# Tank size for a Common Goldfish



## Paradise fish (Aug 27, 2017)

Let's say that your summers are way too hot and winters are below 0 (or your local laws prevent you from making a pond), but still want to keep a nice pond type goldfish. How big should your indoor aquarium be? I'm hearing the most crazy extremes for what tank size I should keep for a slim-bodied goldfish (common, comet, shubunkin, wakin). NOT koi. I want to know what your opinions on. And DON'T SAY A POND without specifying the gallons and the filtration method, because I can easily just bury a five gallon bucket in the ground and call it "a pond". 

Many people seems to have a mentality that "whatever they think they should keep goldfish in is too small, and whoever says the most amount of gallons per fish is the smartest." This lead to me getting answers anywhere from 125 gallons for a single fish to 600 gallons. I'm sure no one in their common sense would only add a single 8" fish to a 125 gallon aquarium. The only information I could find online says somewhere between 30 to 40 gallons per fish, or 10 to 20 gallons for each additional fish. 

Tell me what you think is the correct water volumn for a single slim-bodied goldfish. I'll tally the results.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Try running a couple of different scenarios on AqAdvisor, http://www.aqadvisor.com/ You will have to choose a tank size and filter first, then select goldfish from the species list and add the number you want to keep.


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

40 Gallons MINIMUM,
every other goldfish add 10 to 20 gallons yes.


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## GoldfishOnly (Mar 5, 2018)

Paradise fish said:


> Let's say that your summers are way too hot and winters are below 0 (or your local laws prevent you from making a pond), but still want to keep a nice pond type goldfish. How big should your indoor aquarium be? I'm hearing the most crazy extremes for what tank size I should keep for a slim-bodied goldfish (common, comet, shubunkin, wakin). NOT koi. I want to know what your opinions on. And DON'T SAY A POND without specifying the gallons and the filtration method, because I can easily just bury a five gallon bucket in the ground and call it "a pond".
> 
> Many people seems to have a mentality that "whatever they think they should keep goldfish in is too small, and whoever says the most amount of gallons per fish is the smartest." This lead to me getting answers anywhere from 125 gallons for a single fish to 600 gallons. I'm sure no one in their common sense would only add a single 8" fish to a 125 gallon aquarium. The only information I could find online says somewhere between 30 to 40 gallons per fish, or 10 to 20 gallons for each additional fish.
> 
> Tell me what you think is the correct water volumn for a single slim-bodied goldfish. I'll tally the results.


First of all, here is a link to the Goldfish Council's description of the Hibuna (Common) Goldfish. https://thegoldfishcouncil.org/2016/09/hibuna/ They typically do NOT reach two feet long as you were erroneously told on another site. In small, backyard ponds, 6-9 inches total length, that's nose to tip of tail is a reasonable expectation. In order to grow them to that size in an aquarium, duplicating pond water quality is what you want to do.

In my opinion from decades of experience keeping Goldfish in ponds and aquariums, if you want to do right by a Common Goldfish and remain sensible, treat one like typical, informed Oscar keepers keep their (big, messy, bulky) fish in aquariums. Either people keep fish in aquariums or they don't. To say a Common Goldfish needs a pond but an Oscar does not is *ridiculous.* it's false. It's not nice. It's the short, lazy, uneducated answer, usually given by people without experience and usually not n a nice way. So, my answer is a minimum of 75 gallons with ample surface area to volume/depth ratio (48x18x20" of water) and with good filtration and weekly, large water changes for one Common Goldfish is very responsible.

Common Goldfish are actually more able to take stronger filtration current and turnover than Fancy Goldfish who typically struggle to adapt to strong currents. Fancy Goldfish, per inch are typically two times heavier than Common Goldfish. Fancy Goldfish in their countries of origin are also raised in ponds. They are NOT more or less suited to the proper aquarium than Common Goldfish. If a Common Goldfish is "stunted" by keeping it in an aquarium, so is a Fancy Goldfish. By the way, Fancy Goldfish typically reach 6" of body length in aquariums and can grow larger than that. A typical, 6" Fancy Goldfish is about as "large" (as in biomass) as a 14" (body plus tail) Common Goldfish. Again, refer to the Goldfish Council website vs. relying on opinions from people who keep tetras and answer goldfish questions on FishLore.

I'm sorry for the bad advice you've gotten. We've all been there.


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

GoldfishOnly said:


> _Either people keep fish in aquariums or they don't. To say a Common Goldfish needs a pond but an Oscar does not is *ridiculous.* it's false. It's not nice. It's the short, lazy, uneducated answer, usually given by people without experience and usually not n a nice way. _
> 
> Again, refer to the Goldfish Council website vs. relying on opinions from people who keep tetras and answer goldfish questions on FishLore.
> 
> I'm sorry for the bad advice you've gotten. We've all been there.


I *totally agree* with you on the fishlore thing, Fishlore is the cesspool for misinformation. Its like the Completely generic type of fish forum, comparable greatly to mcdonalds being a fancy restaurant.

But i wanted to ask you about the slanted text, what do you mean by that? just curious i didn't understand it  
If i understood it properly here is my reply:
Common goldfish are in no way similar to Oscars, other than relative size, they share no common grounds. (and I'm not getting into Scientifics) Reason goldfish are the generic go to pond fish, is because its such an open stereotypical setting for them, to be in a pond. When you say Oscar, there's most likely under 100 people in the entire US who have them in a pond, maybe even under 50 people, and I'm counting the ones that are well kept and in proper conditions.
Oscars unlike goldfish need more maintenance, and more Detailed care, not saying the goldfish couldn't benefit from those things, but I'm going by the "durability" of the fish, aka the "bottom line." Oscars require 75f+ temperature since they are deemed "tropical" fish, and goldfish are Way more flexible, going all the way down to the 40f's! And possible even 30's! (from experience [temperature])


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Goldfishonly, welcome to APC!

I love goldfish, especially Shubunkins. Although mine are in ponds your advice about aquaria is excellent. And thanks for the link, I hadn't come across that site before.


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## FromReefs2Plants (Aug 14, 2017)

I built a pond for my parents here in FL. Its about 450 gallons and has 9 goldfish in it. Started with 6 but the goldfish have spawned. I assume most didn't make it. Many plants are in it as well and the water is clear and is of good quality.

If I was creating an indoor goldfish tank I would go with a 40gb or as 75g tank. Indoor you can control the environment much easier and leafs and other crap doesn't fall/get blown into your tank!


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

A 40 breeder would be great for a few. Keeping the water clean with wc is going too be super important, but other then that you should be fine. Bigger would be better, but it's not just about volume, foot print is more important. Example a 55 g is not a good tank as they are very tall and narrow.


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