Goldfishie questions, ongoing issues

[Kithy Kitty]

Soo we have a small fountain outside and usually my MiL will buy some cheap goldfish and stick em in there. Yes, some die but for like 10 cents a fish you assume some are sick. About five made it from last year to yesterday.

Apparently the person who had the responsibility of keeping water in the fountain and keeping it safe decided it wasn't important enough and didn't check on it. When my husband and I went out to grill steaks my son was wandering over to look at the fishies. Well, I go over and I see one decent sized goldfish on a pile of leaves in a thimble size amount of water, gasping. Of course I did a mini freak and my husband quickly got a cup and some of the water and put it in there.

We went out and bought a 1 gallon bowl at Walmart and set it up. Mister Fishie seems fine, ate a bit. He's still kind of gasping though and his top fin is down a lot.

In short, should I be concerned that our Mister Fishie won't make it through the night?

[EDIT] We used the stuff to make tap water safe and he is swimming around. I don't know if he's putting his top fin down just because I'm watching him or what.  

[Akiska]

A one gallon bowl is no where near the size a goldfish needs and the water will soon become so dirty that it will kill the fish anyway. If the fish had become dry enough in the fountain there could be gill damage that only an adequate amount of clean water will help to fix. Depending on the water you moved him into he could also be suffering chlorine shock, or temperature shock.  

[Kithy Kitty]

I have an aquarium large enough(20 gallon)but I wasn't going to set it up until I knew he was going to live. I hadn't exactly planned on having a pet fish but I hadn't counted on people not taking care of their responsibilities.

Should he make it through the night can I count on him living for awhile though, that's what I'm wondering. I really don't want to spend money on fixing up the old aquarium I have just to have him flop over dead the next day.  

[Kithy Kitty]

Okay, it has been a very, VERY long time since I've had fish. The last ones I had were two platys and a betta. Even if our rescue fishie dies I plan on getting another fish to put into the 20 gallon for my son as he really likes the fish swimming around. So I have a LOT of questions.

I'm on somewhat of a budget. I have money to spend but I don't want to waste it on things I don't necessarily need. I don't mind cleaning a tank out once a week if I need to if it will end up saving me money in the long run. I know to only change 50-75% of the water and I always rinse the gravel when I change water although my betta was super messy so I had to >.< Not sure if I should rinse the gravel or not.

Since I don't plan on anything super fancy, I'll likely be sticking with the common goldfish as they are hardy and well, relativity inexpensive should something happen to one.

I plan on keeping them inside, at least the ones I buy. I'll likely buy two or three since they are social, or so I've read. I don't want to overload my 20 gallon tank with a ton of fish, just something fun for my son to watch and for me to enjoy while relaxing. I love fish tanks ^_^ But I'm not ready for tropical or exotic fish that require lots of work to maintain healthy conditions. I'm prepared for a moderate amount of work though.

Do I need a filter? I've never had a filter with any of the fish I had when I was younger but this was a while ago. I know goldfish are pretty messy things and am aware that the tank can go south fast. If I choose to buy a filter, what is a reasonably priced brand? I know you're supposed to get one that is approved for double your aquarium size (so for me, 40 gallon). If I decide not to, what can I expect? Cleaning it two times in a week for two or three fish?

The temperature is pretty regular in our bedroom and the tank won't be near any fans or vents although outside the water got pretty warm as we live in Texas. I don't plan on buying a heater but perhaps a thermometer.

Any special food brand? I always use that Tetrafin because well, it's easy to find. But if there is a better brand for healthier goldfish, I'm all ears.

When I'm setting up my new tank for the one fish we have right now and if I buy a filter, do I have to let it run for a few days? I don't want the fish to sit in the one gallon for too long but I don't want to mess up setting the tank up either. I don't plan on having live plants, at least not anytime soon if that makes a difference.

Boy, I always assumed goldfish were easy peasy to take care of. I'd like for my fish (and future fishies) to live a long, happy life so please, friendly advice and guidance is most welcome!  

