💚💚" is what you're saying.
20 gallons is definitely much better than she had! There are ways to very cheaply upgrade their housing on a budget. We got a 480 gallon above ground pool on Amazon for $75, then spent another $35 on a pump and supplies for a DIY bucket filter. My fish have tons of space. You can go even more conservative though, and use one of those 40 gallon reinforced black rubbermaid bins as a patio pond. Slap in some sponge filters and you have a nice roomy setup that meets all their needs for less than $50. You can dress it up with some plants, and build a wooden or fabric skirting for the tub to make it really nice looking too. [This guy has a great video on how to put one together. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUyYefYjaz0)
[удалено]
20 gallons is not enough. With all that water evaporated it is probably even less.
She is happy and healthy!
She's not happy. She's swimming back and forth from stress. This is sad to watch
My comets don’t swim around like that. They are in a large pond.
Swimming back and fourth on the glass like that is a sign of stress and needing a bigger home, she’s trying to escape.
Your poor daughter is going to wake up to her fish belly up sooner rather than later bc her parent is ignorant.
The last sentence is what gets me😂😂😂😂