Budget Busting fishkeeping
We've all been there. You fancy keeping Goldfish, you go to the Fish store and ask the employee for advice, they sell you a tank, filter and a few Goldies and off you go to set it up. Then you find out it's not quite what you thought it would be and that you need to spend a lot of money, urgently, on more appropriate accommodation, filtration, food...
It's easy to think that keeping Goldfish is an expensive hobby; a huge tank, big filter, food, decor, dechlorinator, medicines, it all adds up. But it needn't empty your wallet entirely. There are many ways we can keep Goldfish in a healthy environment without spending mega bucks!
It's easy to think that keeping Goldfish is an expensive hobby; a huge tank, big filter, food, decor, dechlorinator, medicines, it all adds up. But it needn't empty your wallet entirely. There are many ways we can keep Goldfish in a healthy environment without spending mega bucks!
Aquarium
Brand spanking new tanks are expensive. If you can afford one, by all means, treat yourself!
However, it's not always possible to buy a brand new tank and stand. Emergency upgrades or lack of disposable income mean that cheaper alternatives may need to be sought.
Second hand tanks are brilliant. Bargains can be found on local Facebook selling groups, Gumtree, Preloved, Craigslist, eBay, in Charity shops, car boot sales, anywhere that sells second hand stuff may well have that bargain tank you've been searching for.
Avoid tanks that are cracked, glass can be replaced, but it can be expensive, especially on top of the purchase of the tank. Ensure you are buying an aquarium, vivariums and terrariums aren't designed to hold a tank full of water and can easily break. Resealing is cheap and easy, so don't let old silicone put you off. Silicone will shrink over time, so it's always a good idea to reseal a second hand tank prior to filling anyway, to save you a job further down the line.
Plastic storage tubs, builders mixing tubs, totes, those kind of things make fantastic make shift tanks. They can be purchased from hardware or homeware stores and many supermarkets also stock large tubs. They are super cheap and very efficient.
Plastic tubs make great temporary homes/quarantine tanks too. It's always useful to have a couple on standby should you need them.
Ensure that they are food grade plastic and buy them as sturdy as you can. Shallow tubs are sturdier than taller tubs, which may need bracing (duct tape can be wrapped around the middle of the tub, prior to filling as a centre brace, or wood panels clamped in place can hold the sides up to stop them from bowing). Round tubs are also stronger and don't bow as easily.
Kiddie/paddling pools also make great Goldfish homes. Call it a pond and you sound dead fancy!
Based on personal experience, I have found the inflatable and firm sided pools are quite weak and the base and sides are easily punctured.
Fully plastic pools, that are set as one moulded piece and frame pools are much more durable meaning there's less risk of wet floors and dry pools.
However, it's not always possible to buy a brand new tank and stand. Emergency upgrades or lack of disposable income mean that cheaper alternatives may need to be sought.
Second hand tanks are brilliant. Bargains can be found on local Facebook selling groups, Gumtree, Preloved, Craigslist, eBay, in Charity shops, car boot sales, anywhere that sells second hand stuff may well have that bargain tank you've been searching for.
Avoid tanks that are cracked, glass can be replaced, but it can be expensive, especially on top of the purchase of the tank. Ensure you are buying an aquarium, vivariums and terrariums aren't designed to hold a tank full of water and can easily break. Resealing is cheap and easy, so don't let old silicone put you off. Silicone will shrink over time, so it's always a good idea to reseal a second hand tank prior to filling anyway, to save you a job further down the line.
Plastic storage tubs, builders mixing tubs, totes, those kind of things make fantastic make shift tanks. They can be purchased from hardware or homeware stores and many supermarkets also stock large tubs. They are super cheap and very efficient.
Plastic tubs make great temporary homes/quarantine tanks too. It's always useful to have a couple on standby should you need them.
Ensure that they are food grade plastic and buy them as sturdy as you can. Shallow tubs are sturdier than taller tubs, which may need bracing (duct tape can be wrapped around the middle of the tub, prior to filling as a centre brace, or wood panels clamped in place can hold the sides up to stop them from bowing). Round tubs are also stronger and don't bow as easily.
Kiddie/paddling pools also make great Goldfish homes. Call it a pond and you sound dead fancy!
