Do goldfish need a filter?

Lupin

I disagree with the use of UG filter. It's no longer effective. It can remove the wastes, but only from your sight, not out of the tank.
For this, I recommend the use of internal or external filter.

Some shrimps and inverts eat poo. Ghost shrimps and bamboo shrimps do. For snails, Malayan Trumpet Snails do.

usmc121581

I agree with blue on the ug and when it gets clog you have to rip the tank apart to clean it.

Nick

Hmmm I have an undergravel filter on my 55 gallon ATM...But I think im good because my filter is in the path of where my jet circulates the tank. ..

ecotack

I still think a UG filter is OK for gold fish, especially if you have plenty of plants. I also agree that to fully clean you need to take the tank apart, but cleaning with a gravel cleaner syphon thingy is good enough.

Gold fish are tough. My gold fish are over 12 years old and have gone through everything, including a frozen pond, weeks in a bucket, a neglected tank, over feeding, under feeding, neighbours cats, a great dane in the pond, a night on the kitchen floor (it jumped out of the bucket). In fact I think they do better in a dirty tank, its more like a pond.

They are much easier to keep than say sea horses

Lilith

You've been watching too much Finding Nemo!
Nothing eats poo, and goldfish are one of the messiest fish most of us will ever own. A filter is essential to ensure your fish live more than a few weeks (there are exceptions, as many of you have pointed out, but they are not the rule). Cycling your tank properly is also a must.

Bettas need a pump too, as well as a heater (and despite popular belief, they need more space than a cup!). They may not be pooping machines like goldfish, but their waste will still dirty up their filterless tank quickly, and they are far less hardy.

Lupin

I disagree with your statements, Lilith.
Some inverts do eat poo.

As for bettas, they do need filters, etc. but we are clarifying that they are the only ones who can survive low-oxygen levels. Water changes will serve as substitute for filters. This is only for bettas so the exception is imposed.

monkeymagic

Goldfish are buggers to keep!!!!!!!
They poop way too much for their own good.
It is recommended that the filter must cycle at least (LEAST) 5 x the volume of the tank in an hour. Normal is 3x for tropical. They also grow quite big esp comets so tank size is a consideration.
Be careful of mixing species again as the fancier ones will get to the good the slowest e.g. fantails, pearlscales etc.
For my 60L (15 gallon tank), i am running a aquaclear 500 and a eheim internal aquaball 2212. Have 9 goldfish in the tank about 5cm 8 cm each.

SO filters are highly recommended.
Buy the best withing ur budget!!
FOr my 6 ft Malawi cichlid tank i spent about $2000 AUD on filtration alone

Lupin

While the filters alone can be sufficient, water changes should also be included in your schedule to dilute the fish wastes.
With goldfish, daily water changes of 10% is a must. Every other day is also fine but not weekly as the wastes may have already accumulated that the sudden water changes can cause the fish to adapt quickly which can further stress them.