Nano Goldfish Keeping What Is It All About

For years, there was a lingering belief that goldfish were only suitable for large tanks. There are a lot of “rules” in fish keeping, and one of the most prevalent is the belief that goldfish should only be kept in tanks that are at least 30 gallons for a single fish.

Thankfully, people are becoming more aware of the science behind fish keeping. This increased knowledge has led to the rise of the popularity of nano tanks, even for fish like goldfish. It’s important to understand the proper care of a nano tank, though, especially when keeping heavy bioload producers like goldfish.

What is a Nano Fish Tank?

A nano tank is typically considered to be any tank that is 5 gallons or smaller. Some people would consider tanks up to 10 gallons to be nano tanks.

Nano tanks can be a great option for people with limited space because the tanks themselves don’t take up much space. This makes them suitable for places like desks and offices, bedrooms, apartments, and dorm rooms. It’s easy to see why there would be appeal to keeping a nano tank.

Do Nano Tanks Require Less Maintenance?

It’s a misconception that a nano tank would require less maintenance and cleaning than a larger tank. The maintenance may be less in that you are changing less water with water changes, but the overall cleaning and maintenance schedule is not reduced. In fact, with heavy bioload producers, you may have more frequent cleaning and maintenance needs than you would with a larger tank.

The reason that you may have increased maintenance needs with a smaller tank is because the tank will get dirty more quickly. You also are likely to have less filtration in a small tank than you would in a larger tank, which means your tank’s nitrogen cycle may not be able to keep up on clearing waste products, like ammonia and nitrite, from the water like it would be able to with a larger tank.

Can Goldfish Be Happy in a Nano Tank?

Absolutely!

There are two things you primarily need to keep goldfish happy and healthy. The first is a decent amount of swimming space. When keeping a nano tank, it’s important that you don’t take up precious swimming space by overfilling the tank with plants and décor. You should also carefully select the tank shape for maximum swimming space. Generally speaking, goldies will prefer a longer tank than a taller tank, so aim to find a nano tank that will provide lots of uninterrupted swimming space.

The second important thing to keep your goldfish happy is to maintain high water quality. This can be challenging in a nano tank, and nano tanks do often require a bigger commitment to maintaining water quality. You may need to invest in a filtration system that is rated for a tank larger than the one your fish are living in, as well as performing routine water changes to keep the water quality high. If you don’t have adequate filtration in your goldfish tank, you may need to perform water changes as frequently as once or twice per day.

Will Goldfish Outgrow a Nano Tank?

There is a little bit of science and a lot of guesswork required to answer this question, but the simple answer is that it depends.

Goldfish release a hormone into their environment that can build up in the water. This hormone can lead to stunted growth when the levels get high in the water. This is how some goldfish can live in a bowl or tank for decades and never outgrow it.

However, every time you perform a water change in your aquarium, you are removing this stunting hormone from the water, which can lead to your goldfish continuing to grow, eventually outgrowing their nano home, but there is no guarantee that this will happen.

From diagnosing illnesses and providing correct treatments to proper nutrition, tank maintenance and water quality advice, this book will help you to ensure your goldfish are happy and to be the best goldfish keeper you can be.

Is Growth Stunting Harmful to Goldfish?

It’s unclear if growth stunting is harmful to goldfish. The goldfish that holds the record for the longest lifespan was a carnival prize goldfish named Tish. She lived to be 43 years old and only reached around 4.5 inches in length. Nobody knows if Tish’s growth was stunted due to life in a bowl or if she was simply genetically predisposed to a small size.

There aren’t any studies that show a definitive link between growth stunting and health problems. However, some goldfish experience growth stunting due to living in a high-stress environment, like living in a tank with poor water quality. Anecdotally, some goldfish have developed unusual problems, like misshapen spines, after being kept in a too-small tank or bowl for an extended period, but these problems often fix themselves once the goldfish is moved to a larger tank.

In Conclusion

Keeping a goldfish in a nano tank is a time and effort commitment that many people cannot commit to. There is a large amount of care required to maintain high water quality and your fish’s health in the long run. It’s important to understand that goldfish can live for many decades, so they are not a short-term commitment, especially when provided with excellent care.

If you choose to keep goldfish in a nano tank setup, you need to be prepared for your goldfish to potentially outgrow their tank. If they do outgrow it, you should be willing to provide your goldie with a bigger home.

Sources

https://cafishvet.com/fish-health-disease/fish-stunting/ https://www.itsafishthing.com/nano-goldfish-keeping-basics/ https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1999-08-08-9908080097-story.html

What is a Nano Fish Tank?#

Do Nano Tanks Require Less Maintenance?#

Can Goldfish Be Happy in a Nano Tank?#

Will Goldfish Outgrow a Nano Tank?#

Is Growth Stunting Harmful to Goldfish?#

In Conclusion#