Perhaps the most common fish to keep for beginners, the goldfish gets its name from its shiny, orange appearance that looks quite gold due to the scale texture.
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Most goldfish are stereotyped in cartoons and media as fish that live in bowls, in which your cat may nab them when they’re hungry. Fishbowls are great, but if you really want the best home for your goldfish, they need a bigger home.
In line with this, you may be looking for the best goldfish tank. These tanks tend to be larger, at least 20 gallons in size and have more sufficient room to roam around for your little aquatic friends.
Also, it’s worth it to buy a goldfish tank that’s equipped with safety features and isn’t exactly hard to set up. Goldfish will also enjoy a tank that’s constantly clean and has less likelihood of hazards for them.
Top 5 Best Goldfish Tanks
Here are our top picks for the best goldfish tank:
Marina LED Aquarium Kit
This aquarium kit is our ideal pick for a goldfish tank since it has just the right size of 20 gallons.
It also comes as a package with a filter and everything else for beginners.
With a size of 24 x 12.5 x 16.5 inches, this tank can be installed with a filter (included) just fine due to its slim corners.
We liked it due to its ease of setup within 1 minute or so and the slim filter design so that you can quickly pull out the cartridge when it needs to be changed.
There is also an energy-efficient LED lighting system so that your plants and fish become livelier in the tank.
Things We Liked
- Slim design for the filter
- Easy change cartridges
- A complete setup for beginners
- Spacious size for goldfish
- Plastic strip cover for the LED lights
Things We Didn’t Like
- Doesn’t have a nightlight feature for the lights
Hagen HG Fluval Flex Aquarium
As an aquarium that has a curved design, this one has RGB LED lights that can light up in different ways over your fish.
Due to its 7500K LED lamp, it can be ideal if you also want to put in some live plants in there.
There is a top cover opening so that you can feed the fish conveniently while there is also a honeycomb wrap to make it stylish.
The included filter uses a 3-stage filtration process through biological, mechanical, and chemical mechanisms with its foam, BioMax, and carbon filter media. This one is also a kit so it includes different items for you to set up an aquarium.
Things We Liked
- Colorful LED lamp
- Top cover opening for easy feeding
- 3-stage filtration process
- Includes filter media
- A complete setup for beginners
- Honeycomb wrap for a stylish look
Things We Didn’t Like
- The volume of the water pump is not adjustable
Aqua Culture 10 Gallon Empty Aquarium
If you want a clear aquarium that is a tank-only package, this one may be for you.
It can be used for goldfish as well as other types of fish and reptiles due to its wide, rectangular design.
With 10 gallons in size, it has been made with high-strength silicone to make it less likely to crack.
The size of the tank is 20 x 12 x 10 inches so it may fit well on most countertops that are meant for aquariums. Not to worry about damages – the tank ships with extra wrapping so that it can stay safe during shipping.
Things We Liked
- High-strength silicone
- Rectangular design
- Okay for other fish types as well
- Ships in extra wrapping
Things We Didn’t Like
- Does not come with a screen top
Aqueon 10 Gal Black Aquarium
Yet another one that has a 10-gallon size, this one has dimensions of 20 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 12 9/16 inches overall.
To protect it from breaking during shipping, it has its own container with reinforced packaging. The simple design features a black trim design with clear silicone seals.
Since it is a tank-only product, you may have to buy other accessories, so this may work well if you want to buy the accessories separately or if you already have them.
The packaging is also wrapped just right and its material is also made with hard plastic to prevent possibilities of leakage.
Things We Liked
- Large dimensions
- Ships in its own packaging
- Black trim to prevent leaks
- Good for custom aquarium building
Things We Didn’t Like
- Does not come with a screen top
Fluval Spec V Aquarium Kit in White
This one is yet another rectangular aquarium that’s meant for small spaces.
With dimensions of 17.2 x 10.6 x 6.3 inches, this one already comes with filter media ready to be used, such as a foam block, activated carbon and some BioMax bio rings.
All of them can be used for mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration.
If you want something that has aluminum trim, this one may work for you. It has an etched design so it looks more unique than other tanks out there. It even has a 37-light LED Lighting System to help create a scenic effect for your fish.
Things We Liked
- Comes with filter media
- Good for small spaces
- LED lighting system
- Etched design
- Overhanging lighting design
Things We Didn’t Like
- May be too small for some goldfish
Things to Consider Before You Buy
When looking for the best goldfish tank, here are some things you might want to know first:
What are the benefits of a goldfish tank?
Having a goldfish tank can have good benefits for you, such as the following:
- A relaxing hobby. Starting a goldfish hobby can be relaxing and stress-relieving since you are essentially taking care of a pet and also watching them as they swim around in your fish tank or aquarium at home.
- Adds life to your living space. A fish tank with many colors, species, and plants can add more depth and life to your living space, such as your bedroom, the guest room, the kitchen, and the like.
- Gives your fish more room. Unlike keeping them in a small fishbowl, having a larger aquarium with a rectangular design can help them roam around better with more space.
How do I choose a goldfish tank?
To choose a goldfish tank, you may need to consider the following:
- Where do you intend to put the goldfish tank? A goldfish tank can be placed anywhere, as long as there’s sufficient room, such as on a tabletop or a stand. If you will have to put the goldfish tank near kids then it should be durable without being too bulky and should have safety features as well to avoid leaking.
- Do you need just a tank or a complete set? Some beginners purchase a whole set so that they can get started right away. If you’re a little on the advanced side, you may want to purchase a tank-only package.
- What size of tank do you need? The ideal size for goldfish should be about 10 to 20 gallons but this can depend on the dimensions and where you intend to keep the goldfish.
- How many goldfish will you keep? The number of goldfish that you will keep could also dictate the size that you should get. If you intend to keep a lot of goldfish then you may need a bigger tank so that your little friends could have more space to roam around. Smaller numbers of goldfish may do just fine on smaller tanks.
- Does the company safely ship their tanks? It pays to invest in a fish tank that doesn’t leak, but what happens if the shipping courier doesn’t take care of their tank? Consider getting a fish tank from one with good reviews about shipping since it is a fragile item.
What is the best size of a goldfish tank?
The best size for a goldfish tank is about 10 to 20 gallons since they need a lot of room or space to swim in. It’s best not to put them inside small novelty bowls or tanks unless you are traveling with them. If you intend to store them for a long time then they will most likely live longer in a larger tank.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, our top pick for the best goldfish tank is the Marina LED Aquarium Kit because of its slim design for the filter, easy change cartridges, and the fact that it is a complete setup for beginners. It also has a spacious size for goldfish and has a plastic strip cover for the LED lights.
While it doesn’t have a nightlight feature for the lights, this is just a minor con for its price. If you are just a beginner in taking care of fish, this may be a good choice for you.
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