Re: A tale of four goldfish - how tank size and living conditions can affect fish
#14
What would you say the minimum size tank is?
I've not had any issues with my fish being stunted at my own doing, my tanks are not ideal size but my fish seem to grow. I put it down to plenty of water changes, keeping hormones and nitrates low. I own four tanks and it's tiring but I'm willing to do whatever needed to keep them happy.
I was going to get a 500 litre tank but my housing association said my floor wouldn't take the weight :/
Some of my fish wouldn't be alive now if I hadn't of taken them. Arthur is a big Ry I acquired in August, I saw him in with the Koi at one of my local garden centres. He looked distressed, I asked them why he was in there and they said nobody wanted him. I was horrified because they said he only had one week left then....curtains! He's incredibly handsome. He's in a 115 litre tank with a small (fast growing) black Oranda. It goes without saying in the long run he'll need a bigger tank but it is doable to keep them in a small tank temporarily providing you are willing to work your butt off keeping the water healthy. Hence why at 27 I look 37 and have a bad back lol.
Blind Charlie was another one who would never have got a home if it wasn't for me. I saw him and brought him to keep with my female Ry who has a swim bladder problem. They're in a custom made 84 litre tank. I had trouble getting a tank for my female Ry, when she was in a bigger tank, it was waaaay too deep for her and she spent her life miserable floating at the top struggling to get down for food. Since moving her she's happier as she can actually peck around in the gravel. Again though it requires a lot of hard work.
My 160 litre tank is passable when full. The trouble is my other male Ry has developed a swim bladder problem, he seems to be responding to the water level being lower. This again is making the tank too small.
The comet and fantail, who it seems I've rescued just in the nick of time after looking at this thread. Are really the ones that require the least work.
I have issues with living in a first floor flat. I do believe though, if you're willing to strain muscles, put your back out, stay up half the night and generally exhaust yourself, as I do on a daily basis, you can keep them for a while in a tank that isn't ideal.
In the long term I'm going to have to look at moving, some how.
Another issue I've found is getting a tank suitable for fancy goldfish. Everything is so deep.