I recently bought two baby goldfish and am housing them in a ten gallon aquarium ( with my two baby guppies that i had nowhere else to put). Everyone seems to be getting along great the water is clear and good temp and all the basic stuff is right. But my goldfish hide in there log ALL the time and when i approach the tank to feed them if they are out they swim away as fast as they can. Also i feed them plenty to keep them happy and not bloated but they are always scavenging and begging like they aren't eating.

also my tank is not planted but if that will help them i will get them plants and they only swim on the bottom but as far as i can tell are still very active.

But my one little one has eaten fins( he had them when i bought him) is there anything that will help them heal or will it affect him? he seems to be fine

PS. I know ten gallons is not enough for them but i already bought them and I will release them into a pond when they are older if need be. But my dorm will only allow up to ten gallons  

Where can i get a water test kit relatively inexpensive?

I will look into primafix and melafix

what is the best fish food for them? I want them healthy

i feed them a little once a day how is that overfeeding? when i said plenty i meant enough to keep them healthy and i found out overstocked AFTER i got them. Both of my guppies are female so no babies and the guppies were born in my old tank.

all the stuff you are saying i know the bloating and how much space they need and dietary requirements ... i know all the basics i just needed advice from fish owners not to be fed facts

i wanted to know if anyone has seen the behavior. Plus soon i am rehoming them and staring a betta tank but i am keeping them til they are long enough for them to be ready for a pond. but i wanna keep them as happy and healthy as possible

First of all, Guppies HAVE similar water requirements as goldfish do. Both want alkaline water, and guppies want their water in a temp between 21-25 degrees Celsius, which is more or less the ideal temp for goldfish as well. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE GOLDFISH WILL EAT THE GUPPIES AS THEY GROW. But for now, it's perfectly fine

I want you to also know that goldfish have no stomach, and especially while they grow, you need to feed them at least 3 times a day. So start feeding them more often but a smaller amount of food, and you should see them being much happier and healthier Make sure to get yourself a good quality staple pellet for your goldies, and feed your guppies with tropical fish flakes You could get some freeze-dried tubifex as well, they're usually sold in cubes, so take some small pieces of these and soak them awhile before you feed them to your fish This will add the extra protein your fish need while growing.

About the torn fins on your fish, I would dose some melafix in the tank, this is a natural remedy that will help your fish recover on its own

I think you could invest in some plants, because your fish are obviously a bit stressed, so they would probably want somewhere to hide. Java Fern are wonderful plants for this reason! The goldfish don't like how they taste, so they won't be eaten, and these plants have big, thick leaves that grow real densely, and this would be perfect to keep your fish safe

That's all I wanted to share for now, ask if there's anything you need to know

Aww my poor little guy i just assumed they were too crowded and underfed and munched on each other I cant get them a new tank cuz the dorm but I am planning to rehome them. I also have a fourty gallon that i could put them in when i rehome them I will definetly get some Melafix when i get paid. It does not look like its getting any worse luckily.

just some pictures ( not very good cuz they're from my phone but still )

Hanna: Koi love eating a slice of garlic from time to time, and rubbing new and unfamiliar food in with garlic will usually make the koi eat it without problems even if they didn't like it at first d:

Elliriyanna: As long as you've got good filtration, your fish could survive a couple of months there. But do try to get them into the 40 gallon asap

That's a smaller issue... you can't keep the 40 gallon at your parents' place for a while? For the last 1-2 years in college? You could still have one goldfish with you in your dorm And you could keep two in the 40 gallon in the meantime ;>

My parents have nothing to do with me. I havent seen my dad in months and i see my mom about every month since she kicked me out and she lives in a tiny apartment with my three sisters and hates animals. I really have no options Trust me I'm doing all I can. My dad is great with fish but there is no way to get ahold of him and I think he disowned me like the rest of the family. I'm living with a friend now and they will let me store the forty here but not set it up.

I've thought of everything

And yes I want to do a betta sorority in the ten gallon but I dont have the money for all the plants and the new heater and everything right now since goldfish are coldwater I went with them.

Could you help me with keeping them happy for a while in the ten gallon? This is my only option and I wanna see the little ones happy. I mean look at them how could you not love them? <3

rehoming is an option but so many people think of goldfish as feeders, I dont wanna risk that for my babies

thanks so much right now my water is cloudy ... but I think I need to replace the filter cartridge. Its a power filter for a 10-15 gallon. And I will get a hose for water changes. And a water test kit. with proper care how long can they live in the ten gallon? and with a dorm i cant get the sucky thing ... but I will look into it. I have a lot I have to pay for right now.


A test kit is around 20. Next time I get paid I will get them a water test kit. And a hose segment when I do water changes I could put it on the both so it sucks out the yucky stuff that way ... would it work?

Honestly I havent even started college. I am keeping them there til they reach a good size for a pond then rehoming them to a home that will love them as much as i do

I think I may give up the aquarium for a while. Or sell it and pick it when I get more money. I was thinking about starting a betta sorority but I just dont know if I have the money.

It'll be weird though since i've never not had something to care for.

I hardly have any money. I cant properly plant it for a betta Sorority I mean I could put a single male in there and let him have a HUGE tank ( to a betta anyway) and throw in some neons. But the people who sold it to me forgot to mention the heater is broken. My tank got up to 90 one day my poor fish so i decided to turn it off. Plus my last bettas killed each other cuz i trusted the pet store and they told me a female could go in with my male. they were so wrong

But maybe a decently planted tank with a betta a couple tetras and some dwarf cories. not as high maintenance and I wont need anything special if I remember correctly

YAY!!! my local walmart has a kit for under 20 that is apparently very good. And a heater for a tank that size is about 25 I just dont have the money

I mean I'm gonna save up and get them everything they need. its just like one thing after another in my life right now

I still have  a bowl ... or i can keep them in the tank with a few friends to keep it cycled until I get my betta. I really just need a heater then I can get my fish 

well that and this college stuff