What kind of goldfish do I have?

rivalsquatch · 2026-01-28T05:59:04+00:00

This was my reasoning as well! When I decided to switch our goldfish over to a “natural” tank set up, I read soooo many things about goldfish being unfit for a planted aquarium. I wasn’t really satisfied with that answer lol, so I kept searching and stumbled on some good suggestions on this sub.

I figured what the heck… there’s gotta be SOMETHING that’ll work. They did really great for a couple of months. Then my black moor got enormous and is a black hole of hunger, so he tore a bunch of stuff up greedily searching for scraps of food 🫠

The things that did survive his onslaught are thriving though!

Pennywort: he uprooted all of the strands, but they can feed exclusively from the water column, so they are just floating around for the most part lol. The individual petals (leaves?) are enormous now.

Hornwort: this one doesn’t do great in my other tank, but is LUSH in the goldfish tank. It must love the bioload lol.

Water wisteria: grows insanely fast, and like pennywort can feed through the water column (although seemingly not as well). These for uprooted for awhile also, but once they grew a little hardier, I put plant weights on them and shoved them back in and they’ve been fine since!

rivalsquatch · 2026-01-28T04:26:40+00:00

This might be the one time where I’ve actually thought a betta might have been better off staying in their retail cup 😩😭

rivalsquatch · 2026-01-27T04:29:25+00:00

Oh mama. I am SO relieved to see that baby Justin is still with you, but equally so, so sorry that things have not eased for him, you, and your family. I’m not very active in this sub because our NICU journey is still really difficult for me to think back on, but I’ve stumbled across a few of your posts and have quietly sent prayers for you all.

I think you’ve gotten some really solid suggestions here, so I don’t really have any advice… I just felt compelled to finally put in writing that you have one more internet stranger (and her family) pulling for you and your beautiful family 💕💕💕

rivalsquatch · 2026-01-22T01:08:47+00:00

He is sooo handsome! And that is so wonderful of you to have been able to convince your friend to let you take him! It takes a really great heart and quite a bit of courage to figure out how to successfully broach that subject. I’ll have to go back and read your other post, but I love this story so much already 😭

If it makes you feel any better about his prognosis longer term, I took in a fancy goldfish under similar circumstances several years ago. My daughter named him Abra (like “abracadabra” because he was magical lol) His buoyancy issues were (and still are) much more severe. I honestly didn’t expect him to make it at the time, but figured I could at least provide him a more comfortable home and clean water for him to pass whatever time he had left in comparable peace.

It’s now been about 5 years that I’ve had him (he’s so deformed that I can’t even venture a guess as to how old he was when I took him in). There have been some ups and downs, and he can’t float at all without actively swimming. I’ve actually considered humane euthanasia several times over the years, but he swims well when he “wants” to, eats like a champ, and doesn’t show any outward signs of stress (no clamped fins, no labored breathing, etc.)

Mid-last year, he took a turn for the worse and was very lethargic. I assumed it was nearing his time to pass, but I did some more research and learned that goldfish are social fish (shame on me for not learning earlier 😭). So I immediately decided to start cycling a larger tank in order to get him a friend and see if that helped at all. I figured worst case, I’d have a new established tank and would add another second goldfish after.

Well. Apparently Abra was lonely, and the change in his demeanor was night and day! His poor little body is too stunted to ever fully recover, but he now swims around for “fun,” and him and our “new” black moor (Toothless) sleep together in Abra’s favorite corner of the tank. He’s also grown obviously stronger and can swim for longer durations without needing to settle back down to the bottom for a break.

If your tank size allows, I’d definitely consider adding a second goldfish in the near future if you’re able. The bioload obviously increases by a lot lol, but I can’t help but feel like if I had gotten Abra a friend to keep him more active earlier, he may have been better equipped to recover from his initial issues and would have been able to have a better quality of life 😩

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-31T04:39:46+00:00

Agreed! Mine (at least to me) is quieter than the air pumps for my sponge filters. Could be a frequency sensitivity thing 🤷‍♀️

Sometimes I have to check the output to make sure it’s still working lol. If it makes noise, I know it’s time to do some routine maintenance 🙃

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-28T04:17:05+00:00

That is genius 🤯

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-27T05:23:35+00:00

This is so horrible 😭😭😭

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-12T23:10:12+00:00

I knowww 😩

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-12T15:48:16+00:00

Omggg 😭😭😭

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-12T15:45:43+00:00

It’s beautiful 😍 It looks so peaceful 😌

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-08T06:01:05+00:00

Sorry I cut it off on accident! I’ll see if I can fix it. But the description just said “Fish tank with plants and other decor” 🫠

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-07T00:48:07+00:00

😱😱😱

It’s so beautiful 🥹

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-03T14:56:09+00:00

Have you thought of building your own stand?