[ladycrotalus]

Kithy Kitty

Okay, it has been a very, VERY long time since I've had fish. The last ones I had were two platys and a betta. Even if our rescue fishie dies I plan on getting another fish to put into the 20 gallon for my son as he really likes the fish swimming around. So I have a LOT of questions.

I'm on somewhat of a budget. I have money to spend but I don't want to waste it on things I don't necessarily need. I don't mind cleaning a tank out once a week if I need to if it will end up saving me money in the long run. I know to only change 50-75% of the water and I always rinse the gravel when I change water although my betta was super messy so I had to >.< Not sure if I should rinse the gravel or not.

Since I don't plan on anything super fancy, I'll likely be sticking with the common goldfish as they are hardy and well, relativity inexpensive should something happen to one.

I plan on keeping them inside, at least the ones I buy. I'll likely buy two or three since they are social, or so I've read. I don't want to overload my 20 gallon tank with a ton of fish, just something fun for my son to watch and for me to enjoy while relaxing. I love fish tanks ^_^ But I'm not ready for tropical or exotic fish that require lots of work to maintain healthy conditions. I'm prepared for a moderate amount of work though.

Do I need a filter? I've never had a filter with any of the fish I had when I was younger but this was a while ago. I know goldfish are pretty messy things and am aware that the tank can go south fast. If I choose to buy a filter, what is a reasonably priced brand? I know you're supposed to get one that is approved for double your aquarium size (so for me, 40 gallon). If I decide not to, what can I expect? Cleaning it two times in a week for two or three fish?

The temperature is pretty regular in our bedroom and the tank won't be near any fans or vents although outside the water got pretty warm as we live in Texas. I don't plan on buying a heater but perhaps a thermometer.

Any special food brand? I always use that Tetrafin because well, it's easy to find. But if there is a better brand for healthier goldfish, I'm all ears.

When I'm setting up my new tank for the one fish we have right now and if I buy a filter, do I have to let it run for a few days? I don't want the fish to sit in the one gallon for too long but I don't want to mess up setting the tank up either. I don't plan on having live plants, at least not anytime soon if that makes a difference.

Boy, I always assumed goldfish were easy peasy to take care of. I'd like for my fish (and future fishies) to live a long, happy life so please, friendly advice and guidance is most welcome!

20 gallons is too small for a comet goldfish. They may be cheap but they are high maintenance, get huge, and are very dirty. You need to read about cycling http://www.firsttankguide.net/fishlesscycle.php
Never drain your tank completely and never remove and rinse the gravel. Use a gravel vacuum/siphon to clean the gravel and at the same time remove water. Small frequent water changes are healthier than larger infrequent ones. I do 30% partial water changes on my tanks every week.
The only things goldfish need is a good quality varied diet, strong filtration, large aquarium or a pond, and regular water changes. For diet avoid any flakes or pellets that have ethoxyquin in the ingredient list and you can give them aquatic plants to munch on, cucumber, zucchini slices, and fresh or frozen deshelled peas.
Also tell your MIL not to get goldfish for a dinky fountain. Their cheap price isn't an excuse for substandard care and cruelty.

 

[Kithy Kitty]

Common, not comet goldfish ^^; The 20 gallon will likely be outgrown but that's okay, I'd love to have a bigger tank.

I like your idea of cucumber and zucchinni as food! I have never heard of that. I didn't know flakes were bad so thank you for letting me know that. This explains why my goldfish always died on me after a few months.

I'll tell her but she's stubborn and doesn't seem to care. Like... okay you have fish in the fountain but you don't go outside to enjoy them.... where's the point?

This might be weird but are goldfish sensitive to noise? I have a dog and of course my son and they don't always play quietly. The 20 gallon is in a quiet part of the house for now. We will be moving so it will be then that I likely invest in a larger one. What size would you suggest for two common goldfish?

What are some good live aquatic plants to keep that aren't too difficult to maintain?  