Based on personal experience, I have found the inflatable and firm sided pools are quite weak and the base and sides are easily punctured.
Fully plastic pools, that are set as one moulded piece and frame pools are much more durable meaning there's less risk of wet floors and dry pools.
Filtration
Nothing beats a good canister filter or sump, with a minimum 8-10×tank volume turnover per hour. However, these can be expensive.
There's no real replacement, but with a good water change schedule and a little mechanical and biological filtration, we can work around it.
Second hand sales, again, are great places to buy your filter. A good canister can be had for a few pounds and though the media may need replacing (recommended, bleach thoroughly if you do plan on keeping it), it's a great place to find cheap filtration that fits the needs of your Goldfish.
Sponge filters are the diamond of cheap filtration. They cost around £1 on eBay. Granted, you'll need an air pump (£5-10, buy the biggest LPH you can afford) and some tubing and a check valve (usually comes with the pump, but costs under £2 for both pieces if not). You can also buy air pumps with multiple outlets, or buy a splitter (this will share the current air between two or more filters so the flow will be reduced) and run two or more sponge filters. If using sponge filters, water changes should be twice weekly bare minimum as there is little mechanical filtration.
Hang on the Back (HOB) filtration is usually quite cheap too. A HOB will set you back around £10 on ebay, but likely won't have the litres per hour required. HOBs do have more space for media, but water changes twice weekly as minimum should also be as standard if using any filtration that falls beneath the required litres per hour for your tank, more is always better. Buy the filter with the biggest LPH you can afford.
Internal filters can also be very cheap, particularly generic, unbranded filters. Buy the one with the most LPH you can afford and the biggest space for media.
DIY filters are also very cheap. A powered or air pump is used to drive the water through the media, these can be picked up for under £10. A powered is preferred as they tend to be stronger. Buy the power head with the highest LPH you can afford. Clean, plastic drinks bottles are often used as media housing with holes drilled in for input/output and can be very efficient. YouTube is your best friend for DIY projects! When life slows down a little, I'll post my own DIY filters and instructions.
There's no real replacement, but with a good water change schedule and a little mechanical and biological filtration, we can work around it.
Second hand sales, again, are great places to buy your filter. A good canister can be had for a few pounds and though the media may need replacing (recommended, bleach thoroughly if you do plan on keeping it), it's a great place to find cheap filtration that fits the needs of your Goldfish.
Sponge filters are the diamond of cheap filtration. They cost around £1 on eBay. Granted, you'll need an air pump (£5-10, buy the biggest LPH you can afford) and some tubing and a check valve (usually comes with the pump, but costs under £2 for both pieces if not). You can also buy air pumps with multiple outlets, or buy a splitter (this will share the current air between two or more filters so the flow will be reduced) and run two or more sponge filters. If using sponge filters, water changes should be twice weekly bare minimum as there is little mechanical filtration.
Hang on the Back (HOB) filtration is usually quite cheap too. A HOB will set you back around £10 on ebay, but likely won't have the litres per hour required. HOBs do have more space for media, but water changes twice weekly as minimum should also be as standard if using any filtration that falls beneath the required litres per hour for your tank, more is always better. Buy the filter with the biggest LPH you can afford.
Internal filters can also be very cheap, particularly generic, unbranded filters. Buy the one with the most LPH you can afford and the biggest space for media.
DIY filters are also very cheap. A powered or air pump is used to drive the water through the media, these can be picked up for under £10. A powered is preferred as they tend to be stronger. Buy the power head with the highest LPH you can afford. Clean, plastic drinks bottles are often used as media housing with holes drilled in for input/output and can be very efficient. YouTube is your best friend for DIY projects! When life slows down a little, I'll post my own DIY filters and instructions.
One of my 1000L pools running the DIY bottle filters and a DIY bucket filter.
Substrate
Substrate isn't even required, but if you want something cheap for your Goldies to sift through, play sand and pool filter sand is a great substrate and is very cheap.
Here in dreary England, pool filter sand isn't easy to come by, but play sand is (although, we don't ever get the sunshine to be outside playing in it, so it's always best used in ana aquarium anyway!), and will cost you around £2-3 for 25kg.
