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What substrate for Goldfish tank

Joined
13 Nov 2018
Messages
93
Location
Gillingham Kent
Hi guys,
I have decided after years of keeping tropicals and marines I'm going to convert my main tank into a home for a couple of fancy goldfish.
I've done a lot of research and I'm aware of the need for a spacious aquarium as goldfish get quite large so I'm not going to overstock,also water changes and keeping good filtration is high on my list,but one thing I'm not sure of is what substrate to use.

Plant wise I'll use Anubias and java ferns with a few crypts etc, I've been told that gravel is not ideal as goldfish like to forage around and sand is best unless you have a bare bottom but I don't really like that so anyone got any suggestions of what to use?
 
They indeed can grow up to 30 to 40 cm in up to 30 years... But do this really slow, in my experience the fast growers grow up to 10cm in the first 3 years and then growth stagnates to maybe 1 cm per year thereafter. I have bred my own goldfish and still have fish over 6 years old still < 10 cm.

Regarding substrate, anything can do, from coarse to fine they like to pick it up and throw it back with a headshake... Thus the finer it is the more will be moved around... Do you like it densely planted? It shouldn't be a problem with the correct plants and if you give the tank and plants time to establish healthy and strong anchored roots. Preferably with a coarse base layer substrate capped with fine gravel. Once the plants are sufficiently anchored in the heavier coarse gravel they can dig the finer stuff around as much as they want without issues. It actually could be a welcome thing too. I housed a bunch of smaller few month old goldfish babies to an indoor 110-litre tank with loads of BBA on the substrate. It took them less than 3 months to clear it out digging around in it. They are good cleaners and eat a lot of different algae at an early stage.

Where most people fail is going too much too fast regarding plants... Newly planted tanks with goldfish is a recipe for disaster. :) But if you make sure all is healthy growing and matured before adding fish it won't be a problem. Just don't add plants they like to eat. Such an Elodea is a snack for them. ANd they like to nibble some soft roots from floaters. But Anubias, Crypts and Java is Ok... :) Just wait for everything to firmly attach to its own devices. Could be months... The longer the better actually.
 
Thanks for your interesting and informative reply Marcel, I shall take on board your suggestions but I don't think I'll be able to wait 3-4 months before stocking it.😉
 
You can put pebbles around the base of the plants, the fish will keep their rummaging to the sand/gravel where it's easier. If that doesn't suit the look you are going for, you can remove the pebbles when the roots are established.
 
Brilliant idea,although I have been thinking of using pea gravel as a substrate,I could still use larger pebbles round the base of plants.
I don't keep goldfish myself, but I have heard quite a few horror stories about pea gravel getting lodged in their mouth so might be worth going with either a slightly smaller or larger grain size (or a mix of the two).
 
You can use superglue and glue parts of the roots of the plant to a (flat) stone and dig them into the finer substrate. :) Or simply sink them down, in time the roots dig themself into the substrate and pull themselves and the pebble into the substrate.

I did this quite often with bulb plants such as lily... If the bulb was too big to dig it into an existing setup. I glued a stone to it and placed it on top of the substrate. Within a few months, the bulb pulled itself down and was no longer to be seen.

Echinodorus does this too quite quickly if they grow fast.

I forgot to add, goldfish also eat decaying plant matter, such as melting plant leaves, thus in the plant's transition phase from emersed to submerged form you will have melt and fish pulling the plants. ;) I see them also do this with Crypts, they ignore healthy leaves but melting leaves are snacked upon. They do a better job than snails do. That's why waiting for proper plant establishment is key.
 
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I don't keep goldfish myself, but I have heard quite a few horror stories about pea gravel getting lodged in their mouth so might be worth going with either a slightly smaller or larger grain size (or a mix of the two).
Yes I agree, I'm going smaller and use the gravel from my old tank which was home to loads of Panda Cory's.
 
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