[Kithy Kitty]

If someone could recommend a reasonably priced but good (I'm willing to spend more money if it will last longer) filter system, I'd really appreciate it. I don't want to go into a store looking like a noob and get sold something that will either crap out or is way more than I need.

I'm a fish noob but I do love them and saving Mister Fishie Pants was what I needed to get into this stuff. Or well, it was the push my husband needed to let me get into it.  

[ladycrotalus]

Kithy Kitty

Common, not comet goldfish ^^; The 20 gallon will likely be outgrown but that's okay, I'd love to have a bigger tank.

I like your idea of cucumber and zucchinni as food! I have never heard of that. I didn't know flakes were bad so thank you for letting me know that. This explains why my goldfish always died on me after a few months.

I'll tell her but she's stubborn and doesn't seem to care. Like... okay you have fish in the fountain but you don't go outside to enjoy them.... where's the point?

This might be weird but are goldfish sensitive to noise? I have a dog and of course my son and they don't always play quietly. The 20 gallon is in a quiet part of the house for now. We will be moving so it will be then that I likely invest in a larger one. What size would you suggest for two common goldfish?

What are some good live aquatic plants to keep that aren't too difficult to maintain?

Comets are just common goldfish with longer tails, they both get 12-14 inches long.
For 2 commons you will need in my opinion a 75 gallon tank minimum.
I like marineland filters with bio-wheels and i like the aquaclear filters from hagen.
Not all flakes are bad, just the cheap ones that use ethoxyquin in them.
You want florescent lighting to be on 8-12 hours a day for live plants and i like anacharis, marimo balls, anubius, wysteria, bronze wendtii, java fern, and cobomba. I put in a liquid plant food like once a month for my plants.
As for noise i don't think so as long as nobody is tapping on the tank and that music and tv isn't loud enough to make the house vibrate.  

[Kithy Kitty]

ladycrotalus

Kithy Kitty

Common, not comet goldfish ^^; The 20 gallon will likely be outgrown but that's okay, I'd love to have a bigger tank.

I like your idea of cucumber and zucchinni as food! I have never heard of that. I didn't know flakes were bad so thank you for letting me know that. This explains why my goldfish always died on me after a few months.

I'll tell her but she's stubborn and doesn't seem to care. Like... okay you have fish in the fountain but you don't go outside to enjoy them.... where's the point?

This might be weird but are goldfish sensitive to noise? I have a dog and of course my son and they don't always play quietly. The 20 gallon is in a quiet part of the house for now. We will be moving so it will be then that I likely invest in a larger one. What size would you suggest for two common goldfish?

What are some good live aquatic plants to keep that aren't too difficult to maintain?

Comets are just common goldfish with longer tails, they both get 12-14 inches long.
For 2 commons you will need in my opinion a 75 gallon tank minimum.
I like marineland filters with bio-wheels and i like the aquaclear filters from hagen.
Not all flakes are bad, just the cheap ones that use ethoxyquin in them.
You want florescent lighting to be on 8-12 hours a day for live plants and i like anacharis, marimo balls, anubius, wysteria, bronze wendtii, java fern, and cobomba. I put in a liquid plant food like once a month for my plants.
As for noise i don't think so as long as nobody is tapping on the tank and that music and tv isn't loud enough to make the house vibrate.

Thank you so much ^^ I'll start looking into stuff for this tank and begin preparing for the bigger one. I'll probably hold off and save money until they're bigger though.  

[Kithy Kitty]

My immediate plan includes buying a filter in a couple of days (pay day) and a testing kit. If this had been my choice I woulda had everything ready before putting a fish in but really just wanted him to live. Seems good so far so I think he'll be okay for the mean time. And a gravel vacuum.

After that I'll get some lights and some live plants.

Anyone got a good book to go off of for omg-I-need-this-information-right-now kind of things?  

[Kithy Kitty]

Seems that about two more goldfish are still alive in the fountain. We'll be transferring those to the tank as soon as we can catch them. Of course we will let them adjust to the temperature in the tank rather than dumping them in.