Help Me 20 Goldfish 10 Gal Tank

So my mom called me yesterday and said she got an aquarium and her fish keep dying. She wanted me to come over and look at it and I walk in to find she had 20 of those feeder goldfish in a 10 gal aquarium.... I'm sitting there staring in disbelief while my mom mentions that she can't understand why her fish keep dying.... that rules say 1 inch to a gallon but she figures that that's an overestimate anyways (please note shes never had an aquarium before) so I manage to get her to give me the fish and her pick out just a betta for her tank but now I have no idea what to do with these goldfish. I knew I needed to be quick before they all died so I grabbed 2 32 gallon food safe trash cans and 2 filters (each one is for a 40- 75 gallon) I'm not sure if that will be sufficient for the fish... I've never really had goldfish before even though I've had aquariums. 5 died before I managed to set it up but none since(its only been a few hours tho sp I know that could change anytime). I'm on a bit of a tight budget here already....

 

Those goldfish will likely need a pond. Please rehome them. Since you are on a budget, you'll never be able to give them the space they need Welcome to fishlore!

 

Holy moly... are they double or single tailed? Maybe 1-2 stock tanks with a liner in each. There are 15 left, right?

Good luck, hope we can help you figure this out

 

I would honestly return them or give them to a friend that has a carnivorous fish.

 

So my mom called me yesterday and said she got an aquarium and her fish keep dying. She wanted me to come over and look at it and I walk in to find she had 20 of those feeder goldfish in a 10 gal aquarium.... I'm sitting there staring in disbelief while my mom mentions that she can't understand why her fish keep dying.... that rules say 1 inch to a gallon but she figures that that's an overestimate anyways (please note shes never had an aquarium before) so I manage to get her to give me the fish and her pick out just a betta for her tank but now I have no idea what to do with these goldfish. I knew I needed to be quick before they all died so I grabbed 2 32 gallon food safe trash cans and 2 filters (each one is for a 40- 75 gallon) I'm not sure if that will be sufficient for the fish... I've never really had goldfish before even though I've had aquariums. 5 died before I managed to set it up but none since(its only been a few hours tho sp I know that could change anytime). I'm on a bit of a tight budget here already....

Find a fish store call and check if they will take them

 

I would honestly return them or give them to a friend that has a carnivorous fish.

Goldfish don't provide good nutrition, so this is a poor idea.

 

I would love to give them away but most people don't particularly want a $ .30 feeder fish if they did theyd just go buy them. She bought them from walmart- if you return them they flush the fish down a toilet. I've been looking and may be able to get my hands on a couple food safe IBC tote which should be sufficient if what I'm reading about their care is accurate.

 

I would love to give them away but most people don't particularly want a $ .30 feeder fish if they did theyd just go buy them. She bought them from walmart- if you return them they flush the fish down a toilet. I've been looking and may be able to get my hands on a couple food safe IBC tote which should be sufficient if what I'm reading about their care is accurate.

Do you know any one with a community pond


Also some small fishstore may take them in

 

Do you know any one with a community pond

No. Only someone with a 55 gal tropical tank

 

I think you need to start digging a pond at moms place....then you can give them back. lol

 

.

 

I think you need to start digging a pond at moms place....then you can give them back. lol

I would love to see you tell her that while I hide. Sound like a plan?

 

Mabye start to dig a small pond

 

Mabye start to dig a small pond

I doubt a pond is an option.

So would 1 or 2 of the ibc totes work? They're 275 gal each

 

I doubt a pond is an option.

So would 1 or 2 of the ibc totes work? They're 275 gal each

They would work for three goldfish each.

 

They would work for three goldfish each.

Since when did goldfish require 90 gallons each??? From what I've read online it's more like 20-30 gallons each. Or one that said 40 and 12 for each additional one.

 

Yours are most likely comet goldfish, which get MASSIVE. Fancies can do 20-30 each though

 

since when did goldfish require 90 gallons each??? From what I've read online it's more like 20-30 gallons each. Or one that said 40 and 12 for each additional one.

It depends on whether they have single or double tails. Because they are feeders, they are likely single-tailed

 

Feeder goldfish are usually common or comet goldfish. They grow up to a foot long, that's why they need so much space. You can figure around 75 gallons for one.

 

You can figure around 75 gallons for one.

100*

 

100*

*75 <just kidding .. but that is commonly the quoted amount in the States>

 

It depends on whether they have single or double tails. Because they are feeders, they are likely single-tailed

Yours are most likely comet goldfish, which get MASSIVE. Fancies can do 20-30 each though

That was me specifically googling for a comet..... the biggest minimum reccomended was 40 gallons. I'll get 3 totes which should be 825gal and go from there. I doubt they'll need more room than that

 

Comet goldfish need large tanks (preferably ponds). The totes will be okay for them, but do you honestly want to keep 3 large totes long term? 15 comets is a LOT to handle.