As with all sand, wash it until the water runs clear (this can take an hour or so), wash it again and once more for good luck! Stir the sand as you wash it so you're getting out all the debris. Washing in small quantities can be easier than one large amount, but I found filling an old pillowcase with sand and shoving in the hose pipe works very well indeed!
Keep the sand wet when adding it to the tank and use a cup to lower it and slowly pour it right onto the base of the tank. Keep your filters off whilst adding sand as the particles can clog filters and destroy motors. Should you have sandy water, attach fine filter floss over your filter intake prior to running to catch any debris.
Here in dreary England, pool filter sand isn't easy to come by, but play sand is (although, we don't ever get the sunshine to be outside playing in it, so it's always best used in ana aquarium anyway!), and will cost you around £2-3 for 25kg.
As with all sand, wash it until the water runs clear (this can take an hour or so), wash it again and once more for good luck! Stir the sand as you wash it so you're getting out all the debris. Washing in small quantities can be easier than one large amount, but I found filling an old pillowcase with sand and shoving in the hose pipe works very well indeed!
Keep the sand wet when adding it to the tank and use a cup to lower it and slowly pour it right onto the base of the tank. Keep your filters off whilst adding sand as the particles can clog filters and destroy motors. Should you have sandy water, attach fine filter floss over your filter intake prior to running to catch any debris.
Food
High quality food is expensive, but it's worth every penny. Azayaka and Repashy are the two that I swear by, but Saki Hikari, NLS Thera A and Omega One are all highly thought of in the Goldfish community.
If finances don't currently allow these foods, home made gel is a great, low cost alternative. I make gel food for my fish and make a few different recipes, which I will share with you. The basics are protein, veg, vitamins and a setting agent (Agar Agar is preferred but Gelatine works) blended together, set and chopped.
☆ Tuna, Kale, Bell peppers, Cauliflower, broccoli and Courgette.
☆ Bloodworm and Carrot.
☆ Spirulina, Spinach, Savoy Cabbage and Dandelion.
☆ Brine shrimp, Butternut squash, swede, turnip and Parsnip.
☆ Spinach, Kale, Spirulina, Savoy Cabbage, Courgette, Broccoli, Dandelion and Soy bean.
☆Salmon, Spirulina, Spinach and Sweet potato.
The ingredients are boiled blended with a little hot water and vitachem/vitazin and garlic juice (Garlic Guard) to form a liquid. Agar Agar is added and it is set, chopped into bite sized pieces and kept sealed in the fridge for up to one week or the freezer for up to 6months.
I make a few types in one go, mix the bite sized pieces and feed a mix each serving, so they get taste variety.
If finances don't currently allow these foods, home made gel is a great, low cost alternative. I make gel food for my fish and make a few different recipes, which I will share with you. The basics are protein, veg, vitamins and a setting agent (Agar Agar is preferred but Gelatine works) blended together, set and chopped.
☆ Tuna, Kale, Bell peppers, Cauliflower, broccoli and Courgette.
☆ Bloodworm and Carrot.
☆ Spirulina, Spinach, Savoy Cabbage and Dandelion.
☆ Brine shrimp, Butternut squash, swede, turnip and Parsnip.
☆ Spinach, Kale, Spirulina, Savoy Cabbage, Courgette, Broccoli, Dandelion and Soy bean.
☆Salmon, Spirulina, Spinach and Sweet potato.
The ingredients are boiled blended with a little hot water and vitachem/vitazin and garlic juice (Garlic Guard) to form a liquid. Agar Agar is added and it is set, chopped into bite sized pieces and kept sealed in the fridge for up to one week or the freezer for up to 6months.
I make a few types in one go, mix the bite sized pieces and feed a mix each serving, so they get taste variety.
Water Changes
A bucket and gravel vacuum don't cost a lot and a little elbow grease goes a long way, but there are products that will pretty much do a water change for you. A popular choice is a Python water changer, but they're very expensive and don't fit onto some taps. But there is another way! Yes, you can do your water changes from the comfort of your settee, brew in hand for under £40.
Running a Python, or similar, water changer requires a tap to be running as a means of creating a vacuum to drain, adding to the water bill.
All you need is a pond pump and some PVC tubing (as well as a bucket and gravel vacuum).
