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.  As 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 tanks for goldfishThis resulted in disaster for my 10 gallon aquarium.  betta fish tank heater petcoI 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.  fish tank vacuum pump petco

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.  betta fish tank levelsPlease, don’t make the same mistakes I did!  glass fish tank outsideI know that sounds dramatic, but it really is a life or death issue for your fish.acrylic fish tanks cape townDo 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.For a start, it is a common mistake to assume a smaller tank such as a 10 gallon aquarium is easier to maintain than a bigger tank. In fact, maintaining a smaller tank is much harder due to the need to do more frequent water change. But if you do decide to start a 10 gallon aquarium, then you should know the best fish for your small tank. You should know what does a 10-gallon tank represent in the fish-keeping world? It is among the smallest and therefore not recommended to beginner aquarists, mainly because it is more difficult to maintain in terms of proper filtration, water change, and generally keeping everything in good shape. One of the reason a 10 gallon aquarium is not recommended to beginner is they often make big mistakes when deciding what fish to stock into such a confining aquarium, especially if considering a mixed species community.

Thus, if you are a beginner, the first thing to do is stop being a beginner and do some research on your favorite fish. It is quite an easy thing to do nowadays with the global Internet. Only then should you go to the store, confident of your knowledge and decisions. If you are a beginner, you should read this post: 10 low maintenance fish for beginners There are three main things you should be aware of when it comes to fish you choose: That said, you can’t keep two species comfortable with significantly different water conditions or a highly peaceful fish with an aggressive or territorial one (goes for any size of the aquarium). And, of course, you can’t stock fish that are simply too large for a ten-gallon aquarium such as Angelfish, Gourami, African Cichlid, or Bela Shark. Nevertheless, volume of the tank is not all that matters; there are dimensions of the aquarium that should also be considered. For example, the famous “inch per gallon rule” suggests stocking one inch of the adult fish per one-gallon of water.

That sounds like nice and simple solution, but needs to be accepted with great care. For example, you may go to your friend’s and find his school of black skirt tetras very amusing making you want to set-up your own school, but you have a ten-gallon tank. Since adult black skirt tetras reaches two inches in length at most, the inch per gallon rule would suggest putting five black skirt tetras in your aquarium; however, a thorough research of the fish explains they need at least six of their own kind in the tank and, since they are very good swimmers, nothing less than 24 inches long. Hence, it is obvious they have no business in your ten-gallon tank. A good start would definitely be stocking some Tetra fish, such as Cardinal tetra, Glowlight, or Neon tetra. As far as sizes and space requirement of these fish, they are ideal ten-gallon tank mates. They are all relatively inactive swimmers, so they don’t require much space and are small and peaceful fish.

The only thing they don’t quite agree about is water temperature. While neon prefer 68° to 78°Fahrenheit, glowlight, and especially cardinals, like slightly warmer water (74° to 80°F). Yet this is not an obstacle since you can maintain the temperature at both sides, such as maintaining a temperature of 75° to 76°Fahrenheit. They are tolerant towards other species of fish, but can get nippy toward each other when stressed, so keep them in a larger school. Related post: Types of Tetra fish Another fish you have to think about is the Dwarf Corydoras. Dwarf Corydoras, or catfish, are interesting bottom-feeding species that get along with all peaceful tank mates, but should be kept in schools of six or more of its own. They are also very useful as tank bottom cleaners because they will pick up virtually everything that falls down to the bottom of the tank. Even so, you should occasionally provide them with some sinking pellets to be sure they get all the nutrients they need.

Related post: Types of Corydoras The next option is the Sparkling Gourami, a small fish growing to 1.5 inches in length suitable for small densely planted tanks with lots of hiding places. Due to their colorful look, they can be a great addition for a creatively set aquarium. Although they can be quite shy sometimes, if kept away from aggressive fish they can be very sociable. Another small vividly colored fish from the rank of livebearers that can be fun to watch in your aquarium is the Guppy. They come in a variety of different color alternatives, so there is much space for you to be creative when choosing from these fish. Unlike Neon Tetras and similar, guppies are very active swimmers in the top third of the aquarium, so that segment of the tank should not be heavily planted. If kept with proper tank mates, the aggressive fish species known as the Japanese Fighting fish or Betta can do very well in your ten-gallon tank. However, this will only work if kept with peaceful species such as White Cloud Mountain Minnows, Corydoras, Ember Tetra, Harlequin Rasboras or the like, this brightly colored fish, with the most magical looking fins can be rather entertaining and a trouble-free option.