I currently house my fish in a 12 gallon eclipse system. I could get a 20 gallon tall tank that would be compatible with my hood. Would this added 8 gallons of water really make much of a difference? Should I?

yes it does make a big difference, the more space you have, the bigger the fish can grow.

how many fish are in this tank?

1 oranda

1 black moor

1 fantail

you have the same as me!

you should have a 30 gallon as each need 10 gallons each, 12 is too small mate, get a bigger one.

yes get a bigger tank the more room the better

20 gallons will be fine to house your 3 fish. Trust me the 10 gallon rule per fish is an exaggeration made by people being too careful about their fishes health.

No, it isn't.

But you needn't take my word for it: read any books on keeping goldfish, or refer to any other professional sources, and you will see that all goldfish experts recommend a minimum of 10 gallons per fish for fancies, and a minimum of 20 gallons per fish for commons, comets or shubunkins. There are several extremely good reasons for this, including water quality management, disease prevention, growth, lifespan and general well-being.

Hooker, it would be best if you could get your fish a 30-gallon tank now. If you do keep them in the 20-gallon you should keep a close eye on water quality and upgrade them to a larger tank as soon as you can. As for making a difference - just take a look at your fish a month after you've moved them to the larger tank and you'll be amazed at how much faster they are growing and how much more lively they are.

Until you have seen truly large goldfish it is very hard too understand the 10 gallon rule. Once you see truly large goldfish you realize that 10 gallons per fish should be a minimum in smaller tanks.
I don't agree with the ten gallon rule in some instances. I could never picture a full sized goldie ever living in a ten gallon or even 2 large goldies in a twenty but I can easily picture 12-14 goldies living quite happily in 100 gallons. The larger the amount of water, the more stable it is going too be and with proper care and filtration it will ALWAYS provide a better environment than a smaller tank.

I agree with the ten gallon rule. Even my goldies are quite large. I have a 7 inch comet, 5 inch black moor, and a 4 inch lionhead. I had them in a twenty gallon for the longest time but it is a lot of maintenance. Water changes every 3-4 days, constant testing, constant monitoring...blah, blah, blah!
Anyways when you see your fish all crowded in this small tank you feel really bad for them too! I would recommend getting a larger tank than a 20 gallon because I did the same thing as you and regretted it when they got larger. It was a definite waste of money.

alot of people will disagree with you. Let me just say 20 gallons will be better than 12 and itll hold you for longer till you make them even MORE room as they grow bigger


anyway yea 10 goldies in a 100 gal are much better off than 2 in a 20 cause more swimming room. Keep your 12 gallon tank and get a 55 gallon tank from nnnnnn or a petstore cheap.