If you can post some pics then we will be able to ID them, but if they're comets I would strongly recommend rehoming them. Most people aren't able to take care of that many large fish.

 

Do you have a fancy mall or restaurant nearby that has a pond? Just secretly toss them in, lol, I’m serious kind of...but maybe that’s a bad idea in case they’re diseased...hmmm

 

That was me specifically googling for a comet..... the biggest minimum reccomended was 40 gallons. I'll get 3 totes which should be 825gal and go from there. I doubt they'll need more room than that

they'll need more room than that

 

It isn't just their size that is the issue. Beside the fact that they get to be a foot long.....they are the pigs of the aquarium world. lol They produce a ton of waste. How do I know?

Let me tell you a little story about how I ended up as a fishkeeper again after 10 years away from the hobby.
I left town for 2 nights. I never leave town. This was something so big that I didn't really have a choice. So I was gone. While I was away my husband decided to buy fish. What did he buy? Goldfish.
I came home to 3 goldfish in a 1.5 gallon tank. It was an ooooold tank from a decade ago that had somehow ended up stored in the garage. He found it. So he set it up. No filter, no substrate, no airstone. Nothing. Just 3 goldfish in a gallon of water.
So I got home and nearly murdered him. I got a 10 gallon tank to house them until I could figure out what to do with them. I was doing twice a day water changes and running 2 filters. 2 still died. The 3rd was rehomed.

Then the kids freaked out because I had squashed the dream. They loved the fish. I am now running a 10 gallon and recently added a 45. Both kids are getting 5.5 gallon tanks and Bettas in their bedrooms for Christmas. Now my husband complains that we have too many fish.....and I only have to say one word to get him to shut up and walk away. Goldfish.

All of this to say......the less fish per bin the less work you will be doing to keep them from dying in their own waste.

 

WARNING DEAD FISH

It's hard to see the ones in the cans since the can is black so if you can't tell from this I'll have to take a picture tomorrow when they're less stressed and I can remove them for a minute

 

WARNING DEAD FISH

It's hard to see the ones in the cans since the can is black so if you can't tell from this I'll have to take a picture tomorrow when they're less stressed and I can remove them for a minute

alrighty

 

Oops I guess it didnt load.

It isn't just their size that is the issue. Beside the fact that they get to be a foot long.....they are the pigs of the aquarium world. lol They produce a ton of waste. How do I know?

Let me tell you a little story about how I ended up as a fishkeeper again after 10 years away from the hobby.
I left town for 2 nights. I never leave town. This was something so big that I didn't really have a choice. So I was gone. While I was away my husband decided to buy fish. What did he buy? Goldfish.
I came home to 3 goldfish in a 1.5 gallon tank. It was an ooooold tank from a decade ago that had somehow ended up stored in the garage. He found it. So he set it up. No filter, no substrate, no airstone. Nothing. Just 3 goldfish in a gallon of water.
So I got home and nearly murdered him. I got a 10 gallon tank to house them until I could figure out what to do with them. I was doing twice a day water changes and running 2 filters. 2 still died. The 3rd was rehomed.

Then the kids freaked out because I had squashed the dream. They loved the fish. I am now running a 10 gallon and recently added a 45. Both kids are getting 5.5 gallon tanks and Bettas in their bedrooms for Christmas. Now my husband complains that we have too many fish.....and I only have to say one word to get him to shut up and walk away. Goldfish.

All of this to say......the less fish per bin the less work you will be doing to keep them from dying in their own waste.

Comet goldfish need large tanks (preferably ponds). The totes will be okay for them, but do you honestly want to keep 3 large totes long term? 15 comets is a LOT to handle.

If you can post some pics then we will be able to ID them, but if they're comets I would strongly recommend rehoming them. Most people aren't able to take care of that many large fish.

As of right now they're only a couple inches. Theres no harm in waiting a bit to see if a bigger tank is necessary. If they look close to outgrowing the 825 I'll get a couple more. That'll give me time to possibly find at least some of them a home. Yall talking like I bought these fish and want them- I. DONT. WANT. THEM! if I can get rid of them I will,I'm just not going to take them back to the store to be killed for no reason so in the meantime I'll do what I gotta do I guess to try and keep them healthy

 

A possible ad online asking if anyone wants pond fish would also be a great choice! Something like here, or even Craigslist.

 

Sounds like they are comets. They are feeder fish, they only live a few weeks if that.

 

Sounds like they are comets. They are feeder fish, they only live a few weeks if that.

