Goldfish Help!

[Bloop]

So, my neighbour moved and gave me his goldfish because he moved across the country.. they are in a bowl and I know that isn't right.. but I have never had goldfish before..

What do I do with them?? How much is it going to cost? And how do I know if they are healthy?

I know nothing about goldfish and would really appreciate your help.

[exv152]

How many do you have, and what's the size of the bowl?

[Darth]

it is going to depend on what kind of goldfish they are, they can be kept at room temp so need for a heater, but I  would suggest a filter and moving them to a tank as opposed to a bowl or perhaps adopting it out to someone who keeps goldfish

[Bloop]

2 goldfish, 1 inch each in a 2L bowl. I have a floating thermometer and they are usually at the bottom of the green area. They are very active and eat well so I think they are pretty healthy. I am just concerned that I wouldn't know if they were in distress.

My mother in law has a 20G tank in her basement. If I were to get that, clean and cycle it would that be big enough for them or too big?
Is there such thing as too big?
What temperature should the thermometer read at?
Is there something better for goldfish than goldfish pellets?
My 2 kids love the goldfish so I would like to try taking care of them.

[Sandy]

If you can get that tank asap that would be great. Goldfish will not survive very long in a bowl. Their water needs to be circulated to be able to breath. They also need cycled water same as other fish. I always still recommend a heater in their tank, even though they like cooler water, just to keep the temperature steady again like other fish flucuations in temp isn't good. A good food for goldfish is a sinking type pellet or if you feed flakes, take a pinch and submerge it in the water between your finger so it will sink. Feeding alot from the surface may cause them to bloat and get a condition called swm bladder especially if they are large bodied guys like fantails or orandas. A treat they really like is frozen peas, blanch them and sqeeze out the pea from skin and feed the inside part of pea to them.
Good Luck and enjoy them
Sandy
P.S No such thing as too big for goldfish, they will get very large

[dpatte]

so NO need for a heater

they can be kept at room temp so need for a heater,

[exv152]

The 20 gal would be ideal. With goldfish all you need is a filter & air pump, no need for a heater. If you're concerned about distress I would look for obvious changes in behaviour, hiding, not eating etc. As for food, pellets are probably better but qutie frankly they're pigs when it comes to eating.

[Darth]

so NO need for a heater

thanks LOL I did mean no need  yes goldfish eat anything but as pointed out above stay away from floating food great advice so far

[lucius]

I have three in a 30 gallon overfiltered with an AC 300.  My goldfish love the sinking pellets and they are constantly sifting through the gravel to get to them.  It's very fun to watch.  I also feed them goldfish flakes and crisps.

[Fishnut]

Yikes!  Poor things!  Glad to hear you're getting them into something bigger. 

Get the 29 gallon up and running because it's free and it'll buy you some time.  When you set it up, double the filtration for the tank because goldfish are prolific waste producers. 

Then start looking for the upgrade from the 20 gallon.  Although it will but you some time, it's not going to buy you much time.

To give you an example on how big goldfish can get, I have 2 of them in my 180 gallon with my koi (they go outside in the pond in warm weather).  Each goldfish is 6" in the body and an additional 4-5 inches in flowy tail.  I've seen bigger goldfish, so the more space you can provide, the better.  If you don't think you will be able to provide the space for the fish, perhaps consider finding them a new home with someone with a pond.

[Nerine]

Glad you are able to care for them

and yep, I've seen Fishnut's goldfish...they make that tank look like a small tank

I used to keep 2 fancy goldfish in a 55 gallon, they were quite happy in it, but they were the only two fish!

[Bloop]

What are crisps?

[lucius]

They are type of fish food shaped like thin wafers.

[Fishnut]

That's good food!

I also wanted to mention that goldfish do not need a heater.  Yes, temperature fluctuations are bad but our houses are kept at a constant temperature and usually fluctuating much.  My house is set to 22 degrees.  When it gets warmer outside, the house gets warm slowly, then we put the AC on before it gets really hot.  Slow occasional/seasonal temperature changes like that are not bad as long as they're slow and infrequent.  Fish go through these in nature, no matter where they're from.

[Bloop]

Just a little update...

Got the larger tank.. filtration for it.. more of the aquarium salt for fresh water fish and other doodads.. I totally forgot to ask about Crisps though.. i will get them this weekend..

What plants will thrive in their cold water environment?
Do they need a bubbler as well at a heavy filtration system?
Are there fishy creatures I can add as tank cleaners that can cohabitate with goldfish?
Or would the fishy cleaning creatures be more of a nuisance than helpful?

[Darth]

goldfish will destroy most plants you put in the tank

[Cbellehumeur]

Just a little update...

Got the larger tank.. filtration for it.. more of the aquarium salt for fresh water fish and other doodads.. I totally forgot to ask about Crisps though.. i will get them this weekend..

What plants will thrive in their cold water environment?
Do they need a bubbler as well at a heavy filtration system?
Are there fishy creatures I can add as tank cleaners that can cohabitate with goldfish?
Or would the fishy cleaning creatures be more of a nuisance than helpful?

I'm sure they would love a bubbler but it's not essential, heavy filtration yes, plants are just an expensive snack, A pleco is about the only cleaner because of the cold water. But i have kept rope fish with goldfish for years and then have been more than fine, they have a great personality. .

[Bloop]

Okay.. they seemed happy at first.. but today they were laying on the bottom of the tank.. As soon as they saw me approach they started swimming around happily enough.. but isn't laying on the bottom of the tank is a sign of illness or stress?

[blueknight0303]

If they were upside down or laying on their side then theres something wrong... if they are upright and llying straight up, its either they are sleeping or resting even with lights on. very normal behavior on goldfish and koi.

[Bloop]

Okay.. they are upright for a few minutes at a time.

My daughter has been talking about it all day long.. I am glad to know it is normal. Should I tell my boyfriend lights out in the living room at a certain time to give them a regular rest cycle? We did that with the betta in the kitchen.