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Can I put clams in my goldfish tank?

When should I put my goldfish in their new 15 gal tank?

  • I have 4 gold fish that are in a 10 gal tank. Its all i could afford at the time (im only 22) I saved these fish from my boyfriends friend whos gf broke up with him n left her fish there, and he didnt take care of them. I couldnt bare to see all the fish die, so I took what i could. Before we put the fish in tupperware at room temp water then added them to the 10gal tank after we set it up n let the water sit for 30 mins. The lady at the petstore said to wait 24 hours until i put them in this new 15 gal tank. I know I should have gotten a 30 gal tank...but thats just too big i think theyll survive in the 15 gal. Im just REALLY anxious to get them into their new,bigger home! I put the new water and filter in the new tank around 11pm and now its 330 am...when should I add them? I think they dont need to wait for the tank to 'cycle' i think thats ridiculous.

  • Answer:

    You should of cycled the tank before you add the Goldfish and yes 15 gallons is to small. 4 Fancy goldfish would need 50-60 gallons . If its is 4 Common goldfish we are talking about you could start off with 50 gallons then your looking at 200 gallons with heavy filtration. Goldfish can live 20 years if Fancy and up to 40 years if common goldfish. No fish grows to the size of there tank unless there growth has been stunted . That will happen in your goldfishes case Goldfish are huge waste producers and keeping a 15 gallon tank stable with 4 large waste producing fish in it is impossible . A common goldfish will reach a foot long in the right size tank . I know you have said you tried to do proper research but i could post 15 links that state a goldfish does not grow to the size of its tank. A Goldfish in the wrong size tank will end up stunted in Growth the organs keep growing the fish does not and the fish ends up dying because the organs has grown so much the fish suffers organ Failure. They may only be Goldfish but there living Breathing creatures and deserve to live in the right size tank so they can live there full life expectancy. Edit..You have 3 options 1 Re home the fish find a pond and turn this tank into a tropical tank add a heater and you can have fish that wont grow more than a couple of inches. 2 Add the fish to the tank now and be prepared for the tank to start cycling you do have a filter don't you? Dangerous amounts of ammonia will start to rise as you add 4 huge waste producing fish to an uncycled tank.As the Ammonia rises you will have to do large daily water changes to stop the Ammonia rising above 1ppm other wise it will kill your gold fish 3 Buy a large 40 gallon plastic container get a filter put the goldfish in that and cycle it with the fish a 40 gallon container is better than a 15 gallon tank. Most of us on here take our hobby seriously and if i did not inform you of all facts i would not be doing my job.

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they will eventually need a 50 gallon tank, FYI EDIT: No, they actually don't grow to the size of the tank. That is a common myth. They will grow to their proper in a big enough tank, but in a small tank they will stay the same size, get stunted, and eventually die. This is the truth, if you did proper research before you got them you would know this. 2ND EDIT: But they will die faster, and in a very painful way. 3RD EDIT: The answer to your original question: ASAP

It's funnier in Enochian

Unfortunately you should cycle the tank before getting fish but as that is not possible add them now. Transfer the filter and gravel to the new tank and that will help but you will need to do more frequent water changes to keep the ammonia from getting too high and killing the fish. Cycling a tank before getting fish reduces stress as the don't have to be exposed to toxic ammonia and nitrate. No fish grows to the size of a tank. You will need to either rehome the fish when they get larger or get a larger tank. Depending on the type of goldfish you have you will need 50-200+ gallons as these fish grow massive (8-18+ inches long) and should live 20+ years!! This is how large goldfish should grow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUtajoVi8qw . While you may be able to keep a big fish in a small tank temporarily eventually the water changes and care will not be enough to keep the water quality good and it will go downhill. The poor water quality will stunt the fishes growth and will also shorten their lifespan. With stunting the outside of the fish may not grow (this is likely where the myth of fish only grow to the tank size comes from) but the insides and organs will continue to grow. This causes and slow, painful death. While they may just be goldfish they are still a living animal and deserve proper care and space. FYI: Pet store employees are rarely correct on animal care. They are often more focused on making a sale than passing on proper care.

Ganal

Around 24 hours after the tank kinda like cycles the water around and the temperature's okay

C

Its cool what what you got plus it takes them forever to grow 10mins minimum.

knowledge

If you moved the filter from their current tank to the new tank, you can move them now. As for the size issue, no they don't grow to the size of their tank as others have said. I once played a part in a free-listings rescue of a Goldfish in a 10 gallon, it had grown so well it could barely turn around. It was rehomed to a large established Goldfish pond. Tank size does not stunt fish, poor water quality does. So if you keep water quality healthy in your 15g, expect to see these fish grow. Then they are likely to suffer from stress, will continually bully one another, and it'll be the combination of stress and water quality (4 Goldfish = BIG mess) that kills them, not the floor space in the tank. Find someone with a Goldfish pond, that's where they need to be.

catx

the cycling process takes about 2-4 weeks but goldfish are very hard fish i think you could get away with it. and when you have the money i would get a bigger tank b/c even though they are small goldfish are one of the most, if not the most, dirty fish out there. they need at least a 40 gallon to keep them happy and the tank not filthy. even if it doesn't look filthy the ammonia levels will not be and they can die. if there less than 1"-3" at this point then your ok for a couple months but once they get to be more then you really need to get them a bigger tank. hope i helped! and also, if you wanted to restock your 10 gallon, clean it out fully, recycle (4-6 wks) and then add in some guppies (5-7) i think they would look really cool! just an idea!

guppylab4ever15

15 gallons is perfect, honestly. Better than what most of them get, because in reality, most of them end up in a bowl after being told differently at the pet store or winning them at a carnival. Mine was saved from walmart so I had to keep him in a one gallon bowl for 4 months until my hermit crabs died and I put him in my 10 gallon tank. 200 gallon for 4 89 cent goldfish, get real. I would much rather set up a SW tank at that size. And to answer your question, I would let it cycle over night. Oh, and the thing about them only growing the size of their tank is true because mine is still the same size as when I got him. Best of luck:)

Natasha O

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