My goldfish outgrew their tank. Can I release them or rehome?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You can try a few different routes to see if anyone would like some of your fish. You can post on Kijiji, or you can go around to your local pet stores and vet clinics and let them know you have free fish for good homes. Pet stores might be able to help you out if they have a bigger tank. You could also put up flyers. Best of luck finding good homes for your fish.

As log as she is acclimated to the water temperature, she should be fine. Place her in a bag of water and then float the bag in the tank for 20-30 minutes. You can then scoop her out with a net and place her in the new tank. Confirm proper chemistry of the new tank using a home test kit or by submitting a water sample for testing. The local Petco may do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20 ppm or less. pH should be around 7 and water temp should range between 65 F and 72 F since goldfish are cold water fish.

All these fish can grow quite large. The loach would be the "smallest" at about 6 to 8 inches when full grown. The Oscars can reach lengths of 18 inches and the Texas cichlid and sharks can reach a foot in length. All these fish will require much larger tanks than the ones you have now. The three Oscars alone would do best in a 125 gallon aquarium MINIMUM. The others may thrive in 55 to 75 gallon tanks. To leave them in small tanks will cause stress, aggression and likely infection.

A 5 gallon tank is insufficient for goldfish. They produce a larger than normal bio-load (wastes) that can quickly overwhelm a small tank. Ideally, one goldfish should be in a 20 gallon tank with an extra 10 gallons added per additional goldfish. The filter should be rated for at least twice the volume of the tank. They are likely succumbing to ammonia and/or nitrite toxicity. If you test the water, it is likely both parameters will be dangerously high. Perform a 50% water change. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. Goldfish are cold water fish and do best between 65 F and 72 F. Plain aquarium salt, NOT table or Epsom salt, can be used to reduce stress, improve gill function and aid in recovery. Dissolve 1 teaspoon per gallon in a cup or two of tank water and gently pour it into the tank. Treat for no more than 14 days then perform a partial water change to decrease salinity. A 5 gallon tank would be appropriate for one male Betta or a small school of Neons (3-5).

Gold fish can make great fish but they can live up to 25 years and require a large tank that may need to be upgraded if they grow too large. Do get at least 2 fish. Here are some links which may help: https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ https://www.aqueon.com/information/care-sheets/goldfish https://www.hartz.com/how-to-introduce-new-fish-into-your-aquarium-tank/ I hope this helps and congrats on your new pets!

It could be an infection or tumor. An infection may be resolved with proper treatment but you would need to get Rory and the other fish out of that small bowl. It is much too small for one goldfish, let alone three. Goldfish need large tanks because they produce larger than normal amounts of waste. Ideally, 1 goldfish should have a 20 gallon tank. Add an additional 10 gallons per extra fish. That would mean you need at least a 40 gallon tank. You also need a filter in there. The filter should be rated for at least twice the volume of the tank. To keep them in a small bowl will drastically shorten their lifespan and could lead to stress and illnesses.

Thanks for reaching out. There is lots of discussion in the veterinary community on whether fish should be kept alone. Goldfish are school animals, so housing together would likely provide psychological advantages. Good luck.