Unplanned For Goldfish Crisis

**Kerry** · 09-18-2010, 07:11 AM

My neighbors got last minute orders and pretty much had to move within a couple of weeks. They decided to get "rid of" the fish instead of packing them up and moving the tanks. They offered me a couple small tanks at rediculously low prices so I grabbed them.. HOWEVER.. I got an extra present in one of the tanks.
Behold the 4 inch Ranchu that was living in a 2.5 gallon hex. No thats not a misprint. A 2.5 gallon heated hex. Cant leave that part out.
Im not a goldfish keeper at all, but shes healthy and eats like a Great Dane.
There was no way that I was going to leave her in that tiny tank, so my only option was my recently planted 40g (thank you Petco sale). Her tank was so filthy that honestly I have no idea of how this fish even survived. I moved her into my larger tank which is also home to some Guppies and after two weeks she is doing quite well. She seems to think shes a guppy and tries to swim around with the girls, but of course she corners like a semi.
I have slightly lowered the temp I had the tank set at, but Im worried that its still going to be too warm for her in the long run ( its at 76) Her previous owners said that shes over a year old and shes been in a heated tank since day one. The guppies are doing fine with the temp and so are the fry that seem to mysteriously appear every time I blink.
I plan on a big honkin tank some time in the next year or so, but should I hurry those plans along to get the Ranchu in a "proper" tank?

**troy** · 09-18-2010, 04:27 PM

Goldfish can be kept in a tropical tank. http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ad.php?t=32662

**Brhino** · 09-18-2010, 11:20 PM

A 40 gallon tank is enough for a single fancy goldfish.

**Kerry** · 09-19-2010, 01:30 AM

She/he is still doing quite well and has totally adopted the Cories... they follow eachother around the bottom of the tank and do clean up work. I will happily admit that Im a sucker for a charity case, so I just want what is best for the fish.. rather deserving after spending a year in a tank almost too small to turn around in and definately too small to do any real swimming in.
The local fish store I do most of my plant and fish buying thinks its funny that I have the "dreaded goldfish", but they offered me a ton of plants that she would enjoy eating for free so hopefully she will stop taste testing the rest of the plants in the tank fairly soon.