Our goldfish is possibly a whale in disguise...how big is too big?

[WimpleOfTheBallet]

He's enormous! We bought him around a year ago from Pets at Home...with a little tank complte with filter/pump and since then he's just grown massive.

Not sure what a goldfish should be size wise but I think he's too big for his little tank now and they're expensive!

How do I know if he IS too big? His tank is a 10 litre one I think....he looks to be about 6 inches nose to end of tail...he aso want to eat constantly...freaks out as you pass..but I read only to feed them once a day!

Also I think he ate Mr. Snail recently as he is nowhere to be seen.

Goldfish grow to a foot if their tank is big enough. They are a pond fish. I would say 40 litre tank is the minimum to be fair. If the tank is too small then their internal organs keep growing but their body doesn't, which eventually kills them :(

Eeew....I just measured him and he's actually only almost 4 inches....so not too bad...should I buy a bigger tank?

a 10 litre tank is tiny, and I think pets at home were very, very irresponsible to sell you a goldfish with such a tiny tank

i think general rule of thumb is 1cm of fish per litre (maximum) tho i don't know if that is different for goldfish as i think they're quite dirty fish (or so i've heard)

basically, you need the biggest tank you can afford/get tbh because a goldfish will grow very, very big

so yes, at 4 inches he is too big for his tank really.

have a look on ebay and see what you can get.
I picked up a 3ft (108 litre) tank on there for £26

Oh bugger. I KNEW it. He's had a growth spurt I think...it's only lately he's looke a bit cramped...so how big do I need to go?

you need Eaurouge, she is our resident fish expert

Evening

Yes, 10 litres is far too small, goldfish do not grow to the size of their tank as you have discovered! Common goldfish, comets and shubunkins can get to around 10 inches long so they are better off in ponds (wait til it gets warmer before you transfer him though). Fancy goldfish can't survive in ponds, they are slightly smaller than common goldies but still need loads of room. 30 gallons (approx 130 litres) is the minimum I would consider for a single fancy goldfish. They poo like mad so they need a massive filter too.

Have a read of this. Freecycle is a good place to get a free tank and there are always loads on ebay too.

He DOES poo like a trooper! I dont think he's fancy...just basic. I've had a look n Freecycle....think we're going to have to donate him to he neighbours pond once winters' over if they want him! We don't have space for a big tank and it already feels like there's a trout looking at me everytime I come in the room!

He's just too BIG AND FISHY now!

Thanks for the advice

my gold fish is 16.6 years old and it big too

Hi

I have also got a large fish (leave it!) and was wondering which brand of tank you would recommend for it. He is in the smallest LAC one at the moment, which is only 20L. 130L sounds massive for one fish??? I'd be grateful to any pointers re new tank.

There's no one brand of tank that's better really, although ones with built in filters like the Juwel ones are generally no good for goldfish because they can't cope with the amount of waste. Don't worry about brand new, second hand tanks are fine as long as they don't leak and you could probably pick up somthing suitable for about £30. Save your money for the filter- you'd need a big external filter like an Eheim to keep the water in good condition.

If your goldfish is in a 20 litre then I doubt very much that he's fully grown, giving him another tank would give him the space. They can become stunted in tanks that are too small which causes all sorts of health problems.

Here are some pics of fully grown goldfish- Fancy goldfish. Common goldfish usually get to around 8-10 inches long.

Bugger, I meant to post this one as well. They don't all get this big but you never know .

Eaurouge....if you're still around, do goldfish need a flat rock on which to sleep?

Er.... nope, that's the first time I've heard that one! If they are sinking to the bottom then that's a sign of buoyancy problems.

He's not sinking! I just have some memory of that...some factoid about them liking a flat rock! Obviously nonsense!