Saving the Grandson's Goldfish

is always good to have one or two empty tanks sitting around. I was visiting my son tonight who lives 40 miles away from me and he was cleaning out his small 100 gallon or so pond to get it ready for the winter and he had three small gold fish he didn’t know what to do with and my grandson didn’t want to get rid of them so I decide to bring them home with me for the winter. I already had a twenty gallon hospital tank up and running so I am acclimating them to it and I will set up my extra 55 gallon for them in the garage tomorrow evening.

I will return them to him this spring so that they can put them back in his pond if they all make it. They were almost frozen so I am going to take like 3 or 4 hours to acclimate them to my hospital tank. The temperature in it is only 72 degrees but they were in a pond that had about an inch of ice on it so I am going to take things slowly. I know that a 55 isn’t the best place for 3 small (about 4 inch) goldfish but it will have to work for a few months.

 

I think a 55 gallon is a fine place for them to winter.

Since you have to return them, I hope you don't get too attached. Goldies can do that to you.

 

that is nice you have a pond to put them in in the spring.

 

I am hoping we can refurbish his pond this spring and make it a little bigger and deeper so that as they grow I will not have to house them over the winter next year. The 55 gallon tank might work this year but as they grow over the years they will out grow the tank.

 

Good morning,

I have moved your thread from General Discussion to Cyprinids (Includes Goldfish)/Goldfish section of the forum.

Best wishes for your Goldies!

Ken

 

That is so great of you to help the little guys.

I agree that the goldfish definitely have a way of growing on you. They have such great personalities. I started off my fish-keeping life by saving six little goldies from being flushed. It was the best (and most expensive as I since have developed a serious case of MTS ;D) decision I ever made!

 

So good of you to save them from becoming fishy popsicles Wonder if they'll get even bigger on you throughout the winter ;D

 

I put them into my 20 gallon hospital tank last night which I had just recently cleaned and had filled back up with water. I took me around 3 hours to slowly bring the temperature in the bucket up to near the tanks temperature. Going from 34 degrees to right at 70 was going to take for ever so I decided to lower the tanks temperature. I got it down to 60 degrees which is the lowest I could get using tap water. Today the temperature is back up around 70 due to the room temperature.

I am going to set up a spare 55 gallon in the garage for them tonight. I will have to run a heater on it out there because I don’t want it to freeze and bust the tank. I am going to set the heater on the lowest temperature it will allow but I am sure it will still keep the tank around 60+ degrees.

The only goldfish I have ever had was years ago. My wife had me set up a 55 gallon tank at the school Prom once. The Junior Class filled it with like 50 goldfish for the Prom. After the Prom, I found homes for all the fish – well at least the ones the kids didn’t eat! I don’t know for sure that any were eaten by them but I was told that some had been. If my memory don’t deceive me 30 of them were taken to a farm pond that is spring feed. I am sure they have all passed on by now because that was almost 30 years ago but there could be some off spring still living in that pond.

 

I will give a quick short update on the Grandson’s Goldfish. When I went to fill the extra 55 gallon tank I have I noticed that the top brace had gotten broken so until I fix it the Goldfish are staying in the 20 gallon tank.

I have been doing 50% water changes with a real good vacuum everyday. I have been testing the water every day before I do the water change and everything has been testing pretty well. I haven’t had an ammonia ready over .25 ppm so I think they are doing OK for now.

The Grandson was down for two days for Christmas at our house and he was so excited to see his fish doing so well. All the grandkids were here and they tried to name every fish I have but they ran out of names long before they ran out of fish, LOL.

 

I think it is so kind of you take take care of them during the winter. I always feel so sad when I see feeder goldfish in the store, it seems that the are somehow perceived as being disposable. Kudos to you!!