How Many Goldfish Can You Keep Per Gallon

A general rule to follow is 30-gallons of water per goldfish. Goldfish, being absolute water lovers, need spacious tanks to be able to swim. Therefore, the larger the tank with more room and water to swim, the longer they will live and thrive.

 

Do you know a goldfish can live up to a decade or more if properly cared for?

A goldfish named Tish, belonging to a couple in the UK, is known to have lived for 43 years. These exquisite water buddies are famous for their low-maintenance qualities and intelligence (to the extent that they can learn tricks).

Besides, they are very affordable and do not poke a hole in your pocket when purchasing one (unlike some aquatic animals with exorbitant prices).

Pro Tip: To increase the lifespan of a goldfish, make sure they aren’t alone. Goldfish are excellent buddies and thrive the most when in a company.

 

Can you put a goldfish in a bowl or a small aquarium?

Goldfish can grow in size and reach a length of 12 inches, which is approximately 1 foot long, provided that they have enough space and food.

So, real fish lovers consider putting these orange-skinned fish in a bowl or a small tank as nothing less than cruelty. Not only are you confining them to a limited space where they cannot swim, but you are also putting them somewhere with a minimal surface area making breathing difficult for them.

Additionally, confined spaces are easy to get polluted by waste products (also considering the fact that goldfish produce a lot of waste), which can lead to various diseases.

Keeping more than one goldfish in a small tank can cause the spread of disease. In addition, experts believe that small space can reduce the lifespan of these golden creatures to a considerable number of years.

 

How many Goldfish can you add to a gallon of water?

The amount of water and the size of the tank depends on the kind of goldfish you are dealing with.

For instance, one common goldfish requires 35 to 40-gallons of water (ideal), but a minimum of 30-gallons can also work to keep it healthy.

Adding an extra goldfish will require an additional 12 to 20-gallons of water (the more water, the happier and healthier it is). So, keeping a pair of goldfish means you require at least 42-gallons, and 3 of them will need a minimum of 54-gallons of water.

A fancy goldfish will thrive in 25-gallons of water, but you can also start with 20 gallons. The addition of the second fish will need at least extra 10-gallons, but it is always better to give them more room and water; therefore, 15-gallons is a better option.

 

Does the shape of the tank matter?

Goldfish are very easy-to-maintain. They only need lots of space to feel comfortable; therefore, keeping them in a rectangular tank is better than putting them in a square one.

A wider aquarium (being less deep) creates room for swimming and gives the extra surface area, making breathing easy for the goldfish.

Also, the size of your tank is indispensable when it comes to housing a goldfish in it. A common goldfish will do well in a 4 to 5-feet horizontally long tank, whereas the fancy one will require at least a 3-feet wide aquarium.

Note: as the fish grows in size, try switching it to a larger tank with greater volume because the last thing you want to do is limit its swimming capabilities and suffocate it to death.

 

How to create more space within the aquarium?

Considering the fact that goldfish love to swim, make sure your tank isn’t congested with bulky decors and high-length plants blocking their way.

It certainly doesn’t imply that you shouldn’t put anything inside other than the fish, but it means placing short plants with very small-sized decors that can barely act as obstacles.

Please take into consideration that once a fish reaches the size of around 8 inches, it belongs to the pond, so take it out of that glass tank no matter how large.

 

Closing thoughts

Goldfish are all-time favorites and deserve our attention. However, their easy-going attitude doesn’t mean that we leave them unattended and don’t provide what they love- space.

Besides good food and cleaning the aquarium, they live once (or twice) a week; giving them swimming space can keep them in a good mood and high spirits.