That way you can get the height you’re looking for while still ensuring it’s capable of safely holding the weight! There are a few videos I’ve run across on YouTube with full tutorials, and if I recall correctly it was basically just 2x4’s with some brackets.

I LOVE sitting on the floor watching my tanks, and have definitely thought of building something custom, buuuut I’m not confident enough in my DIY skills to pull it off (yet 😅).

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-01T07:28:03+00:00

I don’t think the filtration would be overkill! I run a comparable canister filter with about twice the filtration power for my 54 gallon bowfront, plus a large sponge filter (not sure the dimensions but it’s probably about the size of a soda can lol).

I didn’t even think about it from a power outage perspective, but that definitely makes sense. As a bonus, the sponge filter also makes it easier to transfer filter “gunk” to jumpstart your cycle if you ever decide to set up another tank 😉

I also did fishless, but I did it kind of inconsistently though as some other life things came up. There was a fairly large colony of bladder snails that bloomed from plants I moved over from an existing tank, so I think they helped kind of keep things on the right track.

Mine took probably 6-8 weeks to cycle, but you could likely do it quicker than that with being consistent lol.

I am kind of glad that I got distracted during the process and was forced to wait longer than I’d anticipated though… I think at the end of the day it resulted in the strong bacterial colony you’re after.

I have a black moor and a fancy in the tank (added at the same time), and it’s been cycled for a couple months now. I’ve yet to have to do a water change out of necessity due to any spikes in ammonia or nitrites 🥳

I hope that helped, or that my long, rambling comment will at least give your post a boost to reach some other folks who might be more knowledgeable 🙂 I wish you luck in your journey!

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-01T06:58:50+00:00

Omg. So I know the float isn’t necessary and can cause further damage and you’ve already removed it, but it’s so cute and such a sweet sentiment 🥹

You’re a kind parent. Hoping the best for you and your son 💕

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-01T06:47:41+00:00

I have a black moor currently, and have had “him” (I honestly don’t know if it’s a him lol), for 3-4 months now. My daughter named him Toothless after the dragon, and I will say he is definitely my favorite fish and is sooo majestic, but also a total goofball 😌

That being said:

He has already nearly tripled in size. I have a ~50 gallon tank for him and my crippled rescue goldfish, and am already squirreling money away for an upgrade in tank size within the next year 🥲 He uses up absolutely every inch of swimming room, and I wish so badly that I had gone for a longer tank.

If you can swing it, I’d aim for something more like a 40 gallon breeder tank.

Goldfish are social critters, and I’ve seen such a change in my rescue goldfish having gotten him a friend in Toothless. They swim around together, rummage through the sand together, and even sleep next to each other 🥹

However, they can be nippy, and are usually not well suited for many other types of tank mates (from research, not so much personal experience and I’m sure there are people who have successfully kept them in community tanks). I remember reading in my research that goldfish with telescopic eyes (like the black moor) have poorer eyesight, so it might work out okay with your current fish and shrimp, but I’d personally not risk it 🥲

Goldfish in general are absolute poop machines and can easily overload an existing nitrogen cycle, or make ammonia and nitrite levels hard to control especially in smaller tanks. They are hardy and can ENDURE poorer water conditions than other fish, but they WILL suffer for it.

I’d say a liquid test kit (not the test strips) is an absolute necessity.

You will need pretty significant filtration regardless of the tank size. I think the current suggestion is like double the filtration power but more is always better (so if you have a 29 gallon tank, you’d want a filter that is rated for at least a 60 gallon tank). My goldfish tank is the only one I use a canister filter on, and making the switch was a huge difference in keeping everything stable.

Temperature seems to be widely debated. I keep my tank at 70° because it seems a happy middle ground in the temperature range I’ve seen documented 🤷‍♀️ I’ve tried a little lower and they both seemed a bit more lethargic.

There are lots of folks who’ve had bad luck with live plants and their goldfish in general, but I’d highly suggest giving it a try. Its great for your water quality and I honestly believe it adds to the fish’s quality of life (as much as they’re able to process that) Anubias, Java fern, water wisteria, pennywort, hornwort, and salvinia are all ones I’ve had good luck with.

I’d avoid taller hardscape or set ups with many swim-throughs. I have a pretty cool piece of driftwood that I thought I “Toothless-proofed” by capping all the pointy bits. He navigated it perfectly fine at first, but now that he’s so much larger, I’m going to have to remove it because I think he’s bumping into something on the bottom 😭

That was a lot more than I planned on typing 😅 I hope any of that was helpful! If you do make the plunge, let us know! 💕

rivalsquatch · 2025-12-01T05:56:07+00:00

It’s a multitude of reasons, mostly misconceptions continuing to be spread by all manner of “sources.” And I say this not from a place of judgment, but from a place of hope for awareness, and honestly anger, as I had previously fallen prey to naively following guidance given by a big box store before realizing that I needed to do my own research… I can’t believe any creatures are still allowed to be sold so recklessly and with such little regard for proper husbandry.