Pond pumps vary in power and size. If you are draining and filling on one level, head height isn't important but if you are draining or filling and the water will have to go up a floor, head height will need to be looked into. This is the height the pump will push the water. The stronger the pump, the further the water can be pushed.
The length of tubing you will need depends on the distance from your tank to where you want the water to end up (in my case, out the back door) and also the distance from tap to tank. Take the longest distance, add a few extra metres and purchase an appropriate length tube. The width of the tube will depend on your pump.
If you have gravel, a gravel vac will be needed for you to clean the substrate. This will need to be done manually, but if done often, will only take a couple of buckets. The base of the tank will need the debris manually removing.
Then, put the pump in the tank with the tube attached and put the end outside, switch it on and it drains it (if it's down hill, you don't even need to leave the pump on, the siphon runs itself).
To refill, run the taps into a bucket, put the pump in, run the tube from the bucket to the tank (and clamp in place) and switch on the pump.
My pump is 1000lph (8 metre head height) and cost £25+£15 for tubing compared to £70 for a Python.
A cheaper option, if your tank is above the water output point, is to buy a long tube of PVC and run it out the door, weight it and siphon it as you would a gravel vacuum with a shorter tube except, you're skipping the back breaking bucket work. If your refill point is above the tank, you can reverse it to refill. I use the Bath, which is upstairs to refill my ground and lower floor tanks, as I don't have to run a pump, Gravity does it for me. Again, saving money on the electric bill.
Running a Python, or similar, water changer requires a tap to be running as a means of creating a vacuum to drain, adding to the water bill.
All you need is a pond pump and some PVC tubing (as well as a bucket and gravel vacuum).
Pond pumps vary in power and size. If you are draining and filling on one level, head height isn't important but if you are draining or filling and the water will have to go up a floor, head height will need to be looked into. This is the height the pump will push the water. The stronger the pump, the further the water can be pushed.
The length of tubing you will need depends on the distance from your tank to where you want the water to end up (in my case, out the back door) and also the distance from tap to tank. Take the longest distance, add a few extra metres and purchase an appropriate length tube. The width of the tube will depend on your pump.
If you have gravel, a gravel vac will be needed for you to clean the substrate. This will need to be done manually, but if done often, will only take a couple of buckets. The base of the tank will need the debris manually removing.
Then, put the pump in the tank with the tube attached and put the end outside, switch it on and it drains it (if it's down hill, you don't even need to leave the pump on, the siphon runs itself).
To refill, run the taps into a bucket, put the pump in, run the tube from the bucket to the tank (and clamp in place) and switch on the pump.
My pump is 1000lph (8 metre head height) and cost £25+£15 for tubing compared to £70 for a Python.
A cheaper option, if your tank is above the water output point, is to buy a long tube of PVC and run it out the door, weight it and siphon it as you would a gravel vacuum with a shorter tube except, you're skipping the back breaking bucket work. If your refill point is above the tank, you can reverse it to refill. I use the Bath, which is upstairs to refill my ground and lower floor tanks, as I don't have to run a pump, Gravity does it for me. Again, saving money on the electric bill.
Dechlorinator
Goldfish require large, regular water changes therefore, they need a lot of dechlorinator, to remove heavy metals from fresh tap water. Allowing fresh tap water to sit for 24hours will not remove all heavy metals. Yes, Chlorine will dissipate but there are many other heavy metals that are detrimental to the health of the Goldfish and the cycle that wont dissipate, so water conditioner/dechlorinator is ALWAYS necassary.
Contrary to popular belief, I am not on Seachem's payroll! I simply LOVE Seachem Prime. It is a great water conditioner and it also had the added benefits of neutralising ammonia and nitrite for 24 hours as well as aiding slime coat production. It is very economical and whilst it may seem expensive, it will last a lot longer than other conditioners and works out to be a much cheaper alternative as well as having all those benefits. It is fantastic stuff and I highly recommend it.
Contrary to popular belief, I am not on Seachem's payroll! I simply LOVE Seachem Prime. It is a great water conditioner and it also had the added benefits of neutralising ammonia and nitrite for 24 hours as well as aiding slime coat production. It is very economical and whilst it may seem expensive, it will last a lot longer than other conditioners and works out to be a much cheaper alternative as well as having all those benefits. It is fantastic stuff and I highly recommend it.