My comet has lived a year

 

I find it hard to believe a blue chip corporation like Walmart would blatantly flush fish down the toilet. Sure, most of their stores take bad care of their fish, but I don’t see them making this their company policy in regards to returned fish.

That said, sounds like this is going to be very temporary. You made that very clear that you don’t want them. Thus, I wouldn’t go head-over-heels getting a 10,000g aquarium over some tiny feeder fish that will take months to reach 5-6 inches. By that time or perhaps even less, you might already have found a home for them.

Good luck, and remember to be realistic. Don’t go crazy.

 

Wow first time I heard of that. I have fancy goldfish

 

I find it hard to believe a blue chip corporation like Walmart would blatantly flush fish down the toilet. Sure, most of their stores take bad care of their fish, but I don’t see them making this their company policy in regards to returned fish.

That said, sounds like this is going to be very temporary. You made that very clear that you don’t want them. Thus, I wouldn’t go head-over-heels getting a 10,000g aquarium over some tiny fish that will take months to reach 5-6 inches. By that time or perhaps even less, you might already have found a home for them.

Good luck, and remember to be realistic. Don’t go crazy.

I worked in PetSmart in the live animal area. Each store has a private room where animals and fish are placed for either illness or needed to be separated from other ones that are bullying it. Sick animals go to a vet, then brought back and we would nurse it with meds. When people bring an animal or fish back, those animals are not placed back with it's kind. They are kept in a holding room and would be sold for maybe a $1. Most people are not aware of this. When I worked there, a fish was missing half his body from the other fish. I wanted to flush it away so it wouldn't suffer before dieing. The store mgr wouldn't allow that. It had to stay in the medicated fish tank in the back.

So if for some reason an animal/fish is brought to PetSmart, you can be assured they will be fine.

 

Sounds like they are comets. They are feeder fish, they only live a few weeks if that.

The pics are just common (hibuna) goldfish. Comets are similar to commons but have long finnage.

Edit: basically the same fish, but if the OP wants to resale they can list the variety of fish.

 

I ended up with one surviving comet from a rescue. Housed him in an aquarium for a couple of years before he got too big for me to handle anymore, and networked with a friend to get him an awesome home with a friend of theirs that had a pond. I miss him, but I felt very happy that he was going to be happy.

Ask around, post on facebook, etc. You should be able to find someone with a pond to give them a chance, especially if thry are free! The cheap goldfish are the big ones, they grow a lot faster then you'd think (2 inches to over 8 in under 2 years!) and they need not only a lot of space but a lot of filtration which is where the costs start racking up. They aren't for everyone, and that's okay. They also can live a long time if cared for properly!

And as for Petsmart, I think it depends on the store. When I was a regular I got to know the small animal department employees, and they confided they had to destroy whatever was returned due to worries about diseases. They would take home what they could, but eventually they all run out of room.

 

I ended up with one surviving comet from a rescue. Housed him in an aquarium for a couple of years before he got too big for me to handle anymore, and networked with a friend to get him an awesome home with a friend of theirs that had a pond. I miss him, but I felt very happy that he was going to be happy.

Ask around, post on facebook, etc. You should be able to find someone with a pond to give them a chance, especially if thry are free! The cheap goldfish are the big ones, they grow a lot faster then you'd think (2 inches to over 8 in under 2 years!) and they need not only a lot of space but a lot of filtration which is where the costs start racking up. They aren't for everyone, and that's okay. They also can live a long time if cared for properly!

And as for Petsmart, I think it depends on the store. When I was a regular I got to know the small animal department employees, and they confided they had to destroy whatever was returned due to worries about diseases. They would take home what they could, but eventually they all run out of room.

Wow that's awful about that PetSmart. The one I worked in, still does it the way I described. I have adopted birds and fish from the humane society where I live in Arizona. I had found a Drake duck that was discarded at the dog park. I learned from someone there that the duck was there 3 days alone. He was very sweet, loved the dogs lol. I brought him to our humane society (other drivers were laughing watching me with Drake on my lap driving). The humane society has a farm where they will take animals to live comfortably. When I volunteered at the HS, two potbelly pigs were brought in. Not the miniature potbelly, these were well over 100 lbs. They were so sweet. They got adopted by within a week by 2 different families. I'm the be one who adopts all the fish they receive, and a lot of different birds, from finches up to an umbrella cockatoo

 

Note that feeders are stressed coming in from the store so some of the die off may be due to illness. It certainly was not the best to put them in a 10 gallon, as you mentioned. You will likely lose all or most of them as they were never kept in conditions to promote lengthy life span, but may get lucky. I would see if anyone is setting up a pond- occasionally you will get lucky- it is home improvement season.

 

100*

That's not true. They need like 50 or 60 gallons a piece.