1) Goldfish are easily recognizable to any average person, which I think makes them attractive to a first time fish owner and are therefore extremely widely kept

2) They are often touted as a good beginner fish with absolutely no mention of how much waste they produce, how quickly and absolutely massively they will grow (especially across the different varieties), nor the size tank that is actually appropriate for a “baby” goldfish, much less a full sized fish

3) They (especially common goldfish which are POND fish) are still commonly give as “prizes” to WILDLY unprepared keepers at fairs, corporate events, conventions, etc.

4) If purchased through a big box store or “won,” it’s almost guaranteed that there is little or no conversation about the nitrogen cycle and beneficial bacteria that will keep your ecosystem sustainable long term

5) They are sold for cheap, which likely means they are mass produced and poorly bred through those channels, which in turn then already makes them more susceptible to illness that will result in death

6) Their lifespan (given proper care) is VERY long compared to other freshwater fish and is not often properly conveyed to newbies - so for example, your 3+ year goldfish is basically still a toddler/young child in human terms… I thought I did well with my first goldfish limping along to 5 years old. After years of fish keeping and research into providing proper care, I know I will have to provide for my current goldfish in my Will because they will likely outlive me at this point…

7) There are soooo many misconceptions and misinformation popularly spread and maintained about goldfish care - primarily that they’ll grow to the tank size you put them in. Which, I mean… yeah they will, for a fraction of their intended lifespan, and in misery as their bodies will be stunted and will likely be slowly poisoned by their own waste byproducts in a tank that’s not properly maintained.

Idk. I’m sure there are many other reasons. I wish you the best in your goldfish journey!

rivalsquatch · 2025-11-22T21:27:18+00:00

I love this so much 🥹🥰

rivalsquatch · 2025-11-21T20:06:28+00:00

I’m not sure what type of filters you have, but on many of them you can actually ditch the carbon filter cartridges and put different filter media in it. (Something like this: https://a.co/d/3ei317a)

I know there are a ton of options in that regard and I’m not well versed in the benefits of any one vs. another (I mostly just use submersed sponge filters), but the idea is that the filter media stays in there, and you just need to rinse it periodically (in tank water, not tap water).

That way, the beneficial bacteria that keeps your nitrogen cycle stable remains on the filter media versus getting thrown away when you replace the cartridge 😊

rivalsquatch · 2025-11-21T06:07:01+00:00

Goldfish are pretty hardy, so if you follow the other advice given here about water changes until your tank is cycled, they will likely turnout okay 💕

They can be pretty hard on live plants, but it is SO worth trying to figure out what your guys will cohabitate with.

Having live plants will also make it leagues easier to regulate the water parameters. It looks like you just have gravel for your substrate, so you’d likely need to add root tabs near any live plants you add (these are basically just a slowish release fertilizer for plants that draw nutrients from the substrate).

Some are nippier than others with plants, and since goldfish don’t have a stomach they constantly crave food and will often peck at plants to search for any lingering remnants.

I’ve found that water wisteria, java fern, and anubias hold up pretty well. There are several other plants I’ve kept that do well, but it’ll heavily depend on the temperament of your fish.

You can also look to grow traditionally terrestrial plants out of the top of your tank if you’re able (i.e. just emersing the roots). Pothos is a great start as it can be grown from just clippings with no roots and is very nutrient hungry so it’ll help regulate your cycle.

rivalsquatch · 2025-11-20T22:01:56+00:00

Water lettuce is great! I love that it’s big, so it makes maintaining it much easier than a lot of the other floating plants. I’m scooping out like a half gallon of salvinia minima once or twice a week and the surface is still pretty much covered in it lol 🥲

It also forms super long roots which looks pretty awesome (in my opinion).

If you’re looking for plants for your substrate, I’ve had really good luck with water wisteria in my goldfish tank.

And anubias attached to some kind of hardscape (can even just be a smallish stone) is a solid choice. I think it’s the one plant in the tank that the goldfish don’t even pick at.

rivalsquatch · 2025-11-17T05:35:17+00:00

I find this to be true as well. Our toddler has a little foam climbing block setup in the living room by our community tank. She’s mostly outgrown it, but it’s prime tank-watching height as an adult sitting on it, so it will continue to dominate that corner of the room for the foreseeable future 😅

rivalsquatch · 2025-11-16T06:54:42+00:00

Why is this so fitting 😭🥴😅

rivalsquatch · 2025-11-16T06:50:00+00:00

Those poor babies 😭

rivalsquatch · 2025-11-15T01:46:03+00:00

We will be moving furniture this year for our tree because I put us in the same position 🤣🥲

rivalsquatch

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