Goldfish Tank Setup

[millimurphy]

Happened to be browsing the other day and saw the topic on goldfish tank size. I measured my tank and found it to be woefully small for the two fancy goldfish I adopted some years ago :(. It has a mere 35 litre capacity. I was (and still am) ashamed of myself and later on that day ordered a 200 litre tank that should be a better size.

I should have done some proper research when I adopted them. They were originally in a large bowl and I thought I had done well to put them in a tank with a filter and light, decorated with plants and wood.

But their new home should arrive soon - how do I make it a lovely place for goldfish to live in? What would be the best type of gravel, plants and tank decor for them? They are fed flakes at the moment - would any other type of food be better? Feel awful as they have been in this small tank for quite a while now. I just want happy goldfish - any ideas?

Woohoo! They will love you for the rest of their days for giving them such a nice home

Pea gravel or river sand are good for goldfish. They like to dig around so you don't want any stones that are big enough to get stuck in their mouth or with sharp edges that might hurt them. You can use play sand if you want a cheap option although you need to stir it with a stick at every water change to stop patches of anaerobic bacteria forming.

Goldfish are buggers for eating plants, you could try getting an onion plant or some java fern growing on a piece of wood. Everything else is liable to get dug up or eaten or both!

Sinking pellets are a good option for fancy goldfish, they don't take in too much air then when they are eating them. You can also supplement with fresh veg (blanch it first and remove any skins etc from peas and beans). Mine used to love romaine lettuce.

Hope your goldies enjoy their new home :)