So you’ve learned that goldfish cannot live in bowls and have to have a tank to be happy and live out their full lifespan. After all, they DO get bored and actually have a much longer memory than what most people assume.The question arises: what size of tank do goldfish need?  Glass aquariums come in many shapes and sizes, and it can get overwhelming trying to figure out which one would be best for you and especially your fish.  Here is a helpful guide to selecting which tank size you should get. The Secrets to a Healthy Goldfish RevealedLearn how to keep your goldfish alive and thriving using the only complete, accurate goldfish manual available today – The Truth About Goldfish.Yes, absolutely!  Goldfish can’t live a normal life in small containers – they need their elbow room, too!  Just as a person wouldn’t do well cramped up in a tiny closet their entire life, a goldfish won’t either.  Most people are surprised when they learn for the first time how big goldfish can get.  

Fancy goldfish (the kind with the split or “double tail”) can easily reach 6 to 8 inches in length. Single tail varieties (such as the common, comet, shubunkin and wakin) will more than double that, which is why those kinds do best in a tank size of over 100 gallons or, ideally, a pond.  If you want to promote healthy goldfish growth, your fish will need some space.  You cannot have a tank that is too big when it comes to goldfish keeping.  The bigger, the better… especially from your fish’s perspective.Contrary to popular belief, larger tanks are actually less work than smaller tanks.  You see, the water in a small tank gets dirty much faster than the water in a big tank, which means that you will need to do more frequent water changes with a small tank.  Goldfish are constantly producing a toxin called ammonia, which is very dangerous in small amounts and deadly in larger amounts.Doing water changes is the only way to keep your tank from getting polluted, and water changes comprise the majority of the “grunt work” when it comes to goldfish keeping, as you will quickly discover if you haven’t already.  

So please don’t be intimidated by the thought of having a larger tank, if you are used to small ones.  Your fish will thank you for it.Many of you reading this may not be following this rule.  I certainly didn’t, when I was first learning how to keep goldfish.  best shark for a fish tankAs a goldfish enthusiast, I wanted almost every goldfish I saw, and bought almost every goldfish I wanted, and ended up owning 8 fancies at once.  best fish tank lightThis resulted in disaster for my 10 gallon aquarium.  fish tank store bostonI couldn’t keep the ammonia under control and could never do enough water changes to keep up with the waste load that was being placed on my filter.  55 gallon fish tank worth

Worst of all, my fish were constantly sick and dying off.  But because I (selfishly) loved goldfish so much, I didn’t want to cut down my collecting habits to accommodate my tank size.  I had to learn my lesson the hard way when I lost ALL of my goldfish one by one until none were left, which was unfair to them and stressful and depressing for me.  55 gallon fish tank metal standPlease, don’t make the same mistakes I did!  6 foot fish tank and standI know that sounds dramatic, but it really is a life or death issue for your fish.Do things right the first time and follow The Golden Goldfish Rule.If you aren’t following the stocking rule, start.  Spend the money and get a larger tank for your fish if they are overstocked.  If you can’t afford it or don’t have room for a larger tank, consider taking back some of your fish or give them to someone who has the space.  

Sometimes you have to make a tough decision for the greater good of the collection.*Sigh* the great matters we have to weigh as goldfish owners.There you have it, folks.  Remember that your goldfish will thank you for giving them enough room and will reward you by growing big and strong and healthy.Best of all, you will not be stressed out worrying about why your fish are always sick or fighting.  You are actually doing yourself a favor when you do them the favor of getting them a big home.I’d like to hear your thoughts on goldfish tank size!  Feel free to leave YOUR comment below.And you really should check out our new book, The Truth About Goldfish. It contains everything you will ever need to know about goldfish keeping and more to make sure your fish stay healthy and thriving.It’s the labor of over 10 years of research and experience and a sure-fire way to make sure you do things right the first time (who wants to learn the hard way, right?!). The Secrets to a Healthy Goldfish RevealedLearn how to keep your goldfish alive and thriving using the only complete, accurate goldfish manual available today – The Truth About Goldfish.

What's the best canister filter for a 55 gallon tank? What's the best canister filter for a 55 gallon tank? I was thinking on getting a 55 gallon with my hard-earned money. I was thinking about fluval brand. if this helps, im putting these fish in the tank, 1x ram cichlid, 6 neon tetras, 4 albino cories, 5 pangio kuhlis, 5 black kuhli loaches, 1 bristlenose pleco, 7 shrimp, 6 guppies and live plants. i wanted the substrate to be sand. Posted on General Freshwater Questions I have been researching canister filters as well for my 75 gallon cichlid aquarium project. I will give you some info that I have found. If you are talking brands, Fluval is a good brand. They are slightly cheaper than some of the other brands, but still very efficient. They are a little noisier than some of the more expensive brands. Eheim and Marineland are other good brands. Its always good to oversize your filter. You want to make sure you have enough gallons per hour turnover for your aquarium.

It goes something like this: 5 times the amount of gallons. So for a 55g aquarium, you want a flow output of 275 gallons of water per hour. In order to achieve a higher gph flow, you may need to add another smaller HOB filter. Sometimes for large, carnivorous, messy or delicate fish, it's better to have 8-10x gph or in some cases even 15x gph for the aquarium size. But for the types of fish you are choosing, 5-8x should be sufficient. Hope this helps and good luck! Thanks man I appreciate your help! On black Friday I got a fluval 306 canister filter for only $80! I also heard marineland is a good brand( a friend of mine told m that)That's a pretty good deal. all of my tanks run with canister filter.i am a big fan of canisters. since i am a big fan of eheim brand so for your 55 gallon you can use eheim 2217.also fluval is a good brand. @amneris,for your 76 gallon cichlid tank,you can use eheim 2217. in my 70 gallon blackwater tank i use eheim 2215 and tetra expower 120,which is equivalent to eheim professional 3.