(Part 2) Best products from r/Goldfish

A 40 gallon will be much better than a 5 gallon. Be sure to put a good filter on it. (I would choose an Aquaclear 70 if your mom isn't bringing you a filter). It will give you a lot more wiggle room since they won't get to be 12 inches overnight! People do budget stands made from cinderblocks all the time, if you're not getting a stand. I'd stick to bare bottom if you are on the budget. It's cheaper, safer, and easier to clean than any substrate would be. You can buy some cheap peel-off paint and paint the outside of the tank black and do something like this and it will look pretty luxe for not a whole lot of cash. (I would skip the live plants and do driftwood myself, since my goldfish seriously chow down on any plant life in the tank.).

For now, I would do daily 50% water changes. Drain half the water with a gravel vac like this. Add your dechlorinator (again, SeaChem Prime is the best choice, especially in a too-small tank). Add in water that is the same temperature. If you absolutely can't do a thermometer, feel the water and make sure you cannot feel ANY difference. Not perfect, but it shouldn't kill your fish. I would still strongly encourage you to buy a water test kit, since you will be doing something called fish-in cycling. The toxic ammonia and nitrite are not immediately visible, but can cause serious damage to your fish. You want your parameters to be 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, less than 20ppm nitrate. Yours are not going to be that, and testing your water is the only reliable way to know when to do a water change, and how serious things are. The best of the reasonably priced is API Freshwater Master, which is usually around $20 on Amazon.

Unfortunately, I wish that the practice of giving away goldfish (or any live animals) as prizes was illegal, since I agree that it is absolutely not fair to you to ask you to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a hobby that you didn't intentionally choose and didn't know anything about until someone gave you a life to care for, and it's certainly not fair to the fish to send them home with people who are not prepared for them! I'm glad you are working on providing a better home for your fish.

P.S. I'm always happy to talk about goldfish, so you are welcome to PM me in the future if you have more questions!

Weelllll...the best setup is the biggest you can afford. The bare minimum for 2 fancies would be a 40 gallon breeder, but the more space you can give them the better. If you live in the US you can get a pretty awesome discount on aquariums up to 75 gallons (varies by store) fairly often when they do "Dollar Per Gallon" sales. Petco does the most frequent DPGs but Petsmart and Pet Supplies Plus also do them. Petsmart sometimes just has heavily discounted sets also. Anyway, $40 is the least it will cost if you buy a new tank, but maybe you can find a great deal for a secondhand tank on a resale site if you prefer that route.

Filter...maybe go with a SunSun as they're quite cheap for their quality. I use this one and while the UV sterilizer is generally unnecessary I guess it might be helpful in an ich outbreak or something. It's actually slightly below the 10xph flow rate for my 55g so I supplement it with a HOB filter that I keep spare media in in case it's ever needed. For media in the canister I have sponges of varying coarseness, generic ceramic rings (for nitrifying bacteria), and Seachem Matrix (for nitrate-consuming bacteria).

The best water tester is the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. It may seem expensive at first glance, but it's actually cheaper over time - AND more accurate than strips. For water changes, since I don't have a faucet that can support a Python auto-changer, I use a pump stuck to the bottom of the bucket to push water up through spare tubing. Saves me the trouble of lifting heavy buckets or trying to gradually scoop the water out.

The best foods are New Life Spectrum, Repashy, Saki-Hikari, and if you need a cheaper option Omega One. You should also supply plenty of leafy greens; the fiber is very good for their digestive tract.

>Do they conform to the rule of 20-30 gallons for the first and 10-20 for each one after?

They do but they can still get big. Personally, despite wriing the wiki and saying the 20-30 rule of thumb all the time, I don't like the minimum sizes. In my own tanks, I found that 30gal for every two with no less than 40gal works out great. Basically, I wouldn't get a 40gal for three. Two will work, but if you're getting 3 I'd swing for a 55gal. The bigger the tank and the more understocked it is, the easier it will be to care for and your fish are more likely to be healthier. But figure out what is in your budget and what space you have available for a tank. If you can only fit a 40gal, I still recommend sticking to two rather than three.

>And are the tubs of fish flakes a complete diet for them or will I need to suppliment this with other foods?

I'll be frank, flakes suck. I know there are good brands out there but for the most part they're nutritionally lacking and muck up the water like no other. Not to mention the fact that a lot of people have swim bladder problems when feeding goldfish flakes. The best diet is a nice varied diet. Right now, my fish are eating mostly repashy soilent green, some Saki Hakari red, New life Spectrum Gold, blood worms, and veggies. They aren't fed all of that every day but having variation in their diet can make up for any short comings of any one food. If you can only pick one of those, I would get the soilent green and supplement with veggies like zucchini.

