How to Upgrade a Goldfish Tank

Even a single goldfish requires a lot of room for its living space. A single goldfish should have at least 20 gallons of water for the aquarium it resides in. Additional goldfish should have their own 10 gallons of space, even though they both reside comfortably in the same space, suggests Doctors Foster and Smith of Pet Education.com. However, goldfish tend to grow, sometimes quadrupling in size. As the goldfish grow, so does the amount of waste material they produce. Eventually, especially if you decide to keep a few goldfish at one time, you will need to upgrade your goldfish tank. There are a number of steps you must take to ensure a safe and healthy transition to an upgraded tank.

Things You'll Need

  • Larger aquarium
  • Additional filtration system
  • Additional lighting system
  • Extra substrate
  • Artificial or live plants
  • Aquarium decorations
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Instructions

    • 1

      Rinse everything that is going to be installed in the new tank, including additional substrate, plastic plants and decorations, as well as the aquarium itself, in the same type of water that is going to be used to fill the tank.

    • 2

      Install the new aquarium and place it in the location where it is going to be permanently located. Make sure that the location is not in direct sunlight or under an air vent, which can alter the conditions inside the tank. Set up the lighting and filtration systems on the new tank.

    • 3

      Line the new tank with substrate -- if using some from the old tank, only add a small amount. Install plastic or live plants and other decorations. Fill the tank with water and allow to run for at least 24 hours before transitioning the old tank's occupants into the new tank. Make sure all of the electric components are working properly.

    • 4

      Check the water temperature to make sure it is the same as what is in the old tank -- or at least within a couple of degrees one way or the other; if not, you will need to scoop your goldfish into a resealable plastic bag filled with some of the water from the old tank and let it float on the surface of the water for a couple of hours before releasing the goldfish into the new tank. Use a testing kit to make sure that the pH, salinity and hardness levels are the same as the other tank, or close to it. Adjust the tank with a water conditioning kit, if necessary.

    • 5

      Scoop the goldfish and add them to the new tank if the temperature and water conditions are right. Remove any decorations and plants from the old tank that you wish to have in the new tank.

    • 6

      Drain the old tank and remove the old substrate. Add the old substrate to the new tank, if desired.

    • 7

      Check the water's condition often during the next 48 hours to make sure there are no drastic differences between the old conditions and new conditions.