# outdoor comet goldfish in a bottom tier fountain



## Texas transplant (Jun 8, 2011)

Ok the toad frog mating season must be over, haven't had the tadpole egg laying problem last night, as was the case the prior two or three nights.

Now then, let me describe my goldfish set up and you guys please, advise me if I need to do anything better.

First off they are comet goldfish, each now about 3" in overall length.
They number at six now.
I have them in a number 3 washtub/apx. 15 gallons (yes I know now that that is not enough water volume for that amount of goldfish).
This washtub is outside and is the bottom portion of a three tier fountain, I have a powerful water pump and on the water pump's intake I daily change a filter that I bought at the pet store (it's a debris filter only I think).
I have an air pump with a 12" air stone providing oxygen.
Every three days to once a week I pump out about half of the #3 washtub's volume and replenish with fresh water using Prime anti chlorine solution. I also have seagrass in the tub (the fish seem to like it).

The fountain is outside and water temperature hovers around 78 degrees at night to 80 degrees in the afternoon sun (every afternoon I have to put two frozen two liter bottles in the tub to keep the temp down to 80). Yes I know it's five degrees more than gold fish like it.

QUESTION to you all; do I need to add to the tank, a better filtering system?
Does ammonia seem to be an issue with the above description of the set up and the maintenance? 
Anything I should be doing that I am not doing?

ps-I lost a gold fish yesterday, could have been due to frogs peeing in the fountain adding to the ammonia level? I've since changed 1/2 of the water volume last evening.


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## Carassius (Mar 29, 2011)

You need better filtration and to rehome some of the fish. those fish need almost ten times the space they have (twenty gallons per singletailed goldfish). You are probably losing the fish due to overcrowding. Maybe make a nice pond and relocate five of them? x-o


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I agree with the above. Not enough water volume and the fish alone will keep your ammonia to high. In the tub that you have them in, you can only handle 1 comet and he will soon outgrow that. Comets are a fast fish, can grow to about 12 inches.

If you want to keep that many fish in the fountain, get yourself one of the softside pools and set up the fountain in it. It will also keep the water cooler for them.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yes its suggested to have at least thirty gallons for the first fish and ten for every one after.This is for fancies(the ones that grow to maybe six inches)I would imagine you would need fifty five for one and fifteen for everyone after.

I would look into a pond if you wish to keep them,or rehome them and get some smaller fish for the fountain.


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