Will try ordering that, do you know or could recommend any food? Only issue might be that customs may pull it up or finding one that will ship here, but fingers crossed. Will try get some tetra safe start at the same time, its a long shot that it will still be viable by the time it arrives, but could be worth the shot.

This morning he was a lot perkier though, he came up directly for food, begging for it, and again when I saw him a lil later so it is a positive sign I guess even if he is still not looking physically better.

Edit* they won't ship any medicated supplies to NZ, but I did find a shop that stocks safe start so am going to give that a go once this is all clear and safe- and will be able to maybe get this it wouldn't arrive til Monday- but am being positive for the moment

This thread reminded me of this training kit I heard about last winter shortly after getting Sara and Maybelle. Just put it on order so I'll probably get it on Monday or Tuesday. The training stick idea really appeals to me. Seem to recall some discussion of incorporating a training clicker like you'd use for horses or dogs.

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Also saw an aquaponic forum post or a youtube about a swimming pool toy. I thought they were called pool bats but when I google that all the returns seem to be about little-winged mammals. Anyway, these things are brightly colored tubes, two or three feet long and two or three inches in diameter. This guy sliced some up salami style and was using them as little rafts to individually float net cups with plants on the surface of an aquarium. Ever since I saw that I've been thinking of weighing down those slices and using them as hoops at different depths for fish to investigate and swim through. Edit: Here they are.

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Another half-baked idea I've had since getting the girls is using clear plastic PVC pipe in various ways to entertain the three of us. It could just start with just a little food in the middle of a six or eight-inch length of pipe but in my twisted mind, it evolves into 3D mazes with Ys and T's and such. Imagine a 3D rat maze.

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And expanding on that thought. Sometimes aquaponics guys use a U-siphon to connect two tanks and maintain the same water level between them. If a bright and brave fantail goldfish was used to swimming through pipes as discussed above, wouldn't she use that U-siphon like a walking swimming bridge betwixt the tanks?

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Hope this thread has legs. I'll report on the training kit when I get it.

If you have a Hang on Back filter, on the intake (er the suction part) I suggest you stick one of those pre-filter sponges on it, I got mine on amazon here (https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Pre-Filter-Sponge-Fluval-Aquarium/dp/B00J5Z44OE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500061442&sr=8-2&keywords=fluval+edge+pre-filter+sponge), but really if you go to a petstore and find one of the replacement Fluval sponges, you can cut a hole in the middle and then jam it on the intake and it'll keep your little one from swimming up it.
 
If your goldfish is super super small, you may want to invest in a sponge filter or one of those filters powered by an air pump that where it intakes the water through a sponge.
 
Also as Karloesh said, keep the filter media. In water, preferably in the tank where your goldfish is in so that the bacteria doesn't die off.
 
I don't have advice for the spot on his face, but if he has scrapes or something, you may want to pick up some melafix (http://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=629#.WWkfroTyuUk) to keep him from getting any infections and to help heal wounds. Make sure that if you have any carbon in your filter you take it out or else the carbon may suck up the medication. Also follow the directions on the bottle.
 
Let me tell you that I had a situation similar to that where my baby goldfish managed to wedge himself somewhere and rip a patch of scales off his body and a small part of his tail fin off (and similarly, he still ate and swam and looked okay except for the whole fin and scale issue), but if you do regular water changes (while priming your water), and keep an eye on him while he heals up, he should be okay. It's been a bit over a month since my baby got hurt, but since then he's regrown all his scales back and most of part of his tail that got ripped off grew back. :)

Bubbles are great for both playing and helping a little bit with oxygenation in your tank (but not a whole lot). My oranda loves to play in them. You really can't go wrong by adding one I don't think, unless you find down the line your fish likes to eat bubbles.

I use Tetra Whispers. I have a 10g one and the 40g one - what you're seeing in the pictures is the 40g on a split air line, full blast. They're not that noisy - not that much if at all noiser than the filter you use at least. I have one on a non-slip pad and the other on a hand towel and they're quiet. The air stone is just a generic one I got offline, it's circular.

CaribSea Aquatics Super Naturals in black. I got two bags of it from my LFS for $25 per 20 lb bag. It wasn’t cheap, but it looks nice. I like that it’s fairly coarse and heavy, which means I suck less of it up during tank maintenance compared to finer sand.

