# Fishy Fairground Prize



## iheartsonic (Jan 17, 2011)

OK.

My partner won a goldfish at the fair. I'm not a very fishy person but my 3yr old is thrilled so while I wanted to give fishy to the in-laws because they already have suitable tanks etc, it'd break my son's heart so if anyone could tell me what I'm going to need for Fishy to give him a long and happy life that would be very much appreciated. Goldfish keeping can't be that hard, can it?


----------



## Fishyfins (Feb 28, 2009)

Ok, ill stay away from the whole ethical issue of having fish as prizes...

it really depends on the kind of goldfish you have. all goldfish need large tanks, as they produce a huge ammount of waste. you will need an absolute minimum of a 100L tank. nothing smaller will do, even when they are small, and goldfish put into smaller aquariums usually suffer from huge health issues and early death.
if you have a standard goldfish (long and generally thin types such as fantails and shubunkins), then you would only be able to keep the one in such a tank, though ideally for these guys, the bigger the better, and preferably a pond! if you have a fancy variety (the more stocky, rounder ones such as oranda and moors), then you could keep 2 quite happily in this size tank. of course, goldfish are a social species, benefitting from their own company, so really, the bigger the tank, and the more goldies you have, the better. they rarely do well living on their own.

once you have the tank, then your shopping list needs to include a good filter. an external unit is the perfect choice for the goldfish, as they are highly efficient! look around for external filters from makers such as Fluval and Ehiem, usually very good. make sure to get one big enough for your tank, the bigger the unit the better really.

heaters are not really required as they are temperate fish, but could be useful in some situations. lighting is also purely anaesthetical, but mot "complete" set ups come with in built lights. other than that, you just need a high quality food (feed a varied diet), test kit (go for a drip based test kit rather than the cheaper dip strips, as they are far more accurate), cleaning equipment (siphon tube, bucket etc...) and decor for the aquarium (go for smooth edged decor, as any sharp edges could cut the fish)

once you have all the equipment, you will need to cycle the tank. this is the tricky bit, as you already have the fish (might i ask what your keeping him in at the moment?). usually, this is a process that takes 3-6 weeks, without the fish in the tank, and builds up the friendly bacteria within the filter to make the tank safe for fish. see the following link for more information on cycling. it deals mostly with fishless, but also touches on the in-fish cycle as well.

Frequently asked questions on fishless cycling | Features | Practical Fishkeeping

once the tank is ready, then its fine to add the little guy and take care of him. make sure to do 25% water changes every week at least, as they are very messy fish, and as ive said, produce huge ammounts of waste.

Goldfish keeping is essentially pretty easy, it just requires far more equipment and space that people think for the goldie to have a good long life. the average goldfish should live 20 years +, and depending on species, should not be less than 8" long when fully grown (usually within a year or two, and most goldies grow bigger). the hard part is providing them the space, equipment, and the innitial setting up of the tank with the cycling.

hope this helps
Fishy


----------



## iheartsonic (Jan 17, 2011)

I know, right? I can't begin to imagine the kinds of environments the fish were living in with this fair ground thing. It was at a school fun day, imagine all the kids that have gone home with fishy prizes today 

Anyway, thank you for the detailed post, there is much more involved than I had imagined. I am definitely not a fishy person. I think I'll get fishy a home with the in-laws where he'll live in a suitable environment with other fishy friends. He currently lives in a glass bowl that luckily I had knocking about otherwise he's still be in that flipping bag  Poor fishy, he will have a good home with the in-laws.


----------



## Fishyfins (Feb 28, 2009)

as a side note, though its no longer illegal for fish to be offered as prizes (thankyou very much Labour!), it is very much illegal to give them as prizes without a parent/guardian being present. its also illegal if they didnt provide the "winner" with instructions on fish care and give them the option to buy equipment to go with the prize. albeit the latter two points would probably be woefully inadequate anyway, its worth poiting out, because these sorts of things should be happening anyway!
Also, please remove him from the death tra.... i mean bowl as quickly as possible. fish should never be kept in bowls, even goldfish. i know its not your fault, but try and move him out of there as quick as possible ^^

you seem pretty responsible, well done on passing him onto someone who can provide the correct care for him


----------



## Guest (Jul 14, 2011)

The last fish I won of a fair died three days later. I stick to buying them now.

The fish needs a tank with a good filter and preferably real plants. For goldfish think it is 40 gallon tank somebody correct me if I'm wrong. They are messy fish. Also fish can outgrow their tank.


----------

