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I have been using 2 comets to cycle my new tank for a few weeks now. I am thinking of housing them in an empty plastic container. It is 56cm[l] x42.5cm[w] x34cm[h]. It holds 60 liters according to the label. Will this be enough space?, and how much filtration will I need

Commet goldfish get quite large - better off in a pond actually. Is this set up only temporary?

You may want to see if you can return them to where you purchased them. Many LFS will take back goldfish that have been utilized for this purpose. Of course don't expect to get any type of credit or refund for them though.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

This would be a semi temporary home- up to a year. THe comets are 6-7cm long each

I agree with old timer. While they are a dirty fish and many people including myself use them to cycle a tank, in my opinion they are more intelligent than many fish. If you can not give them back to the LFS then give them a proper home in a pond or tank. Plastic tubs could be used temporarily but not for too long. I temporarily have mine in a 10 gal. but will soon have him in a used 30 gal. I am getting for my kids. It will be the tank with all the colorful bubble ornaments and such, (since the kids are more interested in the ornaments lol) Then when I get more tanks in the future he will be available to help start those tanks. Just another option to consider.

"Talk is cheap. Action can be almost as affordable"

If I were to construct a pond what would i need?
Would a plastic sandpit dug ito the ground do?
Also, if i were to put them in a tank what other fish could i put in there?

If you want them in a tank it'd need to be at least 24" deep 24" wide and 3 feet long for the first year if you plan on moving them into a pond. If you cant handle that for now I'd suggest returning them to the store. Goldfish are pond fish not tank fish and they need the room to grow...especially in the first years of their lives in order to continue grow.

Not my fish (wish it was) but as far as I know Bruce is much larger these days then when this photo was taken a few years back


^_^

Since you said you had two of them, I would recomend returning them - even one will be too large for the plastic container. Places like Lowes and Home Depot, sometimes have plastic ponds that would requite you to dig out a hole in the yard however, I think they are seasonal (many be out of stock by now).

Wow! That is a monster Oranda. If my Comet Goldfish has the ability to get that big, you have me convinced mine should go in a pond too. Thanks for the pic Babel.

Desiredusername, thank you for the post I have also learned that my gold fish should be destined for a pond. I would love to see him get that big. I asked a friend if I could drop mine in his pond and that is where mine is destined for after winter. The kids will be happy with just ornaments anyways.

"Talk is cheap. Action can be almost as affordable"

Comet goldfish get way bigger than Orandas.
Orandas average about 12-14 inches,
Comets reach about 30-36 inches in length.
A comet needs, imho, about a minimum tank size
of 175g for a single fish, and even then, thats
still not enough. A pond is really the only way
to go for these fish.


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Wow! I guess I will have to throw my book away. It says Comets get to 4.5". I assumed that was wrong but I had no Idea how wrong. Thanks Sneaky

"Talk is cheap. Action can be almost as affordable"

i will build a pond soon, what is the best food for goldfish?, are the internet gelatin recipes any good?

Babelfish, how long do goldfish take to reach that size??

The goldfish in the picture was 2 years old when
the photo was taken.
If kept in proper space with adequate filtration
and lots of water changes, most goldfish have the ability
to grow 6-8 inches in a year.

You should feed them goldfish foods only.
They cant handle the higher protein levels in
tropical fish foods.
You can give them frozen bloodworms once a week as
a treat, and canned shelled peas too as a treat.


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Yep, given the right conditions they can grow quite large. I remember Koi Keeper mentioning that one of hers grew at least 9" one year .

Goldfish are more veggie than protein, in fact they'd love some frozen peas from your freezer. Just pop them out of their shells roll them a bit between your fingers to warm them then offer them to the fish. Mine will eat right from my fingers.
Just a warning though...peas do make them...ermmm poop.

^_^

You all will be happy to know that I released my comet today in my parents garden pond. Not to worry he was properly acclimated and when finally released from his bag he happily took off after the other occupants of the pond.

"Talk is cheap. Action can be almost as affordable"

That's one happy goldfish I'm sure

Keep an eye on him, I'll bet he'll be twice as large next year.

^_^