One downside: my young black moor can turn invisible.

CaribSea Aquatics Super Naturals Aquarium Sand, Tahitian Moon, 50-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M7HGB4S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1Gt3Db56P9XCG

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, I’ve heard good things about using black diamond blasting sand from the hardware store, but you have to treat/clean it really well it first.

It looks like Lowe’s has the best deal on tubs right now compared to Wal-Mart or Amazon.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Centrex-Rugged-Tote-50-Gallon-200-Quart-Gray-Tote-with-Standard-Snap-Lid/1000237841

Here’s a good sunsun option.
https://www.amazon.com/Sunsun-HW-3000-5-Stage-External-Canister/dp/B07BG9GBM2/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=sunsun+canister+filter&qid=1567445169&s=gateway&sprefix=sunsun+can&sr=8-4

Here’s the test kit.
https://www.amazon.com/🏆Premium-Freshwater-Master-800-Test-Aquarium/dp/B07TCL1WKZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=api+master+test+kit&qid=1567445259&s=gateway&sprefix=API+mast&sr=8-3

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend specific sponge filter sizes because I’ve never used them as a primary filter source, but I’m sure one of the mods can help you. :)

The plants will absolutely help however expect the sword to get nibbled on. I had to pull my swords from my tank into a grow out tank because my fish were decimating them. In a month or two I should be able to replant their tank. Anubis is one of the best plants to put in with them as the leaves tend to be more leathery and they don't like that as much.

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As for food the best on the market is probably Repasy Super Gold which I will provide two links for. I would not use carnivore pellets as the protein content is way too high for them and will cause constipation. If you do feed a pellet New Life Spectrum makes a sinking pellet for goldfish / koi that is good.

Amazon

Repashy

It is a gel food but comes to you in a powder. All you do is mix 2-3 parts boiling water to the gel and let it setup. Then you cut it into cubes that you can feed them. I prepare fresh food for them about every two weeks or so as you just keep the extra in the fridge and pull it out for feedings. They also get some fresh veggies like shelled peas, romaine lettuce, and broccoli to supplement their normal diet.

Also! There is something I ordered from amazon to help with my algae problem & green water. It was amazing at clearing the water instantly, it’s safe & with weekly use helps prevent algae growth. I’ll pop a link! API Prevent Aquarium Algae Control Solution 273 ml https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0075IP29O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_saJKBbG4FQP8H

Yes they have Ich. I recommend buying an ich medication and raising the temp to 80 degrees F. I used this on my goldfish and it works great. Follow the directions on the bottle. Good luck! http://www.amazon.com/API-Liquid-Super-Cure-4-Ounce/dp/B0002ASG9K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457239271&sr=8-3&keywords=ich

aPump is nearly completely quiet. Yes it's small, but for an airstone it works well. I recommend the stronger version. We own both (and run both at the same time) and you won't hear anything unless you put your ear against it. Can 100% recommend.

They look like it might be ich. Have they been puffing their gills out or rubbing on things? Are they darting back and forth? You could check out Goldfish Emergency and see if the symptoms match. Sometimes anti-ich medicine won't work if you don't clean the tank thoroughly enough.

Also, I can tell you that you have too many fish in there. That might be okay for the fantails, but the comets put you over capacity. Goldies also like water between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you can try and lower the temperature a bit slowly. Only a degree every few hours.

In addition, are you checking amonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH? If not, you need to go and get a tester kit. i also strongly reccomend a GH & KH test kit as well as your goldies will be much happier with proper water hardness and if they are sick it will also help them heal more quickly.

how would you recommend going about that?

do you think something like this would be too much for a 5 gallon?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VOF33Y/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=IY8TMX4AJBEQ1&colid=2I9V6ILP1GAOH&th=1

would my goldfish be ok with increase in temperature? how high would I increase it and at what rate?

http://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-20-Power-Filter-Includes/dp/B000260FVG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406499945&sr=8-1&keywords=aquaclear+20

This filter will filter up to 100 gph, which covers the minimum requirement of 10x the tank capacity (if you turn it all the way up and make sure it is never clogged) and is cheap. I use Aquaclear filters in both of my tanks and love them. Do not use the carbon insert unless you need to remove medication from the water. Instead get another little sack of biomedia to put in there for the beneficial bacteria to live in.

That said, please get your fish a larger tank with proper filtration as soon as possible.

The whisper air pump is the quietest I have ever owned. I have three running in my room right now.